Plan 1, Fall colors & scenic beach, Connecticut:
Oct 1, Sunday: Arrive. Go to Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building. Stay in Quality Inn Ledgewood-Dover.
Oct 2, Monday: Statue of Liberty cruise from NJ, end in NY. Tour. Public transport back to NJ.
Oct 3, Tue. Check out. Drive to Long Island Sound, CT. Beach. Drive to Kent, CT. Stay.
Oct 4, Wed. Fall colors in local state parks.
Oct 5, Thu. Fall colors in local state parks.
Oct 6, Fri: Check out. Drive to Catskill mountains. Train ride. Stay
Oct 7, Sat: Drive to EWR
Map
Plan 2: Fall colors, Vermont
Oct 1, Sunday: Arrive. Go to Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building. Stay in Quality Inn Ledgewood-Dover.
Oct 2, Monday: Statue of Liberty cruise from NJ, end in NY. Tour. Public transport back to NJ.
Oct 3, Tuesday: Drive to Brattleboro
Oct 4, Wed: Brattleboro, Hogback Mountain, Wilmington, Weston
Oct 5, Thu: Killington ski resort, Woodstock, Quechee gorge, back to Woodstock
Oct 6, Fri: Mad river valley along Green mountains, Mt. Mansfield, Stowe, start driving back.
Oct 7, Sat: Drive to EWR
Plan 3: Fall colors, Vermont, reverse
Oct 1, Sunday: Arrive. Go to Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building. Stay in Quality Inn Ledgewood-Dover.
Oct 2, Monday: Statue of Liberty cruise from NJ, end in NY. Tour. Public transport back to NJ.
Oct 3, Tuesday: Drive to Stowe. If possible, Smuggler's notch state park. Gondola ride, zip line.
Oct 4, Fri: Mad river valley along Green mountains, Mt. Mansfield, Woodstock. Waitsfield, Warren towns enroute.
Oct 5, Thu: Quechee gorge (deepest in VT, walk across bridge), Killington ski resort, Weston
Oct 6, Fri: Wilmington, Hogback Mountain, Weston, Brattleboro, start driving back
Oct 7, Sat: Drive to EWR
Plan 4: Fall colors, Connecticut & New York
Oct 1, Sunday: Arrive. Go to Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building. Stay in Quality Inn Ledgewood-Dover.
Oct 2, Monday: Statue of Liberty cruise from NJ, end in NY. Tour. Public transport back to NJ.
Oct 3, Tue. Check out. Drive to Lake Candlewood & Kent, CT. Squantz Pond state park. Cobble mountain in Macedonia Brook state park. Stay.
Oct 4, Wed. Drive to Housatonic meadows state park. Visit Kent Falls state park. See Cornwall bridge. Drive to Falls village.
Oct 5, Thu. Berkshires, Massachusetts. Beartown state forest. October mountain state forest. En-route bash bish falls state park.
Oct 6, Fri: Mount Greylock state forest. MA's highest peak at 3491 ft. Trail pull-offs to waterfalls. Monument mountain.
Skip:
Manchester, Vermont, Mt. Equinox, Hildene mansion
Lake Champlain, VT. Boat ride.
Bretton woods, NH. Canopy tour. Railway. Crawford notch state park.
North Conway, NH. Conway scenic railroad.
Oct 7, Sat: Drive to EWR
Plan 5, Fall colors, Connecticut:
Oct 1, Sunday: Arrive. Go to Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building. Stay in Quality Inn Ledgewood-Dover.
Oct 2, Monday: Statue of Liberty cruise from NJ, end in NY. Tour. Public transport back to NJ.
Oct 3, Tue. Check out. Drive to Litchfield Hills, CT. Mt.Tom state park. Lake Waramaugh. Watersports option at Bantam lake. Drive to Kent. https://www.familyroadtrip.co/connecticut-scenic-drives/
Oct 4, Wed. Farmington river tubing (closed). Kent falls state park. Lime rock park for racing (if interest). Shepaug Dam.
Oct 5, Thu. Squantz Pond state park. Cobble mountain in Macedonia Brook state park. Housatonic meadows state park. Cornwall bridge. Or Berkshires, Massachusetts. Beartown state forest. October mountain state forest. En-route bash bish falls state park.
Oct 6, Fri: Check out. Drive to Catskill mountains. Train ride. Kaaterskill falls.
Oct 7, Sat: Drive to EWR
Top 10 foliage
Green mountain railroad, VT
Mohawk trail, MA
Lake Champlain cruise, VT
K1 gondola, killington, VT
Kancamagus hwy, NH
Essex Steam train & riverboat, CT
Route 100, VT
Deerfield river rafting, MA
Boston emerald necklace
Mt Monadnock, NH
Kids parks
Alpine Adventures, NH. Zipline. Thrillsville. Off-road.
Berkshire East adventure
park, Charlemont, MA. Aerial adventure park. Zipline needs age 8, 70 pounds. Mountain coaster. Whitewater rafting closed.
Highflyer Zipline: minimum 70 pounds.