I think of September as summer for locals — the crush of tourists are gone, yet the days continue to be sunny and, finally, the evenings cool enough for a full night’s sleep. Though there’s a delay in change in foliage this year, it’s also the time when hiking in New England is at its best. There are many good choices less than a two-hour drive from the Seacoast, with Mount Roberts among them. Like most trails in the Granite State, it leads straight up, with a loop around the summit, for a total of 5 miles. With moderate effort through forest alternating with ledge, multiple views of Lake Winnipesaukee are on offer, each more spectacular than the last as one ascends. Get outside, work up an appetite, and enjoy the season, dear friends.
Diary of a Tomato 
And, after a good hike, the locals can even get a table at their favorite restaurant now that we’re in between summer and leaf peeping. :-)
And find parking!
“summer for locals” – so very true. it was much the same when i was growing up on the Cape, and summers were truly seasonal – we got our roads (and beachs) back on Labor Day.
There’s a little bit of a let down when the crowds leave, that after party feel, but also a kind of relief ;)