Hello Paola,

Boston is a great place to be for Independence day. Then I would suggest the White mountains in NH and the Lakes in Maine.

Here's a link for Boston Harborfest. Good luck!

http://www.bostonharborfest.com/

If he wants to see"big animals" take him on a whale watch, Provincetown, MA, Boston, MA and Gloucester, MA all have boats that take you out to the areas where whales spend the summer.

It would be hit or miss to see large animals otherwise, as they tend to be quite shy although there are plenty of deer killed on the roads, all over New England. Moose are less common but I did see one being loaded into a truck after being struck on the Maine turnpike.

You should re-post as a question - not a trip report

I think you would love Bar Harbor, Maine

http://www.barharborinfo.com/

We stayed there years ago and it has everything, New England small town charm, hiking trails, mountains, and is very geared for tourists. Of all the places we visited on our New England, trip we loved Bar Harbor the best!

You shouldn't have any trouble seeing deer in NH but they tend to be feeding in farmers' fields early in the day and late afternoon. We have see black bears twice during the middle of the day in the Sandwich NH area which is is between the White Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee.

I finally saw a NH moose in our own yard for the first time last summer. Your best chances would probably be in the Pittsburg or Berlin NH areas, north of the mountains but areas where there is water and swamps. If you google moose tours, you will probably find people who will take you to areas that have frequent sightings where they like to feed. There are also lots of wild turkeys in NH. You might even see them along the interstate highway.

dhfrost gives good advice about NH.

I have seen moose at Lost Pond in Pinkham Notch and between Pinkham Notch and Berlin alongside Route 16, as well as on Mt Starr King off US highway 2.

We have seen bear just over the Maine line in the Bethel area, and I have encountered them while hiking south of the Kankamaugus Highway.

You can find all these places on Google maps.

Deer are everywhere early in the morning and at dusk, feeding at the edge of fields or in my wife's garden!

I third dhfrost's advice about the Pittsburg area. We've camped there and seen many moose, particularly at dusk.

As for black bears, it's rare to see them. I grew up in VT and live here now and I've never seen one. My kids and husband have seen them a couple of times, but it's quite rare. You might get lucky.

emalloy's advice about a whale watch is a great one. The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is off the coast of MA. It's a great place to see whales. I've been 3x in my life and would go again (and again and again) on future visits.

Take a good look at the Moosehead Lake area in Maine. And yes, for Maine and the coast, you will need to make reservations in advance and expect to pay premium summer room rates.

We used to see bears at the dump in Greenville (at the end of Moosehead Lake). I think they now have a 'sanitary landfill' so they probably aren't there anymore. Sonetimes you just see bears - my aunt would see them at her jplace right as you enter Greenville and my cousins came across some when walking one of the roads in town. But that is rare. I have seen moose crossing the road into Greenville and also out at one of the ponds. Unusual though.

If it's big animals you want to see, Yellowstone, unfortunately, is the place to go.

Dear Paulinedijon, Boston is a wonderful city to start your New England tour in, The esplanade along the Charles river has an incredible concert ending with a firework display over the Charles.

Here is the link to the days festivities.
http://www.july4th.org/Event_Info/History_and_Heritage

I would suggest that You start in by driving up the coast

Day 1 Arrive in New York.
Day 2 & 3 Travel to Boston and tour the City. Peraps walk the Freedom Trail,
Day 4 Drive to Bar arbor Maine, This is about a 5 hour drive but this will give you more time to spend in Bar harbor

Days 5-6 Bar Harbor, Maine, Here you can enjoy Acadia National Park, Whale watch and wildlife tours of Frenchman's bay, hike the various trails of the park, visit museums and dine at one of the many lovely restaurants with outdoor seating. I believe that there are tours to wilderness areas that would take you to see moose, but bears are not easy to find in NE, they are very shy and stick to the high mountains and real wild areas usually.

Day 7 Drive south to Bangor then West on route 2 to Gorham, NH in the White Mountains.

Days 8-10 Tour the White Mountains, where you could Hike, Canoe, take a back country jeep tour that would take you to the lakes frequented by moose.

Days 11 Drive south to Concord, MA, This is only a 3 hour drive from Lincoln NH so it's not too long a car day.
Day 12 Tour Concord, MA to see the various historical sites.

Day 13 Back to New York

This is just a suggested itinerary for you two weeks in New England.

We have visited France many times with our next trip in June 2011, the French people have always been so kind and helpful to me, I hope that I can be as helpful to you. If you need any help just let me know, I live in southern NH and would be glad to help you in any way that I can. My email is celtharper@yahoo.com if you want to correspond