We are visiting the Boston area in several weeks and have one final day left to plan. We have a 9 yr old son so the first day will be spent at the Basketball Hall of fame in Springfield. Then on to Plymouth for two days, then three days in Boston. Then we travel to Maine for a visit with friends. Our last day will be going from Portland Maine to Hartfort CT (or close). Any recommendations on what to see between Portland Maine and Hartford on a Sunday afternoon/Monday am.??? Any suggestions on where to stay that would be fun for a 9 yr old and his parents????

Sturbridge Village comes to mind--about 45 min to 1 hr east of Hartford just over Ma border.

Magic Wings http://www.magicwings.com/index.php
South Deerfield, MA
Not the more direct diagonal that 495 & MA Pike takes between Portland & Hartford, but 95 down from Deerfield area may be less traffic.

How about the Flume in NH's White Mountains? Take the Rt from Portland to North Conway. He may or may not be too old for Storyland. You could also take a tram ride up Cannon Mtn. Possibly spend the afternoon in the White Mountains and then spend the night further south, ie Concord or Manchester NH. We have found the shortest drive with least amount of traffic is to go over to Keene/Brattleboro VT and get on Rt 91 down to Hartford. Otherwise on a weekday morning you will face heavy traffic on Rt 95 on the coast, Rt 93 and Rt 3 from Concord and then heavy traffic on Rt 495. And on Sunday afternoon you won't hit end of weekend traffic heading south if you go west from Portland instead of south on 95.

Water Country, Portsmouth NH! A humongous water park.

Six Flags in Agawam Mass, just north of Hartford.

Lexington / Concord might not be so bad for a stop -- the start of the Revolution and all that.

The White Mountains are totatly out of your way. Although they are one of the more beautiful places on this Earth, in my opinion, there isn't really any way to do them between Portland and Hartford. Unless you mean leave Portland Sunday, spend Sunday night somewhere, and get into Hartford Monday afternoon?

Sturbridge Village is definitely a good suggestion, although it is a bit out of the way. The North Shore of Boston is another possibility - Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Newburyport, or Salem are all (sorta) on the way.

Lexington and Concord is also a possibility, although I think if Colonial era history is interesting to you, Sturbridge is more interesting.

Sturbridge Vilage will actually be right on your route between Maine and Hartford. You will be taking either I-95 or 495 to the MassPike and then you would take Route 84 to Hartford. You will pass right through Sturbridge shortly after you get on Route 84.

msacton: you just think the White Mtns are totally out of the way. Hartford is very west of Portland ME and most people drive south via Rt 95 to the Mass Pike. My route via the White Mtns simply requires going west from Portland first and then heading south to Concord NH, over to Keene/Brattleboro and then south on Rt 91 which eliminates all the traffic on Rt 95 and the Mass Pike (this will be Sunday in summer when southbound traffic is esp heavy on those roads). According to Mapquest, the mileage is 203.74 (via Rt 95 etc) for 3 hrs and 20 minutes. My suggested route over to Conway then down to Concord is 295.61 but is does add 3 hours of driving but on a scenic and less congested roads since much of those miles is not on an interstate. Granted the trip over to the Flume will take additional time and miles but is not "totally" out of the way. It is certainly do-able It is my assumption they had the leeway of spending Sunday night on the road somewhere. However, Sturbridge is a nice idea, too.