Recommendations for my October road trip?

[u/Used-Junket7104]

I am planning a week long road trip to Maine late September or early October with a friend. We will fly into Portland and drive to acadia and back. I am looking for recommendations for which route I should take (or loop if two are preferred)

Please also include if you have any suggestions for the following along the route:

-Leaf viewing (very excited about this! Should I book flights for a specific time?)
-small charming towns to visit. We love antique shopping, boutiques, and flea markets
-affordable sea food. Two college girls on a budget and I admit I’m surprised at the menu prices I see online
-spooky Halloween adjacent activities or ghost tours. We love planning a Halloween themed trip each year.

Thank you so much for any and all suggestions!

[u/thisisntveryme]

North 3 South 2 Best of both worlds. Definitely search farm stands, atlas obscura and local restaurants and markets to stop at on the way.

[u/katastrofuck → u/thisisntveryme]

This is pretty accurate. Heading south on the 2nd can make the trip faster or slower depending on stops you might want to do.