Berkshires to Cape Elizabeth, via Route 9? Via Route 2?

[BerkshireTsarina]

We're going to visit old friends in Cape Elizabeth next Tuesday and I can't face the familiar I -90 to 295 to 95, yadda yadda yadda. Too much high speed driving, too boring, too stressful. Our friends have suggested more leisurely alternatives of either Route 2 from North Adams on east, or Route 7 up to Bennington and thence via Route 9 through VT and NH on east.
Any suggestions for relatively quick but good lunch stops along either or both routes? Ideally we'd go up one way and return home on Thursday the other way. If there are the same rainstorms we've had so far this summer, I think we'll be stuck with the turnpikes, but I'd rather not. We'll have lobster at their house one night, but that's no deterrent to a lobster roll along the way!