Fall New England Cruises

[KenM]

What week is USUALLY the best time to take the Montreal, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Boston cruise in order to see the peak leaf changes.

[Krazy Kruizers]

it all depends on how much rain we got here on the east coast

sometimes leaf changes take place at the end of september -- other times the second week of october

hard to judge as our weather has been really screwy the last couple of years

[shoppern]

We took this cruise last year, third week of Sept. Very little color until we were in Montreal--I was surprised at that--I had expected loads of color everywhere. Still, it was a beautiful journey.:)

[RuthC]

This New Englander spent a week leaf peeping in northern New England through most of her married life. And I learned a few things over the years.

First, predicting when peak color will be is, at best, an inexact science. Second, it's a movable feast. That is, besides coming at a different time each year, the location of peak color moves south as time goes on.

Realize, too, that the color won't be as good near the sea, but also won't peak as early, as it in the mountains.

Anyway, we went to New Hampshire over Columbus Day weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving). By then, the trees were bare in Canada, just past peak in New Hampshire mountains, about peak in western Massachusetts, and had barely started at home in Rhode Island.

If you plan to sail between the last week of September and mid-October you should see some good color somewhere along the ride.

[cruz chic]

 

Anyway, we went to New Hampshire over Columbus Day weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving). By then, the trees were bare in Canada.

That's mid winter for some of us in Canada:D.

[mamaofami]

I've been to Lenox, Massachusettes,(mountain area) many times on Columbus Day Weekend. Sometimes the leaves are beautiful, and sometimes they've barely changed.

[peaches from georgia]

It varies and is not totally predictable, but after years spent in NEngland we have found September is too early and the best time for leaf-peeping is during the first 2 weeks of October.

[sail7seas]

September is too early for Massachusetts into New Hampshire. You might have color end of September in Bar Harbor.

 

I have lived near Boston all my life and agree with all those who say it depends how much heat and how much rain we have had during summer to determine when our leaves will be at peak and how vivid it will be. Color was gorgeous last year but weather has an impact.

 

Also, a heavy rain with wind can whip the leaves off the trees so the season effectively ends prematurely.

 

It is a moveable feast. Colors change earliest the further north you go. By the time southern Maine is in peak, Montreal has well passed peak.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

We're donig Maasdam's southbound repositioning cruise this fall. It starts mid-October, so we have little expectation of fall colors. We're doing it for the ports, so if we don't get "color" we won't be disappointed. It's earlier in 2012, and I thought about postponing for a year. But I think we'll stick with this Sept.

[BJane]

Because I have always lived in California I was really anxious to see New England, both for the sight seeing and for the fall color. My late husband and I decided that the best way for us to do that was to alternate cruising and fly/drive trips originating in Boston. Between 1996 and 2005 we took 5 cruises and four driving trips and loved every minute of every trip. We actually did not see much fall color on the cruises, but since we were longtime cruisers, we just enjoyed the ports because they were new to us.

The driving trips were really the best way to see the color, as we could adjust our itineraries according to where the color was the best at the times we were back there.

I loved New England and the history there. My ancestors arrived in Plymouth in 1626, then went to Rhode Island. Yes, I really am related to Roger Williams.

[zookiebird]

@BJane, You guys really did it the right way. The best way to see the fall colors is to get away from the coast and drive in to the mountains. I've been a New Englander for over 40 years and autumn here still amazes me. Even with that said, the Maasdam cruise is still on my bucket list. One of these days .....

[Beyondships]

My experience has been that it changes every year. However, it is a nice itinerary regardless of the color of the foliage.

[MEtraveler48]

I have lived in New England (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and now Maine) for most of my 60+ years and I have better luck picking lottery numbers than predicting time and quality of fall foliage.

 

Along the coast it tends to be later than in higher elevations inland, so first or second week of October could work. It is weather dependent as previous posters have noted. An autumnal storm can down all the leaves prematurely and a warm fall, may delay it. A couple years ago we had an extraordinarily wet summer and some species of maples got a fungus and all the leaves turned black and came down early.

 

Come to New England, it's beautiful and we love to show it off. Somewhere along your route you will see wonderful colors from the last of September through October. And in any event, it is the best time of year to have a lobster or 2.

[zookiebird]

There is no place on Earth I'd rather be than here in New England in autumn.

[KenM]

Thanks for all the inputs. I think that we are now focusing on the 1st 2 weeks in Oct.

[innlady1]

Because I have always lived in California I was really anxious to see New England, both for the sight seeing and for the fall color. My late husband and I decided that the best way for us to do that was to alternate cruising and fly/drive trips originating in Boston. Between 1996 and 2005 we took 5 cruises and four driving trips and loved every minute of every trip. We actually did not see much fall color on the cruises, but since we were longtime cruisers, we just enjoyed the ports because they were new to us.

The driving trips were really the best way to see the color, as we could adjust our itineraries according to where the color was the best at the times we were back there.

I loved New England and the history there. My ancestors arrived in Plymouth in 1626, then went to Rhode Island. Yes, I really am related to Roger Williams.

 

You're 100% correct...best way to see the colors is a road trip. That being said, I'll echo what the other New Englanders have posted re the time frame.

 

Interesting that your ancestors arrived in 1626. One of mine arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 (Stephen Hopkins). DH's first ancestor here arrived in 1637 - from Hingham England to Hingham MA (where we've lived since 1970!).