East coast summer vacation ideas
 

My best friend & I are planning a trip in June to celebrate my 50th birthday. We're in SC,& since we're limited to 5 days, we're looking primarily east coast (no cruises, no amusement parks, no 5 days at the beach - skin cancer survivor). I'd like to find a place with some beautiful scenery (amateur photog), fun things to do, and interesting tours or excursions. I'd really appreciate any suggestions!

How about Asheville?

I'd go to New England given your preferences for scenery and no beach, etc.

Are you driving or flying?

Also depends on what's meant by "scenery." Are you talking trees and hiking and parks, or historic buildings and the like? Both could be interesting to photograph.

Asheville is too close - been there a dozen times. We don't mind flying (although I haven't been on a plane in 25 years!!) We just don't want to spend a big chunk of our 5 days traveling to get there. As for scenery, I'd prefer nature - mountains, trees, lakes, beaches - any or all would be great.
Padams451 - any particular places in New England that you had in mind? That's a big area, and I don't know much about it. Thanks!

Fly to Portland, Maine and drive to Acadia National Park.

Fly to Manchester, NH and drive to Mt. Washington, take a ride on the cog railway or hike up. Check the other Presidents and then go over to Vermont for a couple of days.

Cooperstown, NY
Lake Waramaug/New Preston/Kent/Litchfield, CT
Williamstown, MA

I'm familiar with Cooperstown, but I'm not familiar with the other places. What do they have to offer? Also, what about Virginia or upstate NY? Anybody know of any good spots there?

Another vote for New England. I would say with only 5 days you would need to choose between southern New England (which has more history but still some great scenery) and northern New England (which has greater scenery but still some history). For example you could fly into Providence RI, spend a day or two in the Newport RI area, a day in Plymouth MA or Cape Cod, and round it out with a couple of days in Boston. BTW, is CBWest your initials or where you went to school?

It's my initials, which is good because my school's initials are "FU" (Furman University) :)

Fly into NYC and drive up along the Huson River...beautiful scenery and historical sites.

Or, fly into D.C. and drive into Virginia and West Virginia...Harpers Ferry for history and scenery...Berkeley Springs W.V. for a spa experience, quaint shops and again scenery.

I'd say New England - Maine Coast, New Hampshire & Vermont mountains.
For something really unique, consider Quebec City and the surrounding countryside. Almost like being in France!

CBWest, am thinking there are some very good suggestions listed here to get you started. To the New England list above, I'll add a driving trip through various parts of Vermont, or a trip to the Berkshires (Williamstown is located here, as are Tanglewood, Lenox, Stockbridge, and Pittsfield) or the Pioneer Valley area (Amherst, Northampton, Historic Deerfield, with Old Sturbridge Village a reasonable drive away).

A good next step might involve some research on this forum or in some guidebooks (Fodor's or Frommer's, or their website analogs) to see what strikes your fancy best.

An thinking we'll probably be best able to help out after you've narrowed things down a bit, maybe put up a sample itinerary or the like.

Good luck!

I'll suggest something different, although it doesn't really fit the type of scenery you mention. What about the Brandywine Valley area in Pennsylvania? It's really quite a lovely area, with river and gardens to photograph, You can visit Winterthur, Longwood Gardens, the Brandywine museum (to see the Wyeth paintings), and several other historic homes.

Fly into Manchester NH. Rent a car, drive to Portsmouth NH. Tour Strawbery Banke and take a harbor cruise. Head to NH's White Mountains esp if your June visit coincides with the lupine festival. Maine also has some beautiful stands of wild lupines in the mid-coast area but that would be too much driving. Visit Castle in the Clouds, cruise Lake Winnipesaukee, take a gondola ride up Cannon Mountain, walk the Flume.

Wow, these ideas all sound wonderful!! Makes me wish we had more time. My friend and I are getting together this weekend to discuss what we've come up with so far...hopefully, I'll have a better idea after that and can narrow it down. You guys are terrific!

You might google litchfield hills visiitors bureau
From "personal experience" I can recommend The Boulders in New Preston,CT (On Lake Waramaug) and the
West Side Grill in beautiful Litchfield, CT

Um, that would be West Street Grill in Litchfield, CT

Keep those ideas coming! I'm going to present all of them to my friend this weekend so we can finally make a decision.

New England would be a great destination. Personally, I would vote for New Hampshire and Vermont to get the scenery you have described.

Keep in mind that flying to New England will use up at least half a day each way, so you will end up with at best 4 days (arrive NE midday on Day 1 and leave afternoon of Day 5) and at worst 3 days (arrive evening of Day 1 and depart morning of Day 5) of actual visiting.

I agree with the suggestion of Maine. The coast of Maine, especially Acadia, is the most scenic area in the country east of the Mississippi River. I have traveled extensively. No place else comes close.

Gail and laborman have the right idea, I summer in Maine (I'm v. fair) and you can spend a whole day in the sun and not get over exposed with sun (with proper coverage. More importantly, it's a beautiful area to visit and with so much coast, you really can go places where you feel like you have it all to yourself!! To see the best scenery and have the place to yourself, be sure to get off the beaten path. By all means see Acadia, but be sure to spend some time in the other coastal areas; Blue Hill, Deer Isle, and further north way downeast, at Schoodic and Cherryfield.

Fly into Hartford (BDL), take RT 91 north to Greenfield, MA. Take rt 2 to western MA, Rt 7 north to Bennington, VT. Continue on to Manchester, VT. Take Rt 30 north to Middlebury, VT. Rt 125 to Rt 100 S to Killingon Mt.
Rt 4 west to Woodstock, VT. You will see some magnificant scenery and almost more history than one can stand.
From Woodstock, I would head north on Rt 12, then east to NH. South on Rt 89, and return from Manchester, NH.
Excellent trip, with many excellent restaurants and places to stay along the route.
Let me know if you want more specific info.
Happy Traveling !!!

I'm going to also plug New England. Specifically, fly into BOS or Manchester and drive Western Mass. A $10 ticket at Tanglewood will get you lawn seating where you can picnic while listening to one of the best symphonies in the US. Take a cooler with your favorite wine and a cold dinner.

I've stayed at The Inn at Green River just over the border in Greenhill, NY (www.innatgreenriver.com) a couple of times -- it's a great farmhouse-type inn, and the owner, Deb Bowen, is a treat. Lots of wonderful towns filled with restaurants and shopping in the area.

You can also drive further west 30 minutes to the town of Hudson, on the Hudson River. It used to be a prison town and now has a wonderful downtown filled with art and antique shops. South of town is Olana (www.olana.org), the newly restored mansion of the American landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church; a wonderful tour with amazing views of the Hudson from its hilltop setting.

Maine! Specifically the town of Lincolnville. Lincolnville - just north of Camden - has everything, including endless photo-ops. Some examples...an island dotted Bay, a pristine lake with Loons, mountains that seem to flow right into the ocean, great places to stay and eat, a ferry to an island, and quaint without kitsch. Acadia is beautiful and makes a nice day trip!!

BTW, JetBlue has 3 daily, direct, 2 hour flights to BOS from Charlotte, NC and numerous longer flights that connect through JFK. It's about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Boston to the Berkshires and Green River, NY (sorry, it's not Greenhill, had the name wrong) in non-rush hour traffic. In rush hour traffic along the MassPike, it's anyone's guess, so watch your arrival and departure times if you decide to fly to BOS.

Hi! Just to throw out another itinerary - fly into Burlington, VT (gorgeous town on Lake Champlain with lots of history and the scenery is breathtaking), drive to Montreal (only about 1 1/2 hours), tons of history and a beautiful french city. Then from Burlington again, go south down I-89 to Ben & Jerry's; the village of Stowe where the Trapp Family Lodge is (yes, the Sound of Music family); then go to Cabot (the cheese company). There are so many other things in that area - if you check out this website or AAA you will be set! My husband and I did this a few years ago, and just went wild for that area. We're from Memphis, so it was very different for us!

Oh, one more thing - no rush hours or traffic jams to worry about up there!

The Shenandoah area of Va is beautiful as is the Charlottesville ....president's homes (Monticello, Ash Lawn), history and mountains. Pretty town...wonderful. It is also a beautiful drive going up there.

Also, adding on to my previous reply, Charlottesville is just a short hop away from DC.

What dates in June are you traveling?

In New England, some points of interest (like museums, historic houses, and such) do not open for the summer until late in June (or even July 1). If a certain attraction really catches your interest, make sure it will be open before you plan your trip around visiting it.

We're looking at mid-June...around the 14th or so. Thanks for the info about some places in NE not opening until later...I never would have thought about that. If we decide on NE, I will definitely check out the opening dates of any place we're interested in!

I'd vote for Virginia as someone earlier commented. It's close to you and has all that you're looking for - as well as things you said you didn't want. Start with a trip to Colonial Williamsburg - the country's largest outdoor living history museum. While there spend a day visiting Jamestown and Yorktown where British America began and ended. Then drive up into the mountains two hours away and visit Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley. You can even drive back south toward home on the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. You'll have all the history and beauty you can handle in five days.

Have fun wherever you end up going!

What's the weather like in Virginia in mid-June? I haven't been there in over 40 years, so that's a definite possibility.

Regarding you inquiry about Upstate NY, i am surprised no one replied. Allow me to give you a list. Upstate NY is quite diverse and very lovely, many photo ops. From east to west, Hudson River, Vanderbilt estate, Roosevelt's home, Culinary institute, West Point Miltary Acadamy,Catskill mountains, Cooperstown; Baseball hall of fame. Lake George, (Lake Winnepausake, Actually in Meredith NH, but quite lovely) Adirondack Mountains, Lace placid, (You remember the Olympics.Finger lakes; wine country, Watkins Glenn, Letchworth State park; Grand canyon of the east. Rochester; Home of Eastman Kodak, Corning Glass works. Niagara Falls, Lake Ontario. I am sure a left a few things out . And don't forget our other world. NYC.