[streetlights99]

I'm planning to drive to the picturesque towns in Vermont like Stowe, Burlington for Fall Foliage this October from LI.
Being a flat lander with downhill highway driving issues what route should I take that's the flattest and if not the roads with least steep grades??
How is I-91 to I-89?
Is Ben & Jerry's Factory worth the stop?
In Fall, what's best to do in Vermont, is Stowe the most beautiful town to visit? What's to do in these towns besides skiing?

[millerm277]

Originally Posted by streetlights99

Being a flat lander with downhill highway driving issues what route should I take that's the flattest and if not the roads with least steep grades??

I have no idea what this means. It's fall and not winter. The major roads you would consider driving on are paved. If you are unable to navigate major state roads anywhere, I am concerned that you have a driving license.


I-91 basically follows the CT River. There's not much there from a scenery perspective. You're in a valley, following a river. There are trees. You are not going to see any substantially interesting landscapes beyond modest hills. You're on a highway, so you'll skip all the towns along the way, not that I would call Brattleboro and Windsor the ideal VT towns to visit as a tourist.


I-89 has substantially more interesting scenery along parts of the route it takes.



With that said, I would still say that flying down an interstate at 70mph is not really the ideal way to see anything, and interstates inherently avoid the most interesting terrain.



If you do go that way and want to make some stops, I'd probably stop into Hanover, NH and Montpelier at least.




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I can't recommend some specific leaf peeper route, but you may want to look into driving Route 100 instead. It's well known for being scenic and hitting a decent number of towns along the way.

[tkln]

I was going to suggest taking 100 all the way north as well. Most scenic route for sure and you can take your time as the road will have plenty of other tourists on it.

Ben & Jerry's - depends if you have kids or not. I wouldn't be caught dead there during foliage season but obviously lots of people go since there's a trooper directing traffic to the parking lot all of Columbus Day weekend lol.

There's plenty of stuff to do all over the state, especially during foliage. Hiking, biking, shopping, all kinds of fairs and festivals and events. Each town/region has plenty available.

[streetlights99]

Thanks all.
I meant I'm not looking for hilly / mountainous roads as I am not comfortable driving on steep grades.

I'm looking for the flattest roads possible and heard 91 and 89 are not all that flat.

I didnt mean bad roads due to snow etc.

I meant to see picturesque towns like Stowe for fall foliage. Any other recommendations? Burlington?

I think Rt 100 needs to be taken to go to Stowe from i-89 Ben and Jerry's.

Any specific spectacular spots that are recommended?

[timberline742]

I really don't see how you can drive through VT without driving on steep grades at various points. There are loads of great spots, but there are either grades, or tricky roads, or both.

[streetlights99]

@timberline742
Thanks for chiming, now I wanted to know if I-91 and I-89 have steep grades indeed?? Which route has steep grades?

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by streetlights99

@timberline742
Thanks for chiming, now I wanted to know if I-91 and I-89 have steep grades indeed?? Which route has steep grades?

What is steep? I drove both this weekend on way to Burlington, then back down and over 100 to Newport, then down again to Mass. I went up mountains, and down them, several times. I see no way to avoid it.


Even in the snowy weather (going up Thurs and sleet coming back Sunday) it never got overly bad, IMO.


Hugging the coast of Champlain and the west side of the state (7 to 2?) might avoid most of the mountains, but you're not going to see much. The views of foliage and scenery are tied to the topography.

[tkln]

Agree with Timberline. If you want to see the best, you have to be in the middle of it. None of our hills are like what's out west, if that's what you're worried about?

You can take 100 from Brattleboro area and take that all the way north to Stowe which will be beautiful come foliage. 89 is definitely steeper/has more ups and downs than 91, so you can avoid that by taking 100. However that will present it's own set of challenges, as parts of are narrow and winding.

[streetlights99]

Steep could be something like 6% grade and above...I'm mainly talking about the highways with speed limit 65mph or roads going up and down the mountains...
For eg: highway I-70 in Colorado, I-15 in California, I-40 to Asheville
Which roads are you referring to going up and down mountains?
Oh so I-89 is steeper than 100 too....ok thanks..

[timberline742]

Streetlights, seriously, look at a topographic map of Vermont. Any road that goes any distance through VT goes through mountains. Both 91 and 89 do, though I'm not sure of grade. 91 is more a valley, so probably less of a grade, but you'll see less, being in a valley.