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I will be driving from Manhattan to Newport this week and would like to know if anyone can suggest some good detours or backroads more or less along the way for excellent foliage viewing. This may be my only chance to get a good look at the foliage, so I would like to get a great route for that part of RI and Connecticut at this time of year.
Looking for a route that might add no more than an hour to the usual trip.
Merrit Parkway (Route 15) in CT is ALWAYS pretty, but even more so when the leaves are changing. I'd take that until Milford (it changes to Wilbur Cross Pkwy after Milford) where you can jump back on 95. Stay on 95 until you get to Branford (Just east of New Haven). From there, hop on Route 146 and follow that a ways. In Guilford, 146 merges in with Route 1 and you can follow that to Old Saybrook. Now, depending on how much time you have, you can make a little detour in Old Saybrook that's very nice.... Take a right onto Old Post Road (Route 154) just a little ways past the Old Saybrook High School. Route 154 will take you on a nice loop (right back upto Route 1) along the waterfront here. 154 turns into "Main St." Old Saybrook just before merging back onto Route 1. It's a very nice detour.
After you get on back on Route 1, you're going to have to get on 95 to cross the bridge over the river. IMMEDIATELY after crossing the bridge, take the exit (70) and take a Right onto Shore Road/Route 156. Follow this for a good ways and it'll take you though some nice woodsy areas as well as the center of the coastal town of Niantic. 156 merges back onto Route 1 just before New London. You may want to check out Downtown New London if you have time. Once again, you're going to have to get on 95 to cross another river. Get off at the first Route 1 exit (I believe it's 85) and follow that for a ways. On route 1 in Groton, you'll come to an intersection for Route 215/ Groton Long Point Road. I'd turn right here and stay on this road through Noank until it meets back up with Route 1 where you should continue North on 1 through Mystic Harbor (another great place to stop). Just after Mystic is Stonington (take a right on 1a for a short loop through the town center) which is yet another nice harbor town to stop in. Continue on Route 1 into Rhode Island.
Follow Route 1 until you get to the "Narragansett/Point Judith" exit. You'll be dumped off on Woodruff Ave. Take a right. Follow this straight through the first set of lights and the road name will change to S. Pier Rd. Follow this until you get to the end. It ends at Ocean Road along the waterfront. This is probably my favorite part of the drive... try not to skip this part if you can. Take a LEFT on Ocean Road... in less than a Mile, this becomes Route 1a. You get to drive along the water and by the famous Towers. Follow 1a until the interchange with 138... you need to go North on 138 so take the first on-ramp (it's on your left). This will take you over the Jamestown Bridge and Newport Bridge right into Newport.
I will be driving from Manhattan to Newport this week and would like to know if anyone can suggest some good detours or backroads more or less along the way for excellent foliage viewing. This may be my only chance to get a good look at the foliage, so I would like to get a great route for that part of RI and Connecticut at this time of year.
Looking for a route that might add no more than an hour to the usual trip.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I would take 95 to 395 and get off at Route 165 in Connecticut. This will take you to 138 which you can follow right into Newport. The foliage is just peaking and this is a route north of the shore line which still has another week before good foliage shows up.
I would also recommend the more rural 165, and the Hadlyme area before it, where you can take a car ferry over the Connecticut River for a dollar, which will take you to 395. Gone this way from NYC many times.
I would almost suggest, if you have the time, to drive north to southern Litchfield County and across CT and into RI via route 44 or 6 and then down to Newport. It takes you way out of the way, but it's a pretty ride.
If you're sticking to the shoreline, the above suggestions are about as good as it gets. The only other option I can think of is to take Rt 80 through southern CT. You can get there via 91 in New Haven. Take that until you hit Rt 9, then you have the option of going north for the ferry across the river or south to 95, which will take you towards the suggestions above.
Any of the above suggestions will give you a scenic trip. I was going to recomend a route similar to RunawayJim's suggestion.
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