Photo locations advice - Vermont, New Hampshire.

I am planning a trip from NYC to ...

- One destination is I want to take a auto-road to Mt. Washington, New Hampshire.

 

It is a road trip, and I am riding solo with my camera, tripod and 3/4 lenses. Planning to make it more of a photo trip

 

I would like to visit other places and need advice, what can I grab on the way there.

I have 6-7 full days. I have never been to those parts, and I have never been to Vermont either.

 

So, I would like an advice, on where to go for photo opportunities. My topics of interest are mostly in Nature and wildlife, but also in the general street and event photography as well. So, if anyone knows of any festivals or such going on in those parts, please let me know.

 

Would it be advisable to go visit Rhode Island, or is the time I have is too narrow for that ?

Newport RI is definitely worth a visit, but it's a bit out of your way. Burlington/Lake Champlain, Woodstock, Newfane come to mind as very nice to visit in Vt. Street photography is good in Burlington, probably less so elsewhere. Don't get too hung up on Mt Washington though, there's nothing really special about it apart from it being high and having a cute little train. The rest of the Green and White mountains are just as beautiful if not more so. Rather than go to RI, I would go on to Maine: Camden, Bath, Bar Harbor, Five Islands, Boothbay Harbor all come to mind.

I grew up in Bennington Vermont. It's a lovely place, depending on the time of year. Lots of scenic spots and historic buildings and areas. I like off-the-beaten-path areas and small towns. Google wildlife management areas and trails. I never did much wildlife stuff as a kid there. Fall can be fantastic if you get the right weather, same with Maine. If you can get downeast to Maine, the Bar Harbor area is good. Highly recommend Schoodic Point as a photo destination if you like rocks and landscapes. It's just a few miles east of Bar Harbor. Northeast Harbor and Acadia National Park are two of my other favorites. Drive up Cadillac Mountain and maybe wander the excellent park trail system. Breakfast or lunch at Jordan's is a must. Early bird lobster at West Street Café for dinner.

Yes Bennington and Manchester, Dorset area in southern Vt are nice places to visit, less wild than further north.

It depends on how much time you are willing to spend time in the car and what sorts of things you want to photograph. There is no end of great places in New England, but there aren't direct fast roads between some of them. If you take the fastest route to Mt. Washington (95 to 91, then 84, 90, and 495), a lot of the drive will be through less interesting parts of New England (until you get into the mountains). That's already more than 7 hours, according to Google Maps. But if you are willing to drive more, there are lots and lots of options. One is to go into the Berkshires in Western MA and then across southern VT and NH, which would get you Bennington. Another option would be the coast, either the Maine coast or RI/MA.

It depends on how much time you are willing to spend time in the car

I don't mind spending a lot of time in the car. Don't mind even sleeping it it if night catches me en-route. As I mentioned, I am riding solo, and the point of having a trip is for photo opportunities. I don't get those in my routine day-to-day life

Edited May 21, 2021 by BratNikotin

These areas are world-class autumn foliage locations. If you go then, the roads are crowded, but the scenery is outstanding. Watch foliage forecasts on line.

 

They are, of course, also wonderful places to photograph at any time of year. Covered bridges, town squares with colonial architecture.....

 

Search on line for the kinds of things you want to image, but you could do worse than just getting lost and following your nose. A copy of Google or Apple Maps on your phone is extremely recommended. They have "attractions" and even "speed trap" these days.

 

I'd save Newport for another time, if I were you.

Connecticut and Rhode Island are nearer to being day-trips from NYC, once you're out of the city.

I"ve lived in New England all my life and traveled a lot here. Don't disagree with any of the advice here. But would add the following. If your'e going up the Conn. River Valley would take U.S.5 above Springfield MA and zig zag back and forth across the river (NH10 and U.S. 5 north of Mass.). East of Wells river VT take U.S. 302 south to Portland ME. If you're there early in the morning; a ferry cruise around the Casco Bay Islands is a pleasant, scenic break. I'm envious just writing about it. Enjoy

We spent our honeymoon in Killington Vermont in July, 30 years ago!. Took the ski lifts to the top of the peaks. Enjoyed the spectacular Green Mountains and the countryside and we have always said we would go back and do it right and stay at the Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, Vermont. The quintessential northeastern town. Absolùtely beautiful country. Stuck in Canada this year, but maybe next year! Burlington looked very nice, but only passed through. Worked in the Finger Lakes area of New York for a summer and that too is very nice. Auburn, Schenectady, Syracuse and Ithaca...working in the prisons! Always meant to go to Lake Placid where my parents honeymooned in the late 40's, another beautiful area.

Here is one from Killington, Vermont. July 28, 1991 Mamiya C330 and 55mm lens, probably Velvia 50.

I took my first sailplane flight from a grass airfield in Post Mills, VT. In normal years you can go up with a qualified pilot. Unfortunately they still have COVID restrictions in place, so perhaps a flight at another time might be worth a drive.

My GF's parents have a place in Southern Vermont- a quaint little village named Grafton. It's got all the ubiquitous New England-y things- small town store, big white church and a covered bridge. Frankly, probably darn near every village in either VT or NH is going to have pretty similar stuff- if it's not all the exact same. BUT you can run up interstate 91 and access things in either VT or NH.

 

A nice scenic drive across the White Mountains is the Kancamagus Highway and it begins (or ends) in or near Conway NH-. With a short drive up to North Conway where you can visit Mount Washington.

 

Basically I-91 splits VT & NH and you can easily hop back & forth seeing things in either state as you move S-N or N-S.

 

 

Another possible visit to eat/drink/photo op is the Simon Pearce glass blowing studio HQ/flagship location at Quechee Vermont. The restaurant is great there, and the river with falls and covered bridge is scenic and photogenic.

 

The Kancamagus Highway

 

Glassware, Tableware, Lighting + Home Decor | Simon Pearce

 

EDIT: as an aside, many of the top microbrews on Beer Advocate are from Vermont. Switchback, Alchemist, Zero Gravity... to name a few of the breweries whose beers I've had & like; Vermont's microbrew scene is huge.

Burlington is supposed to be quite lovely. I've not visited but have skied up in that northern part of Vermont and its lovely indeed. Maybe go north on an eastern route to Mt Washington, cut west to Burlington and zig zag south along the I-91 corridor? just some thoughts.

 

BTW regarding The "Kanc"- its a super well known scenic route. I've heard but not experienced it- that it can be bit of mess in full tourist season. Additionally, somewhere around the area of Conway I believe in June, a massive biker event happens. Not that it's a bad thing at all but it adds to traffic in the area during the days of the event. FYI. Planning is everything!

 

Cheers and be sure to post pix of your trip after your return!

Edited June 5, 2021 by Ricochetrider