Newport offers nothing for kids that age. The beach is small and not that easy to get to.

Cape Cod offers every price and level of luxury. In general, along Route 6A, the Cape is quaint and everything you ever dreamed the Cape should be. Beaches are pretty wave-free. On Route 28, particularly from Hyannis out, it is like the Jersey Shore. The Outer Cape, from Chatham to Wellfleet is lovely, with beautiful Atlantic beaches but surf that is too rough for little guys.

Your budget may be tough for the last two weeks in July and the first two weeks in August, but you could probably find a place in Nantucket before or after that. It empties out the week before school starts in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Check out Cape Cod. As mentioned above some parts are just wonderful. We often took our kids when they were young. vrbo.com is a good site for finding accomdations.

Thanks so much! I was thinking the same thing about Cape Cod, but everyone I talk to says it is somewhat honky tonk? How does it compare to MV?

I don't think of Cape Cod as "honky tonk" except maybe for rt. 28 between Hyannis and Chatham (where there are a decent number of mini-golf spots and the like) or some of the shops in P'town. I'd sooner use that description for places like Salisbury, MA and Hampton, NH.

I wouldn't consider the Cape "shabby" either. The closest one gets to that might be parts of Hyannis.

Wellfleet would in fact make a pleasant low-key destination on the Cape if you're trying to avoid a downtown with a good-sized commercial clutch such as P'town or Hyannis or Chatham or Falmouth, all of which are roughly the size of Oak Bluffs or slightly larger.

Agreed that you're more likely to find beaches best for little kids on Cape Cod Bay rather then along the Atlantic coast, wonderful as the latter's beaches are.

I totally agree with the above posters. Look in Wellfleet or Truro or North Truro.

The Commodore-West Harwich Cape Cod

In comparison to the Newport mansions and gorgeous beach front houses on MV and Nantucket, Cape Cod is a little shabby - and I think there are in general nicer spas, restaurants, hotels than on Cape Cod. But that does not make it a slum.

Cape Cod is far from all honky tonk mini golf and fast food. In general, until you get to the end of the Cape (Provincetown) the farther out on the Cape you go, the more natural beauty though still with things to do. There are a lot of really nice rental houses that are either a walk to or even short drive to beach that cost far less than those right on the beach - and you are not letting the kids on the beach without you anyway, so it may not matter. When our kids were that age we rented a house overlooking a march with great views, lots of birds, tranquil backyard that was safe for the kids to race around in - about a 15 minute walk to a nice beach (in Dennis) - for about half the cost and twice the space as a beachfront house.

You know, I get such a kick out of folks who come to the Cape, spend a few days in one spot (usually Hyannis or somewhere along the commercial parts of Rt. 28), then declare definitively that: "The Cape is nothing but tee shirt shops and dinky motels."

Ahhhh, how much they've missed!

What makes Cape Cod a perfect vacation destination, IMHO, is the sheer variety of experiences and ambiance offered by each of our 15 towns.

Want a wild and crazy town with a colorful nightlife? That's Provincetown in the summertime.

Ready for total peace and quiet, communing with Mother Nature in all her glory? That's Truro - the town right next door to Provincetown. (Nary a neon sign nor a mini-golf course anywhere in sight.)

I hope you'll take the prior posters' advice about Cape Cod to heart. They're absolutely spot on!

Let us know what type of town/atmosphere you prefer, and I'm sure you'll get even more great suggestions.

If you want the beach to be the center of your vacation, I would agree that the Cape has it over Newport. But to dismiss Newport as offering nothing for Kids that age is a bit extreme. For example, Easton's Beach (lots of parking, hardly "hard to get to") features a full playground, a snack bar, a carousel, and a small, kid-oriented aquarium. How is that "nothing to offer"?

I don't see Cape Cod as shabby at all, but then I am not looking for spas or fancy hotels. The
outer cape has wonderful scenery, towns with very individual characters, miles of bay beaches wonderful for children and housing in every budget.

I just returned from Newport and while there I questioned why families would go; there are so many other new england destinations that are perfect for families. If mansions, yachts,crowds, and shopping sound good to you then Newport would be suitable. I don't know if you are interested in only beaches/coast or if combining some time inland is ok. If you want to give a little more information about the kinds of things as a family you like to do and what type of vacation you want this experience to be then I would be happy to share some of our special memories when my kids were that age.