We used the direct flight of Singapore Airlines from Singapore to New York. This is promoted as the longest non-stop commercial flight in the world - flight time 17 3/4 hours, distance 15700 km (Polar route) or 16700 kms (Europe route). Specially fitted A340 - 500 Airbus 'planes are used, with 30 or so rows of cocoons in a 1-2-1 configuration (around 
120 passengers in all). From internet chatter about this flight before we left Singapore, I also learned that the 'planes are fitted with a corpse cupboard, in case a passenger succumbs during the flight, and there is no place to land (this would certainly be the case on the Polar route). Our flight had no need of this facility ! The flight can be recommended for people less than 5'8" in height, wearing shoes with a maximum size of 8, and with 
a predilection for Asian food. The reasons are (1) the cocoon converts to a completely flat bed, meaning that an inlet is needed in the back of the cocoon in front for feet (rather than placing feet underneath the cocoon in front, which would then mean a sloping bed). This inlet is not deep enough to accommodate stretched out people with long legs and big feet. A case of numb toes soon develops in these people and (2) the food is predominantly Asian, with most mains in each of the two meals both ways being Asian. In all, small Asian people would revel in the facilities provided, for them these facilities would be world class. 
Our tour commenced in Boston (we had taken a commuter flight on arrival in New York). Incidentally this SIA flight uses Newark airport in New York, and it has to be said that this airport is barely above third world status (old, not particularly clean, few shops and restaurants). Boston (latitude 42 degrees N) is one of the oldest cities in the USA, having 
been settled in the early 17th. century. Boston Common, dating from 1634, is the oldest park in the USA. Boston has great meaning for Americans, as the War of Independence started here. This saw the eventual defeat of the British, and the then 13 colonies becoming independent. Many of the sights in the city relate to this period, and the city has developed a
"Freedom Trail" (marked with arrows on pavements) which can be followed and various buildings important to the time of the War of Independence viewed. The city has been a centre of learning since 1639 when Harvard University was established, 
and a cultural centre as well (Henry Wordsworth Longfellow - Hiawatha, The Village Blacksmith - lived for a time near where Harvard University now is). We explored the city extensively - it is very easy to walk around. Boston does have an underground train system with trains clanking and screeching along old, poorly lit tunnels - this is older than the London Tube, and shows it !
We hired a Hertz car in Boston, intending to drive further north in a wide circle clockwise to look at the leaves - the Berkshires (stopover Williamstown), the Green Mountains (stopover Stowe), and the White Mountains (stopover North Conway). 
ordered one, a Toyota Prius ,a hybrid car, was offered to us "to help save the environment", said the Hertz lady. In response to my request for a discount if I accepted, I was refused (later I found out that Kim, unbeknown to me, had already arranged a 20% discount from another source, hence nothing more was available). We accepted the car anyway. We found it reasonably comfortable with reasonable power, but it was extremely economical. We drove 1058 miles on 22 gallons of petrol (petrol USD2.50 a gallon), thus giving 48 mpg, at a total cost for petrol of USD55. I had some trepidation about driving out of the middle of Boston CBD in peak hour in a strange car with left hand drive (Kim navigates, I drive)However, in Boston and throughout our journey I found American drivers to be courteous and disciplined, and soon we were rolling along like everyone else. Speed limits are not high - maximum 65mph on the Interstate highways - and are strictly observed by drivers, though police cars are rarely seen.
The drive as far as North Conway would be stunning in full autumn. We were there in early autumn, and the miles of hills, densely forested, were still only mottled with red, orange and yellow, with green predominating. Within two weeks of our departure, the hills would be a blaze of red, yellow, orange and purple, with little green. Even so, there were occasional patches of stunning foliage, particularly the blazing red.
Aside from the foliage, the natural features of the drive to North Conway were disappointing. Americans tend to promote weeds as if they are flowers, and the Quechee Gorge, promoted as "the Grand Canyon of the North East", was only 162 feet deep. The Franconia Flume, an 800 foot long limestone walled chasm less than 50 feet high with a stream flowing 
through it, was ordinary, and didn't, in my view, merit a huge Visitors' Centre. Nonetheless it was crowded with mostly American tourists, gasping in wonder as they struggled along boardwalks in the chasm. Mount Washington is the highest peak in North Eastern USA at 6288 feet. We ascended it by a Cog Railway, which ground its way noisily up a steep track for an hour to reach the summit. Our sense of adventure was dimmed on arrival at the summit, finding that it was crowded with people who had driven up a well graded road on the opposite side of the mountain from the Cog Railway. The summit of Mount Washington
claims one world record - on 12th. April, 1934 the highest wind speed observed by man was recorded here (231 miles per hour). We experienced a strong, chilly wind on the day we were there, with heavy clouds affecting the view. A world beating claim of a different kind came in North Conway, where I bought a pair of "The Softest Socks in the World". Kim did some damage to his credit card,
disappearing every afternoon and coming back to the hotel with bags of clothes and ski stuff. North Conway has rows and rows (stretch over three miles) of retail outlet shops. North Conway and Freeport (another town in Maine) are famous for its outlet shops whereby the main attraction is shopping.
Aside from the natural features, there were places to stop at along the way - e.g. sites of famous battles, Norman Rockwell's studio etc.
In the three stopovers ending in North Conway, we stayed at Inns (motels). Cost was about USD150 per night, room only. All the Inns were very good. All three stopovers had restaurants providing good food in generally immense servings. One waitress said that the restaurant owner was not comfortable about what he had provided unless people asked for a doggy bag.
The stopovers were real country USA. Quaint wooden houses abound, and hardly a fence in sight. These are essentially towns serving the ski industry (on the mountains surrounding them), and were very quiet when we were there. By December, they will all be swinging along.
I had an experience of the American health industry in this part of the holiday. An infected ear developed and I had to visit a GP for irrigation and drops/pills. 
It is quite a complex procedure, in that at reception, three or four page "Terms and Conditions" sheets must be signed. These contain indemnities of every sort. An aide then takes details of past medical history, and conducts an interview about the problem at hand, and then briefs the doctor. Then, the doctor is seen. Total cost was USD130, exclusive of pills.
From North Conway we drove to Portland, Maine's largest city but with a population of only 64,000. I said to the lady at the reception desk of the Holiday Inn "nice little town you have here". She replied, stiffly, "Sir, it is a city, gazetted in 1912". So there !Portland is not particularly noteworthy, being a city with a working port. Henry Wordsworth Longfellow lived here as a boy. Its main claim
to fame is the Maine lobster, available everywhere in many forms - chowder, rolls, steamed etc. We enjoyed steamed lobster, rather smaller than I thought they would be, but tasty and good value for money at USD15 for one person. Near Portland are various coastal resorts, many of which have huge mansions, used one time by rich families, but now often converted to inns. The coast around Portland doesn't have huge waves rolling in from the Atlantic, but rather calmer seas caused by the many islands off shore. 
After returning the car in Boston, we went by train to New York. I had read that the standard of Amtrak was not high, and our experience confirmed this. We left Boston for the 3 hour run to New York. Half an hour after we left, the train came to a halt. It was announced that a catenary further down the track was giving trouble, and we must wait until it was repaired. It took an hour for the repairing team to reach the catenary, and three hours for them to fix it. Meanwhile, we sat and waited. All of the food on the train, except the least favoured items, was eaten. We arrived in New York four hours late. 
Before we left Singapore, Kim had registered us as attending the "Auditory Engineering Symposium" being held at the Marriott Hotel (Times Square) when we were in New York. This got us a 40% discount on our room at the Marriott - necessary as they wanted USD450 per night room only ! I was concerned that we might be required to attend some of the sessions of the symposium, where we might have to discuss theatre ceilings or similar in a knowledgeable way. However, to my relief, neither the symposium organisers nor the hotel queried our registration. Our room, on the 26th. Floor, had a spectacular view of Times Square, facing the Times Square building, where the crystal ball was lowered at the midnight on the eve of each new year. At night the view was even more spectacular with all the lights turn on to their full glory. 
New York appeared cleaner and safer than the last time I was there. 42nd. Street, which used to be quite sleazy, has been cleaned up. There were always police or security personnel much in evidence (around Times Square anyway). Broadway and parts of Times Square have been partly closed to traffic, which assists moving around. We ate mostly at Irish pubs 
around Times Square. During our holiday, I was very surprised at the number of boutique beers, including wheat beers, available everywhere (no need to ask for a "Bud"). Trying these boutique beers was great fun. We used the Hop On Hop Off buses (USD54 for a 48 hour ticket - three routes, one night route). These took us to Ground Zero, Harlem, past Macy's, Madison Garden, Empire State 
building, Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side etc. The night route was quite impressive especially when the bus took us over to Brooklyn to view the Manhattan office skyline. We also attended an exhibition of artefacts from the "Titanic". Very poignant. The exhibition had lumps of coal from the engine room for sale (USD44 per lump, with certificate of authenticity), and I was tempted to buy one of these, but didn't as Kim highlighted that the coal came from Titanic (which is probably jinxed when it was loaded onto Titanic) and may results on our return airplane journey to Singapore be doom as well (we were flying back via the Atlantic route in opposite direction of Titanic route). 
One of the features of the holiday was the extent of tipping required. Tips were asked for by all tour guides. We were hinted by the hotel reception that the cleaning ladies in hotels/inns should be given a tip every day (either left some money on a bedside table or in a printed envelope provided for that purpose), and of course at restaurants tips were mandatory (mostly 15%). Quite different from Singapore and it is a challenge to work out the amount to tip after a few beers during dinner.
