Yennyfire

Hi All,

New to the forum, and so glad I found it BEFORE we booked anything! You all seem to be a wealth of info and I've been reading as many posts as I can.

We are coming up to Boston from Atlanta on 9/23 and fly home on 9/30. We have two children, a 10 year old daughter and an 11 year old son. Because our son' bucket list includes seeing a baseball game at all major stadiums and the Yankees are his team, we need to be in Boston on the 27th, 28th or 29th, when the Yankees/Sox play, so thinking we do New England the 24th-27th and Boston the 27th-30th.

We will do the obvious Boston sites: Faneuil Hall, Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, Harvard, etc....planning to do a North End walking food tour, Charles River cruise, etc.

Where I need help is figuring out an itinerary in New England. Rt. 100 in Vermont looks amazing, as does heading up towards Portsmouth, NH (Strawbery Banke museum) and Ogunquit, Maine ( I realize we can't do all of this). There are so many places to go and, obviously, we can't even scratch the surface.

My husband and I would love to just drive from town to town, enjoying the foliage, museums, towns, and food, but the kids probably won't tolerate that for long, unless there's some incentive every couple of hours (like the Ben & Jerry's factory tour in Waterbury/Stowe). Can anyone suggest some kind of itinerary that allows us to leave Boston the morning of the 24th and return to Boston on the morning of the 27th that will work for all of us? The kids probably won't want to tour museums all day and it looks like many of the amusement park type places are closed at this time of year.

Appreciate all suggestions for a vacation that will all love!

Thanks for your help!

cw

To see Fall colors at that time of year, you'll have to head to Northern Vermont, I think.

This is a helpful website on foliage reports and a summary of past years.

http://www.yankeefoliage.com/new-england-foliage-maps/

The timing differs, depending upon weather, year-to-year so it is impossible to predict precisely.

Ben and Jerry's is a great idea.

Yennyfire

Thanks CW, appreciate the reply.

tchoiniere

Get tickets now for that Sox game. That is Ortiz' last home series against the Yankees. You may find the games already sold out or very limited tickets driving you to secondary markets where prices will be much higher.

Yennyfire

Thanks tchoniere! Hubby is working on it now, thanks to your suggestion!

Inakauaidavidababy

Also, have you locked down lodging in Boston? I may have missed that. Do it now! And your car rental should be locked down too. Other then that it's a toss of the dice on which way to go to. You may be early for foliage - every year is different, and we are in a bit of a drought, but things could change.

I am still laughing that an 11 year olds bucket list is navigating this trip!!! You should take the Fenway tour. I haven't but have always heard good reports.

Yennyfire

We are working on lodging/car rental/flights now. As a family, we always hit the baseball stadiums of whatever city we are in. While I can take/leave baseball, watching my child's face light up when we enter a stadium (and, if he's lucky, catches a ball during batting practice or gets one signed by a player), is always special for me.

gail

Regarding Red Sox tickets, Ace Tickets (website of same name) is a ticket broker we have used for many events, including Super Bowl. Availability will also depend on whether Red Sox are fighting for playoff spot at that point as well - but they are likely going to go for above face value. You can use StubHub or Craigslist or eBay - but since many tickets are of the "print at home" variety, there have been stories of multiple copies of same ticket being printed and sold.

Portland, ME is another city to consider - a couple of hours out of Boston. Fenway Park tour is good. You also might consider the North End food tour - it really is interesting even for the kids an includes just enough history without being oppressive.

Mutti

There is a good aquarium in Boston and you can visit 'Old Ironsides'--The USS Constitution. Keep in mind that Boston traffic can be tricky so leave yourself plenty of time to get to your activities. Consider public transit when possible. Portland, ME is just up the road from Ogunquit and it has a bustling 'Old Port' area. Consider a boat trip or a trip to the lighthouse nearby. You could overnight there if you want to combine those cities. Enjoy your trip!

cw

You probably know this already, but plan on returning your car when you come back to Boston. You won't need it to get around, you can use the subway, and it would be expensive to keep it in the city. Kids under 12 ride for free on the T. To check routes you can look at www.mbta.com

The Red Sox also have their own resale site now. It's called Red Sox replay. Try there first if there are no regular tickets available. Also stubhub is a good source.

Yennyfire

Thanks Gail, Mutti and CW! We have locked down airline tix, lodging (ended up renting a Cambridge condo via VRBO) and are currently trying to figure out which way to head in New England. My husband is working on Sox tickets. He uses Stub Hub frequently, but we hadn't heard of Red Sox replay...

Our daughter is an equestrian, so trying to find a place on Rte. 100 in VT where we can do a 2-3 hour trail ride through the scenery and maybe stay overnight. That way, hubby and I get the gorgeous views and our daughter gets to do something she loves as well...

dfrostnh

Our gds enjoyed Squam Lakes Science Center which features NH's wild animals in their native habitat. The special demos and docents make this place extra special. We watched the otters being fed and went to a small visitors' area to see a wild eastern coyote and learn about eastern coyotes. The animal was on a leash but very rambunctious. Our gds did not want to sit in the first row! LOL My favorite however was a lady with a small owl on her arm who came over to talk to use about owls. Just our family.
Location in Holderness NH just north of Lake Winnipesaukee and south of the White Mountains which offer more activities.

I have heard friends trail ride at Castle in the Clouds (Moultonboro NH on Lake W) which is a short drive from Squam Lakes. http://www.ridingintheclouds.com/

Since this is a day trip area for us, no lodging experience but Meredith NH has hotels on the lake or across the lake.

I don't think children that age can really appreciate historical area but the North End Tour with all the food samples might work. It is a great tour but I think I would skip Strawbery Banke.

Lake W is about 2 1/2 hours from Boston. From there you can continue east to connect with Rt 16 and either head to Portsmouth NH or Portland ME. I always recommend the boat rides out of Portsmouth but there is also the marine biology science center at Odiorne Point near Portsmouth.

maxima

Portsmouth is about an hour from Boston. Strawberry Banke consists of old houses that were moved to the site, which are decorated in different periods and have some interpretative guides. Your kids may not find it all that interesting. There are lots of restaurants and shops in town, and various hotels. Parking is a bit of a challenge unless you are willing to pay for it at a hotel.

Yennyfire

Thanks for the replies dfrostnh and maxina. I've scratched Strawberry Backe off of the list and we've decided to head towards Killington/Waterbury/Stowe and tour Billings Farm and Champlain Lake Chocolate. Stopping at Vermont Country Store, the Alpine Slide and have made reservations for a 3 hour horseback tour/picnic too. It's shaping up to be a great trip!

DebbieDoesDulles

You might look at Point Sebago in Casco, Maine. It's a lakefront campground but they also have cabins available or large full cottages. It was a bit too "hectic" in summertime for us, but September would probably be perfect as most New England kids are back in school. Perfect spot for kids that age.
www.pointsebago.com

If you want some time on the coast, though, Ogunquit is perfect at that time of year. Consider the Footbridge Beach Motel or the Pink Blossoms resort suites.