Hi,
All these suggestions are great, but no one has mentioned a trip to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. There are many ways to get there. Hiking, driving, taking a coach (i.e. van) or the cog railway. Of these choices, do not drive yourself! Your car will not thank you. It's the highest mountain in the east and is the home of the strongest winds in the world. There is a weather observatory and a museum at the top, and on a clear day the views are awesome. Mt. Wash. has a web site you can check out: www.mountwashington.org. Have a great visit. It's difficult to go wrong in New England.

if u love history, plymouth plantation & mayflower repro are MUSTS! Whale watch while u r there.

Thank you Sue and Ann for your GREAT suggestions!

Ann, it sounds like Mt. Washington is similar to Purgatory in Colorado ~ YIKES! They also have drivers available to bring you DOWN if you become squeamish. I had thought Glacier's Going to the Sun Road, and Rocky Mountain National Park were scary, but Purgatory gets my vote! I'll be excited to see how Mt. Washington compares!

Sue, from what city can you go whale watching? We tried to near Seattle but didn't see any!

Thanks, again!

Ellen, I think Neal was being gentle. It’s hard to take a “where should I go” question seriously from the same person who posts things like: “You betcha! There's NO ONE out there like my "Sparky"! Plus, we have the perfect children, "Rusty" and "Audrey", who NEVER cause us any stress. Tee Hee. However, that might be true for my cousin Kathryn and her hubby Eddie....with their brood...living on that plot of ex-government land in Nevada..... ”
You are right in saying that many of your responses to questions are very useful. But to be candid, some others like the one above kinda veer off the deep end.

OMG woman, Beverly, lighten up! I loved those movies and think it's funny! I bet you're fun at parties. NOT.

Ellen,

May I suggest some highlights of the White Mountains of NH one of my favorite places? In Franconia Notch, be sure and visit The Flume, a natural gorge with a short hike to view a lovely waterfall. There is a bus from the parking area and a fee involved for parking but if you skip the bus and take the walk it's really great and not too long a hike. View the Old Man of the mountains and walk along the lake at the base of the mountain. There are numerous hikes in this area and a short one that comes to mind is to Artist's Bluff which gives you a great view of the notch with Route 93 going through it. There is a tranway to go up to the top of Loon Mountain and at the base of Loon an interesting little museum on the history of skiing. Go over the Kancamagus Highway which is a very scenic drive through the mountains and there are a number of places to stop and see the River or waterfalls. There is usually too much traffic on Route 16 in North Conway and the Factory Outlet Stores to make it worth a visit but the small town of Jackson just north of North Conway. Jackson is a neat new england town that you enter through a covered bridge. My knowledge is primarily of skiing and hiking in this area so if you'd like more info on trails or hikes I'd be glad to answer.

With your interest in history and president's. I think in Concord, VT there is Calvin Coolidge's birthplace. I have been to the Morgan Horse Farm in Middlebury Vt and that was something your family might enjoy, it's run by the Univ of Vermont to promote the breed that was started in Vermont. Of course in Vermont there is the Vermont Teddy Bear factory near Burlington which has a factory tour and the obligatory store to purchase your own teddy bear. The Lake Champlain area is lovely and Ft. Ticonderoga is right accross the lake in NY.

Not sure if anyone mentioned Sturbrige Village in Massachusetts but along with Plimoth Plantation it's a great way to see living history.

I encourage you to visit Acadia Nat'l park there is alot to do there. You can rent bicycles and bike along the carriage paths, rent kyaks and paddle along the coast (it's really quite calm in among the islands and inlets) and we even saw seals. It does get busy in the summer but by planning to drive around the park early or late in the day and doing other activities during the day you can avoid some of it. Lot's of wonderful walks in the park and even a beautiful sand beach. Too cold for swimming but a pretty place for a picnic lunch.

Enjoy your visit.
Sandra

I see lots of bickering and people trying to be funny, but I want to address the subject of the original post of this thread:

So, you've got a "Broad" question about New England. What do you want to know about the broads up there?

Lemme tell ya first off, most of 'em don't appreciate being called "broads" at all. Or even "ladies". You better play it safe and call them "women" or "persons" or else they'll hang ya like a witch in Salem in the old days.

Let's see, what else. Oh yeah. Lots of 'em don't shave their legs. I dunno if it's to keep warm during them cold as heck New England winters, but at any rate now ya know why that Gillette stock over in Boston ain't doin' so hot, ya know what I'm sayin?

Now don't get me wrong, I dig the females in New England. They're book smart AND street smart. And they don't take no cr@p from nobody. Those are good qualities in a woman ya don't see in other parts of the world.

So write back Ellen and tell us what you want to know about Broads in New England.

To "Beverly DeAngelo" - for someone who obviously doesn't appreciate humor, seems like you quoted that adorable Ellen verbatim. Hmmmm, are you greeen-----with envy? HAHAHAHAHAHA
I LOVE THE GRISWOLDS! WE SHOULD ALL BE SO LUCKY TO HAVE TRIPS LIKE THEM.

Hi Ellen!

Sandra's post was excellent, and she took the words right out of my mouth. I highly suggest the White Mountains area as one of your stops, there is lots to do up there, and it's quite beautiful.

The gorge is awesome, and something that both you and your kids will enjoy.

I also vote for Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA. There's also a Six Flags amusement park in nearby Agawam, Mass.--something the teens would love, I'm sure!

I vote for Newport, Rhode Island, as well, but not sure how the teens will feel about touring extravagant mansions. It is something special to experience, and there's some great history to be learned in these "summer cottages," too. Of course, there are other activities in Newport, that you can do also.

If you go, don't plan on touring more than 3 mansions in a day. They can be quite lengthy, and after awhile, they start to feel like they're all the same.

I loved reading about your family vacations. You are creating very special memories for you children that they will treasure forever (even if they don't realize it now!).

By the way, are you looking to adopt a thirtysomething "child"--I'm completely potty trained and I travel well!

whale watching is possible from plymouth--we took Capt Mikes or something like that-also provincetown Mass, salem Mass & someof the towns north of there.
The recommendations for the White Mt area are excellenttay at the Loon Mt Resort & it was great! Franconia Notch is wonderful. There is also a great shaker museum in NH near Concord.

You can go whale watching from Bar Harbor, Maine. Mount Washington is great but remember this is the northeast not the rockies-- our mountains are different and while the drive is exciting its not the going to the sun road or the beartooth pass.

Old Blue Eyes:

Maybe it's a sign of the times, but the Sinatra reply was the funniest thing I've seen on here in months. Very creative.