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New Hampshire Foliage Driving Tour

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(page 2 of 5)

Though the area along Routes 16 and 302 is packed with inns, B&Bs, resorts, and motels, you'll want to reserve ahead at this time of year. Here is a handful of good choices.

In Glen, the Bernerhof, a turreted Victorian inn, has long been known for its wonderful Swiss cuisine. But you'd never guess what luxury awaits in some of the guest rooms: hot tubs a deux under skylights or stained glass. p>

In Jackson: Carter Notch Inn is an elegant, late-1800s country cottage with a wraparound porch where wicker abounds and views of the Wildcat River Valley dominate. The Inn at Ellis River is an 1893 Colonial with a recent addition (20 rooms total), outside heated pool, some suites, a sauna, spectacular mountain views, and river frontage. A Victorian designed in 1902 by Stanford White for the Baldwin family (of piano fame) houses the Inn at Jackson. Here you'll find an outdoor Jacuzzi, large rooms (many with fireplaces), and good views of the village and mountains.

Day Two

On today's itinerary you'll be deep in the mountains, not just looking out at them. Since the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) can be overcrowded at this time of year, we suggest that you take a less-traveled scenic loop through Jackson (if you didn't already do this last night to find your sleeping quarters). Follow Route 16 north to Route 16B and drive across a covered bridge into Jackson, a pocket-sized town. Stay right on 16B up a steep hill. This rural six-mile circuit takes you past some beautiful old hillside farmhouses and offers mountain vistas. On the right looms the Eagle Mountain House, a majestic old hotel that has been completely updated without losing its grand flavor.

As you come back into Jackson village, turn left at the community church. Don't miss this rewarding short walk: Park your car downtown and follow the sidewalk alongside Route 16B, which winds along Jackson Falls. This stretch of the Wildcat River begs to be admired. In the low water of fall, you can pick your way among the boulders and imagine how threatening this is during spring runoff. At the Jackson Falls sign you can walk out on the wooden footbridge.

As you head south out of town, turn left after the Wildcat Inn & Tavern; this four-mile back-road loop will take you to Route 16A, which passes all the little inns in Intervale.

Then follow Route 302 northwest. Soon the mountains will close in and you'll follow the Saco River into the White Mountain National Forest and Crawford Notch State Park. Historic Willey House, a gift shop, is on the left, and across the street there is a good spot to stretch your legs with a stroll over the river via footbridge. We stopped here, bought a handful of fish food from the dispenser, and enjoyed tossing it to the lively fish below.

Back on the road, seven miles later you'll come to the Mount Washington Hotel, a stately white edifice with a red roof. For nearly 100 years this grand hotel has fringed the foot of Mount Washington like a bride's petticoat. A columned veranda, an octagonal dining room, and newly renovated rooms spell luxury. A good stop for lunch is the hotel's downstairs cafe. Stroll around the building on the immense open porches to appreciate the incredible scale of this complex built by a wealthy railroad magnate in 1902. Presidents, royalty, and scores of celebrities have stayed here, and as many as 57 trains arrived daily during the resort's heyday.