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New England roadtrip

Started by Sub-Urbanite, July 18, 2016, 01:32:41 PM

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Sub-Urbanite

I'm planning my first trip to New England this fall, and am looking for some input. Flying into Boston on a red-eye, I've got 3 nights in Vermont, 2 nights in Portland, Maine, and back to Boston for a night before an early flight back west.

Here's what I'm looking for:

  • It's dumb, but in theory I'd like to drive to Providence on my way from Boston to Burlington just to say I've been to Rhode Island. Is there a practical way to do this impractical drive without retracing my steps back to Boston?
  • Going from Burlington to Portland — the Googles tell me to drive back down through Manchester and then up to Portland — does it make sense to cross the northern tier of New Hampshire instead?
  • Assuming my rental car allows me to go into Canada, should I consider a day trip from Burlington to Montreal? How long of a drive is that?


vdeane

#1
For Providence, just take RI/MA 146 back to MA and then I-91 would reduce the backtracking.  I-91 is a pretty nice road too.

New England non-interstates can be pretty windy.  Only adds 20 minutes according to Google (which recommends I-89, US 2, I-93, US 302, and ME 113), though.  Probably more scenic, especially since it includes Crawford Notch, and you get to see the 70 mph zone on I-93.

I would guess an hour and a half each way from Burlington to Montreal, not including customs.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

hotdogPi

Quote from: vdeane on July 18, 2016, 02:02:55 PM
New England non-interstates can be pretty windy.  Only adds 20 minutes according to Google (which recommends I-89, US 2, I-93, US 302, and ME 113), though.  Probably more scenic, especially since it includes Crawford Notch, and you get to see the 70 mph zone on I-93.

Right?
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

froggie

QuoteIt's dumb, but in theory I'd like to drive to Providence on my way from Boston to Burlington just to say I've been to Rhode Island. Is there a practical way to do this impractical drive without retracing my steps back to Boston?

As Val noted, you can take RI/MA 146 back into Massachusetts easily enough, but be forewarned that there is no direct ramp from SB I-95 to NB RI 146, nor is there a way to U-turn at the I-95/US 6/RI 10 interchange.  You'll have to use surface streets to either make the connection or turn around near downtown Providence.  Options include exiting at Exit 24 and using Branch Ave, exiting at Exit 23 and using Charles St (it's signed this way from SB I-95), or exiting at Exit 21/Atwells Ave and using that to turn around back north to access the beginning of RI 146.

QuoteGoing from Burlington to Portland — the Googles tell me to drive back down through Manchester and then up to Portland — does it make sense to cross the northern tier of New Hampshire instead?

If you're in a hurry, no.  But if you're not in a hurry, and especially if you have time to make stops, I'd suggest something across northern New Hampshire.  There are a number of different options here, depending on what you want to see.  The most direct route would be US 302 out of Montpelier to NH 112 to NH 113 and picking US 302 back up in Conway.  While you wouldn't see the Crawford Notch, the Mount Washington Hotel, or the 70 MPH segment of I-93 that Val mentions, NH 112 is a very scenic route across New Hampshire and brings you across the famous Kancamagus Highway.

Another option is to take US 2 out of Montpelier, picking up I-93 in St. Johnsbury then catching US 302 near Littleton.  This brings you close to the Cabot Creamery (free samples and factory tours, plus their cheese is better than Tillamook IMO), Chutter's (in downtown Littleton and boasts the longest candy counter in the world), and you'd get a view of the Mount Washington Hotel and the mountain itself just before you hit Crawford Notch.

You could theoretically stay on US 302 all the way, but it's longer and slower than the above two routes and doesn't offer as much.

Other potential stops include the Ben&Jerry's factory in Waterbury (with their flagship scoop shop and free factory tours), the state house in Montpelier, and plenty of craft/micro breweries and restaurants all over central Vermont.

QuoteAssuming my rental car allows me to go into Canada, should I consider a day trip from Burlington to Montreal? How long of a drive is that?

Plan on about an hour-40, excluding the border crossing and Montreal traffic.  Also, if you don't have a passport or an Enhanced Drivers License, you won't get across the border.



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