New England trip - advice needed!

Old Oct 27th, 2009, 02:38 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
New England trip - advice needed!

Hi there
My husband, me and 12-year old daughter are planning a trip to New England next April (I know the weather may be unpredictable, but this is the only time we can go). We fly to Boston for 2 nights then pick up a car and start our journey. From Boston I have sorted 2 nights in Ogunquit, Maine and then wondered if it is an OK distance to drive to Wilmington, Vermont? Please can anyone guide me as to the approximate distance between Ogunquit and Wilmington - we hoped to do around 100 miles between places.
Also after Vermont, the Berkshires for 2 nights and then on to Cape Cod. Does this seem like a feasible trip or too adventurous? We are travelling from the UK and have never visited New England before.
Many thanks
amandajj67 is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 03:52 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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?
Vttraveler is online now  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 03:59 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,904
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
emalloy is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 04:37 AM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 30,951
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
dfrostnh is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 05:00 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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
Vttraveler is online now  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 06:25 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,717
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
zootsi is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 07:01 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,421
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
djkbooks is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 07:10 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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=f...ed=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.
easytraveler is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 07:37 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
xxx30 is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 07:45 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
wyatt92 is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 08:19 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 30,951
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
dfrostnh is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 09:02 AM
  #12  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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
amandajj67 is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 01:24 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,421
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
djkbooks is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 01:44 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,535
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
Cranachin is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 02:40 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,421
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
djkbooks is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 02:55 PM
  #16  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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?
amandajj67 is offline  
Old Oct 27th, 2009, 08:03 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,421
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
djkbooks is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2009, 03:07 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 20,371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
Vttraveler is online now  
Old Oct 28th, 2009, 09:21 AM
  #19  
yk
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 25,847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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.
yk is offline  
Old Oct 28th, 2009, 01:31 PM
  #20  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
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?
amandajj67 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -