East Coast USA Honeymoon Oct-Nov

Soldato
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
7,395
Location
Notts
We're looking to take a 2 week holiday over on the East Coast of America starting at the end of October.

We have a very rough plan so I'm hoping with your help we can tailor it into a great holiday.

The plan so far..

29th Oct - Fly to Boston arriving at 3:30pm
30th - 31st Boston
1st Nov - Collect car and drive to Portland/Maine
2nd - Maine (Rockland/Acadia)
3rd - Maine (other places)
4th - Drive to Plymouth
5th - Cape Cod
6th - Providence and Rhode Island
7th - Drive to NYC arriving in the evening.
8th - Ney York
9th - New York (Knicks Game)
10th - New York
11th - New York
12th - Fly home

As I said it's a very rough plan, with minimal research so far. If anyone has any suggestions of a better way of doing things then I'm open to other options :)
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Feb 2006
Posts
29,300
What is your budget? What do you and your future wife like to do? What sort of hotels/apartments do you like, boutique or big with all the services?
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
7,395
Location
Notts
What is your budget? What do you and your future wife like to do? What sort of hotels/apartments do you like, boutique or big with all the services?

Budget is 3k-ish and we would like to stay in a mixture of hotels. So a night in a nice boutique while travelling and maybe a few nights in a 5 star while in NY.

We like to see and do so anything interesting, places to stop while on the road etc.

We were married 2 weeks ago in Italy so put the honeymoon back as we were there for a week after the wedding. Oct/Nov for the Autumn colours etc.
 
Last edited:
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Feb 2006
Posts
29,300
Well I have just spent 2 weeks on the East Coast doing the same thing, though we went Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire. I can recommend this group https://www.larkhotels.com who manage and in some cases own a nice selection of boutique hotels in the area. We used 4 of them plus the Lenox in Boston, which I would totally recommend as that is old world Boston in the right location, just on back bay where all the best places to eat and shop are. I've been to Providence before and wasn't a massive fan, but we stayed there as I wanted to head to Battleship Cove which dealt nicely with my Naval history fetish.

Check out the Lark hotels anyway, mix of room rates you don't have to stay in the suites as we tend to and suspect you could do far worse, good experience based on our 2 weeks, really looked after us and gave us gold service once we made them aware we were doing a bit of a tour of their hotels.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Feb 2006
Posts
29,300
Also be careful on the New England Autumn thing as I believe it came early last year and the best views were done in late September.

We stayed

3 x Nights Boston Lenox (https://www.lenoxhotel.com/) - Love the Lenox, more modern, more trendy, bigger rooms elswhere, but only one Lenox in Boston!
2 x Nights Field Guide Stowe in Vermont (https://www.larkhotels.com/field-guide) - Lacked something, immaculate but our least favorite, but perfectly good
2 x Nights Whitehall Camden in Maine (https://www.larkhotels.com/whitehall) - Gorgous place, lovely at night outside (Full restaurant and bar, cincema 50 yards)
1 x Night Blue Plum Island in Massachusetts (https://www.blueinn.com/) - We had an epic suite, arm and leg but right on beach 2 story room etc. (No bar or food)
2 x Nights The Merchant in Salem MA (https://www.themerchantsalem.com/) - Our favorite, gorgeous simple rooms (No bar and small selection of snacks)

You could perhaps drop Stowe, do the big drive to Camden then back down which our itinerary did into Cape Cod/Providence etc then finish in NYC
 
Last edited:
Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
32,615
You definitely wont get the fall colours in new England at that time of year. Down-state New York might be OK, might not.

I'm sure there is a website or soemthign that gives the statistical dates fore best fall colours by location/latitude.However, it can vary by several weeks anyway based on weather. Some clear cold weather late September will start the process. Warm wet weather delays things and limits the colours somewhat.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Feb 2003
Posts
7,171
Location
Shropshire
3 x Nights Boston Lenox (https://www.lenoxhotel.com/) - Love the Lenox, more modern, more trendy, bigger rooms elswhere, but only one Lenox in Boston!

We went to Boston in November 2009 (time flies!).

We also stayed at The Lenox in Boston - loved it and thought it a great position for sightseeing, shopping, eating etc. Worth hitting up the Top of the HUb for some drinks one night for the views. IIRC, you need to show ID to get in and there's a minimum spend per-person if you want a table but not if you stay at the bar.

We drove up to Portland (MA) from Boston. Remember stopping at a little place called Perkins Cove. The weather was minging but had some fantastic chowder in a restaurant (will try to remember which one).

Portland made a good base for a few days and was good for restaurants (a quick check on TA shows some good eating options).
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
7,395
Location
Notts
Thanks for the info guys. I really appreciate your input.

Housey - We will look at the hotels you've recommended. Thanks :)

Just looking for into on the fall colours timing.
 
Associate
Joined
13 Nov 2012
Posts
2,191
Jealous, only part of the states I haven't done yet.

Are there no flights to Portland to save the back and forth?

Be sure to hit up Trillium Brewing in Boston of you like your beer! Making the best in the world at the moment.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
5 Oct 2004
Posts
7,395
Location
Notts
Jealous, only part of the states I haven't done yet.

Are there no flights to Portland to save the back and forth?

Be sure to hit up Trillium Brewing in Boston of you like your beer! Making the best in the world at the moment.

I've never done the East coast either, so as much as I love the West coast I'm really looking forward to this.

There are flights to Portland but they're much more expensive.

I'll investigate the brewery :)
 
Associate
Joined
13 Nov 2012
Posts
2,191
There are flights to Portland but they're much more expensive.

I hear you, my wife worked in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a month last year. Flights to Detroit were three times more than Chicago. So it was cheaper for us to fly over Detroit and get a bus from Chicago.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Mar 2009
Posts
4,450
Location
Georgia, USA
You definitely wont get the fall colours in new England at that time of year. Down-state New York might be OK, might not.

I'm sure there is a website or soemthign that gives the statistical dates fore best fall colours by location/latitude.However, it can vary by several weeks anyway based on weather. Some clear cold weather late September will start the process. Warm wet weather delays things and limits the colours somewhat.

All my trees we red at the end of october last year, all my maples had turned by the end if sept.

I suggest visiting the white mountains in NH and moose alley which is at the top end of NH near canada. Also why not spend a night/day in montreal, its only 5 hours from my house and im in the middle of NH.
 
Associate
Joined
21 Jul 2016
Posts
972
Location
Texas
If it's Autumn colors you're after I'd recommend Vermont/New Hampshire. Maine has a rugged beauty.... it's a poor mans BC! :D;)

In NYC if you're not just set on a 5 star hotel you can find some decent ones close to many of the attractions. My last trip there I found a nice little hotel on Columbus and 79th directly behind the Museum of Natural History. One block from the park. Spent many a chilly morning walking across the park to 5th Ave in the heart of the museum district.

No specific recommendations for Boston. It's a great city with lots of history (by American standards anyways...)

For years now my go to recommendations to my foreign friends coming state-side have been: (INPO) Yellowstone NP, Grand Canyon, New Orleans. I know that nothing you've ever seen can prepare you for the first two, and New Orleans is just plain fun!!

Safe travels, and have fun!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Feb 2006
Posts
29,300
I didn't like New Orleans, like Blackpool but warmer with less tattoos, but still tacky. Some great bars, some great places to eat, but lots of other places stateside I'd chose over it. Horses for courses.
 
Associate
Joined
21 Jul 2016
Posts
972
Location
Texas
I didn't like New Orleans, like Blackpool but warmer with less tattoos, but still tacky. Some great bars, some great places to eat, but lots of other places stateside I'd chose over it. Horses for courses.

Horses for courses indeed.

For me.... NOLA is among the oldest cities in the US and has the history to go with it. There's nothing like strolling the 'quarters' and peeking into the private gardens or having a drink in a bar that was originally built as a house for Napoleon. But, to be fair, that sort of thing is far more common in Europe.

Perhaps I should change that recommendation for my European friends.

Hmmm....
 
Back
Top Bottom