New England in the fall has such a mystique about it. The fiery red leaves, the history, the coffee, the apple everything–expecially for this twenty-something obsessed with autumn.
My husband and I dreamed up this trip 2 summers ago when I was VERY pregnant, not exactly taking into account that we’d be traveling with a toddler by the time we were able to make this happen. (LOL)
Last week, we finally took our epic fall road trip and it was MAGIC. Not “perfect,” but MAGIC!
Salem, MA
Salem is pretty infamous for the Salem Witch Trials. . . but the town is so much more than that. It’s also the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne and the site of his famous book, “The House of the Seven Gables.” (Being a book nerd, I’m all about that!)
There’s plenty of maritime history, gorgeous colonial architecture, and some beautiful historical cemeteries. It was a fun day trip!
Portland, ME
Portland was where I tried a lobster roll for the first time. $32 later, I don’t think I would ever eat one again (this midwestern girl is still working on diversifying her palate lol), but I could definitely appreciate how fresh it was!
We also stopped by the famous Portland Headlight which was just GORGEOUS. Our son enjoyed crawling around in the grass!
New Hampshire/Vermont
This area was every bit as beautiful as I had imagined. Winding roads, white church steeples, vibrant leaves, sparkling ponds–we loved it. We stayed in an airbnb for few nights and took a couple daytrips to Woodstock and some neighboring towns. It was soooo busy, but soooo worth it!
Concord, MA
This was by far my favorite stop. There is SO MUCH history in Concord! We stopped by the Old North Bridge in Lexington, saw the famous Old Manse (such a stately, beautiful mansion!), and wound our way through the wooded neighborhoods of old colonial homes. Josh even put up with the “Little Women” soundtrack on limitless repeat haha!
And speaking of “Little Women,” I got to visit Louisa May Alcott’s “Orchard House!” It was so inspiring to see her little bedroom desk where she dreamed up one of the greatest stories ever written.
We also stopped by “Authors Ridge” at Sleepy Hollow cemetery and saw her grave as well as the graves of Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Emerson. (Did I mention I’m a bookworm nut?)
I was so thankful to get some quality family time in such a beautiful part of the country.
More posts to follow!
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