<p>Can someone suggest a nice getaway destination within a couple hours drive of Dartmouth? We'd like to take two or three days to explore another town in the area after dropping our daughter off at college. We have spent time in Boston and New York, but we'd like to spend some time in NH, Vermont, or perhaps Maine. Thanks for any suggestions!</p>
<p>How many hours are you willing to drive? Do you have any particular interests? (Hiking, painting, music, golf, art or history museums, etc)</p>
<p>I had a meeting in Portsmouth, Maine, some years ago [Google maps says it’s about a 2 hour drive], and we really liked the town and surrounding area (even including Kennebunkport despite a difference of political opinion with one of its more noted residents). The Bay of Fundy is a long day trip from there [better done as a separate one], but not impossible. Consolation (as usual) gets to the heart of things and asks a good question. Stowe, Vermont, for example is a fun little town even when it isn’t ski season if you like biking and golf. And, it’s a short drive from there to Burlington (another charming town/city), which is just north of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company! (I shan’t divulge the name of DD’s companion through ElHi and Dartmouth, but he’s still going strong as she heads off to grad school.) </p>
<p>Couple of hours +1 = Montreal. </p>
<p>I was thinking of 2-3 hours driving max depending on which direction we’re heading. We’ll probably be flying out of Boston, so we’ll want to be able to get back there in a 4 hour drive or so. We’d like to do a bit of hiking and see the fall foliage, though I guess the second week in Sept might be a bit early. We enjoy low-key towns with good dining - not necessarily expensive, but we like to try local specialties. Thanks for the suggestions so far!</p>
<p>During first year trips we went to Franconia Notch and the Flume Gorge for hiking and sightseeing. We drove the backroads from Hanover to get there. Saw a moose the size of our Minivan. Also went to Kennebunkport, Maine for Lobster Rolls and a view of the Bush compound, watched him motor off with secret service in tow. Portsmouth, NH and Strawberry Bank living history museum. Simon Pearce for dinner and glassware in Queeche, Vermont. Woodstock Vermont is also very close by and very quaint. Restaurant Elixer in White River Junction was great. Actually, we loved using the Dartmouth canoes to paddle up and down the river. </p>
<p>Second week of September is probably not too early for some foliage in the northern parts of New England. Here’s an itinerary:
- drive north to Franconia Notch State Park, stay somewhere in the area, and hike.</p>
<p>2) drive across the White Mountains to Fryeburg ME via the extremely scenic Kancamagus Highway (Rte 112), then go to Portland via Bridgton on Rte 302 </p>
<p>3) Stay somewhere in the Old Port or Western Prom areas. Portland has a good art museum and lots of galleries, lots of music, interesting architecture, and is a foodie destination. If you are there on the first Friday of a month, join in the First Friday street scene, with musicians, open galleries serving wind and cheese, free admission at the Portland Museum of Art, art students selling their work on the street, the occasional flashmob, and more. 
Consider taking a ferry out to one of the Casco Bay Islands, walking and having lunch. You can drive down to Portland Head Light in 15 minutes, or to Two Lights and visit The Lobster Shack in a few minutes more and climb around on the rocks with the waves crashing below you after having a lobster with drawn butter and a blueberry tart. (A plus here is that Portland has stuff to do even if it is raining.) </p>
<p>It takes about 2 hours to drive to Logan from Portland.</p>
<p>The New England area is beautiful. If you can, head up to Boston and try some chowder :)</p>
<p>BTW, lobster rolls are, IMNSHO, grossly inferior to a plain boiled lobster with butter. Cold lobster on a hot dog bun? NO! :)</p>
<p>Consolation, I couldn’t agree with you more, but if you never had a lobster roll before on a sunny day in Maine, also for the first time, it was an a-ha moment. </p>
<p>It’s not a town, but Twin Farms is a really nice rustic resort about an hour away from Dartmouth! </p>
<p>Rural NH native here. I don’t know if you’re dropping your daughter off in late summer or in the fall, but if you’re visiting in the fall, which I highly recommend you do, there are TONS of activities - festivals/agricultural fairs, pick-your-own farms, etc. The spirit of fall here is just so warm and community-oriented. Even in the summer/late August, there are lots of picking opportunities - apples, blackberries, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, etc… not sure what your travel arrangements are and how much/if you could transport these, though ^.^</p>
<p>For hiking, Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey is always a lot of fun with an amazing view at the top. If you’re looking for cities, Portsmouth is probably my favourite. Portland, Maine is also unique (if you end up going, be sure to get a meal at Vignola Cinque Terre - the cheeses are incredible). Working there this summer, I’ve grown to love downtown Concord, but that would be more of a short stop than anything else. I have lots of restaurant recommendations for Manchester as I live closest to there than any other city, but it’s not that great of a place to walk around as a day trip/stop, though.</p>
<p>Honestly, my favourite thing is to just drive around (Kancamagus is nice for nature). If you have any questions, I’ve lived here my whole life and love it (in case you can’t tell), so feel free to PM me with questions :)</p>
<p>Sugar Hill, NH, is a little town, close to Franconia Notch state park for hiking, with several very nice B&Bs, and Polly’s Pancake Parlor, for fabulous waffles with their own maple syrup. For a romantic getaway, only an hour and a half from Hanover, it could scarcely be topped. From there you could drive the Kancamangus (more hiking) or go north to Mt Washington, or putter on backroads. I drove from Boothbay Harbor, Maine, to Hanover today, and it’s a goodly drive, especially over 302: 4 hours. If you had a few days to spend in Maine, it might be worth it, though, especially if you’ve never been to Maine. We spent the night at Ocean Point Inn in East Boothbay, with gorgeous sunsets and quintessential scenery.</p>
<p>Thanks so much to everyone for your suggestions! We are looking forward to our trip next week. We will spend five days in Hanover to help our daughter settle in to her new place, and hopefully we’ll have some time to explore the Hanover area. Then we’re heading to Franconia Notch for a couple days (honestly, I’d never heard of this park but it’s just what we were looking for!) and then to Maine for a couple days. We’re very excited to get to know a new part of the country and appreciate everyone’s recommendations!</p>
<p>Sounds awesome SweetWB. Keep us posted on your 4 year ride on the Dartmouth Parents thread!</p>