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Published: August 7th 2023
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My lovely wife is on her way back to home...so I'm hitting the road to the North of New York for 6 days. This is one of the area in the World that is missing on my wish-list. I visited years ago the fun city of Boston. I also drove all the way and return from New York to Montreal as well as New York to Buffalo. So yes, the North-East of the States is missing big time for me.
The few States of the North-East are known as New England! This is one of the oldest settled area in North America. The first settlers were Puritan pilgrims coming from England in 1620. The result of it is an amazing architecture. You obviously cannot visit Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut in 6 days! Strictly impossible. So take this trip as a first viewing to give myself an idea of what could be a longer discovery!
I started with Vermont and New Hampshire. It's impressive how beautiful those hilly States are! I had no idea! My hotels were booked ahead...I admit superb deals with few non-descript Hilton hotels all around, keeping an average rate
way below 100usd per night. My rental car was picked-up at Avis JFK after dropping Tanya at the airport. Still renting the smallest and cheapest available car, I ended up with a not so small car! My first evening drive was an interesting one. My first stop is Mahwah, New Jersey, this is truly not yet New England! To get there, I need to go across New York boroughs! The start of the drive is pretty interesting, as I'm driving via Queens, next I cross and drive via Manhattan, which is truly a first for me! Those bridges in and out of Manhattan are the most impressive to cross for a first timer! I got late to my hotel, ready for a rainy day next morning and the premium outlet shopping at Woodbury. This was a fast affair as I had found everything on our little list prior to this stop.
I was a little late on planning my exact routing. It was done pretty simply by google searching the most beautiful towns of Vermont and New Hampshire. It's hills everywhere, mainly covered by forest. My aim is to simply avoid highways as much as I can.
So the move is slow, but how beautiful those 2 States are! I stop by so many villages and little towns, all more impressive than the next! I could have stopped hundred of time for pictures to the right and the left. So yes, I'll need to be back! Next time should be end of October, I cannot even imagine how beautilful this places must be in mid-Autumn.
My next stop will be the coast of Maine. Sadly for me, the sun has disappeared...today it's rain and fog...and we are in June! In Rockland, I wanted to try the famous lobster roll. But today, they are charging 28usd ++ for a 120gr roll with fries in a take away shack! No way, the pre-cooked full lobster from the local supermarket will do very well at just below 10usd per lobster! Yes...inflation is everywhere around here too!
From Rockland area, I'm now heading South to sleep in Plymouth, Massachusetts. My next stop is Cape Cod. Long drive and I have to admit, the less impressive part of these last few days. I may pass this area on my next trip! From Cape Code, I drive
through Rhode Island to take my ferry in New London, Connecticut on the way to the end of Long Island, New York.
I've now left New England. My next and last stop are the Hamptons. This is one of the prime real estate in the United States. We are end of June, and the place has already turned into a massive traffic jam. Forget about a cheap bed, so I'm sleeping just outside in Rivehead. The Hamptons were beautiful. Sadly a little too crowded, so impossible to just park on the side of the road to take a picture in the gorgeous little towns such as Montauk or Amagansett. My eyes did enjoy the views...and I will be back also one day in October!
My last day, my flight out of JFK is only at 10pm. Dinner would be a nice affair of the lounge of Emirates. Flight is full, but even more in Business, so forget about any upgrade. My last afternoon was spent driving around Long island, one more time trying to avoid any highway.
One day I will be back, the idea being to come back for the beautiful colors
of Autumn, driving all the way from New York to Quebec City, one way visa the inland hills and the return via the coast... for this we will need at least 2 or 3 weeks.
Till there, enjoy the pictures. My next stop is in Shelly beach, South Africa for 2 weeks of a lot of golf, a little less diving and even some stunning wines!
Next blog...we continue to explore weekend after weekend the Island of the Gods, I name Bali!
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Roosta
Ezra Erb
Welcome to my home region
Happy you enjoyed the beauty of the mountains. Its a great place to drive a convertible when the weather cooperates :) One note for a return: foliage peaks in mid-October around Columbus Day, not late October. Plan on booking accommodations nine months or more in advance except in Maine.