Help me plan a trip to New England

[Matthew Strongin]

Ok folks, I could use your help. I'm trying to plan a trip to the Northeast. I've read some threads, but quickly realized I don't know the area well enough to pick one place over another. In general, our goal is to fly in and out of Boston and after a couple days in town, rent a car and check out out some places roughly between Boston and New York, with a good amount of time spent in the woods. We'd probably fly up on a Friday night and stick around through to the next weekend, so there will be plenty of time for a variety of locations. The Rock Lobster is coming along, so most days I'll plan medium to long road rides in the morning, followed by day trips to cool towns or must see sights. I'm lucky that my awesome wife likes to sleep late and then run, leaving me to my own devices before lunch.

Depending on where we end up, my hope is to check out some shops, meet some builders and buy some of you fine folks a round.

So, if you were heading to Boston, renting a car, wanting quiet time in the woods, planing tons of road riding, and looking for a little urban excitement thrown in to keep things interesting...where would you go? By the way, I've been to Boston and New York plenty of times, so I don't need as much help planning things there as I do for the woods/riding/cabin/lodge type stops in the middle, though any tips are welcomed and appreciated.

And one other thing...when is the snow going to stop so a couple of South Floridians can make this trip without hiding out by the fire all week?

Thanks!

[SlowPokePete]

And one other thing...when is the snow going to stop so a couple of South Floridians can make this trip without hiding out by the fire all week?

Good question, as we watch another 4-6" accumulate on this, the first day of spring!

SPP

[maunahaole]

Bring your best south beach banana hammock and hit middle patent. Stop in Greenwich and drink all the beer.

[SteveP]

When are you talking about?
I would seriously push it out a month at least. I thk woods trails will be a disaster for a long time this year.
Normally March is ok.
It's 20 here with light snow on 18 inches of frozen snow.
Tons of good riding we the time comes.
Roses ride is really fun outside of Boston
Cross bike good .. you need to find the date
Ask j Scott here. G
He's doing it this year

[EDS]

I am not sure "between New York and Boston" is exactly where I would target if I wanted to experience some New England style outdoor activities. Time of year will dictate (i.e., early spring/late spring/summer), but if I were you, I would consider one of the following:

1. North to the White Mountains (North Conway, NH). You could drive north along the coast, potentially all the way to Portland, ME, then head inland past Lake Seebago to the Whit Mountains.
2. West to the Green Mountains/Berkshires (Manchester, VT corridor down to Williamstown, MA area). Depending on your route, you could hit the Deerfield, MA/Northampton, MA area on the way to/from.

3.

[NYCfixie]

Officially, New York = Mid-Atlantic
CT and up are New England.

And I too would advise to wait at least a month unless you have set/immovable dates. I write this as snow is falling in NY/NJ....Happy Spring!

[Saab2000]

The Independent Fabrication factory/shop is about 90 minutes north of BOS. I've done the Raid Rockingham twice and will vouch for nice rides though that is the extent of my experience and about 60% of the surface of that ride is unpaved.

But shoot Gary a PM and ask. He's local to the area and could tell you more. But I found the riding pleasant, to say the least. Also, Portland, ME is a nice city.

All this is north of Boston.

Give Mike Z a shout too. I think he's about an hour or so west.

[Matthew Strongin]

When are you talking about?
I would seriously push it out a month at least. I thk woods trails will be a disaster for a long time this year.
Normally March is ok.
It's 20 here with light snow on 18 inches of frozen snow.
Tons of good riding we the time comes.
Roses ride is really fun outside of Boston
Cross bike good .. you need to find the date
Ask j Scott here. G
He's doing it this year

Probably won't go until May, so there's still some time for the snow to stop. Hopefully...

I am not sure "between New York and Boston" is exactly where I would target if I wanted to experience some New England style outdoor activities. Time of year will dictate (i.e., early spring/late spring/summer), but if I were you, I would consider one of the following:

1. North to the White Mountains (North Conway, NH). You could drive north along the coast, potentially all the way to Portland, ME, then head inland past Lake Seebago to the Whit Mountains.
2. West to the Green Mountains/Berkshires (Manchester, VT corridor down to Williamstown, MA area). Depending on your route, you could hit the Deerfield, MA/Northampton, MA area on the way to/from.

3.

Fair enough. When I said roughly, I meant with a pretty wide swath. I need to drive around 12 hours to see a mountain, so the 3.5 hours up to Portland, ME and then over to North Conway (thanks google maps) is both well within reason and exactly the type of stuff I'm looking for. Thanks!

[Matthew Strongin]

The Independent Fabrication factory/shop is about 90 minutes north of BOS. I've done the Raid Rockingham twice and will vouch for nice rides though that is the extent of my experience and about 60% of the surface of that ride is unpaved.

But shoot Gary a PM and ask. He's local to the area and could tell you more. But I found the riding pleasant, to say the least. Also, Portland, ME is a nice city.

All this is north of Boston.

Give Mike Z a shout too. I think he's about an hour or so west.

Good tip. If the wife doesn't kill me because of it, I hope to binge on bike geekery.

[Bewheels]

If you head north of Boston let me know ... I don't know why anyone would go south of Boston :)

Saab is not allowed on the paved sections of the Seacoast and just inland (IF Factory territory), but they do exist as well.

As others have mentioned, still lots of snow/ice/cold around at the moment.

[SteveP]

Should be nice in may... cautiously noted.

Check in.
I could
Show you some nice rides north of boston.. if it works out.

[davids]

Ditto on the riding. Which I haven't done a bit of yet this year...

The roads west of Boston are particularly nice - the Concord area is very popular, although because of my location I tend to head more southwest - great roads in the Medfield area, or head towards Rockland. The great thing about Boston is that, geographically, the urban/suburban inner core is small, so getting to the exburbs on a bike is a breeze. I've got a nice flat 50 mile ride from my doorstep to the tip of Hull that's a fun tour.

Woods? Again, so many choices. The Great Blue Hills is a major oasis just south of the city with trails (mountain biking and hiking) that lead to vistas looking downtown, out to the harbor... I know it well, since it's my backyard. But good-sized parks are everywhere.

Pucci's neighborhood is lovely for riding. So is Zank's. And then there's Western MA, with actual ascents.

Firefly is right here in Dorchester for your urban excitement.

[Matthew Strongin]

Thanks, guys. It would be great to meet up for some rides.

I like the sound of actual ascents, and their corresponding descents. Since we'd be up there for a good 9 days or so, I'm sure I can get a mix of different areas.

Great tip about getting from Boston to the exburbs. It may warrant a few days in or around Boston if I can easily get out for some nice rides in the morning. Maybe a few days there, then head way out of town for a few days and then head down to CT to steal Darren's beer and look for the sacksquatch.

[Jonathan]

Riding with DavidS is a treat. Stop for a bagel at Kupels. Be careful about pooch. He will pick pocket you.

[vertical_doug]

Thanks, guys. It would be great to meet up for some rides.

I like the sound of actual ascents, and their corresponding descents. Since we'd be up there for a good 9 days or so, I'm sure I can get a mix of different areas.

Great tip about getting from Boston to the exburbs. It may warrant a few days in or around Boston if I can easily get out for some nice rides in the morning. Maybe a few days there, then head way out of town for a few days and then head down to CT to steal Darren's beer and look for the sacksquatch.

If Mrs. Strongin is a spa person, you might want to consider Lenox, Ma and stay at Canyon Ranch. The wife can have a chill day of spa. Lenox is close enough, the forum can probably organize a ride on Mt Washington/Riga/Bish Bash with plenty of NE dirt for you. Or you can stay closer and ride Greylock.

Or you can hit Waitsfield/Sugar Bush. Plan to eat at American Flatbread. The next morning you can hump Lincoln and App gap. That'd be so worth it.

[SteveP]

QUOTE=Jonathan;677891]Riding with DavidS is a treat. Stop for a bagel at Kupels. Be careful about pooch. He will pick pocket you.[/QUOTE]

Have to cover my nut.

[monadnocky]

Come on up to NH, man. Just a stone's throw, really. Should be snow-free around early June.



I wish I was kidding.



It is snowing now, btw.

[j44ke]

Zanconato should definitely be a stop. You might also find a way to get an invitation to visit JP Weigle. He is a great guy.

If you get west enough to reach Palenville NY, you can stay near the bottom of two of the steeper climbs in the Catskills - Platte Cove Rd and 23A. Homey little village with a great general store/cafe. Clark House B&B is pretty quaint. A friend of mine is a licensed massage therapist and lives nearby. Plus nearby towns of Saugerties and Hudson have plenty of places to eat and shop.

But really I'd go out to Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, find a cheap off-season rental and spend some quality time with the early spring beaches. But that's just me.

[Jonathan]

Yeah. MV, Nantucket and the cape. I'm thinking the week after Labor Day though.

[davids]

Yeah. MV, Nantucket and the cape. I'm thinking the week after Labor Day though.

Yeah, the Cape & islands are a treat off-season. And fall is the better choice.