driving trip within 8-10 hours of Baltimore?
 

Hello all, my fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon right now- it will be in early July 2009. We are considering several options, and one of them is to drive somewhere that we have never been that is within 10 hours of where we live (Baltimore area).

So- any suggestions for a place that is a must-see within this distance of the east coast? (I have already been to Atlanta and Nashville so we are eliminating those. Others have suggested Niagra Falls, but neither of us is really interested in that trip.)

We love the outdoors- beaches are OK, we like the mountains/woods better. We are willing to go to a city or the country. We would like to stay in a relatively inexpensive hotel or a bed and breakfast. We are willing to pick a central location to stay and possibly branch out for day trips to nearby places if possible.

Would anyone like to suggest some must-see places in this area of the East Coast?? Thanks in advance.

The Coast of Maine is fabulous

I agree that the coast of Maine is great. Acadia National Park/Mt.Desert Island in Maine is about a 12 hour drive from Baltimore.

Some other great places that meet your criteria are: The Finger Lakes district of NY - a beautiful area with the plus of Vineyards to visit.
Also, the Hudson Valley area of NY and the Berkshires of MA (once lived there). All of the above about a 6 hour drive out of Baltimore with lots of scenic beauty and history. One more hour of driving will get you to Lake George in NY - a place worth checking into.

Another vote for Maine. I like the coast but the inland lakes and mountains might please you better.

Also Vermont and New Hampshire, for mountains.

A place closer to your home that I find beautiful is Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Beautiful scenery, mountain and rivers. It has its own historical significance, and other Civil War sites are nearby.

I vote for the coast of Maine, too. If the trip was broken into segments, Acadia National Park could be included if you didn't mind staying in several different places. Perhaps a first night or two in Newport RI or Portsmouth NH. Then the rest of the time in the Bar Harbor area but if you aren't hikers, you might enjoy the Boothbay Harbor or Camden area even more. They are a bit closer and make great bases for exploring mid-coast Maine.

One more thought since you are also considering cities. Have you considered Quebec City in Canada? it is the nearest thing to a European city in North America, has a walled old city and is only a 12 hour drive from Baltimore. If you use it as a base, there is some spectacular scenery further north within day trip distance.

Along the city vein...

Quebec City is a good suggestion but technically out of your 10-hour driving range; Montreal however is right within it (remember: unless things change, you'll need your passport as of June 2009 to drive across the border). I'm a transplanted U.S. citizen who's lived here for over 10 years and still find myself captivated by the energy of the city and the beauty of some of the surrounding areas. For many south of the border and from other parts of Canada, Montreal provides romance with historied narrow streets, boulangeries, patisseries and some terrific restaurants. Being surrounded by French-speakers also offers a different perspective of North America. The Laurentians and Eastern Townships are lovely nearby getaways. You could even go up to Quebec City, although 3 hours from Montreal, it's a bit long for a day trip.

Without a passport, if a city is decided upon, Boston has plenty of old-world charm too and is within the 10-hour range.

Just a few more thoughts.

Daniel

If you like woods and mountains, how about Ashville, NC? Since it's your honeymoon, splurge on lodging at the Inn at the Biltmore

Better yet, why not save yourself all that driving (a day-long slog each way), and fly out to one of the Rocky Mountain states and get a rental vehicle (4WD if you want the best hiking areas). Staying at a national park lodge would be a great honeymoon. I recommend Glacier NP in Montana.

What if you combined Niagara Falls with Toronto? I personally am fascinated by the falls and have seen them at least 10 times. Most visits were because business trips take me to the area but I've taken trips especially to see the falls. Love Maid of the Mist but I totally avoid all the tackiness. Toronto is just another 1.5 hours from there and its a great city with museums, shows, baseball. Lots to do.

But the coast of Maine is very special too. I adore Acadia. Ocean but not exactly the beach.

If mountains and woods are your thing then consider the White Mountains in NH. Lots of hiking there and it could be combined with a trip to Boston.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! We are going to investigate all of your suggestions. (I love this place....all the knowledge and helpfulness never ceases to amaze me!)

Has anyone spent any time in the Shenendoah Valley of Virginia? This was also recommended to us by a friend.

Yes, it's beautiful. Check out the Peaks of Otter Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's a lovely place to stay.

We spent a few lovely weeks one July traveling down the Blue Ridge Parkway and visiting anything that looked interesting. I live near the NH mountains but I think VA is prettier, maybe because the Parkway offers some tremendous views.

I first recommended the coast of Maine (once you get mid-coast, beaches are rocky and we don't do beach vacations anyway). It's a great combination of mountains and woods.

If you like hiking, NH would be great. You would also have lots of opportunities for kayaking. Some ski area have mountain bike trails. There's usually a special event going on someplace.

The coast of Maine is a good suggestion. Include Acadia Park, Bar Harbor,(whale watching trip was fun) Kennebunkport (quaint) and Ogunquit(walk the Marginal Way, it is beautiful, http://www.meliving.com/marginalway/index.shtml

Also, Harpers Ferry was mentioned above, close by is Gettsyburg Pa and a wonderful place to spend a few days with all it's Cival War history.

I would also highly recommend Lake Placid and the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks if you enjoy mountains and hiking. It would be an easy drive up 83 to 81 all the way to Utica, NY where you could take one of the smaller scenic roads up to the mountains. My husband and I spend as much time there as we can in the summer. At Blue Mtn Lake there's a great museum that explores the history of the Adirondack area. The only caveat is that there's a huge horse show in LP that runs the last week of June till the 1st or 4th of July, so you might find things a bit busier than normal at that time.

The White Mtns of NH are also great and the Kancamungus Highway is beautiful.

I would also suggest looking into the 1000 islands along the St. Lawrence River, or maybe renting a cottage up near Sharbot Lake in ON. Perth, ON is a very pretty town, a little more than an hour north of the border and Ottawa is a great city about 2 hrs north of the border.

I think if you head anywhere north you'll have a great time.