I live in Connecticut and am looking for a place to take my daughters for vacation in early April. They are ages 9 and 5. We can go for up to 7 days but a shorter getaway would be fine too. My husband will be working and unable to join us. We need to be able to drive and are on a budget. I'm open for any and all suggestions.

Thank you.

How far are you willing to drive - in miles or time?

Where have you been that worked well?

What about Niagara Falls? It wouldn't be a terribly long drive, and it's very budget friendly at that time of year.

Your biggest issue would likely be unpredictable weather. It could be in the 50s, or it could be 30.

Boston? Lots to see and do.

Pennsylvania dutch country, Lancaster, Hershey, where the Amish live. I would find out if Hershey Park were open first.

Washington DC. All the smithsonians are free and it is a nice time of year to walk around.

Boston lodging and parking can be really expensive, and staying outside the city has a number of problems. I like the DC idea. Once you get there you can sightsee for free. Find a hotel in VA that is accessible to Metro - try Arlington - and it is sometimes possible to find free parking. Stay at something like a Residence Inn and you could save money on breakfast and have a kitchen area for snacks - that will help your budget.

Only problem - those damn cherry blossoms, which cause higher hotel prices. I have found that since exact week is unpredictable, if you book now you can usually catch a deal - the price for specific week goes way up when they can guess blooming dates.

How about a NH/Maine vacation?
SEE Science Center in Manchester NH is perfect for their age group.
Odiorne Point Seacoast Science Center near Portsmouth is good for their age group. If weather is good, you can also do some beach exploring.
Portsmouth is less than an hour from Manchester but if you stayed near the seacoast, you could also visit the Children's Museum in Dover NH.
If you want to get out to walk and enjoy the fresh air, there's public trails at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth and also at nearby Wagon Hill Farm in Durham NH. The trail at Wagon Hill leads to the shore and then you can do a loop following the shore trail. There is plenty of room/open fields if it's windy and good for kite flying.

Look for some public playgrounds. I remember seeing a very popular one in Portsmouth next to the summer Portsmouth Farmers Market location.

If you can find a good price on an air b&b with kitchen, you can cook breakfast and perhaps put together some easy meals in the evening or do take-out. Even a microwave and fridge in a hotel room would be a budget help.

gail is correct that Arlington is a great area to stay near DC. Metro will take you right in!

I know it's not East Coast but you can go to Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited. The HI Hostel is the largest in the US.
http://hichicago.org/
Kids under 15 are half price on Amtrak.

Should you decide to come to Washington, D.C. (which is a great budget location since the Smithsonian museums, the zoo, the monuments, etc. are all free), here are 4 budget hotels in Arlington, VA which offer free parking and are within walking distance of a Metro station. None of these are fancy, but they are all clean, comfortable and in safe locations. (Check their excellent reviews on Trip Advisor.)

In alphabetical order:

Americana Hotel (Crystal City area of Arlington)
Best Western Iwo Jima (Rosslyn area)
Highlander Motel (Clarendon area)
Holiday Inn Rosslyn @Key Bridge (Rosslyn area)

The Best Western Iwo Jima and Holiday Inn Rosslyn have indoor pools. The Americana and Highlander Motels offer free continental breakfast.

Thank you all for these suggestions! I will start doing some research.