New England trip - advice needed!

According to Mapquest it is about 158 miles between Ogunquit and Wilmington. When you say you realize the weather can be unpredictable are you considering that in Vt you might encounter snow in April?

It certainly can be done, just keep an eye on the weather and stay flexible. If it turns out that there is snow in Vermont, head south and visit Rhode Island and the eastern Connecticut shore, or head to Cape Cod early. April is one of my favorite times on the Cape, no crowds, great hikes, etc., although not all the hotels and eating places will be open but there still are plenty that stay open year round. It will not be swimming weather though, even if we get a warm spell the water will be frigid.

I'm always leary of too much driving but 100 miles is reasonable between places. I checked Mapquest and disagree with the routing down to Portsmouth and then over Rt 101 which is a boring, limited access highway. If you look at the map you will see that it looks like it takes you a bit out of the way, too far south. Mapquest never advises rt 16 to rt 4 to Concord NH. Rt 101 is quicker but Rt 4 is more scenic with a few places along the way you might wish to stop. I would aim for lunch in Concord NH possibly including a walk around downtown to stretch your legs. After Concord there are very few restaurants except in the Hillsboro/Henniker area and then pretty much nothing until you get to Keene which is almost to VT. If you get an early start then Keene would be a great place for lunch. Nice college town with lots of choices.
Although we have been know to have blizzards in April, most years we have some great weather. If late April, I think your timing will be good for daffodils on Cape Cod.
Do you have some particular interests or hobbies that you would like to see/do while you are here? Are you interested in museums and historical spots? If your daughter likes to make jewelry there's a nice bead supply shop in downtown Concord NH.

RE snow I think it is most likely to be a concern in Vt and possibly the Berkshires, not other places. April really is not a great time of year in VT unfortunately

All your choices are good destinations, but getting from Ogunquit Maine to Wilmington Vt. will be a painfully slow drive. Realize that going east-west in rural New England is pretty slow going, especially in April when you might well encounter icy roads in the mountains. Unless you are specifically planning on a slow, scenic drive, always try to use the interstate highways as they are much quicker driving. As you can see on a map, the Ogunquit - Wilmington drive is pretty much secondary roads. I would probably do rte 4 from Portsmouth to rte 9. One suggestion would be to skip Wilmington, and if you do want to see Vermont head for Woodstock, which is close to I-89, then head down I-91 to the Berkshires. Woodstock is a very charming town. As others have mentioned, April in New England can be pretty dismal, especially in the mountains where it might still be mud season (some ski areas will still be open). On the seacoast, many places will still be boarded up for winter, but it will be blissfully uncrowded. That being said, you will be seeing some beautiful country, and the weather can sometimes be pleasant.

The month of April is referred to as "mud season" in New England...hopefully your dates are more toward the end of the month, when the bulbs and flowering trees are usually in bloom!

Do you have some reason for choosing Wilmington, VT?

The ocean and mountain areas are beautiful and dramatic no matter the season.

As mentioned, many seasonal destinations will be too quiet with much closed.

So, you may want to consider more year-round destinations - Portsmouth, NH, Newburyport, MA, Salem, MA, Plymouth, MA, for seaside destinations; Williamstown, Lenox, Stockbridge (all in the Berkshires of MA), Manchester, Stowe, Burlington in VT.

I was just driving east-west and west-east in New England a couple of weeks ago and the New Englanders are correct in advising you on the road conditions and weather conditions for your drive.

Google gives you several choices:

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=ogunquit+maine&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Ogunquit,+ME&gl=us&ei=hArnSsH7FILQtAPO8LGuBQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ8gEwAA

You'll see three routes displayed on the left side. Moving your cursor over one of the routes will have that route displayed on the righthand map.

Most of this driving will be like driving in the UK, except on the "wrong" side of the road. The I-95 is more like driving on one of the M roads.

In New Hampshier and Vermont in the spring watch out for the upchuking poet. There will be a lot of signs warning of this phenomenon.

I think your itinerary is a tad ambitious. I'd cut out either VT or the Berkshires. Maybe add an extra night in Boston.

You might also consider Newport RI instead of the Cape. There's beautiful mansions and lots to do there in the offseason.

Ogunquit is a good choice. You can also check out Kennebunkport, York Beach and Portsmouth NH, plenty to fill a couple of days.

xxx30 someone from England might not be familiar with frost heaves but it's good of you to warn about potential bumps in the road. Here in NH I general consider March to be mud season (same times as town meeting) but unless a cute b&b is located on a dirt road, mud shouldn't be a problem. Most roads are paved nowadays. Early morning travel is probably the time to be wary of black ice conditions if night temperatures have been around freezing or below. I think the suggestions to change the itinerary are good.

thank you very very much everyone.
Being as I have already booked 2 nights in Boston, then 2 in Ogunguit, please can you suggest where to spend the next 4 nights before we arrive for our final couple of days in Cape Cod? Hope this isn't too much to ask - I am very willing to take any advice. April is really the only time we can visit.

Many thanks to all x

Newport, RI is an excellent suggestion! (But, not for four days.)

Frankly, Cape Cod is not a destination I'd choose for April. Much will be closed for the season and, unless there's a spell of really good weather (more spring than winter-like), being out and about will just not be wonderful. Same goes for Ogunquit.

There would be more to see and do in Portsmouth, NH, Plymouth, MA (which may be of great interest for the 12-year old), Newport, RI, or along the North Shore of Boston or Mystic, CT, etc. There's also lots to see and do in the Berkshires.

If you haven't already visited Boston, there's plenty to see and do there, and the bulbs and flowering trees will likely be in bloom in the Public Gardens and elsewhere.

If you enjoy historical sights, shopping, dining, and the other usual vacation activities, it's best to go where you'll find those possibilities.

When exactly is your trip? Keep in mind that the Boston Marathon is Monday, April 19, so the city will be crowded that weekend. Some roads are blocked off for the race, so driving is even more challenging than usual!

Do you have specific things (or types of things) that you want to see? Let us know, and people can steer you in those directions. As others have said, some attractions will not be open for the season yet (even in places like Plymouth, MA), so it's good to find out now if something you had hoped to visit will be closed.

The Boston Marathon is probably not much of a concern. We've been in Boston marathon weekend every year for many years. Saturday and Sunday are quite quiet. And, unless you were planning to drive in or out from/to the west, traffic would probably not be a problem, especially since Monday is a holiday in Massachusetts.

Hi Cranachin and djkbooks
Thanks for your interest. We are visiting until 16 April, so will miss the marathon. I have thought about going from Ogunquit to Shelburne Falls on the Mohawk Trail, stopping there for a couple of nights, then heading down to the Connecticut coast. Think this may be more realistic then my original plan to go to Vermont. What do you think?

amanda: It would be helpful if you would describe the things your family enjoys seeing/doing.

The Mohawk Trail is a beautiful drive, especially during fall foliage season, but the most dramatic and scenic parts are to the west of Shelburne Falls. I cannot think of any reason to spend a couple of nights in Shelburne Falls. If you are determined to drive the Mohawk Trail, I'd recommend continuing on and spend a night in Williamstown and the second in Lenox or Stockbridge.

Please know that many driving routes and destinations are scenic regardless of the season, but some are just not worthwhile when the trees are bare and there are few evergreens and much/most of the seeing/doing/shopping/dining is seasonal.

April is off-season for destinations such as Ogunquit. Not only will you find limited dining and shopping with little to do, if the weather happens to be less than pleasant, you won't find it very scenic either.

I would urge you to consider destinations which are more year-round than seasonal.

Note also that "mud season" refers to the snow melting all about and a transition from ski season to warmer weather.

I would recommend adding more time to Boston on your trip

Shelburne Falls is very small and has almost no lodging I can think of-maybe a B&B there and some in nearby towns. Williamstown at the other end of the Mohawk trail would have lots more options for restaurants, places to stay. There is also an excellent small art museum. On the eastern side of the Berkshires you might want to visit Historic Deerfield. It is close to a number of good colleges and there is lots to do year round.

I didn't mean to sound so negative about April, especially late April but I still stand by my assessment that it isn't the best time to see Vt.

Mud season should be over by then and as others have mentioned it is not a factor unless you are on dirt roads. It is not just that the snow melts--the frost in the dirt roads thaws and the results can be truly horrible mud that you would not want to encounter.

Ditto what others have said. Since your trip is happening during the first 2 weeks of April, I also suggest you spend more time in year-round destinations and less time in seasonal places. The Cape will still be cold & raw in early April, with not much open.

If you haven't been to Boston before, I highly recommend spending more time there - there's lots to see and do for 4-5 nights.

Many thanks for all the advice. I will certainly heed as much of it as I can. One last question - we are keen to see wildlife that we don't have in the UK - is this a possibility if we travel along the Mohawk or Appalachian Trail?

Although the Mohawk Trail is a road, the Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail (so you won't really get to "travel" it unless you decide to go hiking on it).

If by "wildlife" you mean large mammals like moose and bears, I would think it highly unlikely. Depending on how warm it is (and whether those that hibernate are still sleeping), you might see small mammals, like chipmunks and squirrels. Many mammals are nocturnal (rabbits, raccoons, possums, skunks, foxes, deer) so you could see them if you are out at night. But you certainly do not want to hit a deer - or a skunk!

Of course, I live in the Boston suburbs, and I have seen all of the above-mentioned animals (plus coyotes!) out at night on the streets and in the yards around here. I have seen groundhogs (aka woodchucks) as well, in the afternoon or evening.

There should be some unfamiliar bird species for you, too.

If you go to either the Boston aquarium or the aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut you will get to see sea animals. In the wild there are seals that follow the fishing boats into both Stonington, CT harbor and Gloucester,MA; they follow the fishing boats in and grab a free meal from the trash fish they reject. I have seen them in both places and also along the coast of Cape Cod all winter and up until April or when the water starts to warm up. There are plenty of deer, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, around at night and you might also see wild turkeys in the daytime.

emalloy-

I forgot about the turkeys. I see them out here in the suburbs, too. Don't try to approach them, though- they are MEAN!

Here's a link to a NH farm with a wild animal exhibit. They are only open weekends in April. I haven't been to this farm but a friend's family goes for hayrides and other events plus the farm has a very nice traveling farm animal exhibit I have seen at the state fair. The farm is not far from Rt 101, the route I advised against.
http://www.charmingfare.com/Generaladdmission.php
You can check on when the 2010 Wild New Hampshire Day will be. This year it was on April 18 so you might miss it. http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2009/News_2009_Q1/DWNH_Day_2009.html

As previously posted, many animals are nocturnal but you might have a chance to see a deer or wild turkeys during the day even along an interstate highway. We tend to see animals early in the morning when they come out to feed or late in the day. I've lived here my whole life and finally saw my first NH moose this year and it was in my own yard. In NH, bears start coming out of hibernation in early April so we take our bird feeders down. We rarely see coyotes during the day but hear them at night. I'm sure there must be some small inns/hotels in country areas that get some animal visitors but you might do best to check for farms, Audubon groups, and science centers that might have good wild animal exhibits.

djbooks, I got a chuckle from your definition of mud season as the transitional season between snow and spring. Up until 2007 we lived on a dirt road so to us mud season is as Vttravelor describes. It's tough to steer on a really muddy road if your car has front wheel drive. For me, April can be a great time of year when weather is decent and it's still weeks before black flies arrive.

April can, indeed, be cold, raw and muddy on dirt roads, but your main roads should be fine. Depending on your luck, you can also get lovely weather then!

One suggestion: In our various travels in the U.S. over the years, we've found the packages of maps and other info available free from each state to be invaluable. Since you are planning far in advance (a good idea, by the way), I suggest visiting the online official state sites for states like Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Not sure if they will all send you their "packages", but you can try.

I understand that you are tied to April, but that does somewhat limit some of the typical "scenery". If you're interested in historical New England, you might consider a visit to Old Sturbridge Village, in Massachusetts. When we lived in Connecticut, we used to often have annual family memberships to that place and loved spending a day wandering around the grounds, as did our young children!

If you go there, OSV really deserves a whole day, since it consists of a whole village, reconstructed there, seeming to be alive in the mid 1800's, with "interpreters" in period garb, all very knowledgeable about life there at that time. Once you pay the admission (not cheap), you enter history, or so it seems to feel, and are free to wander around the "town" at will. You can watch them doing the things they'd have done then, from a cooper making barrels to old homes furnished and "functioning" to folks making maple syrup -- the way they boiled it back then, typically in a huge pot over a fire! You're free to spend as much or as little time in any one area as you like, too.

Just one possibility for you. However, I do think OSV is open year around, unlike some places.

Wow - thanks everyone. It is becoming clearer to me now thanks to you all! Here's my 100th draft of our itinerary:
Boston 2 nights then up to Ogunguit for 2 nights with a trip to Portland whilst we are up there. Then cross-country to join the driving route of the Appalachian Trail in Massacheusetts at Williamstown. Stay around there for a couple of nights on our way to the Connecticut coast (destination unclear at the moment). 2 nights exploring there and then onto the Cape to have a good look around that area before coming home. Any comments?!! Don't worry, I can take it if you think it won't work!
Amanda

If you are headed to the Ct coast you might want to consider Mystic Seaport ("the Museum of America and the sea")
http://www.mysticseaport.org/

But going SW to that part of the coast then NE to Cape Cod will add a LOT of driving time compared to other possible destinations

Do you have a good map of New England for plotting all this?

I don't know what you mean by the ``driving route of the Appalachian Trail''. There is no part of the A.T. that allows cars, it is for hikers only. Do you mean the Mowhawk trail? That's ok then. Very scenic, with places to stop by the road and take in the view. Although April will not be the best viewing time.

I think Williamstown would be a good center for a couple nights. You can visit the art museums, see Mass MoCa in North Adams, and take a day trip south to the cute Berkeshire towns, with or without hikes.

April is the end of Sugaring season, the time to boil the maple sugar from the trees to make syrup -- there are lots of sugar houses in western MA where you can get a big american breakfast with pancakes and maple syrup straight from the boiling vat. Your hotel can probably locate one for you.

Your connecticut coast stay could be in Mystic, CT, or consider Newport, Rhode Island. Providence RI is a nice small city too.

capxxx is correct about the trails and the locations for lodging. Do be aware that there is no direct route from Williamstown, MA to Mystic, CT and that you don't really want to "drive the CT coast" as the highway ( i 95) is a very busy commuter route which only has views of the coast in very limited places. If you use it to get to Mystic, make sure you do not try it during morning or evening rush hours as there is usually very bad traffic and an accident, road construction, or even bad weather can compound that. I would add that any time you are near a city, avoid rush hour, have a lazy breakfast or dinner and either drive very much before or after the rush. That said, get a good map and look at some of the pretty drives, some give little dots along them. Mystic would be ok to base for the Seaport and Aquarium, and there is a great Native American Museum at Foxwoods Casino about 20 minutes from there and Newport is a little over an hour from there so not bad as a day trip or on your way back to Boston. Children are not allowed in the gaming areas of the casinos in CT so I would not plan on gaming as part of the trip.

You've asked and several folks have tried to advise you on some things. Have you read their observations posted about Cape Cod at that time of year? Or "driving" the Appalachian Trail?

Whatever you decide, I hope your trip is enjoyable.

Hi RetiredVermonter
Yes I have read the advice in detail and I am planning my trip accordingly. I have a fantastic book about driving close to the Appalachian Trail which has also provided me with some good tips. I have almost decided on the final route and can only hope the weather is kind to us!

A few more comments: If you really want to see wild life such as moose, the White Mountains of New Hampshire are your best bet. Moose and bear are frequently seen while driving the Kancamangus highway. As you now realize that part of the country can have some nasty weather in April. The Mohawk trail is a fairly large highway that passes thru some scenic countryside, however despite it's name it's not a remote trail winding thru wilderness. The Appalacian trail however is a true footpath that runs from Georgia to Maine. You may be able to hike a few sections of it. Cape Cod has some very charming towns, and some of the most spectacular beaches on the east coast. If it's a choice between the Connecticut Coast or Cape Cod, there is no contest.

I still think you have too many destinations.

Stay 3 nights in Boston and 3 nights in Ogunquit (there's lots of day trips from here). Then Western MA for 2 nights and Newport RI for 2 nights. Or some approximation of that.

I feel compelled to mention that seeing moose is not necessarily a great thing. Motorists who hit moose often have very serious accidents. Hitting deer is also no fun but they don't do as much damage to the car.

I'm originally from CT, and live in MA now. I agree with zootsi that I'd much rather visit Cape Cod than the CT coast, even in April. It isn't as though CT weather will be much different.

I live in northeastern MA on the coast. Our weather is usually slightly colder than Cape Cod's, but we still enjoy the coast in all seasons. You might want to read up on this area (North Shore) as well, as we have less dependence on tourism so more businesses are open year round.

Thanks MareW
I was beginning to wonder if visiting Cape Cod was a mistake, but I am now reassured. We are based in Brewster and plan to look around as much of the surrounding area as we can in the limited 2 days we have there. Regarding the CT coast, I have found what seems to be a decent Inn at a place called Niantic. Have you any knowledge about it. Again, we intend to travel around and use this as a base.

Cape Cod is not a mistake. It will be very nice in April.

Others have great suggestions here so I will not repeat too much of it except for one:

Spring time in Vermont often means "mud time" for everyone. Melting snow and rains on top of that can create quite a mess. You could still have a very nice time but you need to be prepared for the mud.

I have the impression from your itinerary that historic sites are not really high on your list, but I am putting in a strong pitch for Plimouth Plantation and the Mayflower II, great living history museums that give you an idea of what the original European settlers experienced when they arrived in New England
http://www.plimoth.org/

I also will chime in about the CT. coast. Not much there.

Course I'm partial to the National Seashore part of the Cape. One can ferry from Boston to Provincetown (a walking town) with good restaurants, B&Bs and galleries as well as 40 miles of untouched National Seashore to hike and bike around. You'll likely be there during the time that the whales congregate around the shore.

Ogunquit is another favorite with some hiking options in the Agaminomous Mt. (sp.) area. Most of the foliage will not be on the trees yet but the birds will have started to arrive back. You will likely see lots of cardinals and a smattering of smallish critters. You really need to go upstate Maine to see the big boys and even then it's a pot shot.
Good luck and please tell us more about you likes.

I live in Western Mass (Pioneer Valley, Connecticut River). Your trip is in the first half of April. The people who are saying the Berkshires, Mohawk Trail, Vermont are scenic have probably not been there in the first half of April. There will be no leaves on the trees, no flowers except forsythia and daffodils and that's if you get a good year. It will be boring. The Conn. coast is pretty much always boring.

However - the Boston area and coast can be quite nice. Ogunquit will be further behind Boston in terms of leaves/flowers but should still be nice, it's not that far so I would keep that. The other suggestions to spend time on the Mass north shore (Gloucester, Rockport, Newburyport) and Newport RI are good. All those areas should have some flowers and they also have lots of historical offerings so are not totally weather dependent. Sturbridge may be muddy but will still be fun. Same for Plimouth Plantation. And really, there is much more than 2 days worth of things to see in Boston.

Seriously, I would skip all the western and northern areas this trip. You don't have all that much time anyway, and given the season you'd have a much more enjoyable trip if you stuck to the coast between Ogunquit and Newport, and only go as far west as Sturbridge.

Cape Cod is definitely worth a visit. Make sure you get to a National Seashore beach for a walk and to the Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham to get a feeling for the whaling history/natural history of the area. You will be just missing a week of programs offered during school vacation which begins on April 19 but the center has a few short films, museum and book store that might be of interest. You can check out the schedule as time gets closer at www.nps.gov/caco

Agree on Cape Cod post from yellowbyrd... I am not sure but I think the Daffodil festivel in Nantucket might be around that time? Nantucket is a wonderful place.... weather can be fickle this time of year in NE- but can also be wonderful. I seem to remember this past spring was pretty nice... JUne and July were not nice- I had the heat on in July 5 x!! (but I live in Maine- still not normal to turn your heat on in July!!)

Newport also would be nice (pretty beach; neat tours of mansions, nice restaurants), like the suggestion of the boat trip from Boston to Provincetown- but if you have a car you might want to drive- YOu can visit Quincy, MA; and go to the Birthplaces of 2nd U.S. President John Adams and 6th U.S. President John Quincy Adams, http://www.nps.gov/adam/index.htm.
Also you can visit the JFK museum. In Boston; visit the Isabella Gardner Stewart museum; http://www.gardnermuseum.org/
If you come to Portland, ME please let me know and I can make some suggestions.

The Daffodil Festival on Nantucket is usually the last weekend in April. There's also one in Brewster, the last weekend in April or first weekend in May (depending on the year).

We used to attend both for many years. More often than not, the weather was very, very cold (often with snow flurries), and only one year was it actually pleasant.

But amandajj67 will be there much earlier in April.

I totally disagree that Cape Cod is a good destination in mid-April. It's more likely to be winter-like than spring-like. We've been to Cape Cod over Memorial Day weekend when it's often still quite cold and the leaves are just coming out on the trees.

In addition to being cold in April, I think Nantucket is too far to add to an already very ambitious itinerary.
I don't think the ferries from Boston to Provincetown run in April

Dear Amanda,
Your itinerary is very ambitious but you've gotten great advice from others here. I'm concerned that all you'll see of New England will be from the windows of the car.

Going to Western MA from Ogunquit will be the better part of the day since it is at least a 3 1/2 hour drive straight through on the (very uninteresting) highway to Lenox without stopping so add time for lunch and you've spent another day in the car. From there to the CT coast will be another 3 hour drive.

I might suggest that you do your nights in Boston, add a few nights there with day trips if you like to Salem, MA for the seafaring history and "Witchy" fun or Lexington/Concord to see where the "Colonial Rebellion" started, then Ogunquit along with the day trips along the coast of Maine for the New England seaside village experience, then NH for a taste of our Mountains and forests.

Boston to Keene NH is about 2 1/2 hours but you'll travel along wonderfully scenic roads that will invite stopping along the way for photo ops and walks.

Or you could drive north into NH to Lincoln NH and drive the Kacamangus highway which is indeed a misnomer because this a a lovely scenic winding road through beautiful mountains.
Either of these stays in NH will give you a taste of NE that is what people usually think of when they think of visiting NE.

I think that you'll get a better feeling for New England if you pare down your driving and concentrate on the different types of areas, seaside, mountainss, forest, but choose places not quite so far flung.

Here is another current thread with a great report on 4 days in NH that might be a good alternative for you.

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/4-memorable-nights-in-new-hampshire.cfm

Good luck and please tell us what you decide, I live in NH we're a friendly bunch, we'll be glad to help in any way,

Also- its a pretty drive from Wolfeboro, NH to Portland- about 70 miles. Wolfeboro is a cute little town as well.

Wow that is some itinerary! I think you will need a vacation after your vacation. Why not stay a while some place so you can really take in your scenery, relax and enjoy. I don't think your child will really appreciate eveything so many hours in the car. Why not pick a couple cities/towns and see all they have to offer?