The road north

It’s not your classic Route 66-style road trip, but there are plenty of things to like about New England –  red barns, fishing villages and wave-beaten lighthouses, a convoluted coastline and a rolling inland of white church steeples against verdant forest. In autumn, maples turn scarlet on the hillsides, red ivy creeps up old walls and you can kick fallen leaves along rambling country tracks.

But this diverse destination isn’t just about landscapes. New England is a snug and wealthy region with some of America’s oldest cities, chic seaside resorts and abundant wilderness. On weekends, locals go yachting and crack open seafood in breeze-cooled lobster shacks. 

The coast makes for a splendid drive from New York City to the Canadian border. The first two states are small but pleasing. Wealthy Connecticut and Rhode Island have a palpable sense of maritime history and some of America’s most pleasing towns.

The architecture of Newport on Aquidneck Island recalls its golden age as a fashionable nineteenth-century resort town and sailing centre. Summer ‘cottages’ resemble European mansions, magnificently showcased along the six-kilometre Cliff Walk, a great spot to stretch your car legs. Then join well-heeled locals for a sashay past the boutiques and restaurants of Thames Street and America’s Cup Avenue.

A pebble’s skip across the water lies Martha’s Vineyard, an island of gorgeous, windblown beaches and villages of white picket-fenced houses. Oak Bluffs is a busy harbour overlooked by quaint cottages and inns.

You’re now in Massachusetts, a state characterised by forest, lakes, granite hills and valley farms that give way to the ocean in places such as Cape Cod, which flaunts a kaleidoscope of shimmering ponds, and beaches decorated with wave-sculpted driftwood. Potter around the Cape’s historic villages, vineyards and art studios, eat lobster or blueberry pie and get blown along invigorating beaches.

For urban excitement, one of America’s most attractive cities comes next. Boston has great shopping, excellent museums, a vibrant cultural life and – thanks to its many university students – a lively nightlife too. A Red Sox baseball match at Fenway Park stadium, complete with razzmatazz, star-spangled banners and hotdogs, provides a great American sporting experience.

History lovers meanwhile can follow the Freedom Trail and learn about the significant role Boston played in the fight for American independence. Then explore attractive and easily-walked North End and Beacon Hill neighbourhoods. Cambridge, home to Harvard University, is also worth a wander. A 30-kilometre detour inland takes you to Lexington and Concord, both American Revolution historical sites.

Continue up the coast however and you’ll arrive in no-nonsense working town Gloucester on Cape Ann, whose large artist colony, immigrant Portuguese community and long history – this is America’s oldest seaport – give it an interesting edge. CNN reckons Gloucester is one of America’s best small towns.

Follow US Route 1 north rather than be tempted by Interstate 95 and you’ll meander along the scenic coast. As you drift northwards, New Hampshire arrives with its granite outcrops, country lanes, gurgling rivers, broad beaches. The countryside here is full of tough, independent-minded but friendly folk, keen to talk about hunting, fishing and their dislike of big government.

New Hampshire has only has 30 kilometres of coast, but you get dramatic views inland towards the White Mountains, which sailors once mistook for clouds. If you walk a section of the legendary Appalachian Trail, you won’t be disappointed with the scenery.

Further to the west, Vermont is the only New England state without a coastline. Instead you get the rolling Green Mountains that run towards the Canadian border and delightful towns such as Plymouth, state capital Montpelier, and old-money nineteenth-century Woodstock.

Route 100 – especially its less frequented northern half – is a beautiful drive, especially in autumn. 

Hike in the mountains near Stowe and you’ll enjoy panoramas that take in half of New England.

If you stick to the coast from Gloucester however, in two hours you’ll be in Kennebunkport, the seaside escape of choice for America’s political class. You’re now in forest-dense Maine, whose long coastline, gazing towards strings of islands, is the best of the lot.

The old port of Portland is a charming example of Maine’s coastal pleasures. Wander out along Eastern Prom Trail for fine bay views, or head to Portland Head Light, an historic 1790 lighthouse commissioned by George Washington.

The drive all the way north along the jagged coast – still on US Route 1 – is a delight all the way. Rockland on Penobscot Bay is highly scenic. The former fishing town has a new arty lease on life, with a reputation for jazz and lobster festivals. If you haven’t already been tempted with traditional lobster bake or Maine mussels, this is the place to indulge.

The last stop before Canada should be Bar Harbor, a once-grand Victorian-era resort whose meandering streets retain an air of yesteryear, at least if you squint and ignore the souvenir stores. Big nineteenth-century villas nestle among the trees and you can browse small but interesting museums and an oceanarium. 

Bar Harbor is the access point for the jagged coastline and granite cliffs of Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England. Mountains, islands and a coast of jagged bays collide to the sound of booming surf. You might spot whales blowing in the Atlantic and eagles drifting overhead – a fitting finale to America’s beautiful northeast corner.