First of all Congratulations on picking NH & VT as your leaf peeping destination; "Beautiful Choice".

Having made the same trip back in 2011 (and returning this October too), here are some ideas / tips.

1) Conway NH. The Conway Scenic Railroad. Imagine relaxing on a slow moving train and taking in the foliage. You also have the option of enjoying a lunch in a restored old antique lunch car.

2) Kancamagus Highway - You may want a little extra time to take short hikes to the waterfalls along this route.

3) Stowe VT -

A) Piecasso for lunch. Enough said.

B) Gondola sky ride on Mount Mansfield.

C) Endless small shops around the village for window shopping.

*** Unique/ fun option while in the area; Zip-Lining through the trees in nearby Smuggler's Notch with Arbortrek.***

4) Ben & Jerry's factory tour. Located south of Stowe in Waterbury. You may want to call ahead of time to make sure that the factory is making Ice cream on the day you visit. The day that I went they weren't :(

Safety tip while driving around Vermont - Avoid late night drives for fear of moose collisions.

5) Before you two rush back to San Francisco, you have to take part in the New England tradition; For your love of hiking you two have to hike up Mount Monadnock (Jaffrey NH) on a perfectly clear day. A pretty easy climb with some spectacular views from the summit.

The foliage schedule is tricky as it doesn't go by calendar so much as the first frost in New England. So when you arrive in Manchester if the colors are faint there, no worries, you'll see endless colors in northern Vermont.

One last idea...If you have access (through your satellite/ cable TV provider, record the Smithsonian Channel's "Arial America" episodes on Vermont & New Hampshire (airing July 4th from 3am to 5am) for even more ideas and the yearning that October wasn't so far off.

Have a wonderful time and take plenty of pictures.

Thanks for the tips. I can't wait for October. I am still playing around with the schedule a bit. Trying, of course, to come of with the perfect route. Though it sounds like as long as we are in NH/VT we will be happy.

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