28 Day Roadtrip to the Northeast US & Canada
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28 Day Roadtrip to the Northeast US & Canada
We are travelling with our two kids, age 13 & 7, to the Northeast and to Montreal and Quebec City for 28 days in July & August. We will be driving from Chicago. We've done big trips before. We love the outdoors and National Parks. We also love history. Our priority is to see Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine - that will complete our lower 48 states. We also are thinking about adding in Cape Cod because we didn't go there when we were in Boston a few years ago. We'll end in New Jersey to visit family and visit New York City. As I've been planning our itinerary, I've considered adding in the Bay of Fundy and Prince Edward Island in Canada. I want to know if they are worth the extra drive. I have a general itinerary. I would love to hear if there are fun things to do with kids in these places, or places that I don't have on the itinerary that we should add. Also, do you think I have enough time in each place, or too much time anywhere? I will also post on the Canada forums. Thanks for your suggestions!
Mon, July 16 Depart Drive to Niagara Falls, CA 8.5 hours
Tue, 17 Niagara Falls & Drive to Vermont 7 hours Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park? Bristol Lincoln Gap Swimming? Where to stay?
Wed, 18 Vermont Visit Shelbourne Farm Ben & Jerrys Factory
Thu, 19 Drive to Montreal 2 hours
Fri, 20 Montreal
Sat, 21 - Montreal
Sun, 22 Drive to Quebec 3 hours
Mon, 23 Quebec
Tue, 24 Drive to Fundy National Park 7 hours
Wed, 25 Fundy NP & Bay of Fundy
Thu, 26 Drive to Prince Edward Island 3 hours
Fri, 27 Prince Edward Island
Sat, 28 Prince Edward Island
Sun, 29 Drive to Acadia National Park 6.5 hours
Mon, 30 Acadia
Tue, 31 Acadia
Wed, 1 Drive to Portland 3 hours (or Kennybunkport)
Thu, 2 Beach Day South of Portland (Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit)
Fri, 3 Another Day in Portland or go to Conway Early
Sat, 4 Drive to Conway NH 1.5 hoursSun, 5 Conway (Dianas Bath, The Flume, Zebs Candy, Train? Storyland or Santas Village?) Mon, 6 Drive to Cape Cod (Stop at J&F Farms?) 4 hours
Tue, 7 Cape Cod
Wed, 8 Cape Cod
Thu, 9 Drive to New Jersey 5 hours
Fri, 10 New York
Sat, 11 Family Day with Cousins
Sun, 12 Drive Home 12 hours
Mon, July 16 Depart Drive to Niagara Falls, CA 8.5 hours
Tue, 17 Niagara Falls & Drive to Vermont 7 hours Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park? Bristol Lincoln Gap Swimming? Where to stay?
Wed, 18 Vermont Visit Shelbourne Farm Ben & Jerrys Factory
Thu, 19 Drive to Montreal 2 hours
Fri, 20 Montreal
Sat, 21 - Montreal
Sun, 22 Drive to Quebec 3 hours
Mon, 23 Quebec
Tue, 24 Drive to Fundy National Park 7 hours
Wed, 25 Fundy NP & Bay of Fundy
Thu, 26 Drive to Prince Edward Island 3 hours
Fri, 27 Prince Edward Island
Sat, 28 Prince Edward Island
Sun, 29 Drive to Acadia National Park 6.5 hours
Mon, 30 Acadia
Tue, 31 Acadia
Wed, 1 Drive to Portland 3 hours (or Kennybunkport)
Thu, 2 Beach Day South of Portland (Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit)
Fri, 3 Another Day in Portland or go to Conway Early
Sat, 4 Drive to Conway NH 1.5 hoursSun, 5 Conway (Dianas Bath, The Flume, Zebs Candy, Train? Storyland or Santas Village?) Mon, 6 Drive to Cape Cod (Stop at J&F Farms?) 4 hours
Tue, 7 Cape Cod
Wed, 8 Cape Cod
Thu, 9 Drive to New Jersey 5 hours
Fri, 10 New York
Sat, 11 Family Day with Cousins
Sun, 12 Drive Home 12 hours
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We are travelling with our two kids, age 13 & 7, ...
Mon, July 16 Depart Drive to Niagara Falls, CA 8.5 hours
Tue, 17 Niagara Falls & Drive to Vermont 7 hours Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park? Bristol Lincoln Gap Swimming? Where to stay?
Wed, 18 Vermont Visit Shelbourne Farm Ben & Jerrys Factory
Thu, 19 Drive to Montreal 2 hours
Fri, 20 Montreal
Sat, 21 - Montreal
Sun, 22 Drive to Quebec 3 hours
Mon, 23 Quebec
Tue, 24 Drive to Fundy National Park 7 hours
Wed, 25 Fundy NP & Bay of Fundy
Thu, 26 Drive to Prince Edward Island 3 hours
Fri, 27 Prince Edward Island
Sat, 28 Prince Edward Island
Sun, 29 Drive to Acadia National Park 6.5 hours
Mon, 30 Acadia
Tue, 31 Acadia
Wed, 1 Drive to Portland 3 hours (or Kennybunkport)
Thu, 2 Beach Day South of Portland (Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit)
Fri, 3 Another Day in Portland or go to Conway Early
Sat, 4 Drive to Conway NH 1.5 hoursSun, 5 Conway (Dianas Bath, The Flume, Zebs Candy, Train? Storyland or Santas Village?) Mon, 6 Drive to Cape Cod (Stop at J&F Farms?) 4 hours
Tue, 7 Cape Cod
Wed, 8 Cape Cod
Thu, 9 Drive to New Jersey 5 hours
Fri, 10 New York
Sat, 11 Family Day with Cousins
Sun, 12 Drive Home 12 hours
Mon, July 16 Depart Drive to Niagara Falls, CA 8.5 hours
Tue, 17 Niagara Falls & Drive to Vermont 7 hours Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park? Bristol Lincoln Gap Swimming? Where to stay?
Wed, 18 Vermont Visit Shelbourne Farm Ben & Jerrys Factory
Thu, 19 Drive to Montreal 2 hours
Fri, 20 Montreal
Sat, 21 - Montreal
Sun, 22 Drive to Quebec 3 hours
Mon, 23 Quebec
Tue, 24 Drive to Fundy National Park 7 hours
Wed, 25 Fundy NP & Bay of Fundy
Thu, 26 Drive to Prince Edward Island 3 hours
Fri, 27 Prince Edward Island
Sat, 28 Prince Edward Island
Sun, 29 Drive to Acadia National Park 6.5 hours
Mon, 30 Acadia
Tue, 31 Acadia
Wed, 1 Drive to Portland 3 hours (or Kennybunkport)
Thu, 2 Beach Day South of Portland (Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit)
Fri, 3 Another Day in Portland or go to Conway Early
Sat, 4 Drive to Conway NH 1.5 hoursSun, 5 Conway (Dianas Bath, The Flume, Zebs Candy, Train? Storyland or Santas Village?) Mon, 6 Drive to Cape Cod (Stop at J&F Farms?) 4 hours
Tue, 7 Cape Cod
Wed, 8 Cape Cod
Thu, 9 Drive to New Jersey 5 hours
Fri, 10 New York
Sat, 11 Family Day with Cousins
Sun, 12 Drive Home 12 hours
You're missing a big chunk of Maine's mid-coast. There are some easy and short hiking trails in the Harpswell area east of Brunswick. You probably won't see many other people despite it being high summer. Good lobster shacks around. Also, easy hike to Owls Head Light near Rockland. Depends on whether you like old cars and planes if you want to visit the Owls Head Transportation Museum. They have special events on weekends when sometimes people are flying their vintage airplanes. Our favorite lobster shack is a little further away - McLoons in South Thomaston. Sometimes you can spot a bald eagle. Also auto road or hike Mt Battie in Camden. The view is spectacular and with luck you'll see a windjammer sailing along the coast. There are several that dock in Camden Harbor when they aren't taking guests out. I also like pretty Rockport harbor (just north of Rockland) where you can take a sailboat ride. We happened at the right time to watch children having sailing lessons. Wondered what it was like to be a mom in the motorboat making sure each little sailboat was doing ok.
Portland: your children might be bored with a Casco Bay mailboat cruise so a lobster boat cruise would be more interesting for them. There's a wonderful view of Portland from the Eastern Promenade park which is very popular on weekends. Lots of picnickers and lots of fun to watch the boat traffic. There's also a great view from Fort Williams Park in South Portland. Portland is a city. Kennebunk is a tourist town. York is also a great family beach.
I think 7 and 13 are too old for Storyland but I think Santa's Village has a water park. If you drive south on Rt 16 from Conway and then head to Tamworth and Center Sandwich you can visit Squam Lakes Science Center in Holderness and also take a pontoon boat ride to see loons etc. Although the Flume is a great hike, you get to see NH wildlife in natural habitats at Squam Lakes. Do everything if you can. Continuing west you can connect with I93. There are several state parks with wonderful beaches. Weir Beach is one but there are others.
Driving south there's a chance to do family kayaking on the Merrimack River near Concord NH. Contoocook River Canoe company is our favorite. From their place on the river you can paddle to a secluded beach. It's a quiet river with some boat traffic. They can also take you over to the Merrimack River for a half day paddle and pickup. This is a beautiful stretch of shallow river and you won't see a single house until you near the end. There are several secluded beaches where you can pull out for a picnic. Great bird watching.
Lego fans might want to stop at SEE Science Center in Manchester NH. The 13 yo might be a little old. Depends on interests.
PEI is beautiful but I think you can see more with less driving if you add more time in Maine and perhaps NH. Cape Cod is also beautiful and the family might like more beach days.
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Where in NJ are you going and why are you doing that before NY which you have to go through to get to NJ?
If you like history, there are places between Cape Cod and NJ that are worth a look. Perhaps Newport, RI for some elegant turn of the century or Mystic, CT for the Seaport Museum and some maritime history.
While the summer is usually warm and lovely, we do have some cool rainy days, I hope you have a plan B for those. There are lots of indoor activities along the way, but you need to have a list of museums, house tours, etc. at hand.
If you like history, there are places between Cape Cod and NJ that are worth a look. Perhaps Newport, RI for some elegant turn of the century or Mystic, CT for the Seaport Museum and some maritime history.
While the summer is usually warm and lovely, we do have some cool rainy days, I hope you have a plan B for those. There are lots of indoor activities along the way, but you need to have a list of museums, house tours, etc. at hand.
#4
Drop a day in either Acadia or Cape Cod. Spend a day near New London CT. I really enjoyed the Submarine museum including the self guided tour through the Nautilus. This makes the trip to NJ a bit easier.
It takes more than 12 hours to drive to Chicago from anywhere in NJ. There is a great amusement park on the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio.
It takes more than 12 hours to drive to Chicago from anywhere in NJ. There is a great amusement park on the shore of Lake Erie in Ohio.
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