Best Vacation Spot in August? Not on the West Coast.

Well, you'd need a car, but consider the north shore of Minn. [northshorevisitor.com].

Beautiful, hilly/rocky coastline (think of Maine), nice weather and usually in the 50s at night, great hiking and biking (there are dozens of really nice state parks along Hwy 61), and lots of outdoor activities, sailing etc. Most of the cities are small, but some have some very good restaurants. Might be a little quieter than you're looking for, but its a great escape and very reasonable in terms of prices. Worth a look.

Hi cindy,

Not having a car might be a bit of an issue but my vote would most definitely go to Maine.

I personnaly enjoy Old Orchard Beach (many feel it is honky tonk lol) but its got a cute downtown, arcades, amusement park, pier, 7 miles of beautiful beach, etc. I know that there's an Amtrak station not far from downtown so maybe you guys could take the train in? It is definitely an AFFORDABLE family holiday. My boyfriend and I normally rent a cottage at Elmwood Motor Court for 540$ for the week, and if you havent got a car there's a shuttle that stops just down the street (Saco Ave.) that takes you to the beach and around town.

Good luck!

Layla

JMHO - August in Maine can be terribly humid! I have a place in southern Maine and the past several August have been brutal for me. AND I live in Florida!

Don't laugh -- Duluth, Minnesota. We found it an interesting place. And we did take a drive along the lake which was simply breathtaking. Maybe you could rent a car one day. There were some interesting waterfront hotels that seemed like incredible bargains.
In fact, I'd think Great Lakes. Saugatuck or Grand Harbor, Michigan -- not far from Chicago?

The vacation "paradises" along the ocean in August are really going to be expensive, and that seems to be an issue.

Maine (but you'll need a car) & Kelley's Island, Ohio (ditto w/the car) or Montreal ?

Cape Cod.

I'll second Cape Cod. Here are two options for the Cape without a car. Fly into Logan airport in Boston and take the Plymouth and Brockton bus (www.p-b.com) to Hyannis. Stay in Hyannis (mid-cape) or Falmouth/Sandwich (upper-cape) taking public transportation (http://www.thebreeze.info/) and perhaps a day trip via ferry (http://web2.steamshipauthority.com) OR (http://www.hylinecruises.com/nan/high-speed.html) to Nantucket from Hyannis or Martha's Vineyard from Woodshole in Falmouth.
Or, fly into Green airport in Providence. Take the new Harwich-Providence airport shuttle (http://www.wickedlocal.com/harwich/homepage/x1059369812 to Harwich. Get around using the Flex bus (http://www.theflex.org/) with a possible day trip to Nantucket out of Harwichport (http://www.hylinecruises.com/nan/high-speed.html). Plenty of beaches nearby or take the Flex bus to the National Seashore on the outer cape. Using the Flex bus ($2) you can go all the way to Provincetown for a day trip.

Hi again cbmsmath, Just found this link that gives you all the info you need about traveling to Cape and round Cape Cod by land. It has most of the links I posted a minute ago all in one place! http://www.smartguide.org/capecod/land-links.html

Nantucket

I've only been to Cape Cod once in July/August and it's been a few years. We found the hotels and motels to be the most overpriced of anywhere we have ever stayed in the US (compared to similar accomodations). And getting any accomdations at all took months of pre-planning as there is almost nothing available on Cape Cod in August. This is not a complaint, but simply a fact. If I'm not mistaken the height of the tourist season on Cape Cod is July and August. Everything is at its most crowded and most expensive at that time. I can't imagine even attempting to look for any hotel discount rates for August. I remember that after Cape Cod (and Nantucket) we went to Boston for a weekend at the Ritz Carlton. Our room at the Ritz in Boston was LESS than any of the four places we stayed on the Cape or Nantucket! And we did NOT stay at the top places!

Cbmsmath mentioned that they are on a budget. Cape Cod (although I really love it) does not seem a "budget" destination for August! Now please don't go into the usual "yes, but if you look, cheaper alternatives can be found." Of course, that is true anywhere you go, but compared to many other destinations, you'll be getting a lot less for your money accomodation wise at that time. And while I love taking a day trip to Nantucket, realize that just the round trip ferry for the two of you to get there will be something like $ 150 added for the day.

Feel free to tell me I'm wrong.

Patrick, you're not wrong. the Cape in July and August can be expensive and very crowded. And while cheaper alternatives can be found, they will be far enough off the water that a car WILL be required. In fact, July and August on the Atlantic cost is going to be expensive. Plus, the no-car requirement makes it difficult.

My recommendation would be to go furthur north. Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island are gorgeous in August. Can be humid, but not as bad as the south east. And I've found rentals are much more reasonable in Canada, even with the exchange rate.

that said, its still really difficult without a car.

the only place I can think of which would meet your requirements, but be doable without a vehicle might be Bar Harbor/Acadia. Because you can get around to hiking trails in the national park by shuttle, and you could stay in Bar Harbor and walk around to dining options. The problem here is most of the budget options will be a little distance out of town, and once again, you need a car.

Your requirements:
Not West Coast
Water
Infant friendly
Nature
Some city life
Low humidity
and budget

My opinion: the Midwest
Michigan: The state is surrounded by water and the interior is infested with lakes of every size. Michigan is much, much cheaper than the East Coast. You can't go wrong on a budget there. Summer - August in particular, is very beautiful in Michigan:

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Traverse City, the Leelanau peninsula.
Large interior lakes, such as Houghton Lake. Cabins can be had for $500 - $660 per week.

Avoid the South. Its humid.

Why not rent a car? A one week economy rental in August is $210.

Thanks everyone! It looks like it would be easier to rent a car. How far is Boston from Cape Cod? Also, how far is Acadia from Portland, ME? I will have to fly into a major airport and don't want to drive more than a couple hours to our destination. What about Michigan? Any thoughts on nice vacation spots around Lake Michigan or Superior?

Thanks again,

Cindy.

It's about 70 miles from Logan Airport (Boston) out onto the Cape -- or about a 12 hour drive in August.

(Only kidding, but not by much -- especially if you'd arrive on a Friday afternoon!)

cbmsmath,

see my comments above about michigan.

My vote would be Bar Harbour Maine and Acadia National Park. August shouldn't be that hot and you are right on the water so that should help. Very walkable town many restaurants. You can get the shuttle bus to Acadia and beyond. Many things to do boat tours hiking rent bikes Lighthouses. The shuttle makes it very easy to get around. You could fly into Portland or bangor but I guess Portland would have better flights from the west coast. Portland to Bar Harbour probably two hours.

That recommendation of Saugatuck MI is a good one. We used to vacation up there when I was a young teenager. You could probably find a "cottage" to rent for a week or so. Again, you will need a car but driving around up there is EASY. You could fly into Chicago and the drive is only about 3 hours. The town is cute, with a harbor and boats, and the beach -- well this is still part of the Michigan Dunes area and the beaches are really cool. There are also lots of woodsy areas around for hiking.

OR you might want to check out the Wisconsin Dells area -- again, a pretty easy drive from Chicago.

Patrick,
Your not wrong about the prices on Nantucket. Ritz and Four Season(during the summer) in Boston at times offer lower rates on the weekends as many in the surrounding area head to the Cape.

If you want to stay in a hotel on the Cape, or at one of the expensive resort-type places you certainly will pay dearly. BUT....if you want to stay in a small B+B or inn you certainly can easily find reasonable accommodations. Perhaps what is reasonable to me is expensive to you, but for $150-$200/night you can find nice lodging in a town like Eastham or Wellfleet. Check out the Chamber of Commerce web sites at www.wellfleetchamber.com and www.easthamchamber.com There are not many big hotels on the outer cape which means it is not as crowded as the mid-cape area. In fact, there is only one real hotel, the Four Points Sheraton, in Eastham. Once you are there (I'll have more to say about that!) much of your activities can center around the Cape Cod National Seashore, where free tours, prisitine beaches, fresh water ponds, hikes etc abound. Take a Flex bus for $2 for a day-trip to Provincetown (you can even pay and additional $2 for it to pick you up at your door!) or Orleans or Harwich if you don't want to drive and pay for parking. Go to the drive-in Theater, boutique shop in Wellfleet, watch the sun set over Cape Cod Bay as you munch on seafood at Wellfleet Pier. You could easily spend a day in Chatham if you have a car. There are lots of things to do on the outer cape! And of course there are those fabulous beaches...both ocean and bay.

If you have a car it is a 2+ hour ride to Eastham and another 10-15 minutes to Wellfleet. Patrick is correct that Friday night and Saturday traffic can slow things down considerably (It could take you 4 hours to drive the normal 2 hour ride) but if you travel on a week day or early/late on any day you should not have much of a problem.

Cape Cod National Seashore is something to experience. Warm summer days, cool sea-breeze nights, clam shacks, theater, ice cream, sand, sea, sun...and you do not have to be rich and famous to enjoy what we all own in our National Parks!

cindy - if you link on the website I gave you above, there are several listings of resorts around Lake Superior (on the MN side).

Montreal.

hi cbm,

A couple of ppl have recommended Montreal....as a resident I didn't even think of it but it's a great option! Why not look into it? You don't need a car, you could rent an apartment or stay in a b&b to save money and you can enjoy shopping, nightlife, a new language, museums, great parks and historic places, GREAT food.....it's a great city for two women travellers. The fact that you will be travelling with a young infant wouldn't be a difficulty as public transport is efficient and runs often. The one thing you would not get in the downtown core is nature, but you would get beauty

Layla

I think Cape Cod .. You can still find places to stay in August that are reasonable .. Call a realtor (Steele Associates in Dennis) or look on line Dennis Chamber of Commerce .. Often times they will have a home or cottage available or can recommend .. I would suggest beginning with Dennis .. beaches in Dennis are wonderful .. they have a wonderful bike trail .. there is also a walking trail .. You need not go too far to find yourself at the National Seashore .. If you want you can take a day trip to the Islands .. You are also not too far from Hyannis if you want a little bit of activity or shopping in the evening .. Although walking in the center of Chatham on a summer evening is just lovely ..Visit the Lavender Farm in Harwich .. Great restaurants .. my favorite .. Brewster Fish House in Brewster .. small and quaint .. I might not bring an 8 mo. old for dinner but certainly at lunch and the food is just wonderful .. There are also lots of other kid friendly spots in Dennis to eat .. Captain Frosty's .. Sesuit Harbor Cafe .. right on the water and a wonderful spot to put little feet in the water and enjoy some very good food .. About one and a half hours from downtown Boston .. if you wanted to make the trip to the Aquarium or the Children's Museum .. lots to see and do in Boston .. Also .. not too far from Portland, ME .. lovely .. and a great spot to visit as well .. with absolutely wonderful restaurants .. Lovely little town right on the water .. Not far from Kittery, ME .. (outlets galore) and also about an hour and half from Freeport, ME .. (home of L.L. Bean) .. all options .. depending on time and interests .. Much to do in Portland ..

The mosquitoes, horse flies and deer flies in Minnesota would turn me off to that destination.

Also, Maine has horrid tiny black flies which bite and are worse than mosquitoes.

I would consider the North Carolina outer banks.

Juhisachin, what kind of idiot are you? You register here to bring up a two year old thread to advertise something that doesn't even have anything to do with the thread itself.

Go away. We don't need you here.

Speaking of "Cape Cod", you might want to check out what is called the "Cape Cod of the Midwest": Door County, Wisconsin.
This is an hour north of Green Bay, 3 hrs. north of Milwaukee, or 5 hrs. north of Chicago. This is the "thumb" shaped peninsula you see on a Wisconsin map, with Lake Michigan on the east side and Green Bay on the west. It's charming, refreshing and very family friendly. (I travel there every other summer from St.Louis to get my Upper Midwest Fix!) Another tip: the Lake Michigan side is always 5 degrees cooler than the Green Bay side.

No offense, door county is pretty, but calling it "the Cape Cod of the Midwest" is sort of like calling Peoria the "Manhattan of the midwest".

Lake Michigan!

I know you said you live on the west coast and want other suggestions but considering how long the west coast is, and your other priorities, you may want to reconsider. Picking an area different from your own, anywhere from San Diego to Olympia NP or even venturing up to Vancouver gives you a beautiful location, water, low humidity, hiking, resturants, etc. In addition, being able to drive eleminates the expense of the plane tickets and rental car; allows you to bring all the baby stuff you want; and, saves you from two long plane trips.

Barblab makes a whole lot of sense. Unless you've really exhausted the Pacific Northwest area and want to avoid it, I think everything you mentioned is even more abundant there than going to the east coast. I particularly think of British Columbia which is everything you mention and more.

Why deal with the heat, humidity and bugs when you could visit the San Juan Islands in Washington? Find a B&B on Lopez, San Juan, or Orcas Island and relax. From there, you could easily visit Victoria BC for some city life. The scenery in the San Juans is world class, and there's lots goin on in the summertime.

Why are people still replying? I was going to suggest Northern Minnesota till I scrolled down here to the end and realized that I hadn't paid attention to the dates of the posts. NeoPatrick correctly chastised Julisachin for resurrecting this 2 year old thread for advertising purposes. In any event, the OP has now gone on 2 summer vacations since the original question and has not posted back. Possibly eaten by a Sturgeon in Lake Superior.

Touche!

HA HA. Even after I realized that this was an old post resurrected for some illegal advertising, even I was caught in responding again. Most of us simply don't look at the dates of threads when we respond. When will I learn?

The recommendation for Old Orchard Beach,Maine was a good one. No black flies in August as they are a spring thing in the pristine woodlands.Bring some warm clothes as August can have some cool nights. Pier fries with vinegar!

thanks for continuing this, I am doing the same traveling this year and it is so helpful!

I know you said nothing on West Coast, but in case you are willing to reconsider, Victoria, British Columbia is a delightful destination. It's on the harbor and it is easy to get around. I think it would be infant-friendly as well.

travelhug: I doubt the OP is still looking for vacation ideas for August 2008.

Funny stuff with this thread going back to 2008. It might have been a joke anyway to see what people would say. It's like this: I want to go on a GREAT vacation, but not on the west coast. Here are my specifications: I will have two toddlers and one is allergic to the sun, and the other has a broken big toe so she has to be held. I want to do a lot of hiking. The place I stay has to be cheap because I am on a very low budget. I also won't have a car and my double stroller is broken. I can't stand humidity or too much sun and I hate seafood. Any ideas people? Thanks in advance!!