Discover Your Ultimate New England Road Trip
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We drove our RV all over New England. Here’s what we did, and what we paid.
New England is exceptional, the land of colonial history, temperate summers, windy coasts, and seemingly endless scenery that will steal your breath for an alarming length of time. I love New England, and I have acquired some of my most cherished memories from this little corner of the United States. It was here that Drew and I first headed when we moved into our RV for the start of our life on the road. We spent just under three months touring the region, but we honestly could have invested a much longer period if time had allowed. New England was supposed to be our test drive for RV life, a place where we could explore new locations while still remaining relatively close to home. We did, however, end up pleasantly startled with how much fun we continued to experience there.
As Drew and I adjusted to living in our home on wheels, we both tended to a growing passion for sharing our travels with you all. We adore swapping traveling stories, taking inspiration from others, and providing a dash of wanderlust to all of those who feel stuck in a traveling rut. Now, on the southside of New England, as we enjoy Autumn within the warm embrace of Virginia, we can’t keep thinking about our time in New England. We may be rookies to this whole RV life thing, but if we know how to do anything, it’s how to plan an epic road trip and then proceed to squeeze the life out of every second of it.
In the spirit of generosity, I thought we would share all of our newly acquired New England wisdom with you all: where we went, where we stayed, what we ate, and what we did. As romantic as a New England tour may sound, life doesn’t organically populate with rainbows and unicorns, so it is only natural that not everything we encountered during our journey would be labelled as “winners.” Yeah, some of the places we stayed at were certainly less than stellar. But because I like to give you all my unfiltered opinions, which I seem to have no shortage of, I’ll give you all the inside scoop on it all, including those places I may advise you to avoid.
The following itinerary was completed using a fully contained motorhome which allowed us to use some free camping facilities such as Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome. While this schedule may be optimized for travelling within an RV, the suggested accommodations can be tweaked at your leisure to your preferred style of travel. And yes, before anybody points out that New York was settled by the Dutch and thus is not technically a member of the New England clique, I understand that I broke the rules a bit by including some New York stops. New York State happens to house some pretty spectacular hikes, waterfalls, lakeside parks, and is a wonderful spot to kickstart your road trip if you happen to be driving east. I included it in this itinerary because of these, and it can easily be ignored if you label yourself as a New England purist.
Without further ado, and while cutting myself off before I give too much sass, I welcome you all what we believe to be the ultimate New England road trip (plus New York). Have a look around, take the advice that you seek, and drop a comment about your favorite New England vacation spot. Happy travels!
To help keep you oriented, I’ve included this handy dandy map which I created using the the RV Trip Wizard trip planner. It labels all of our stops along the way. You’re welcome!
1. Seneca Lake, New York
The entire Finger Lakes region of New York is a dream for lovers of waterfalls and hikers alike. We spent our time in the finger lakes around Seneca Lake, specifically at its southern tip in the town of Watkins Glen. With the multitude of hiking options, our favorite, by far, is Watkins Glen State Park, which offers an enchanting walk featuring 19 waterfalls. We couldn’t resist hiking it once again during our stay, even though we both had completed this hike several times in the past. It’s THAT majestic. We also experimented with the Keuka Outlet Trail which led us past the Seneca Mill Falls. Since we were there right after an intense rain storm, the stream was overflowing and the fall was intensely channeling water off its cliff. It was spectacular to witness, and led to a near disaster when we witnessed someone jump into the raging waters below. That whole traumatic experience is documented here, but shouldn’t dissuade you from walking the trail as long as you don’t decide to ignore the clearly marked “No Swimming” signage.
I ask you, does this look like safe water to swim in? While I wouldn’t recommend entering the water, the walk to visit the falls is absolutely worth your time.
We would also recommend the nearby Taughannock Falls, Buttermilk Falls and Robert H. Treman State Park which allows visitors to swim in its waterfall fed swimming hole. We were not in town during a racing event, but it also may be of interest to you that Watkins Glen is known for hosting regular NASCAR events at their track, Watkins Glen International. Schedule your visit accordingly, and in advance, if you want to watch the race.
Seneca is also beloved for its unique microclimate that allows it to grow unique varieties of grapes that turn into some of the most delicious wines you have ever tasted. Driving up the side of the lake is the perfect spot to go on a self-guided winery tour, which Drew and I did on a fantastically relaxing Saturday date. J.R. Dill Winery was the highlight of our day, and it could be for you too if you enjoy a dryer Cabernet Sauvignon.
Accommodations - We drove up to Seneca Lake area from the south, and spent two nights hopping from Harvest Host locations in Watkins Glen. Castel Grisch Winery was our first stop, and kicked the whole journey off on a truly unique foot. After enjoying a few glasses of their wine, the winery closed and we were left on the property all by ourselves. We even took the opportunity to wake up early the next morning and enjoy some sunrise yoga overlooking the vineyard. Our second Harvest Host was at Sunset View Creamery, a quaint little dairy farm that sold a variety of decadent cheeses, and then let us get up close and personal with their cows after we booked a “cow cuddling” session. Obviously, we blogged about this experience here. We also enjoyed four tranquil nights on a privately owned farm as part of our Boondockers Welcome membership which was the place that made us fall in love with the boondocking camping style.
Besides the perk of being free, Harvest Host locations can sometimes offer unique activities. I mean, how often do you get the chance to cuddle some cows?
Unfortunately, Back-Achers Campsite was the only campground we stayed at during our stay here and I would categorize this one as less than ideal. They advertised themselves as being the only privately owned campground that had waterfront access to Lake Seneca, and while that may be true, a steep, rocky climb down to an algae-dense corner of the lake was not what I had in mind. Their full-hook up sites ended up missing sewage which was replaced by a communal dump station. Additionally, we must have been sharing a water line with our neighbors because we could actually feel the major decrease in water pressure depending on how many people were camping nearby at the time. I pride myself in being easy to please, but when there are so many free and stunning camping locations near Seneca Lake, this campground just isn’t up to snuff.
2.Wellesley Island, New York
Wellesley Island is right at the heart of the Thousand Islands region of New York, and is pretty much as close to Canada as you can get without crossing the border. In fact, I would actually suggest having a cell plan that allows you to utilize Canadian towers because it is very common for your cell phones to connect to them even if you are on American soil. My family and I spent many summers floating atop rented houseboats here, and exploring everything that the islands had to offer us. During this road trip, Drew and I enjoyed a few relaxing beach days, and also took a trip to Alexandria Bay, a charming little village which is easily accessed by boat or car.
Alex Bay, as it’s known by locals, has an eclectic assortment of shops, features a variety of restaurant options, and is a popular location to board an Uncle Sam ferry to take you over to Boldt Castle. This heart-shaped, private island and the castle which resides there was originally owned by millionaire George C. Boldt who designed the castle to pay tribute to his late wife in the early 1900s. The castle is an impressively grandiose example of Victorian and Medieval architecture and is a wonderful place to take a break from island hopping.
Sadly, the Boldts never got to enjoy the castle after it was finished being built. It is still a fabulous visit for all guests and is remarkable to imagine what it would be like to own your own private island. Photo by Pascal Bernardon.
Accommodations - We stayed at Wellesley Island State Park which gets five stars from all angles. They have an array of campsite types that will suit you in whatever your ideal camping accommodation is. We stayed at a full hookup site which was also completely paved and something we don’t come across very often. They also have a beautiful beach, campground store, laundry facility, bath house, walking trails, and are well staffed with friendly and helpful individuals. It must be a bit of that Canadian politeness rubbing off on the New Yorkers up there.
3.Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont sits right on Lake Champlain, a natural, freshwater lake that lays along the border of New York and Vermont. During our stay, we enjoyed a leisurely walk around the lakefront at Shelburne Bay Park, and exploring the Shelburne Farms is also recommended if you want to see a working farm in action, taste some freshly grown produce, or want to enjoy a peaceful picnic in the lawns which lie beneath the charming, 19th century agricultural estate.
Without a doubt, the ultimate highlight during this stay was when Drew and I woke up to hike the Burrows Trail in order to reach the Camel’s Hump Summit in time for sunrise. This was the first sunrise hike that Drew and I had ever taken, and we went out the day before to buy a pair of headlamps for the initiation. I will warn you now, that if you aren’t used to steep inclines during your hikes, then you should leave yourself plenty of time to reach the summit in time for the break of dawn. This was probably one of the hardest hikes I ever completed, in part because we were practically running at the end as we saw the sky start to light up above our heads. Man, was it worth it, though. With panoramic views that could stop your heart at any time of day, seeing the sun peak above the expansive mountains was certainly the cherry on top. The entirety of this adventure is captured with unfiltered detail here. We capped off our Vermont adventures with a swim at Bingham Falls, where you can swim beneath a strikingly blue waterfall in crisp and refreshing waters.
Even Charlie came with us to the Camel’s Hump Summit. If he can do it with his short little legs, so can you!
The small town of Williston, just east of Burlington, contains a restaurant called Grazers which served me some of the richest, and most memorable poutine that I have ever eaten, the consumption of which took Drew and I all of maybe ten minutes. But hey, if you hiked up to Camel’s Hump that day, I would say that you deserve it!
Accommodations - We spent our most of our stay at Burlington at a Boondockers Welcome site with full hookups! You can’t really call it boondocking when you have access to a 50 amp electrical source, but hey, we’ll take it when we can get it. To protect the privacy of our boondocker hosts, we can’t share with you their exact address. We can, however, share with you all this stunning photo that was captured the first night we arrived just as a rainbow welcomed us to Vermont. On our way out of the state, we spent a night at Cold Hollow Cidery Harvest Host Location. This place has amazing donuts, ciders, hard ciders and mouth watering breakfast sandwiches.
As promised, here is the rainbow that showed up as soon as we settled in Vermont. We didn’t even have to sit through a rainstorm to get it.
4.Old Orchard Beach, Maine
We spent a week in and around Old Orchard Beach, enjoying lengthy evening walks on the beach as we watched stormy skies roll in, and sun bathed next to herds of tourists on the weekends. The Old Orchard Beach Pier is a beautiful addition to the sandy coast, and is a spot for weekend entertainment like live music and comedy shows. Small children, along with whimsical adults, will also enjoy the Palace Playland, a seasonal amusement park which is conveniently located just steps from the beach.
If you have time for a daytrip, The Portland Head Light is a short drive north from Old Orchard Beach, and will treat you to unbeatable views of the ocean behind the striking beauty of the oldest lighthouse in Maine. When you’re done watching the waves roll in, drive the extra 20 minutes to downtown Portland where you can walk between classic, rust colored brick buildings, pass impromptu and soulful musical performances, and look up at moody, grey skies. Nothing feels more like Maine than Portland does, and if you are inclined to read more raving reviews about this land that I am truly convinced was born of magic, then you can find the full blog here.
The Portland Head Light quickly became my favorite lighthouse due to its striking beauty and relaxing location along the cliffside.
We chose to indulge at Ken’s Place, an unassuming restaurant in Scarborough where you can get reasonably priced, and high quality lobster rolls alongside seafood platters. We loved the casual atmosphere and outdoor seating of this restaurant so much that we actually ate here twice, although Drew’s fast growing addiction to lobster may have had an influence on that choice. The Portland Lobster Company was a close second in the lobster roll category, and we enjoyed our dinner here while entertained by live music, and the fast paced atmosphere of boats maneuvering around the adjacent dock. I also wouldn’t be doing this area any justice if I didn’t mention The Holy Donut, an iconic donut establishment which has gained a bit of a cult following for their gourmet potato donuts. While we highly recommend the Holy Cannoli, Salted Chocolate, and Bacon Cheddar flavors, I doubt that you could be disappointed with any of their offerings.
Accommodations - We stayed at Hid’n Pines Family Campground during our week in Portland, which I would categorize as our most luxurious stay during this entire trip. This campground has gated security, weekly entertainment, planned activities, its own restaurant, and a heated pool alongside a hot tub. It was also walking distance to Old Orchard Beach which, in my humble opinion, is a necessity if you wish to avoid astronomical fees for parking. This was, however, the most expensive place that we stayed during our whole trip, by far. I’m talking about a quarter of the campground budget that we spent during our entire trip! This may not be of great importance for you, and we did certainly enjoy spoiling ourselves during this week, so do with that information what you will.
5.Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is an unmissable stop along this itinerary because it is located right in the middle of Acadia National Park. My love for Maine was solidified when we spent a week exploring this park, and I wrote all about our adventures that we found there in this blog. The beauty that you will find in Acadia cannot possibly be overstated. We recommend driving the Park Loop Road when you first arrive, which allows you to see some mystical views of the ocean and cliff sides, and also get the lay of the land within the park rather quickly. As we drove, we took notes of the things we wanted to return to which included Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, the Beehive Trail and Jordan Pond. You will need a pass to enter the park, and although it may be tempting to purchase the weekly pass, we actually recommend you go for the annual pass. It is $80, can admit you, a guest, and a vehicle, and will easily pay for itself if you plan to see any more national parks within 12 months of purchase.
If you bring your pup everywhere like we do, it may interest you to know that most of Acadia is dog friendly. This picture was taken at Charlie’s favorite location in the park, Jordan Pond.
Accommodations - Bar Harbor Campground is a hidden gem that I almost don’t want to tell you about. If I could give it more than five stars I would. Actually, since I make the rules here, I am officially breaking them. Bar Harbor Campground gets six out of five stars, no questions asked. This campground is humble in appearance, but has every type of campsite that you could possibly dream of. They are reasonably priced, provide fantastic views of the water, and are a five minute drive to Acadia National Park. The only caveat is that they do not offer advanced reservations which may deter some guests. However, since Drew and I were able to secure a spot for our 32 foot motorhome on the Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend, I would be highly surprised if you had a problem finding a site here. I say you give this one a go!
6.Brentwood, New Hampshire
Like Vermont, New Hampshire is surrounded by beautiful views of forested mountains. We drove through the White Mountains, a range that roughly consumes a quarter of the state, and were rewarded by views of rugged beauty. The Kancamagus Highway is hugely popular if you are short on time, and you can even download driving audio tours which walks you through the geology and ecological beauty that you pass along the way. The mountains are a fabulous place to escape the crowds, which you probably have spent the past two weeks facing in Maine. If time allows, and you're the hiking type, The Welch-Dickey Loop Trail is hugely popular because of its moderately challenging pace and stunning summit views, but you can find plenty of hikes which may be more suited to your interests and skill level here.
On your way out of the state, we stopped by Sawbelly Brewing for appetizers and beer. This place had it all. They grew their own produce, sourced their protein from local vendors, and handmade every single item in their kitchen except for their ketchup, because in the words of our waitress, “nobody likes homemade ketchup.” They also had live music almost every night, were reasonably priced, and had a full menu of uniquely named beers. Our favorites were Boiler Alert, a New England IPA, and Interstellar Love, a light sour.
Accommodations - We stayed at a Boondockers Welcome site in Vermont because they were aplenty here. And, honestly, with the amount of hospitality and generosity that we experienced all throughout New England, it just felt like the New Hampshire thing to do. We didn’t have any hookups during our stay, but we were conservative with our water supply and so we didn’t have a problem. The temperate summer months were a pleasant bonus and meant that we could go without using our air conditioners so we didn’t even have to run our generator!
These are the faces of two happy boondockers who just spent the night at large, private yard in Vermont, under some apple trees.
7.Cape Cod, Massachusetts
What could I tell you about Cape Cod to convince you to go there? It has absolutely everything that you could want from a beach town. It is not overly crowded, it has an abundance of delicious seafood establishments, it is rich in history, offers you access to both the bay and the beach, and it gives you the opportunity to explore some amazing nearby cities. Drew and I spent two full weeks in Cape Cod, making it the longest stop on this itinerary, and I would recommend that it be the longest stop for you as well. Cape Cod has a little bit of everything, and has a relaxed pace vibe that makes you breathe a little slower as a result.
In the time that we spent there, we went to Breakwater Beach, which is a public beach on the bay and a great place to enjoy the sunset. We were there during the last week in September, giving us the added bonus of not having to pay for parking. Head of Meadow Beach was also a highlight of this leg. It is a secluded beach on the National Seashore, and is a fantastic location to watch seals swim near to the shore. We watched the sunrise on one crisp morning, and although we had to get up early to do it, seeing the sun crest over the ocean was unbeatable. We headed over to the nearby restaurant of Yolquira afterwards to have some breakfast, and I had a healthy serving of Lobster Benedict which I still dream about to this day.
There’s just something about the sunrise isn’t there? After this photo was taken, Drew and I enjoyed some yoga on the beach as we watched the seals swim by.
If you’re antsy to get into a city, we took three separate day trips to Provincetown, Salem and Boston, all of which I can highly recommend to visitors. I wrote all about the rich and colorful history of these cities here, but briefly, Provincetown is best known for being the site of the pilgrims first landing. You can visit the site which is decorated by a petite park which overlooks the Provincetown Causeway, a man made, mile long, bridge which is made up of large boulders and leads travelers to a secluded island. Salem is famous as the site of the witch hysteria which occurred in the 1600s. We toured the Salem Witch Museum, but enjoyed walking through a haunting little cemetery in the town as well as visiting the Salem Witch Trials Memorial which contains the names of the victims who were hanged during the trials. This spooky town is also home to Ye Olde Pepper Candy Company which is the oldest candy company in the country. They are fully stocked with some expensive, yet truly decadent chocolate truffles. Certainly not least is Boston, which is about an hour and a half north of Cape Cod if traffic treats you right. There are many amazing things to do in this historic city, but the highlights of our visit was taking a self guided walk along the Freedom Trail, a 2-mile, brick lined trail that guides you through the historic parts of the city. We also enjoyed lunch at the Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in America where the cornbread is to die for. Reservations here fill up fast!
The Provincetown Causeway is a mile long, and gives you a peaceful walk atop the water. Just make sure to give yourself time before hightide, as it can easily become covered in water.
Reading the names along the Salem Witch Trial Memorial is a great way to pay your respects to the victims of the Salem witch hysteria. It is a part of United States history that is often turned into Hollywood lore.
Accommodations - We stayed at Shady Knoll Campground for the full two weeks to give ourselves a breather from moving around so much. I would say it deserves a slightly better than mediocre 3.5 stars. Honestly, the establishment was perfectly fine, and I was more than grateful that they could accommodate our motorhome for the entirety of our stay. They have a coin operated laundry facility, clean bathrooms and showers, and a well stocked general store. Our site was a “pump out” site, a new experience to us which meant someone came around every few days to empty our black and grey tanks. It was a nice little luxury to not have to empty our tanks ourselves, but also meant that we had to remember to notify the staff of our request, and that we couldn’t empty the tanks at our leisure if we happened to fill up unexpectedly. The roads throughout the campground were also a bit small and we ended up gaining a new scratch on our RV from a low hanging branch during the drive.
8.Bethlehem, Connecticut
Our stay in Connecticut was brief, one night to be exact! This tiny little state is just as beautiful as its northern New England neighbors though, and we couldn’t leave the region without giving it a try. We visited March Farm, a quaint Harvest Host location which had an apple orchard, playground, farm store, swimming lake, and walking trails. We bought some blueberry pastries from their store, and enjoyed them with coffee the next morning.
Although we didn’t get to see it in person, Nonnewaug Falls is a short hike that treats you to a majestic, rolling waterfall at the end. I have been told that it is a great spot for a casual walk during all of the three warmer season, but that it becomes truly magical in the Fall as the leaves begin to change.
Accommodations- We spent our night in Connecticut at the Harvest Host of March Farm and ended up being the only guests there for the night which meant we had the lake all to ourselves. I will say that the drive to get to the farm was less than ideal, and included plenty of tight windy roads that had me holding onto the side of my chair for dear life. Once we got settled, it was lovely though. I didn’t even mind that we had no cell service, because it made for a great opportunity to enjoy some secluded peace and quiet.
It’s safe to say that we enjoyed our stay here at March Farm. I may have had to climb to the top of the orchard to make an important phone call, but this scenery was worth it.
What we spent
And now to share what you all really wanted to know from this itinerary: what we spent! The spoiler in this section is that New England is not cheap, and if you are foodies like us, wanting to try the cuisine of the land at every stop seems to exponentiate the problem. We are also fulltime in your RV, and so we have a budget for campgrounds at around where our rent used to be ($1000/month). If you are a summer traveler, or part time, and have to balance traveling costs with your rent or mortgage, your budget may look very different.
Since this was our first few months on the road, a lot of what we spent was on campgrounds since we were not fully comfortable with boondocking quite yet. I will say that we have gotten much more proficient in the art of camping without hookups, and just looking at our spending rate from the time we left New England, the budget for our next leg will look much different. The bottom line is that we are still learning, and getting better everyday. Still, we wanted to share this information with you all so that you can perhaps have a clearer expectation for what you might spend if you were to take a trip like this one. The following breakdown of costs included two adults and one small pupper. Please enjoy, learn, and try not to judge.
Total spent over two months: $5,605
I told you we like to eat didn’t I? Yup, our food bill equals just shy of half of our total spending. As we adjusted to our new lifestyle, we ate out a lot, which is something that we are currently trying to improve upon. This also includes all of our “date nights”, alcohol purchases, and grocery bills. It also includes the purchases of food and drink that were made when staying at Harvest Hosts, as it is customary to patronize these businesses as a way of expressing your gratitude.
Just to give you an idea of the cost per area, we separated this out for you as well! Wellesley Island is a bit inflated because it took a lot of gas to get there, and we were only there for 3 nights. We also didn’t include New Hampshire or Connecticut because we were there only briefly. For both of these stays, we used free camping options, didn’t need to fill up on gas, and ate most of what we already had in the RV. We felt like this didn’t give an accurate picture of the cost for these states, so we omitted them from this analysis.
Thank you all so much for joining us on this journey! We love taking you along on our travels with us. Stay tuned for more adventures and discoveries as we travel south down the east coast in an effort to escape the cold. You can also follow discovery.detour on Instagram for current updates on what we are up to.
Thank you for joining us at Discovery Detour, where the destination is always unknown.
