After the Storm, Fall Foliage Deals

By MICHELLE HIGGINS - NY TIMES

ABUNDANT rain and an early September cold snap are making for spectacular fall foliage throughout much of New England this season. But reports of destruction by Tropical Storm Irene, which washed out roads and flooded towns in parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York, could be leaving the tourist season in jeopardy.

Visitors who do venture out in search of fall colors and pick-your-own orchards will find that most hotels are open and offering attractive deals to lure visitors. And while some roads are still being worked on, most major arteries have reopened. For instance, in Vermont, about 95 percent of the state’s roads are now open, including Route 4, a critical east-west corridor that was shut for more than two weeks after the storm.

Even in areas that were largely unaffected by the storm, tourism and hotel officials are proactively hawking deals. Though Sunday River in Newry, Me., was “unscathed,” said Darcy Morse, a spokeswoman, the resort created a foliage package, from $139, that includes a 10 percent lodging discount, breakfast for two and a Chondola ride “to help combat any misperceptions.” The Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, Mass., which also fell largely out of the storm’s path, is offering a Post Irene family two-night vacation package from $148, with up to $60 in meal vouchers.

And Massvacation.com offers a detour map for Route 2, parts of which are still closed, in western Massachusetts.

Below, an overview of three hard-hit regions that are rolling out deals to help encourage visits during leaf-peeping season.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire was not as severely affected by Irene as southern Vermont and parts of the Catskills, but the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), which runs through prime leaf-peeping areas of the White Mountains, was closed for two weeks. Thanks in part to speedy recovery work (the road is now open) and aggressive marketing, New Hampshire officials are hoping that bookings stay the same or even improve over last year.

To spur fall bookings, the Mt. Washington Bed &Breakfast in Shelburne is offering discounted rates starting at $100 a night to travelers who stay a minimum of three nights through Oct. 23. And the Will’s Inn, which offers motel rooms, family suites and rental cottages in Bartlett, is taking 10 percent off a one-night stay and 15 percent off two nights to anyone who mentions the Irene Special.

Upstate New York

While the storm did some of its worst damage to small Catskill communities like Prattsville and Windham in Greene County in the Great Northern Catskills, roadways and bridges are open, and restaurants and attractions including Hunter Mountain, Windham Mountain and nine area golf courses are moving forward with annual fall activities.

With all the disaster-related stories, “there’s a perception that the storm had such great damage and lasting impacts,” said Warren Hart, director of economic development, tourism and planning for Greene County. “And that’s just not the case.”

Hunter Mountain is hosting local bands and family activities this weekend (Oct. 8 and 9) for Oktoberfest, where admission is free. And the Thomas Cole National Historic Site is offering a guided hike Oct. 15 to Sunset Rock and Catskill Mountain House to see the landscape that inspired artists of the Hudson River School.

In Ulster County, where tourism is a $420 million industry with roughly 40 percent of that accounted for in the fall, tourism officials report that hotels and restaurants are ready for visitors, though a few minor detours might be involved. Because of a major washout east of Phoenicia, for example, the Catskill Mountain Railroad’s Esopus Scenic Train now travels along a modified five-mile round trip between Mt. Tremper and Boiceville. It used to be a 12-mile trip from Mt. Temper to Phoenicia. Fares have been reduced to $12 for adults and $7 for children ages 4 to 11.

“Although we had our share of flood damage and road closures from Hurricane Irene, all the main roads are now open and certainly will be fully operational for the leaf-peeping season in Ulster County,” said Richard J. Remsnyder, Ulster County tourism director. “Our wineries, farm markets, u-picks and orchards are throwing their doors wide open and preparing for a busy season.”

Vermont

In Vermont, where the critical fall foliage season normally brings in more than $300 million in business, reports of the destruction left in the storm’s wake — accompanied by images of collapsed bridges, washed-out roads and flooded towns — have affected bookings, even though major highway arteries and businesses have reopened.

“Even in areas unaffected, or quickly recovering, post-Irene reports have resulted in cancellations of tours and travel plans that have rendered tourist-dependent businesses idle and beds across the state’s hotels and inns empty,” according to a statement on VermontPartners.org, the Web site for the state’s special, post-Irene tourism task force.

To show potential vacationers that “Vermont is ‘open for business’ despite Irene,” Vermont’s Chamber of Commerce has been crowd-sourcing video submissions from tourism businesses around the state and posting them on its Facebook page. Featured businesses range from the Moose Meadow Lodge in Waterbury, which points out, “We have lots of availability,” to the Vermont Maple BBQ truck, based in Randolph, which implores visitors, “We miss you, come back.”

To attract visitors, the town of Brandon, at the crossroads of Routes 7 and 73, halfway between Rutland and Middlebury, is offering $50 in “Brandon Bucks,” to be used in restaurants, shops, wineries and galleries, to the first 100 new bookings of a two-night stay at one of 11 participating properties. And the Four Columns Inn in Newfane is offering a Goodnight Irene Fall Foliage package from $538 for a two-night stay that includes a 15 percent room discount, a bottle of champagne or wine upon arrival, daily breakfast and one three-course dinner.

Yes, recovery efforts are still under way in parts of the state.

While Route 4, a critical east-west corridor from I-89 to Killington, which had been severely damaged by the storm, is now open — offering access once again to many inns, restaurants and other tourist businesses — some roads are still being worked on. A section of Route 107 in Stockbridge that was washed out by Irene, for example, remains closed, forcing drivers traveling between, say, Montpelier and Rutland to take a longer route. Vermontvacation.com has updated information about road conditions and attractions on its interactive Vermont Is Open map.

“In truth,” Chris Sprague, an innkeeper at the Inn at Ormsby Hill in Manchester, wrote in an e-mail message, “we can all get around without a problem — perhaps a little detour here or there or a dirt road where there was a regular road — but we are accessible.”