My '85 K100RS is headed to New England and looking for advice/recommendations for food, museums, live music, brew pubs, scenic roads/views. Anything odd, historical, and hysterical will suffice. For grub searching for Eastern European, Southeast Asian, or Caribbean restaurants. Sure the Internet can help but it's not always up to date.

Here's the journey info, more details here.

September 27th to October 2nd  2024

Lake Placid, NY – 2 nights
Keene, NH
Springfield, MA
Egremont, MA – 2x nights

Map is a general route outline as we will most likely be taking back roads.  TIA for any suggestions. 

Having gone to college/uni in Western Massatucky from autumn of 1978 thru about '83, with a break whilst hitchhiking round the states in 1980, and living in Greenfield, Northampton and in Springfield, I can say that if you follow only I-91 in that part of the state, you'll miss some truly fine roads. The state highways are good, but get a detailed map and follow the local roads through the various towns. Greenfield is where the "dirty smelly hippies" ended up - I counted myself as one in those daze - so there's a co-op with a fine deli in the main street, and several other really good restaurants. I don't know about the nightlife anymore. 

Northampton, home to ivy-league Smith College, has multiple music venues and first class restaurants. Nearby Amherst, home to UMass, Amherst College, and others, is also abundant with food and music venues. Ride up Mt Tom near Holyoke, or Sugarloaf in South Deerfield, for a good view of the Pioneer Valley, with meandering Connecticut River snaking its way through the old tobacco fields below, now covered by dense housing estates, but still plenty of 18th century rambling homes abound.

Springfield is the big city, second or third largest in the state, and you can find just about anything food and music-wise you're looking for there. It was the original home to Indian Motocycles, too (not misspelt). I have a long red brick from a windowsill of the factory on State Street, taken from a pile of rubble when they were doing some "urban renewal" project back in the late '70s. I hauled it back to my third floor apartment on the Reynolds rack of my '77 R75/7. Last I knew a Kentucky Fried Chuck and a Taco Bell sat there. Sad.

Once you're out in Berkshire county there's Tanglewood, summer home to the Boston Pops orchestra, also many secondary schools for the moneyed elite. If you're lucky, James Taylor will strum his guitar in the basement bar of the Stockbridge Inn. Stockbridge is the hometown of Norman Rockwell, and a visit to his museum and cultural centre is well worth it.

There's also the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in North Adams, along the Mohawk Trail. I suggest you book your accommodation early because you'll notice at that time of the year the plethora of New York and New Jersey car number plates as the leaf peepers descend upon the area on their annual migration route. New England fills up very fast in "The Fall."

Need more, ask away.

Cool beans! We will definitely being staying off the interstate and exploring. Since we don't depart until late September, I shall explore all your leads. I have ordered maps from all the  State Transpo Depts. in New England  as they are much more fun than a GPS for our generation. Sad about the Indian Motocycles, I have seen bulldozers rip through building all over the world for the sake of whatever. We have all out hotels locked and loaded. I have been a caregiver for me mum the last 4 years and I am finally get a break- your input is greatly appreciated more than you can ever imagine. 

Yikes! Now I gotta watch out for NY and NJ tourists...

P.S. I saw your Melbourne tag - I have a few friends there, one really into Moto Guzzi, Teo Lamers

If you need any advice on travels in Texas, Ohio, or Cambodia , lemme know.  ;-)

Oh, .... it's the other New England.  

I was going to mention that you could visit Rick, Charlie and Smithy on your travels but it appears you are not going in that direction.

NY9N from Lake Placid to NY185
NY185 over the Crown Point Bridge to VT125. Omelettes at the diner—bring your own sa-om.
VT125 through Middlebury to US7 south
US7 to VT125 again
VT125 to Hancock
VT100 south to US4 near Killington
US4 to pickup VT100 south near West Bridgewater
Rt 100 to VT103 near Ludlow
VT103 to US5 south
US5 to Rockingham St then over the bridge to North Walpole and NH12
NH12/123 to Keene

An alternative route would be to cross over the Crown Point Bridge then take VT17 straight to Waitsfied to catch VT100 south from there. You'll ride over Appalachian Gap to get to Waitsfield—a few curves in that mountain road to wake you. VT17 also will take you through Granville Gulf—a short but sweet ride.

Most of this travels through mountains, farmland and small towns. The largest town you’ll visit is Middlebury but it’s compact and beautiful. Ludlow is a fair-sized ski town but smaller than Middlebury.

I'm usually unconstrained by a schedule when I travel, so this itinerary meanders, but I can assure you this could be a colorful journey with enough twists to keep you awake. I've ridden it many times when heading to Amherst and Northhampton.

Keep in mind, Vermont road infrastructure as been severely damaged in many areas, starting with the July 17, 2023 flood. Recovery has been hampered by another severe flood that occurred July 17 this year, and several other torrential events besides. There has been heavy rain off and on all day here near Waterbury, VT. Half the upper town road to our place has slumped downward toward the gorge for about 100'. It's picturesque. It's the first gravel cravasse I've needed to navigate up here. Although road and property damage is widespread throughout Vermont, it is often localized by the microclimates developed among the mountains. The evening forecast tonight is for torrential downpours measured in inches per hour in some areas from north to south. 

When traveling here, 511 can be helpful to determine if your route is possible, but it only shows State road construction not town road damage. If you go cross-lots using Class 3 gravel town roads as connectors, you might get in a mess. The route I’ve laid out is paved state and a couple of federal roads, not that they're immune to undermining and collapse by flooding but more money is available sooner to fix them.

Perhaps by leaf-peeping time when you hit the road, most of the damage will be mitigated but there’s no telling when if these heavy rain events continue into fall.

It's an adventure.

Hot Diggity! That looks like a fabulous route. Here it is all google map'd out.

The Adirondacks are beautiful in the Fall but keep in mind it rains for days on end sometimes. I have a camp up there about 40 miles northwest of Lake Placid and over the 48 years I've owned it I have seen the weather get wetter and wetter. If I go up for 10 days it usually rains for 6  so be prepared for that. It can also get cold, especially at night so good warm riding gear is a must. With any luck, I should be up there at that same time riding . When it's good it's really good and worth dealing with the weather. Have a GREAT RIDE !

Also, be aware that thousands of "Leafers" come to the Adirondacks in the fall to look at the leaves.  They drive their RV's at well under the speed limit for miles and miles of no passing zones leading long lines of frustrated drivers.

Point-Seven-five wrote:Also, be aware that thousands of "Leafers" come to the Adirondacks in the fall to look at the leaves.  They drive their RV's at well under the speed limit for miles and miles of no passing zones leading long lines of frustrated drivers.

 You have to know where to go and avoid weekend travel. Staying off the main roads is a must. There are routes one can take that are deserted and also incredibly nice. Tooley Pond Road over by Cranberry Lake comes to mind .The high peaks area is choked with traffic and other problems now that it's a destination for the city people. To have a good ride one must study a good road map and not rely on GPS to make his decisions.

Point-Seven-five wrote:Also, be aware that thousands of "Leafers" come to the Adirondacks in the fall to look at the leaves.

They're called leaf peepers in Vermont, but don't confuse the term with spring peepers. Spring peepers are a joy to hear after months of snow shoveling and ice navigation.

Laitch wrote:

Point-Seven-five wrote:Also, be aware that thousands of "Leafers" come to the Adirondacks in the fall to look at the leaves.

They're called leaf peepers in Vermont, but don't confuse the term with spring peepers. Spring peepers are a joy to hear after months of snow shoveling and ice navigation.

And then come the black flys !

'ppreciate y'all's comments, knowledge , and humor. It'll be my 1st vacation in 6 years as I have been a caregiver for my elderly mom. No worries about the rain and bugs as I rode in Cambodia for 7 years. Hopefully I willl post a pics on my WP blog: