Lisa G Saw • October 30, 2016

New England In The Fall

Exploring the states of Vermont and New Hampshire

USA 2016

New England in the Fall has been on my 'Wish List' for as long as I can remember and now I can finally say I've been and seen the amazingly beautiful autumn colours! The only problem is, I liked it so much I want to go back! After one week in Vermont and New Hampshire, I barely scratched the surface, there's still plenty more to see.



I explored New England with a friend, who thankfully was very patient with my photography, and we hired a car to get about. I had the dubious pleasure of doing the driving, since I'd lived in America for a time back in the 90s and had more experience driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Unfortunately, trying to find our way out of Boston at 5pm on a Friday evening was not great timing, but we survived. Thank goodness for sat nav, slow moving traffic, planning ahead and having a vague idea of where we were supposed to be going. The downside was it took us five hours to drive north to Waitsfield, Vermont - two hours longer than it should have!

The plan was to have only two bases so we didn't spend the whole week living out of a suitcase. The first half of the week we stayed in a fabulous family run B&B near Waistfield, Vermont. We arrived in New England the third week in October and we'd been told it was past 'peak foliage'. We would never have known it as we thought the autumn colours were stunning and there were trees everywhere! Apparently the first two weeks in October are supposed to be the best. The blessing for us with our timing meant less traffic and fewer tourists.

The plan was to have only two bases so we didn't spend the whole week living out of a suitcase. The first half of the week we stayed in a fabulous family run B&B near Waistfield, Vermont. We arrived in New England the third week in October and we'd been told it was past 'peak foliage'. We would never have known it as we thought the autumn colours were stunning and there were trees everywhere! Apparently the first two weeks in October are supposed to be the best. The blessing for us with our timing meant less traffic and fewer tourists.

The first day was probably one of best for me because we had wonderful weather, beautiful blue skies and we saw a bit of everything, covered bridges, waterfalls and scenic roads, as we explored the local area. It was a great introduction to our week ahead. The word of the day was 'beautiful'!

The plan was to have only two bases so we didn't spend the whole week living out of a suitcase. The first half of the week we stayed in a fabulous family run B&B near Waistfield, Vermont. We arrived in New England the third week in October and we'd been told it was past 'peak foliage'. We would never have known it as we thought the autumn colours were stunning and there were trees everywhere! Apparently the first two weeks in October are supposed to be the best. The blessing for us with our timing meant less traffic and fewer tourists.

On the second day we were hoping to do a hot air balloon flight, but we didn't get to go up due to poor weather conditions. After eating a lot of pancakes for breakfast in a classic American diner we explored Quechee Gorge, saw our first chipmunks of the trip (cue Mission Impssible music) and explored the cute town of Woodstock, before gradually making our way back north towards Waitsfield.

On our third day we headed west and walked around the cute village of Bristol, drove south to Shoreham and headed towards Lake Champlain and weaved our way up the lakeside. On our final day we headed out early again and saw the morning mist hug the trees. We took in some more covered bridges, drove north to Stowe, where we saw lots of fabulous carved pumpkins, up to Smugglers Notch and then headed east to New Hampshire.

On our third day we headed west and walked around the cute village of Bristol, drove south to Shoreham and headed towards Lake Champlain and weaved our way up the lakeside. On our final day we headed out early again and saw the morning mist hug the trees. We took in some more covered bridges, drove north to Stowe, where we saw lots of fabulous carved pumpkins, up to Smugglers Notch and then headed east to New Hampshire.

I thought once we left the Green Mountains we would see far fewer trees, but this wasn't the case. A huge blanket of trees seemed to cover the majority of the state and with all the amazing autumn colours, everywhere looked beautiful and all the driving was scenic. Our timing worked out well this day as we managed to avoid any rain. On our way to Jackson, where we were based for the second half of the week, we passed the impressive Mount Washington Hotel, which was bathed in the early evening light. The following day we had hoped to get up the mountain via the cog railway but despite leaving Jackson in sunshine, the mountain was shrouded in cloud.

Jackson was nestled in the heart of the White Mountains and proved a great base for us. We stayed in a quaint old Victorian B&B built in 1902. It was like stepping back in time and we loved it. On our first full day in the area we explored both Crawford and Franconia Notch and were blessed with some more sunny weather. Our day was filled with scenic walks, breathtaking views, waterfalls and wildlife. I especially enjoyed watching a squirrel stuffing it's mouth with leaves. I've heard how they cache food in their mouth, but this one looked like it was stashing materials to make a nice cosy nest in preparation for winter. It let us watch for a while before scampering off.

Jackson was nestled in the heart of the White Mountains and proved a great base for us. We stayed in a quaint old Victorian B&B built in 1902. It was like stepping back in time and we loved it. On our first full day in the area we explored both Crawford and Franconia Notch and were blessed with some more sunny weather. Our day was filled with scenic walks, breathtaking views, waterfalls and wildlife. I especially enjoyed watching a squirrel stuffing it's mouth with leaves. I've heard how they cache food in their mouth, but this one looked like it was stashing materials to make a nice cosy nest in preparation for winter. It let us watch for a while before scampering off.

From Franconia Notch we headed a little further south to the impressive Flume Gorge. This was a memorable stop as there was so much variety in the one place. From sheer gorge walls and waterfalls to covered bridges and breathtaking views. Plus more wildlife! We spent a fabulous afternoon exploring the area. We finally finished the day with a drive along the Kangamagus Highway.


Though the weather was not as bright and sunny towards the end of our trip, we still enjoyed all our walks and scenic drives, especially the local Jackson Falls. I actually took photos again two days later after the rain and you could see how the trees were starting to change colour and how there was a lot more water cascading down the falls.

From Franconia Notch we headed a little further south to the impressive Flume Gorge. This was a memorable stop as there was so much variety in the one place. From sheer gorge walls and waterfalls to covered bridges and breathtaking views. Plus more wildlife! We spent a fabulous afternoon exploring the area. We finally finished the day with a drive along the Kangamagus Highway.

Though the weather was not as bright and sunny towards the end of our trip, we still enjoyed all our walks and scenic drives, especially the local Jackson Falls. I actually took photos again two days later after the rain and you could see how the trees were starting to change colour and how there was a lot more water cascading down the falls.

We drove south to Cathedral Ledge, which aforded great views over the area and as a bonus I spotted a cute little chipmunk munching on blades of grass. We could see Echo Lake far below us, which we later walked around. In the height of summer you could imagine the swarms of people who would inevitably flock to the beach here. Along the path at one point a dead tree blocked our way. After climbing over, I decided to take a photo of the pattern in the trunk. Suddenly, a little head popped out and a chipmunk appeared. I'm not sure which of us was more startled.

We drove south to Cathedral Ledge, which aforded great views over the area and as a bonus I spotted a cute little chipmunk munching on blades of grass. We could see Echo Lake far below us, which we later walked around. In the height of summer you could imagine the swarms of people who would inevitably flock to the beach here. Along the path at one point a dead tree blocked our way. After climbing over, I decided to take a photo of the pattern in the trunk. Suddenly, a little head popped out and a chipmunk appeared. I'm not sure which of us was more startled.

It rained on our last full day and by now I had developed a cold, so it was nice to have a break from driving and relax. We did a spot of shopping and then spent the afternoon sitting on the wraparound porch chatting, reading and watching the birds and rain. On our final day we managed to avoid the patches of rain most of the day, so we were still able to explore, weaving along quiet country roads, walking around Meredith on the edge of Lake Winniepasaukee, as we gradually headed back towards Boston.

It rained on our last full day and by now I had developed a cold, so it was nice to have a break from driving and relax. We did a spot of shopping and then spent the afternoon sitting on the wraparound porch chatting, reading and watching the birds and rain. On our final day we managed to avoid the patches of rain most of the day, so we were still able to explore, weaving along quiet country roads, walking around Meredith on the edge of Lake Winniepasaukee, as we gradually headed back towards Boston.

I ought not to finish this little adventure without mentioning the food! Our breakfasts were so big every morning we often didn't need to eat much during the day. The first Inn was the best for breakfast with virtually everything you could want on offer! The second Inn in Jackson was great for it's afternoon cookies! Be warned about portion sizes though when eating out! At one place we shared a starter and it was still double the size it needed to be! It was all very tasty though!



I had such an amazing week and New England didn't disappoint! Whilst we saw plenty, it was at such a relaxed pace, with no fixed itinerary. Often we just chose a direction to head in and this worked well for us. I'd love to go back again!

Brown Hairstreak

August 26

By Lisa G Saw • September 13, 2026
WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS It was the insects that were dominating my wildlife sightings again in August, with plenty more dragonfly and damselfly encounters, plus some fabulous moths and butterflies. Early in the month, Bob and I had a call from one of his friends who had a Striped Hawk-moth in his moth trap that morning. So we headed over to see it, having to wait some time for the weather conditions to be just right. Needless to say, I'd never heard of it before, but as ever, I'm learning about all sorts of new species and I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to photograph this fairly large moth species. It was very impressive, especially when we were able to see the flash of pink on the hindwings. I do like to experiment with my photography, and not just take the standard back-of-wing shot, and so got down low to take a photo from the side, so I could see its eye peering at me.

Spring in Yorkshire - Other Wildlife

By Lisa G Saw • September 12, 2026
Our original plan for our trip up to Yorkshire, was to drive direct to Buckton, with rest breaks along the way. It wasn't until we were actually driving north on the A23 that Bob suddenly wondered about the possibility of detouring to Glapthorn Cow Pastures. It's a site in Northamptonshire that is known to be good for Black Hairstreaks - a rare butterfly species in the UK. As I was navigating, I had a quick look on my phone and saw that it would only add about 40 minutes to our journey. Since I'd never seen this butterfly species in its natural woodland habitat - the local colony in East Sussex is of questionable origin, and has most likely been introduced - I was eager to visit this new site. I like being spontaneous and I think Bob was surprised I agreed. In the end, it was the perfect place for us to stop for lunch and enjoy some time in a beautiful quiet woodland. Of the few people there, most were about to leave when we arrived. Bizarrely, I recognised one of them too from back home! It was quite easy to find the ride where the majority of Black Hairstreaks were nectaring. Since it wasn't sunny to begin with, it wasn't too tricky taking some photos as they weren't too flighty. I couldn't believe how many I was seeing. There were several flying around in one small area, and as we ambled up the ride we saw many more - about 30 in total. I saw more in that hour than I had in total prior to that occasion. For the majority of time it was just the two of us in this small stretch of the woodland. It was so peaceful. For the most part, only the sounds of the birds and bees could be heard. It was heavenly!

Spring in Yorkshire - Seabirds

By Lisa G Saw • August 31, 2026
At the end of May, when we had that first bout of warm spring weather, I headed up to Yorkshire with Bob for a week's holiday. We stayed in lovely self-catering accommodation in Buckton where I'd stayed before on a previous visit to the area, but in a deluxe static caravan instead of one of the cottages. The location was fabulous as it gave us wonderful access to the RSPB nature reserve, Bempton Cliffs. It was only a 30 minute walk to the coast, to the northern end of the nature reserve, or we could drive to the various access points not only at the visitor centre nearby, but further eastwards towards Flamborough Headland. Unfortunately, the good weather only lasted the first two days. Having said that, we were lucky the rest of the week because even though it was windy at times, cloudy mostly, and we had some wet spells, we managed to work around it. As always, we try not to let it affect us too much and we both had an excellent time away. Bob's back was still causing him some grief, having put it out a month prior, so we were careful not to spend too long out on walks, or avoid carrying too much equipment. It was actually lovely having a bit more chill time at the accommodation relaxing and reading. The seabirds were the main draw to the area, and there's a good number of them at Bempton Cliffs. They host over 200,000 breeding seabirds during peak season (March to October). Despite the crash in numbers last year due to bird flu, overall the colony seems to be doing well and bouncing back. It's one of the best places in the country to see Northern Gannets, as it is the largest mainland colony, with an estimated 11,000 to 15,000 breeding pairs.
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