New England   October 2012

This trip actually began sometime in August. June and myself had casually shared that we would like to someday visit the north east in the fall. We have always agreed that we would like to travel before we get too old to enjoy ourselves. So somewhere around late August we started to research our options. We looked at tours, but none offered exactly what we wanted. Then we decided to design our own tour and see how the cost compared. We researched the area and found several things we wanted to do in places we wanted to visit.

When we got around to buying plane tickets, a hurricane was threatening the area. We decided that we should only make arrangements that we could cancel or postpone if we wanted. Sandy hit about a month later in late October.

JetBlue had the best rates and the tickets could be returned for a credit. And for hotels, one word: Booking.com. They offered the best rates for good hotels and had better cancelation policies than the hotels. I don't know how they do that, but it was all in writing.

So we plotted a course and June did a huge amount of research. She has a new MacBook Pro and she knows how to use it.

Sidebar:  This is the first vacation I have taken in over a year that I did not bring my computer and work part time. I wouldn't say I "missed work", if you know what I mean!

This trip is divided into the following pages:

• The North East Coast - this page (Days 1, and 2)

• Fall Foliage (Days 3, 4, 5)

• Cape Cod (Days 6 ,7)

• Pumpkin People

The North East Coast (Days 1, and 2)

The first leg of our journey started in Boston. Then we headed up the east coast to with the first night in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Then on to Portland, Maine for the second night.

We arrived into wet conditions in Boston, picked up a Hundai Sonata at the airport and hit the road north in commute traffic.

So, we were on the road and heading up the New Hampshire coast about 40 miles. The landscape is gently rolling hills completely covered in vegetation. The roads were pretty empty for an early evening, and very well maintained. But rarely did we get a chance to see the surrounding area because the vegetation is so dense, bushes and trees right up to the highway between 10 and 20 feet high. There were trees that were autumn colored, but most were just plain green on this first leg.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Day 1)

We arrived in Portsmouth that evening and promptly got lost. We brought the Garmin, but it didn't recognize several of the hotels we had booked, so I entered the address. There was no hotel where we arrived. So June steps in with her iPhone 5. AMAZING!! She located the hotel, and it gave us directions from exactly where we were in minutes!

We checked in and then drove into Portsmouth to explore. What a wonderful little town, very scenic, and very crowded. We were told the best place to get seafood, but there was a 45 minute wait. We pressed on and got another recommendation from a local. We visited a tavern-like place and it did not disappoint., with Clam chowder which was unbelievable, a 'lobster roll' which is really a lobster sandwich on a roll with lettuce. We got lost again on the ride home. June didn't bring her phone.

Portland, Maine (Day 2)

In the morning we had a small breakfast in the hotel and then hit the road for Portland, Maine 50 miles north. More wet weather.

We arrived around noon and walked around town until check in.

This is another very cute small town which has TWO significant claims to fame:

Heading inland to see the Foliage!