Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine

[BudMan]

I may want to check off a few more states at the national.
Looking at the map I see there are a number of options to get from Lake George to Maine.
I was looking for suggestions from someone familiar with the area.
Preferably a route that for the most part avoids busy highways.
I want to try and find a way on some lesser traveled roads without turning it into a long haul.
Any advice would be appreciated.

[Hillhouse]

Guess your route will depend on how much time and what you want to see. As for busy highways you will notice slab doesn't go west - east so you will be mostly on secondary roads.
From Lake George head west to VT30 then N towards Burlington, check out Shelburne museum along the way, Run Rte 2 E, at intersection with Rte 100 go north 1 mile to Ben & Jerry ice cream factory. Back to RTe 2 E stop in the state capital Montpelier (only state capital without a McDonald's).
Continue on Rte 2 till Gorham NH and go on 16S and take a ride up Mt Washington Auto road, worth the ride if its a clear day (suggest parking in first parking lot at the top, very step at next one and seems somebody always stops and to get going sucks)
You can stay on 16 S going through tourist area of Conway, pick any road off of 16 can get you to lower Maine.
From lower Maine I usually head towards Nashua and take 101 to 9 which will bring you back to NY state.

[Rasta]

No shit about the East-West roads rather the lack of them. That is why I have made a promise to myself that I will never complain about going through Nebraska.

[4b316]

I like to go to asable(?) chasm and take the ferry across and ride 7 and 2.Mount Washington is a must see.We went up thur there last year riding around to get to bar harbor.

[BudMan]

Thanks guys I appreciate the info. Exactly what I was looking for.
Looking at the map I see what you mean about traveling east/west.
It seems like you have to go a little this way then a little that way to get where you're headed.
I've heard about Mt. Washington, I know it's home to the worlds worst weather.
Hopefully not bad when I'm wanting to go. Specific info about parking is also appreciated.
That's the kind of info that really helps and only those who have been there know.
What I didn't know was that Montpelier was the only state capital without a McDonalds. Odd.
I'm sure it's citizens get by without a Big Mac.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by 4b316

I like to go to asable(?) chasm and take the ferry across and ride 7 and 2.Mount Washington is a must see.We went up thur there last year riding around to get to bar harbor.

There is no ferry from Ausable Chasm, do you mean the ferry at Port Kent which is about 5 miles east?

[davidjmurphy]

Budman I will be travelling back to Nova Scotia from the Lake George Rally. If you want we could ride back together. I usually take the #2 from Bangor to Montplier both ways,from there Loafer gave me several options to Lake George. He even offered to be my guide from there. I did Mt Washington one year when I was at Laconia and promised myself I would never do that again. I guess I lost my nerv in my old age. If for some reason your trip gets to Nova Scotia you have a place to stay. There are awesome day trips along the ocean we could do,plus a feed of fresh fish is a must.

[Ipse_Dixit]

Ausable Chasm is nice. The wife and I did point to point last year though (we live in Rouses Point). I'd recommend crossing to Vermont at Crown Point. The point itself is beautiful and I really enjoyed the ride.

[Loafer]

Looking at a map of L. Geo. to some place in Maine, will show many ways to go. Depending on where
you wish to be in Maine or what you wish to visit in Vt. and N.H. will provide you with what roads to take.
Bill Mac and myself would like to share a ride with you.

[macmac]

From downtown Lk George to ossipee NH on the Maine border is 1 tank fuel of fuel for 1600 Nomad 2 up, if you ride NY rt 4 to Vt rt4 to I-89 to exit 11 NH Rt 11 west going east LOL and a lot north for a few miles thence to Rt 104 east to Meredith / Laconia to Rt 3 north a mile to Rt 25 east to Ossipee and Rt 16.

NH has no east / west interstates but I-89

If i can help in anyway I am willing. This can be a lay over with a free bed.

My wife injured both shoulders last Spring, rotator cuffs, and she still can get up from a low seated place be it a bike or a kayak. It remains to be seen if i can attend the event in NY for that reason and some others.

I will send you a pm with my street address so you can check maps, and Gwyn's cell.

Do not even try to use a GPS to get here. It'a wrong. There is no road where the GOS says there is, and so all the time anyone that has one ends up calling and tells me to come find them. That's a problem, since i ask where are you? What do you see? and they say trees. Man, thar's a lot of friggin trees here ! Gerry sicked me on you, so if you can't blame Gerry aka Loafer, then blame the Russians ! LOL

[BudMan]

Originally Posted by davidjmurphy

Budman I will be travelling back to Nova Scotia from the Lake George Rally. If you want we could ride back together. I usually take the #2 from Bangor to Montplier both ways,from there Loafer gave me several options to Lake George. He even offered to be my guide from there. I did Mt Washington one year when I was at Laconia and promised myself I would never do that again. I guess I lost my nerv in my old age. If for some reason your trip gets to Nova Scotia you have a place to stay. There are awesome day trips along the ocean we could do,plus a feed of fresh fish is a must.

I'll be doing this while I'm at the rally. Unfortunately I won't have time to go to Canada afterwards.
And Arkansas is in the opposite direction. But looking forward to meeting you and riding at the rally.

Originally Posted by Ipse_Dixit

Ausable Chasm is nice. The wife and I did point to point last year though (we live in Rouses Point). I'd recommend crossing to Vermont at Crown Point. The point itself is beautiful and I really enjoyed the ride.

I'll look into that. Thanks. And welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by Loafer

Looking at a map of L. Geo. to some place in Maine, will show many ways to go. Depending on where
you wish to be in Maine or what you wish to visit in Vt. and N.H. will provide you with what roads to take.
Bill Mac and myself would like to share a ride with you.

Plenty of options. No doubt about that. I'd like that as well. Looking forward to it.

Originally Posted by macmac

From downtown Lk George to ossipee NH on the Maine border is 1 tank fuel of fuel for 1600 Nomad 2 up, if you ride NY rt 4 to Vt rt4 to I-89 to exit 11 NH Rt 11 west going east LOL and a lot north for a few miles thence to Rt 104 east to Meredith / Laconia to Rt 3 north a mile to Rt 25 east to Ossipee and Rt 16.

NH has no east / west interstates but I-89

If i can help in anyway I am willing. This can be a lay over with a free bed.

My wife injured both shoulders last Spring, rotator cuffs, and she still can get up from a low seated place be it a bike or a kayak. It remains to be seen if i can attend the event in NY for that reason and some others.

I will send you a pm with my street address so you can check maps, and Gwyn's cell.

Do not even try to use a GPS to get here. It'a wrong. There is no road where the GOS says there is, and so all the time anyone that has one ends up calling and tells me to come find them. That's a problem, since i ask where are you? What do you see? and they say trees. Man, thar's a lot of friggin trees here ! Gerry sicked me on you, so if you can't blame Gerry aka Loafer, then blame the Russians ! LOL

Thanks Mac.

And thanks everyone for the input.
I'll admit I don't have a list of sights I want to see or a place in Maine I'm trying to get to.
I just want to take a ride over there and back.
Looks like it's about 500 miles or so round trip so it can be done in a day.
I've never been to VT, NH or ME so this seemed like a great opportunity.
My guess is Gene (wanderer) has plans to ride into the other states as well.
If I know Gene his travels will log more miles than I'll be prepared to do in a day.
We'll see. He's the route guru and he may have a great plan already.
I don't want to miss out on the group rides so I'm going to try and get there early.
Hopefully Saturday and ride to Maine on Sunday.
Tom may put me to work on Monday so I'll stick around the motel.
Bill, Gerry I hope you can make it to the rally. It would be great to meet you.

[davidjmurphy]

Thanks Mac I appreciate that. Hope to see you and your wife again.

[Rasta]

Sorry to hear about Gwyn Bill. Hope she is on the mend. Hopefully you two can make it too.

[macmac]

BudMan , 500 miles in a place with no east west roads, and a town each 10 miles will slow you down. All the way across VT and NH it's that way. 55 mph for 10 or miles and then bam 35 mph for 3 to 5 miles and back to 55 again. It's right around 180 miles from Lk G to here, and that takes the better part of a day. The only real interstate is I-89. I forget the distance you would be on it, something like 20 miles maybe. Or you can take old Rt 4 in NH and that's real slow to Danville . We have these things called mountains and they mess up east / west roads big. A real scenic ride IS the Kanc rt 112. 32 miles with no stores of any kind, but the posted limit is mostly 40 mph. A few places are posted 50, and some of the road is rough and it's all curvy, and had moose deer turkey and bear.

I see riders doing some fairly foolish things like rounding blind corners IMO way to fast because you have no idea what will be there. Could be a moose might be some idiot with a camper coach making a 19 point K turn smack in a corner. Seen that many many times.

Add more time or shorten the ride I guess. No point coming here with no time.

[macmac]

Originally Posted by davidjmurphy

Budman I will be travelling back to Nova Scotia from the Lake George Rally. If you want we could ride back together. I usually take the #2 from Bangor to Montplier both ways,from there Loafer gave me several options to Lake George. He even offered to be my guide from there. I did Mt Washington one year when I was at Laconia and promised myself I would never do that again. I guess I lost my nerv in my old age. If for some reason your trip gets to Nova Scotia you have a place to stay. There are awesome day trips along the ocean we could do,plus a feed of fresh fish is a must.

I won't ride the Mt Washington auto road either. IMO it's like adding a season of wear on the bike in 16 miles. I have driven and hiked it many times, but riding is out for me. Bikes don't grow on trees, and cash flow ain't that great for me. Still lots of riders do it.