Fall in New England is a gala affair. The maples, oaks, and ashes step out in crimson and gold, creating spectacular canopies over country roads. Farm stands fill with Macs and Cortlands. The air turns crisp, the sky a truer shade of blue. This is my family's favorite season, and we explore new territory every autumn at a decidedly unhurried pace. Of all the routes we have traced, our favorite is the one that leads around the quiet villages of New Hampshire's Lakes Region and through the ragged peaks of the White Mountains. On this trip, my 12-year-old son Ian camped out in the back seat eating chips and reporting wildlife sightings. Jade, my nine-year-old daughter and copilot, wielded the well-worn atlas.

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
The fascinating faces you encounter during a self-guided tour of The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in New Hampshire belong to animals that were once orphaned or injured, such as black bears and a couple of unsavory turkey vultures. From the moment we embarked down the stone-lined path that leads through the 200-acre nature center, my kids set the pace. I caught up with them crouched beside a shallow stream tallying turtles, frogs, and Ian's favorite amphibians, newts. A bobcat, snoozing on a plank in his trailside enclosure, charmed my daughter. His green eyes briefly opened wide, then resumed a sleepy squint. ("He's sooo cute," crooned Jade.) We particularly enjoyed watching the otters through the underwater viewing window as they cruised and blew bubbles. Complementing the exhibits are hands-on activities that teach kids how wildlife adapts and survives. (Call 603-968-7194; open from 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. daily May through November; $12 for adults, $9 for kids ages 15 to 3, free for kids aged 2 and under.)

Polar Caves Park
What an experience it must have been for the local teenagers who, in the early 1900s, discovered glacial caverns at the base of Hawks Cliff. Touring Polar Caves Park was undoubtedly the coolest of our weekend adventures. (Glacial ice beneath the boulders causes a perpetual flow of cold air through the cave passageways.) Jade proved the most gutsy, leading us down a steep stairway into the Cave of Eternal Chill. We checked out The Indian Council Chamber, where a stone ax head and arrowheads were found, then slipped through Fat Man's Misery, a passage that leads to a small chamber where wine and cheese were purportedly stored. Devil's Turnpike and Lemon Squeeze awaited, but we first stopped to decipher rock formations resembling a Pekingese, a pointer, and a Saint Bernard--the Watchdogs of the Caves. We ended our visit with a stop at the park's Maple Museum and Sugar House, where my kids zoomed in on the dill pickle barrel. I couldn't resist the New England tourist's staple, maple sugar candies. (Call 603-536-1888; open from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. daily May through mid-October; $11 for ages 5 and up, free for kids under 5.)

Flume Gorge
The interstate runs northerly through White Mountain National Forest and winds around color-splashed Mounts Kineo, Cushman, and Tecumseh. Once within the perimeter of Franconia Notch State Park, we stopped to hike the trail leading to Flume Gorge at the foot of Mount Liberty. We passed massive boulders deposited by a glacier (some weigh more than three tons) and crossed the crystal-clear Pemigewasset River via a nineteenth-century covered bridge. We could hear the roar of rushing water long before we spotted the ravine--a dramatic split extending 800 feet through granite, as narrow in places as 12 feet and as deep as 90 feet. Following the boardwalk into the chasm, along the towering moss-covered walls and through a refreshing mist cast by Avalanche Falls, was exhilarating. As we were getting into our car at the visitor center, an attendant advised us to drive with caution because a moose had been spotted roving through the Notch. (Call 603-745-8391; open from 9 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. daily mid-May through late October (last tickets for entry are sold by 5:00 P.M. after Labor Day); $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 through 12, free for kids under 6.)

Gale River Motel
We had a reservation at the Gale River Motel, just down the road from our dinner stop. (Experience has taught us that booking overnight lodging well in advance is a must during foliage season.) Looking out over the motel's spacious lawn, we could see the distant glow of the tram building atop Cannon Mountain, a popular winter skiing spot. Before calling it a night, we donned bathing suits and headed for the Jacuzzi, where Jade insisted on swimming a few tight laps (Call 603-823-5655; accommodations for a family of four generally run from $95 per night).

Polly's Pancake Parlor
A short drive into New Hampshire farm country brought us to Polly's Pancake Parlor. Antique farm tools and old family portraits hang on the walls of this converted, eighteenth-century carriage shed, and vintage advertisements poster the ceiling. Wooden plates decorated with hand-painted maple leaves adorn the tables. Pancake varieties, served with plenty of pure maple syrup and homemade maple spread, include whole wheat, buckwheat, oatmeal, and cornmeal, all made from scratch with organically grown grains that are stone ground on the premises. (Call 603-823-5575; open from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday through Friday, until 7 P.M. Saturday and Sunday mid-May through mid-October.)

Kancamagus Highway
A national scenic byway, the 34.5-mile Kancamagus Highway stretches across central New Hampshire and climbs to an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet. We rounded the dramatic hairpin turn and pulled into Pemi Overlook where, for the first time during our drive, we felt as if we were atop a mountain. To the south, the sides of Loon Mountain and Mounts Kancamagus Osceola were a kaleidoscopic array of scarlet and gold. We stopped again when we spotted signs for Sabbaday Falls and followed the path along the creek bed. Before long, we came upon a waterfall spilling into a smooth rock basin.

Café Noche
In Conway we stopped at Café Noche, where we enjoyed generous taco and burrito lunch especiales. My kids were enthralled by the decor and took inventory of hanging ristras of chili peppers, colorful papier-mache masks, and sombreros. In one corner Ian spotted a box of Frosted Flakes, labeled Zucaritas, with a Mexican Tony the Tiger professing "Gr-RIQUISIMAS!" (Call 603-447-5050; open from 11:30 A.M. to 9 P.M. daily.)

Castle in the Clouds
We decided to cap off our autumn adventure at Castle in the Clouds, a mountaintop mansion built in 1914 under the meticulous direction of Thomas Plant, a shoe industry magnate. On a productive day, it is said, only three pentagonal stones would be cut (out of granite blasted from the mountain) and fit into place. While touring the interior, Ian and Jade took note of the knight's armor, but their most exciting discovery was a hidden door opening into Plant's secret study. We lingered on the Bridal Balcony for a parting view of the hillsides. New Hampshire's famous lakes, Winnipesaukee and Squam, stretched before us, the only breaks in valleys and mountains of color. (Call 603-476-2352; open from 10 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. daily mid-May through mid-October; $12 for adults, $8 for children ages 7 through 17, free for kids 6 and under.)

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.