There is no way I can tell you everything about my "leaf peeping" New England journey in one post, so let's spread em out a little.
Up first: Where I hiked.
First of all, I guess I should address how it was with the whole coronavirus thing. We packed into an RV with 6 other people that have been in our "pod" since the beginning. We were very careful the two weeks leading up to the trip so we didn't all get sick. As for the states we visited: most of the campsites were okay because we didn't come from a hot state, or they just made us sign a form promising that we quarantined before going. There was one that called the day before and said they wouldn't take a chance with it. For those kind of nights/places, we just parked overnight in a Walmart. We spent 90% of our time outside, and wore masks when someone was hiking within 6 feet. Everyone that we came across was very courteous and also wearing their mask.
NOW THE FUN STUFF.
Do you like mountains? Sweating? Being scared? Seeing beautiful views? Great! Go where I went! but also, be prepared for some of the "New England fog." I didn't know this was a thing, but I guess it's pretty common for the northeast to have a lot of morning fog... which can prevent you from seeing the full view or any kind of sunrise.
The SCARY Hike: Acadia National Park's Beehive Trail.
It's full of climbing up rod-ladders, trying to squeeze by/along on a couple inches of rock, and other scary elements... and all I could think about was every headline about someone dying while they were trying to take cool pictures. Please notice me absolutely hugging a rock for dear life.
The HARD Hike: Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountains in New Hampshire.
It was just a LOT of incline. Constant steep hills.. to the point that "WHADDAYA KNOW, STILL GOING UP" became a joke. It sure did present some lovely views, though.
The "Hike" that's not really a hike: Cliff Walk in Newport, RI
You walk along a cliff and take detours onto the rocks to get the good photos. DEFINITELY take all the detours! It's easy, it's pretty, and there are mansions to look at, too.
A hike with a ton of water features: Robert H Treman Park in Ithaca, NY
This was my favorite one, because I love a good water feature. The cliffs were SO huge, and so straight-edge, it felt fake. It felt like I was on a set at an amusement park or something. There was still a good workout, but it wasn't too hard! Just a decent amount of steps.
We did some others, but these were my favorites of the different categories. Also recommended/in my insta photos above: Ocean, Spring, and Penobscot Mountains in Acadia! and I wish we would have had time to go to Flume Gorge in the White Mountains.