Hi, I would like to join this thread (if appropriate).

We recently relocated from Florida to the DC area. Before we get transferred again, we plan to take a 2 week summer vacation trip (July or August 2012) driving from DC up to Maine. We are still deciding on whether to take a small RV or a car. Are below the "not to miss" highlights for this type of trip? Our kids are 8 and 5 and love outdoors/cities/museums/history/pretty much everything. Thank you!! I would love anyone's opinion.

1. NYC
2. Mystic Seaport
3. Cape Cod
4. Boston
5. Salem
5. Portland
6. Acadia

We plan to do Philadelphia on a separate weekend trip.

Tom_Smith: So as not to confuse the issue here, please post your own thread or simply wait to see if the information offered to the O.P., Amy_Hoff, is of any use to you. :)

caper64... I love the idea of "go where the spirit moves", but I was unsure about getting hotels. Is it possible to do that in June. We are looking at leaving NYC on June 19th.

It probably wouldn't be prudent to go to the Cape without reservations. Schools get out around that time and many people take the first few weeks of summer vacation to visit beach destinations.

The last 4-5 years we haven't seen a whole lot of "No Vacancy" signs, at least not in the mid-Cape area, until until 4th of July week.

There's a good number of name-brand hotels in Hyannis/West Yarmouth/South Yarmouth, like Courtyard, Days Inn, Hampton Inn, Clarion. I can't think of anything that's going on that week that would have all rooms in all those hotels booked up. So even if it's a busier than normal travel week, I'd say that getting a room in the mid-Cape region shouldn't be a problem.

Our honeymoon road trip was during the height of leaf peeping season, and we stuck with the name brands and had no trouble finding a room anywhere.

That said, if you'll worry all the way about finding a room at your next stop, then the "wing it" approach definitely isn't the best option for you!

We've found the summer season starts earlier and earlier on the Cape every year. It used to be that July 4th marked the beginning of the influx of hoards of visitors but recently the shoulder seasons are getting more crowded. Perhaps chain hotels would be the way to go though.

I think gardengrl's itinerary is on the right track but I think it would help if some specific reasons/sites could be listed. I liked one poster's reference to York Beach, Maine and things to do. There's a 7yo child in the back seat and I'm not sure anyone is going to get more than a glimpse. I'm not sure a 7yo will like Mystic (the Seaport? the Aquarium?). One time we took our niece to Plimoth Plantation because her mother insisted that we do something educational. She liked a go-cart place we found a lot better.

Perhaps those who recommend Cape Cod, should suggest a great beach for shelling and tidal pools.

Who knows how bad the bugs will be in June. Normally, lupine are blooming in the White Mountains in June so a breakfast at Polly's Pancake Parlor might be nice. The 7 yo might enjoy Storyland but they are open weekends only until June 15. The whole family might like The Flume or Lost River but black flies could be a problem in June.

The route back thru VT depends on family interests. Ben and Jerry's tour? And then south to Brattleboro VT for the farmers market if it's a Saturday? (Great ethnic food vendors for lunch) and then over to Bennington and then Albany NY?

Day 1 - depart NYC, spend night in Mystic, CT or Newport, RI
Day 2 - drive to Cape Cod (or coastal Maine)
Day 3 - Cape Cod / Coastal Maine
Day 4 - Cape Cod / Coastal Maine
Day 5 - Drive to White Mountains
Day 6 - White Mountains

I really like this plan.... Can anyone suggest a hotel / inn on the beach in York Maine (or around that area)? I really want beach front and kid friendly.

No Boston?

The Anchorage Inn in York is a really nice hotel, right on the beach, 3 pools, nice rooms and you can see the Nubble Lighthouse from it. It is a little pricey - but maybe ok for a couple nights. Wells and Ogunquit are literally right up the road so check out those towns too. Look up the Wells Chamber of Commerce site for a list of hotels. Also, a poster above mentioned Storyland in NH, it is a great place to visit with a 7yo and I highly recommend you spend a day there!

re:mystic seaport: my son was mad for it at 6,7,and8.

Got it all worked out. Thanks for all the ideas and help!!!

Dayton to DC
DC to White Mountains
White Mountains to York Maine
York Maine to Boston & Plymouth
Boston to Newport Rhode Island
Newport Rhode Island to NYC
NYC to Home

Makes sense to me except for DC to White Mtns.
Why not Dayton to Sryacuse (or Rochester) to White Mtns.
then NYC to Washington and Washington to Dayton.
DC to the north end of White Mtns. will be over 11 hours.
Make sure to drive the Kancamagus highway

I agree with Tom, you are doing quite a bit of backtracking to go back to NYC and then head west. Do you not want to have two cities back-to-back?

I just did not want the long drive to be the last day home. Open for ideas though!

No Cape Cod? Or will you visit while in Boston?

When I read your itinerary I feel exhausted and concerned for you trying to cover all this, and with a 7 yr.old unless the purpose is to be doing a road trip and skimming the surface of wherever you go. I am sorry to be a negative voice but It seems way too ambitious unless you will enjoy a road trip skimming the surface of so many places to see. This is a lot of driving!

You need to slow down. You have a 7 year old with you. I appreciate wanting to visit as many states as possible, but you are trying to do too much.

I would skip DC and do that on another trip with Philly and Baltimore...maybe the Shenandoah Valley.

Mystic, CT: aquarium, submarines
Newport, RI: mansions
Boston, MA: great city with parks, museums, etc
York, Maine: beaches, animal kingdom
White Mountains: hiking, Storyland, Santa's Village

Wineries: numerous in Mass and NH...just google it. I like Fulchino in Hollis NH

I have to be honest, given the distance from Dayton to many of these places, it sounds like a lot to cram into 12 days.

From Dayton to DC is 8 hours (so that's pretty much a day) and from Saratoga NY (where I had suggested a stop over on the way back to OH) it's 11 hours. Even from DC to NY is 4 hours and with traffic and finding your way, you are looking at a lot of long days.

I'm offering this advice as the parent of two young kids who has done countless car trips. We've driven from VT to Florida a number of times, and last year I took them on a 10K mile road trip across the U.S., I think you need to pare this down. It is just so much to do in a short time. I think you'll all be exhausted and very tired of the car by the time you get home.

I've taken both my kids to NYC and DC and you need a few days in each to really see them (and that's cutting out a ton from what you *could* see there). I agree with the above poster, maybe cut one of those out?

While it's true that the distances between places like White Mtns to York, ME and ME to Boston, Boston - Newport are all fairly short, you have to allow time for getting breakfast, getting checked out, traffic, etc. then getting settled in on the other end, finding a place for dinner. It can leave little time in the day to explore.

Is it at all an option to fly? You could fly into NY and immediately start a route to New England and circle back, dump the car, spend a night in NYC, then take the train to DC for a few days and fly home.

I appreciate all the responses but we are still doing our road trip. I have a wonderful daughter who has traveled a lot since she was born. She was the one who wanted to to do this. She knows that its going to to be over 2000 miles. My husband and I have both been to DC and NYC multiple times and just want to share a few things with her.