Tourists Tackled by New England’s Fiery Leaves and Crocs on Appalachian Trails
KEY POINTS
- •Jordan Charbonneau grew up in New Hampshire, attended college in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, and knows New England fall inside out.
- •He warns tourists against relying solely on social media picks and GPS directions, highlighting safer footwear and preparation for hiking dangers.
- •Alternatives to hiking include cruising Lake Winnipesaukee or dining on a scenic train ride, avoiding the mountain misadventures.
Jordan Charbonneau, a self-proclaimed New England native and foliage enthusiast who majored in torturing GPS apps in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, reports yearly tourist fiascos. Tourists swarm socials-adoring Bar Harbor, Woodstock, and Salem—because who needs solitude? Meanwhile, gems like Newport, Rangeley, and Colebrook wait patiently off-camera. Volunteers once rescued a wife freaking out alone on the Appalachian Trail after weather did a sneaky switch to 'doom'. Pro tip: hiking in Crocs. Brilliant idea, except it isn't, as one family discovered after limping back a quarter-mile. Bonus: trust Google Maps to send you down Auld Lang Syne—a dirt road closed since before your grandma’s birth—while bumper-to-bumper traffic plays follow-the-leader through scenic New England. Meanwhile, those who eschew hiking for a five-course culinary ride aboard vintage railcars or quaint cruises on Lake Winnipesaukee probably enjoy autumn without minor peril. Who knew?
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(1 of 3)If your brilliant plan for New England fall hiking includes Crocs and blindly trusting GPS, congratulations: you’re starring in your own survival drama.
Repeating the phrase 'trust your GPS' while hurtling into a dead-end dirt road is New England’s unofficial initiation ritual.
Who needs thrills like rock climbing or ATV tours when you have mystery dirt roads and killer foliage slaps in the face by wind?
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/16/2026 | Author: Jordan Charbonneau
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