My fall foliage vacation

[2doggiemom]

I will be arriving on Oct. 11 in Manchester and will go to take pics at Barnet & Peacham on my way to Twin Mountain.
Oct. 12 to Stark, Jackson and North Conway and over Kanc and back to Twin Mountain.
Oct. 13 off to Quechee
Oct. 14 Jenne Farm, Grafton and on to Bennington
Oct. 15-17 Bennington
Oct. Home

Am I going to be way past peak on my first couple of days? Also, I've never been to Bennington area so what are the highlights I shouldn't miss?

Thanks for your help.

[Andy]

Unfortunately, if there is any such thing and it is a "normal" foliage season, it is pretty likely you will be past peak in all cases. Weather is fickle. Depends on how wet/dry it is in the weeks before (obviously - has been pretty wet), how the winds work, and how the temps work. All indications are for some relatively early frosts, which will get things going. Most years, last week of Sept - First week of Oct is best bet.

For these later times, your best likelhood of still having foliage and color is in the Champlain Valley (practically speaking, Middlebury and points West of their all the way up to Highgate Springs area), where the tempering influence of Lake Champlain tends to hold things off a bit.

[deaner1971]

Unfortunately, the past peak assessment is spot on and I am in the same boat as you. I have a wedding in Manchester the same time you are looking at being in Bennington. Maybe focus on the rivers and some of Vermont's great man-made sites?

And if you can accept those last two, Bennington is the right place to be. I'll throw out lots of things and just pick from them as you will:

Bennington Battle Monument (yes, it is a "battle" monument and not a "battlefield" monument)

Do a tour of the five covered bridges in the greater Bennington area (Silk Bridge, Paper Mill Bridge and Henry Bridge all being close to each other in and in Bennington with Chiselville being in Sunderland and the West Arlington Bridge being in well...West Arlington). The West Arlington Bridge did sustain some damage so keep an eye on this forum for updates as to its photogenic-ness depending on repair needs.

The Old First Church in Bennington and its graveyard.

Crazy Russian Girls Bakery (Love this place. Stop in for a "breakfast on the go" or a treat to yourself after a hard day of walking.)

If you don't mind venturing a bit North (afterall, Manchester did just get #1 in Yankee magazine's list of Vermont foliage towns...):

The Equinox (wonderful resort with beautiful grounds)

Equinox Pond: at the base of Equinox Mountain and in Manchester. Use the very limited parking as the residents get annoyed at people who park on the street.

Hildene: wonderful buildings and grounds

Mio Bistro: great place to dine. Wonderful food and the best of local, fresh ingredients.

Up for Breakfast: great, great place. Uses local ingredients and make exceptional food. Very little seating but food is so good that everyone eats quickly.

Northshire Bookstore: possibly the greatest independent bookstore in the country.

Skyline Drive (a drive up Equinox Mountain): obviously great earlier in the season but while colder days may rob you of bright foliage, they do also decrease the humidity and haze so you might still get some interesting shots.

OK, that was a start of some places to consider. Bennington also offers a downtown walking guide and an old or historical walking guide that are probably both still available on the Bennington website which has lots of additional information.

[2doggiemom]

Thanks for your ideas. This is getting very hard. I definately want to go to Jackson to see the pumpkin people and shop in North Conway. I also have to go to Sugarbush Farm my favorite place for a little food shopping. Might there be a little color left at Jenne Farm or should I just not consider it as a stop this year? I need to figure out what I can give up and try to spend one more day further south. Love all the great ideas of Bennington. Thanks so much,

[ixl]

Actually, I'm going to have to disagree with some of the preceding. It's definitely too late for the areas up north and WAY too late for the Kanc. But not at all for the valleys of southern Vermont. In fact, October 15 to 20 is about right for the Bennington area in a typical year, and I've taken nice shots around here as late as October 25.

That said, I do think it is going to likely be a year on the early side.

I'd suggest skipping the trip up north and stay in the southern part of the state, lower elevations. If things progress fast you could even consider trending further south or into the Hudson River Valley.

Where are you coming from?

[deaner1971]

Charles,

Have you ever shot in the Catskills? Not to go too far afield but since you were kind enough to offer the idea of a Hudson Valley trip I thought I would just inquire. I had planned to shoot there this year but a job change and a baby in early 2012 means my vacations are a bit more limited for 2011 and I had to prioritize.

Sorry to go off-topic...

[Andy]

Charles, I don't think we disagree at all. When I said in "all cases" I didn't read very carefully. I didn't see Bennington on there, or I might have said there was a "chance" there. I certainly defer to your knowlege of that area .

My point was that all the other areas the OP said they were planning to go to will all be "past peak" (probably bare in some instances) by the time they are talking about. I think the area I mentioned near Lake Champlain will definitely still have foliage and color, based on my own experience.

I will completely defer to you about your own stomping grounds, since you live there and have photographed it for many years. Last fall, I went to West Arlington on October 9 to photograph the bridge there and much of the foliage was down and along the Battenkill there were places that were past peak. But there were other places that still had good color. I drove home that day through Saratoga Springs, NY and there were places where I would say things were "at peak."

I would also guess that the higher elevations will be iffy. In 2006, I was in Manchester and at the Equinox during about the same time period and the leaves up there were gone.

To OP - Charles (ixl) is one of a couple (pwt) here who live in the state and have for years. Charles is a talented photographer and I would definitely follow his suggestions for places to go at that time period.