Guest Author - Kimberly Misra

Planning a leaf peeping trip to New England with your kids this fall? Here’s what you need to know.

1. Reserve early. Popular hotels and resorts sell out quickly, sometimes as much as a year in advance. Reserve early for best selection. If you’re too late for the lodging you want, consider booking now for next fall.

2. Don’t obsess about peak color. Trying to pin down when peak color will occur is a gamble. Tourism websites might be able to give you an idea of when peak color may occur but year to year changes in temperature and rainfall can throw off the best predictions. Likely you’ll have a great trip even if the leaves aren’t spectacular.

3. Aim for slightly off peak. You may find fewer crowds if you visit leaf peeping regions slightly ahead of when peak color is likely to occur. Some people even prefer the palette of still green trees mixed in with the more brilliant reds and oranges.

4. Go midweek. If you can, plan your trip for midweek. Fall is a great time to travel with kids if they’re not in school. Just make sure key attractions are open; some may be weekends only.

5. Plan for the kids. They probably don’t want to spend all day admiring the view. To keep everyone happy, do your research and look for local fairs (usually abundant in fall) and special events to keep them happy. A visit to a local farm or petting zoo will also be a hit.

6. Do some quintessential New England activities. Some favorite must-do’s: drink apple cider (maybe even visit a cider mill), go apple picking, take a hayride, and choose a pumpkin to take home and carve for Halloween.

7. Get out of your car. Driving tours are great but you’ll enjoy the fall foliage even more on a hike. If hiking doesn’t excite your kids, try biking or kayaking. Fall is a great time to try a new sport without the humidity and insect problems of summer.

8. Save your memories. Have the kids choose some favorite leaves to take home. You can press them between pages of a book and then frame them, or iron them between sheets of wax paper. Encourage the kids to make leaf rubbings of pretty leaves if you can’t take the real thing home. Just put a leaf vein side up, add a white sheet of paper on top and rub with a crayon.