Good BBQ and other stuff in New England?

Stormbringer

We'll be heading to New England in the Fall (hopefully) for 3 weeks. We'd appreciate advice on where to go for good BBQ and also stuff to do/places to go in New England. We're landing in Boston mid-September. GIven the three week window we could stretch to OH and PA.

PigBeanUs

Autumn in New England suggests the White Mountain region of New Hampshire or most anywhere in Vermont. 

Lot of history in Boston. Maybe Salem Massachusetts (witch trials etc, halloween is bonkers), Plymouth (plantation and Mayflower).

I say skip looking for ‘Q and gorge on seafood. Unless of course in the UK you live near the coast. 

What are you looking to do? ...see “everything”, 
relax and hit a few high spots? Sight see and drive all over?

have you got an itinerary yet?

JohnInCarolina

In VT, check this place out:

https://www.getfunkedvt.com/

Full disclosure: a high school friend of mine works there, and vouches for the place.  Based on some of the stuff he's shared with me over the past couple of years, I believe it.

Probably one of my favorite spots in NH:

https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/flume-gorge

That general area of NH, around Franconia notch, is gorgeous.  Probably one of my favorite areas, and I grew up in the state.

If you have any interest in kayaking, friends of mine run this outfit:

https://mainekayak.com/

I would trust their recs for food and beer in Maine in general.  

Carolina Q

I wouldn't look for bbq in New England. Well, I never have anyway. There is one place in western Connecticut that's supposed to have good Q, but I've never been there. In Ridgefield CT... http://hoodoobrownbbq.com

Or go for a New Haven CT pizza instead. Frank Pepe's, Modern or Sally's are all famous and well-respected. For something different, try the white clam pie at Pepe's. Fresh clams daily from Long Island Sound... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmiQRvib3DQ

Acn

New England is pretty big, what general plans do you already have?  I’m very partial to Northern New England, and would definitely fill my itinerary from Boston north, not worrying about Connecticut or Rhode Island, and only heading into western Mass to catch 91 north into Vermont.

I don’t know what the pandemic did to last year’s leaf season, or what it might do to this year’s, but during prime leaf season things would book up early, so you might need to start planning out lodging.  

The Maine coast should be a must visit, and I think Acadia National Park is requiring reservations, so depending on your timing you might need to schedule those.  I’m also not sure if all areas of the park would require them, Schoodic Peninsula is on the mainland and gets a lot fewer visitors than the main portion of the park on MDI.  I’d also strongly recommend the western Maine wilderness, especially around Baxter State Park and near Moosehead Lake and Mt Kineo.

BBQ is probably not going to be your best option; seafood will be.  Portland, ME is a great dining and beer town, if you’ll be there for any time I can write up a summary for there.

JohnInCarolina

@Stormbringer - I asked my folks about suggestions today, and they recommended this:

https://www.cabbageislandclambake.com/

It looks like they do run into September.  I don't know how that aligns with your dates, but they said this is absolutely worth doing if you can manage it.

Stormbringer

Thanks for the feedback folks. Looks like we'll be hitting some seafood places.

@PigBeanUs and @Acn we're into road trip style holidays exploring and photographing America's natural beauty via it's open roads. Coastlines, mountains, lakes, wildlife.  

@JohnInCarolina not quite we're landing in Boston on 18th September. The flume gorge looks great though.

loco_engr

please pack your camera and take & post lots of pics

Buckwoody Egger

You are getting great advice. The only long distance westerly destination from Boston would be Niagara Falls and a Buffalo Bills tailgate, stopping at the finger lakes or upstate en route.  This is somewhat tongue in cheek. If you went to OH via PA, you would be heading the opposite direction from “Vacationland” and the best of New England in the Fall. Rhode Island and the Cape are also great coastal environments depending on the weather. 

Stormbringer

loco_engr said:

please pack your camera and take & post lots of pics

That's a certainty. Search for Yellowstone in this forum, you'll find several threads I've posted of photos SWMBO has taken. This year she has a new Canon 90D to play with.

Stormbringer

Buckwoody Egger said:

You are getting great advice. The only long distance westerly destination from Boston would be Niagara Falls and a Buffalo Bills tailgate, stopping at the finger lakes or upstate en route.  This is somewhat tongue in cheek. If you went to OH via PA, you would be heading the opposite direction from “Vacationland” and the best of New England in the Fall. Rhode Island and the Cape are also great coastal environments depending on the weather. 

Good advice. We'll plan for New England vacationland and see if we run out of stuff to do in three weeks. 

6baluts

As a former New Hampshirite I will second the Franconia Notch area. Also partial to the area north of Berlin running up to Errol towards Lake Umbagog. Also another nice place is to visit the Castle In The Clouds. Lots to do their and if clear weather the view is amazing.
Food wise if visiting New England you have to sit down and have some "Steak Tips". Here is the place that makes the best Steak Tips I have ever had bar none.
http://newbridgecafe.com
However Chelsea might not be close to anything you are going to see. However if you eat at Newbridge you will not regret it.

CTMike

If you make it as far north as Pittsburg, NH you are likely to see plenty of moose - they are thick as mosquitoes up there.

Foghorn

1) If you make it to Cape Cod, let me know.  Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar has the freshest and best fried seafood I've ever had - by a considerable margin.  There are other good options for things to do on the Cape as well.

2) Get some Allagash Curieaux beer - and try other offerings from Allagash.  They are based in Maine but you can get it all over New England.  They make Belgian style beers as well as almost any of the places in Belgium.  

fishlessman

im not into the fancy places much but theres some great clam shacks heading up the coast from boston into maine. the clam box of ipswich in ipswich mass, bobs clam box in kittery maine and portland, the cham shack in kittery maine (get a lobster roll there and split a clam basket, the lobster there is pretty much right off the boat). ipswich has a sweeter clam, the clam shack is different with maine mud clams but i like them better. portlands historic area is loaded with great bars.  make sure to hit a breakfast joint for blueberry pancakes and maple syrup, they get better the further north you go

fishlessman

Foghorn said:

1) If you make it to Cape Cod, let me know.  Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar has the freshest and best fried seafood I've ever had - by a considerable margin.  There are other good options for things to do on the Cape as well.

2) Get some Allagash Curieaux beer - and try other offerings from Allagash.  They are based in Maine but you can get it all over New England.  They make Belgian style beers as well as almost any of the places in Belgium.  

theres seems to be a shortage of that curieux this year so far. hoping it starts showing up on the shelves.

sumoconnell

If you go to Portland, Maine - I'd recommend the lobster shack at two lights in Cape Elizabeth. Open seasonally, it's outdoor seating.  Great place to go after visiting Portland head light. Can be chilly, even in July. 

The Lobster Shack at Two Lights

(207) 799-1677

https://goo.gl/maps/1ocadZEohv8BFg1F7

Edit - they are probably closed in September. 

fishlessman

castle in the clouds and the notch are great options in nh and as mentioned, lots of moose in pittsburg. take moose photos from a distance in the fall, they are in rut and a bit crazy that time of year. pittsburg nh is out there, you would want to rent a cabin, google Tall TIMBERS, and you would want to book right now, thats the end of the fishing season and the start of bird hunting so it will book up fast if its not booked now. theres boat rentals there and you can get a guide to fish the trophy section, its small and easy to fish with a guides help if you are inexperienced, fly fishing only.  its leaf peeping season, so beware of peepers randomly stopping in the center of the road and getting out of the vehicles.

fishlessman

leaf peeping tracker, you would want this link when there

https://www.visitnh.gov/seasonal-trips/fall/foliage-tracker

Stormbringer

Thanks again folks. @fishlessman I looked at Tall Timbers - yep that's on the list. 

@Foghorn we definitely plan to get to Cape Cod. 

Acn

It looks like Acadia is only requiring reservations for the road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, still something I'd recommend - you get great views of Frenchmans Bay towards Winter Harbor, but not as huge a loss as it would have been if the entire loop road was requiring reservations.  I'd recommend visiting the Jordan Pond area, the Bass Harbor lighthouse is right up there with the Portland Head light in Cape Elizabeth that are iconic photo locations.  Thunder Hole is famous...but kind of dull unless the weather is right.  If you're bikers, a great way to explore off the loop road is to rent bikes and tool around the carriage roads.  Also, explore the Schoodic Point part of the park.

Outside of Acadia, as mentioned elsewhere Portland, ME is a great little city.  The Portland Head light is in a state park in nearby Cape Elizabeth, and there are tons of great food options in the city.  Eventide, Fore Street, Central Provisions, and Duckfat are outstanding options for lunch or dinner, Becky's Diner is a great breakfast spot, Tandem Bakery and Standard Baking are both good spots for pastries, etc.  Allagash has a bunch of great beers (I'm actually less enthused about the Curieux than most here, I prefer probably 4 or so of their other offerings), and for my money, Maine Beer Company in nearby Freeport is probably the best brewery in the state.

Also in Freeport is the LL Bean flagship store, and the fanciest McDonald's anywhere.  From there you could just drive up Rt. 1 along the coast stopping in whichever little towns interest you.  If you're interested in shipbuilding or naval history, the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath gives you a very deep understanding of Bath Iron Works, which has produced A LOT of warships in its history.  The strip of Rt 1 from Rockland, through Rockport, Camden, and up to Belfast is one of my very favorite stretches of the coastline.  Mt. Battie offers stunning views of Penobscot Bay.  Primo in Rockland is one of the best restaurants in New England.

Monhegan Island is a favorite of photographers in the Northeast, but that may be too time intensive to be worth it for you; you'd have to catch a ride out on a mail boat and spend the night.  Also, there are only like 4 cars on the island, so your legs will be your primary mode of transportation.

Inland in Maine, I mentioned Baxter State Park and Moosehead Lake areas (Greenville/Highlands).  If you want to do Baxter I'd recommend renting an SUV, not a sedan.  You'll be driving on some gravel logging roads that are very loose with their definition of 'improved gravel'.  I don't know of any stops or lookouts, but when I was in college I traveled Route 201 up to Jackman and beyond into Quebec and I don't think we ever saw fewer than 5 moose on that drive.

I agree with the Franconia/White Mountains recs, and you should probably plan at least a couple of days in Boston for the freedom trail.  If your wife enjoys urban photography Boston also has tons of neighbrohoods/buildings (North End, Old North Church, Faneiul Hall, the Massachusetts State House, Boston Common & Public Gardens, Cambridge, Bunker Hill, etc) that make for great photos.

Acn

Also - if your wife likes checking out other photographers for inspiration, Benjamin Williamson is one of my favorites.

https://benjamin-williamson.pixels.com/

fishlessman

Acn said:

It looks like Acadia is only requiring reservations for the road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, still something I'd recommend - you get great views of Frenchmans Bay towards Winter Harbor, but not as huge a loss as it would have been if the entire loop road was requiring reservations.  I'd recommend visiting the Jordan Pond area, the Bass Harbor lighthouse is right up there with the Portland Head light in Cape Elizabeth that are iconic photo locations.  Thunder Hole is famous...but kind of dull unless the weather is right.  If you're bikers, a great way to explore off the loop road is to rent bikes and tool around the carriage roads.  Also, explore the Schoodic Point part of the park.

Outside of Acadia, as mentioned elsewhere Portland, ME is a great little city.  The Portland Head light is in a state park in nearby Cape Elizabeth, and there are tons of great food options in the city.  Eventide, Fore Street, Central Provisions, and Duckfat are outstanding options for lunch or dinner, Becky's Diner is a great breakfast spot, Tandem Bakery and Standard Baking are both good spots for pastries, etc.  Allagash has a bunch of great beers (I'm actually less enthused about the Curieux than most here, I prefer probably 4 or so of their other offerings), and for my money, Maine Beer Company in nearby Freeport is probably the best brewery in the state.

Also in Freeport is the LL Bean flagship store, and the fanciest McDonald's anywhere.  From there you could just drive up Rt. 1 along the coast stopping in whichever little towns interest you.  If you're interested in shipbuilding or naval history, the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath gives you a very deep understanding of Bath Iron Works, which has produced A LOT of warships in its history.  The strip of Rt 1 from Rockland, through Rockport, Camden, and up to Belfast is one of my very favorite stretches of the coastline.  Mt. Battie offers stunning views of Penobscot Bay.  Primo in Rockland is one of the best restaurants in New England.

Monhegan Island is a favorite of photographers in the Northeast, but that may be too time intensive to be worth it for you; you'd have to catch a ride out on a mail boat and spend the night.  Also, there are only like 4 cars on the island, so your legs will be your primary mode of transportation.

Inland in Maine, I mentioned Baxter State Park and Moosehead Lake areas (Greenville/Highlands).  If you want to do Baxter I'd recommend renting an SUV, not a sedan.  You'll be driving on some gravel logging roads that are very loose with their definition of 'improved gravel'.  I don't know of any stops or lookouts, but when I was in college I traveled Route 201 up to Jackman and beyond into Quebec and I don't think we ever saw fewer than 5 moose on that drive.

I agree with the Franconia/White Mountains recs, and you should probably plan at least a couple of days in Boston for the freedom trail.  If your wife enjoys urban photography Boston also has tons of neighbrohoods/buildings (North End, Old North Church, Faneiul Hall, the Massachusetts State House, Boston Common & Public Gardens, Cambridge, Bunker Hill, etc) that make for great photos.

the baxter area, suv, good tires, a good spare, couple cans of insta flat. those improved dirt/shale roads eat tires. if a logging truck is going down the road, get off the road, they own the road and they dont slow down. the river just below ripogenus dam is spectacular

fishlessman

Stormbringer said:

Thanks again folks. @fishlessman I looked at Tall Timbers - yep that's on the list. 

@Foghorn we definitely plan to get to Cape Cod. 

just make sure to book places quickly, last summer i had the lake to myself, this year im expecting a flood of vacationers. im already seeing a flood of southern plates and its still cold. never seen so many florida plates this time of year

Stormbringer

This has been some great advice, we didn’t appreciate how much there was to experience. Now it’s planning and booking time.

GrateEggspectations

One of my favourite memories of New England was chowing down on oysters with a U.S. Senator while waiting for a table with my wife at the Union Oyster House. Boston is a fantastic city all-around. 

Foghorn

The Cape is a lot of fun.  Tuna fishing is hit or miss there, but striped bass and bluefish can pretty much be guaranteed if you want to do a 4 hour trip for them.  That probably only makes sense if you are going to stay in one place and cook for yourself for a while - or you REALLY love fishing and want to catch/release.

Provincetown, all the way at the end of the Cape, is a very artsy town with a large gay population that is fun to visit.  There are good whale-watching boats out of there and climbing the lighthouse is fun.

Working back from there, here are some highlights:

- Wellfleet oysters (supposedly some of the best in the world)
- PB Boulangerie in Wellfleet - great French food (at least by US standards) - especially good place for breakfast/brunch.
- There are giant dunes in Truro (very close to Provincetown), but the better place to appreciate them is by going to Coast Guard Beach and walking down the beach to the south (about a mile) to the "cut" where the tide comes in and fills the marshes and Orleans Town Cove.  The current there is 6+ knots and the tide is typically 7-9 feet.
- As previously mentioned, Arnold's in Eastham is the freshest and best fried seafood I've ever had - by a wide margin - and they have the best onion rings.
- They have converted the old train track into a bike path and you can rent bicycles at multiple spots along it.  Idle Times Bike Shop in Eastham is a good one, but there are many.
- Rock Harbor is on the Cape Cod Bay side.  It's a great stop at low tide.  You can see the sand for 1/2 mile or so with trees that get "planted" every spring to mark the channel out to the fishing grounds.  There are dozens of charter fishing boats in the harbor that have to schedule their trips around the tides.
- Chatham is a great town that gives you a great view of the water if you go to Chatham Bars Inn or the parking lot at Lighthouse Beach.  The Chatham Bars (series of sand bars that are hard to navigate) would have been made famous in the 2016 film "The Finest Hours" if anybody had gone to see the movie...
- If you want to go to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, there are ferries from Woods Hole (much closer to Martha's Vineyard) or Hyannis (closer to Nantucket).

The Cove Hotel in Orleans is a nice little place to stay that has a good combination of location and price.  If you want to go more swanky, Chatham Bars Inn or The Wequassett Inn are good choices.
- 

JohnInCarolina

By the way, do any other Americans here tend to forget the abbreviation for Maine, or is it just ME?

nolaegghead

JohnInCarolina said:

By the way, do any other Americans here tend to forget the abbreviation for Maine, or is it just ME?

That's just NUTS.

GrateEggspectations

JohnInCarolina said:

By the way, do any other Americans here tend to forget the abbreviation for Maine, or is it just ME?

The dad jokes run strong in this one. 

nolaegghead