Friday, September 2, 2005 10:14 AM

5 ways to branch out in New England this fall

Everybody knows that New England is unparalleled for fall foliage. But unless you're a die-hard leaf peeper, colorful trees alone won't keep you busy for a weeklong vacation. Luckily, there's a lot more to do in autumn than view the changing leaves. With the Labor Day weekend marking the unofficial start of fall, USA TODAY's Gene Sloan uncovers some offbeat alternatives to walking in the woods.

Lighthouse keeping Newport, R.I.

Details: Other than leaves in the fall, lighthouses may be New England's greatest claim to fame. There are dozens to see, and even a few that can be rented for the night. At Newport's Rose Island Lighthouse, however, you not only stay in one — you become the keeper.

Located on a tiny island in Lower Narragansett Bay, about a mile off the shore of Newport, and still used as a beacon for ships, the historic lighthouse can be yours for just one night or for a weeklong stay, provided you agree to help keep the hard-to-reach landmark in good shape by taking on daily chores and monitoring the now fully automated light.

Built in 1870 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the lighthouse is overseen by a non-profit foundation that helped restore it in the early 1990s after it had fallen into disrepair. Visitors sleep in the same rooms occupied by keepers' families for more than a century, a chance to go back in time that's augmented by roughing-it conditions — no electrical appliances and only hand-pumped water. Those who come for a full week occupy a second-floor apartment. Those who come for just a night stay downstairs in what becomes the Lighthouse Museum by day (the Jamestown-Newport Ferry makes stops for day visitors). Overnight visitors, who arrive on the foundation's lobster boat, bring their own food, ice and drinks and, after a full orientation, are on their own.

Cost: The seven-day "Keeper Week" is $900 to $2,000 a family, depending on time of year. Overnight stays run $155 to $185 a room.

Information: 401-847-4242; roseislandlighthouse.org