Ah, the road trip. Are there any two words in our modern-day lexicon that invoke a greater sense of unbridled freedom? Conversely, are there more paralyzing words than "$3.00 a gallon?" Compared to taking a family of four anywhere on a plane or renting a beach house for a week, however, a road trip-even this summer-doesn’t have to break the bank. And it’s a great way for kids to learn about the natural and human history of the Northeast.
This broad loop through New England highlights many of our family’s favorite destinations. It meanders through New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts; tours four National Scenic Byways; and supplies plenty of diversions for young, squirming passengers in the backseat.
You could easily spend two weeks on this junket, especially if you took all of the recommended detours, but if you’re pressed for time, it’s easily cut into day trips.
Day One
The escapade begins on Route 16 in New Hampshire. In Tamworth, White Lake State Park features the 140-acre glacial kettle hole and some excellent trout fishing, as well as a peaceful two-mile walk around the water’s edge. Nearby nestles 220-acre Chocorua Lake, reflecting the summit of its namesake mountain, and, if my two daughters are already restless, inspiring a climb.
We head up Mount Chocorua, taking the popular Piper Trail to the 3,475-foot summit (or, if we anticipate crowds, we’ll opt for the Brook-Liberty Loop off Route 103A in Tamworth). With its bare, rocky summit, Chocorua is the ideal mountain for young legs (my girls are seven and nine), rewarding hikers with views of Mount Washington to the north and the Lakes Region to the south, without being overly strenuous.
Just past the entrance to the Kancamagus Highway (a 26.5-mile National Scenic Byway, worth the detour if you haven’t driven it), Route 16 enters Conway, where traffic screeches to a halt. Avoid this outlet jungle by detouring on West Side Road to Echo Lake State Park, a relaxing picnic and swimming spot with views of 700-foot Cathedral Ledge, as well as the waterfalls and granite basins of Diana’s Baths.
You’ll reconnect with Route 16 just above downtown North Conway, and join the White Mountain Scenic Byway, which starts here and ends 100 miles away on Route 3 in North Woodstock. If you’ve got time for a short hike, look for Hurricane Mountain Road on the right as you head north. This twisty old road, one of the steepest pieces of pavement in New England, runs parallel to a challenging mountain bike route-the Red Tail Trail-and tops out at a trailhead that leads to the exposed granite dome of the 2,370-foot Black Cap Mountain (part of The Nature Conservancy’s Green Hills Preserve) overlooking Mount Cranmore.
Photo: iStock
