East Coast road trip with kids
 

We are planning an East Coast road trip in August and will hit Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, and DC. We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Both do pretty well in the car, stroller, backpack, and walking (just the 3 yo). We won't be in each city for too long and are looking for the highlights that the whole family can enjoy. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Those are four of the worse cities in the US to drive in. And the highways among them are no easy job either. If you want a roadtrip, go elsewhere; if you want to see those 4 places, do it with other transportation.

How long of a trip are your planning and where are your originating from?

Brief visits in four cities in August with two toddlers. I'm sorry, but what on earth are you thinking?

All of those cities have parks, children's museums, zoos, and science or natural history museums with sections that everyone could enjoy. Perhaps you should pick just one.

You don;t say how long your trtip is - but with two little kids I would probably do two cities at most - so you can settle into each one. I wold probably do Boston and NYC on the chance of being a little cooler. You might want to stay at Mystic on the way down - to see the aquarium and the seafaring museum (sailing ships to explore etc.)

In August the weather is likely to be very hot and humid and you will need to limit sightseeing in each place to allow the kids time indoors - or in a park - perhaps someplace with a sprinkler - remember the heat often bothers them much more than adults - and cranky is no fun for anyone.

Wherever you go I would plan on a boat trip - fun for the kids and cool. Also in NYC the zoo in Central Park, the Natural History Musum, the kids museum - and even the aquarium if you want. (In the summer and with little kids I would drive rather than take the subway.) If you get a day not too hot or crowded they might even enjoy some beach time at Coney Island.

Disagree about road trips - think this is the easiest way to travel with kids (they are familiar with the car and their own seats - you can stop/snack as needed - no waiting around ariports or train stations). Just plan in advance on where to park the car when you get to each city.

In DC - the kids will LOVE the National Zoo (free!). Also the Smithsonian Natural History museum (free!) has lots of fun stuff - huge elephant on first floor, a insect world exhibit, other things that kids will like to look at. American History museum (free!) has some kid-friendly exhibits. Reeves Bakery is restaurant that is inexpensive and family-friendly, the waitresses will call you "Honey" and fuss over the kids. www.reevesbakery.com They are open for breakfast and lunch, and you can walk there from the Smithsonian. easily. Capital City Brewing Company has kids menu, noisy atmosphere, they are used to visitors with kids there and are nice. www.capcitybrew.com

Find a garage to park the car, or park at your hotel and walk or take Metro everywhere. Pop the kids in the stroller, take water bottles, and walk to where ever you want.

Thanks for the help so far. I know it sounds a little crazy, but we are visiting/staying with friends (also with little kids) or family in Boston, Philadelphia, and DC. My husband and I have spent a fair amount of time in Boston, NYC, and DC without children. We're just looking for a little advice on highlights our 3 yo son might enjoy. We are coming from Cleveland and have about two days each in Philly and NYC, three each in Boston and DC. Hope that clarifies. Thanks again for any advice.

Well these are pretty obvious, but:

Boston
-- Public gardens, swan boats, make way for ducklings statue
-- Children's museum
-- Aquarium

DC
-- the lawn/carousel around Smithsonian
-- national zoo
-- there used to be a small children's museum, don't know if it is still there

NYC
-- central park and zoo
-- boat trip to Liberty and Ellis island

In Phila., consider
-- the Please Touch Museum, designed with kids in mind (as the name implies)
-- the Franklin Institute
-- the waterfront area
-- the aquarium across the river in Camden

With kids that young, you are sort of limited, but those are some of the features everyone can enjoy.

Hmmm.

Well, your trip is what it is. Just try to do your driving very early AM on weekends or 10-am-3:00pm on weekdays to minimize traffic nightmares.

Since you and husband have already visited NYC and don't have family there, consider saving NYC for its own week long trip in the future.

DC:
riding the metro; a 1hr river boat tour (leaves from Georgetown waterfront) boat tour would also work for Boston; the outdoor sculpture gardens at both the Hirshorn and the Nat'l Gallery of Art; Arboretum; Teddy Roosevelt island; canal rise on the C&O; paddle boat rides at the Tidal Basin (near Jefferson Memorial); Zoo - go as EARLY as possible for the best qualtiy visit; the Nat'l Gallery of Art has childrens movies on Saturday mornings (kids also like the gelato there).

If you are in the White House area - kids seem to love the $1.35 creme brulee or the fries at the Breadline (1751 Pennsylvania Ave).

Here are the kid movies at NGA (note - July schedule not posted yet - should show up soon, keep cjecking this websight):
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm

Canal ride info:
http://www.nps.gov/choh/pphtml/newsdetail17340.html

Since you do not have family in NYC I would reco a hotel on the upper west side for several reasons:

Close to a lot of things you would want to do (Central Park, zoo, Nat'l Histo Museum) plus easy subway acess to the rest of the city

A ton of casuale, inexpensive good family friendly restaurants

Easy transit in and out of the city - just take the west side highway into the city - when when you're done - take it back up to the GWB and into Jersey (minimizes city driving)

Perhaps try the Lucerne or look above for others.

Thanks for all of the help so far.
The boat tours sound like a good and cool walking break.

Any thoughts on the Boston harbor tour?
C&O Canal Tour in DC?
Any in Philly?

Are the historical sights in Philly kid-friendly?

Bronx Zoo and Central Park doable in one day?

Already looking forward to Reeves Bakery and Capital City Brewery in DC. Five Brothers too - from another posting. Thanks!

Thanks again for any advice.

Hi tpdevine! Are the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo doable in one day? No, I don't think so. I think you should pick one or the other. There is so much to see in the Bronx Zoo that it really eats up most of the day.

My favorite is the Bronx Zoo but you might want to make your decision based on the weather and your kids (and where you are staying).

IMHO, kids that age will find a harbor tour (like in Boston) boring -- they'll explore the ship itself and a half-hour will be enough.

Likewise, I wouldn't trek all the way out to the Bronx -- save it for a later trip when they're older. The Central Park zoo is fun enough and there are other things for them to do in CP.

for your philly phase philadelphia zoo, Sesame Place (just outside Philly in levittown) a toddler amusement park based on sesame street, New Hope trendy pretty river town with shops and restaurants, folks with strollers there all the time, little over an hour north of philly. philly has duck tours like boston.

I don;t think you would really have time to enjoy either one if you try to do the Bronx zoo and Central Park in one day.

Why not just do the smaller zoo in Central Park - it's not a kids zoo - just has a much smaller selection of animals - but the penguins and polar bears, sea lions and monkeys are always good. And there is an attached petting zoo just for little kids.

Last week I was at the Museum of Natural History on the mall in D.C. with two grandchildren, 5 and 3 years old. The five-year-old was avidly interested in everything, the three-year-old interested in each new thing only briefly. They liked the animal bones big and small (from dinosaurs to bats and mice!) and the insect zoo. The five-year-old proudly held a "hissing cockroach" in his hand as teenage girls squealed and drew back. It didn't hiss or bite (I bravely petted it). The younger boy held a squirmy caterpillar and was very proud of himself.

The museums close at five, so if you want something to do after that, you can drive over (not far, but very slow in the rush-hour traffic) to the relatively new FDR Memorial. Unlike other presidential memorials, it's quite spread out, with lots of statues and water, pools and falls, which both children should enjoy.

Thanks! My sons will definitely enjoy the Insect Zoo.

Any other thoughts on ...

family friendly restaurants with local flavor in each city?

harbor tour in Boston?

historical sites in Philly family friendly?

canal tour in DC?

convenient hotel near DC for one night, including parking?

Thanks again.

Contrary to what was posted above, the National Museum of Natural History in DC does not close at 5, but is on summer hours and closes at 7:30.

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philly usually have long lines. Both have tour guides giving fairly long talks about the Bell and hall. Not toddler friendly at all. A horse drawn carriage ride through the historic area may be more interesting and fun.