Family of 4-New England trip

Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 11:46 AM
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Family of 4-New England trip

We're looking at doing a trip up that way (based in Boston?) in late summer or during Fall Break (first week of Oct). It's me, my wife, 15 y/o daughter & 12 y/o daughter. I like history (but no one else is that crazy about it). The women all love shopping. We love to eat at unique places. We like atmosphere and to get a real feel for a place. 15 y/o daughter's an aspiring writer. The girls love the show Gilmore Girls and would like to see small town New England, too. We like to travel comfortably but don't want to break the bank. Any suggestions on where to stay/what to see?
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Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 02:20 PM
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Gilmore Girls, I believe, is based on a small Ct. town so I don't know if you mean actually going to Ct, but if you do, you could combine Mystic (seaport, some historical for you, shopping, etc for them) and from there to RI to Newport/the mansions/ many historical sites for you and plenty of shopping along the wharfs for the shoppers, plenty of beautiful vistas. But to me, neither of these are small town NE.

I am sure there are many lovely areas in Maine, NH, even Western Mass (Lenox/Sturbridge/area: the rte 2 way not the pike way) which you could google and find out about thru their tourism pages. I am not familiar enough with the combo of history/shopping in some of those states to recommend a particular location but I'm sure someone on this forum will be.

I am going to suggest one trip to consider that might satisfy all (shopping/history/small towns)and that we have enjoyed many times when our daughter was in college in Vt.

Driving from Boston to the area of Addison County, Vt (Middlebury, Vergennes, Bristol) and on into Burlington. You can drive from Middlebury to Burlington in about 40 minutes, Middlebury area being more quaint than Burlington, although latter is also lovely town.

Between Boston and say, Middlebury, you would be on mostly highway until you got to White River Junction (a good stop, shopping, outlets, lunch) and on to Middlebury over and down the mountain road, I think a great scenic drive past farms, streams, beautiful vistas, passing the Bread Loaf campus where many a writer attends the annual writer's conference..something for your daughter to aspire to... and into Middlebury - a small New England town, tiny common & downtown with quaint shops, views of Green mtns and Lake Champlain, Frog Hollow arts and crafts, some clothing outlets a bit out of town (geiger, nordic sweaters and the vermont soap company factory and outlet where your girls can buy great soaps and creams on the cheap, the bars that are "cut wrong" are all thrown in old wooden bins and boxes just waiting for them) coffee and lunch spots and a few nice restaurants overlooking the falls, (Otter Creek bakery, yum) and Otter Creek Brewing Company if you want to visit that while they shop) and Middlebury is close to Bristol, Vergennes, Rutland (longer, 45 min from Middlebury) or even Woodstock a great town to visit with cool shops and cafes - one hour from Middelbury: all lovely back road scenic drives from Middlebury area.

Boston to Middlebury is about 4 hrs if you choose the mountain road route after White River Junction

Wherever you stayed in this area (B&B's and plenty of lodging choices in all these towns: Middelbury Inn is a real old time Inne - you have small shops - funky and crafty being it's in a college town, so the type of shops teenagers would like - and Middlebury College, which also has a lovely campus, small on the hill, great arts and theater center- if in the fall, maybe a play/dance show/concert at night your girls would like as well as the adults - and catch a sunset over the mountains

stars at night also great in this area b/c not much industry/evening lights

and during the day, all along Rte 7 towards Burlington - about 40 min drive - there are great photo ops and you pass farms, galleries (where often you can see blacksmiths at work, glass blowers, etc) arts and crafts stores, covered bridges, alpaca farms, flower farm, winery, the Vermont Teddy Bear factory and tour (if your girls were so inclined) , great small restaurants, and many historical musuems and sites along Rte 7 and some on the lake side - (Sheldon Museum w/ mansion, exhibits and an incredible restored 200' steamboat that seeing the woodwork alone is worth the walk through) , Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (replica, full size of revolutionary gun boat Philadelphia II, historic musuem), you can ferry across Lake Champlain, - (about 20 min from Middlebury) to Ft. Ticonderoga (for you, they can catch some sun on the Lake ferry; maybe you'll swap them for a day of shopping in Burlington - or leave them to shop and do a history day for you and meet up for dinner).

Burlington has the Church St. Marketplace, huge pedestrian shopping area w/ enough stores and cafes to keep them busy shopping for a day when they've had enough of the small town charming shops. It also has great restaurants, Flynn Ctr for Performing Arts etc, great views of the lake, and while I am not familiar w/ museums in Burlington downtown, I'm thinking you could find something for you besides shopping if all day is too much for you and 1/2 day not enough for them ! Or let them drop you at one of the musuems and pick you up on their way back if you want to spend hours in one of them and they don't.

Plus the activities in and around Lake Champlain are too numerous to mention. Good web sites we used to consult: www.midvermont.com and vermont.org

The only thing, wherever you go, is to remember some colleges have parent/alumni weekends in Oct, which may affect room rates if any are left - although I'm thinking their later than the first week, but some will be.

Ok, so this was just my thought on a possible itinerary that would combine something for everyone ....you can tell I'm partial to the entire area, ...sometimes I wish she was still in college b/c I miss the area....but there are areas like this all over New England....... Von Trapp Family Lodge area, White Mountain area (North Conway outlets, views, the flume, not sure about history sites for you but I'm sure they are there somewhere), and the coast of Maine is always lovely and plenty of shopping (Kittery, etc but again, I'm not familiar w/ Maine history area)

Half the fun is planning, so have fun whatever you do !

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Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 04:45 PM
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How long will your trip be? Your 15 year old may enjoy a day trip to Concord. You can visit residences of Alcott, Emerson, Thoreau, etc. Also, you will enjoy the history of Minuteman National Park.

I loved my visit to Boston! Make sure you sneak some good history in there while your girls are shopping. There is so much around every corner that you are never far from a bit of history.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 04:47 PM
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You don't say where you're coming from (flying?) and how long (though I'm guessing a week). That would help us some as Boston Logan is a good airport for visiting Boston but Manchester, NH and Providence, RI have great fares from certain cities and aren't too far flung.

Some thoughts:

You should definitely spend 2 to 3 nights in Boston. Walk the Freedom Trail. Go to the Museum of Science. Eat in the North End (Italian section). Go window shopping on Newbury Street. Go shopping at the original Filene's basement. Given your girls love of shopping, the Marriott or Westin at Copley Square are in the middle of a shopping mall. Given your kids' ages, they would love to see Cambridge/Harvard. History for you and funky, hip shopping for them. Definitely a "scene" at any time of the year.

Your aspiring writer might like to visit Louisa May Alcott's home in Concord. Concord is a 40 minute drive from downtown Boston (could also take a train) and is a charming NE city. Also history there with the Battle Road (National Park, good movie).

Like the suggestion of Mystic/Newport. If I had to pick with your girls, I'd go with Newport.

Seeing Maine would be great too. Go up to Kennebunkport. Lovely inns there and restaurants. George Bush Sr. has his compound there and you can easily view it from the road. Freeport, Maine (up the road about 45 minutes) is the home to LLBean (their flagship store is there) and many upscale outlets. Harraseeket Inn is right in town, lovely and quintessential New England.

I wouldn't miss Cape Cod either but that's another story....our favorite spot in the world.

Would help to know your timing, etc. Just some ideas to get you going. Vermont is absolutely beautiful. But if you go there it would be hard to do Newport and Boston I think. If you do go, be sure to stop in Hanover, NH to see Dartmouth.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 06:22 PM
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Sorry, I'm coming from Murfreesboro, TN and we'd stay about a week.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 06:55 PM
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Oh never mind !! I read your post as "based in Boston?) meaning that might be where you were coming from AFTER a visit to Boston. Why go anywhere but Boston if you are coming up and haven't been - Boston has everything you want (history, Freedom Trail, historic everything....) and plenty of shopping for girls - and Charles River, waterfront, all the things mentioned and more -

and as far as a small town, you have plenty within a 20-40 minute drive that give your girls a New England feel and you history (Concord, Lincoln, ones on the north shore and ones on the south shore like Hingham, Cohasset, and not much longer to Plimoth Plantation and that waterfront).

You can either stay 3 days in Boston and 3 days towards Western Mass smaller town area or the 3 days heading down towards the cape and passing Plimoth Plantation - a ton of options.

Are you driving?
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Old Jan 23rd, 2006, 11:32 PM
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I agree with much of escargot - I would stay in Boston the full week - plenty to do as day trips. Rent a car for a few days for trips out of Boston. (If you are not driving).

First, try to get past the sticker shock and stay right in Boston. Both times you are suggesting are high-volume tourists, so bargains will be few on lodging. Many posts here -= type Boston lodging - and start from there for suggestions.

Freedom Trail is marked-by-bricks-or-painted-red-line route of several miles that you can walk in a day or spend many days on exploring everything historic about Boston. Since it is thru the main parts of the city, you pass restaurants, shops, ice cream places - very family friendly if you prefer a non-intense history experience.

Most people want to see Harvard Square - see the buildings of Harvard, but shopping has become mostly chain establishments instead of cute funky places. But if you walk south on Mass Ave towards Central Square, you get more little unique shops and restaurants.

Go to Haymarket on Saturday AM - see ancient pushcarts and vendors selling all sorts of produce and fresh groceries. Walk into Faneuil Hall - then turn around and walk thru Quincy Market for various shops and restaurants. Continue into North End for lunch or dinner (Italian) - just look at menus in windows and pick. If it is a summer weekend, there will be some festival to some saint with street vendors, etc.

Museums - Aquarium is only average, but fun; Museum of Fine Arts is OK as is Museum of Science.

Duck Tour - palatable history on an amphibious vehicle. If you pick pick-up point at Museum of Science, that can be the whole day if you combine the 2.

Drive west on Route 2. See Lexington and Concord, go to Walden Pond, even walk around Mass Audobon Society in Lincoln. The farther west you go, the more small town New England you see - but still a day trip.

Drive north on Route 95 to Southern Maine. If it is summer and the kids are interested, go to Water Country water park in Portsmouth, NH (NH coastline exists but is about 10 miles long). Continue north, stopping at Kittery outlet stores for shopping. Then pick a southern Maine beach town - Wells, Ogunquit, etc (search Maine coast here) and perhaps stay for a night or 2 - depending on if you do water country or shop for a long time - if you don't, this can also be a day trip.

If you are into beaches, go to Cape Cod - if you stay on western part (Falmouth, Sandwich - it is closer to Boston, although real character of Cape is on eastern most points.) Search Cape Cod beaches here.

Newport RI is also possible as a day trip outside Boston.

Not a big fan of Salem witch stuff, but Peabody Museum in Salem is great. Do not bother seeing Plymouth Rock - it is a small boulder in a cage and that is it. Plimouth Plantation - one of those historical recreation places - is somewhat interesting, but I am guessing your daughters would pass on that.

I've tried to break this up into various one-day segments. Since summer in Boston is so short, there are constant free or cheap things to do - details to be found at beginning of summer and thruout in local newspaper and on-line.

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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 02:26 AM
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took my 2 kids (a bit younger then than yours) to see boston for long weekend and we had a ball. My husband and I met at Boston University, so it had a special feel for us, but here's what we loved thta I can't imagine you wouldn't love, too!
* the duck tour is a hoot and such total entertainment that no one will mind the history! you can book your tour in advance. just google them.
* north end is wonderful fun, Italian, winding, hilly roads that are fun to poke around. good eating, and you can sneak in the Paul rEvere house and the Old North Church from which his cohort sent his warning. This is easy history -- quick, interesting and accessible -- and something every kid already knows about.
* don't forget this is THE college town. Go in early October, great weather, fall color for your day trips, and you'll get the feel of the place with all its student buzz. your 15 year old will lvoe it and you should plan to wander around some universities. There are oodles of them everywhere. No need to make tours. My kids were younger and they still got a kick out of the Harvard campus and seeing all the kids everywhere.
* It's a great walking town, take good shoes and have fun!
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 03:08 AM
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I think a trip to VT is a great idea and agree that Middlebury is a great college town with some fun shops. You would be at the beginning of foliage season, maybe just before peak color. Boston would be a great start. I agree that the whole family will enjoy a Duck Tour. Seeing Haymarket is perfect, best if you go on a Friday afternoon because on Saturday it's mobbed. Plan your visit to the North End (walking distance from Haymarket) to include dinner, a visit to an Italian bakery and maybe a wine shop. The area is full of small shops, very European. Have a lemon ice and shop for some unique ingredients to take home. On Saturday, visit a dim sum restaurant in Chinatown for lunch. Take in a show. I would make the family visit the John F. Kennedy Library. I didn't want to go there either but a friend insisted. During one visit there was a great display of Jackie's outfits and why it was chosen and where she wore it. Not simple fasion, there was politics involved!
If you feel Middlebury is too far, then I would suggest Portsmouth NH and a visit to Strawbery Banke historic area. This might be a good day to have the family drop you off while they drive up to Kittery ME (just over the bridge off Rt 1) for outlet heaven. Then choose some wonderful restaurant in Portsmouth for seafood. If the weather is good there is also a wonderful boat ride, either a harbor cruise or a ride up the inland rivers to Great Bay. Beautiful scenery. Downtown Portsmouth has unique shops. If it's late summer, Water Country would be great fun but so would some beach time at nearby Hampton or Wallis Sands.
You might consider flying into MHT Manchester NH. If you fly into Boston you won't need a car while staying in the city. If you rent in Manchester, it's only about an hour south to Boston but most hotels have a parking fee. Use cabs and the T to get around the city.
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 03:50 AM
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You folks are great, keep 'em coming. We will be flying, btw, especially with these gas prices!
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 04:11 AM
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If you go 2 or 3 weeks later, you will get the beautiful autumn foliage colors. The first week in October is too early for fall foliage in Boston.
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 04:22 AM
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If the girls are into shopping, you could also visit the Wrentham Outlet Mall off Rt. 495 for a few hours. Easy to get to. Or let them take a bus there and you do your own thing. http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=10

I recall reading that it gets visitors from overseas (Japan/Ireland) because of the good prices.
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 04:34 AM
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true about the fall colors, but I still would opt for October over summer, even if it's early October. Boston is just not the same without the college students there!
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 05:16 AM
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Hi Biscuit,
Using Boston as a base could work, but the traffic can be a bear if planning on renting a car - no need to get a car if your ok with public transport.

Are you looking for mostly city activities, if so, as others have said, there's lots to do in Boston proper. It's a very walkable town and has good public tranportation.

From Boston, you could take a ferry one day to Provincetown, Cape Cod. Maybe take a train to Portsmouth, NH or Providence, RI ( both colonial citys with shopping,great resturants and good walking areas - very pretty)- 45 minutes away.

What kind of shopping do the girls like?

Good Luck planning;
Sherry
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 06:58 AM
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If you're staying about a week, this is what I would do. Stay 4 nights in Boston and 2 nights somewhere else. Since the girls love shopping I would recommend either Newport RI or Portsmouth NH.

Newport is just a beautiful place and is worth a visit. It's a sailing mecca and also home to the Tennis Hall of Fame. Newport also has many gorgeous mansions you can tour as well as the amazing Cliff Walk on the ocean. Lots of cute shops and restaurants to keep everyone entertained.

Portsmouth has a similar feel as Newport on a smaller scale. It's an hour drive from Boston, a cute harbor town with lots of shops and restaurants as well. You could stay right downtown or at the Wentworth by the Sea resort, a gorgeous historic hotel on the water about 5 min away in New Castle. From Portsmouth you're also close to outlet shopping in Maine.

In Boston you probably want to stay in the Copey Sq/Back Bay area. Again, close to shopping and public transportation.
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 07:25 AM
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Cybor,
The girls like funky little shops (especially vintage clothes) and Urban Outfitters
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 08:12 AM
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I live in the Burlington area, but I wouldn't suggest coming this far. As a matter of fact I might suggest skipping vermont this time around. I'd suggest heading North to York, Ogunquit(sp?) and Kennebunkport, Maine. Then I'd head over to New Hampshire and see the foliage on Kancamungus (sp?) highway.
A trip west to Lenox and Stockbridge Mass would be nice too as they are cozy New England towns. A bit commercial but still nice. Some of the funkier art towns are in Central Massachusetts. Northhampton comes to mind.
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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 10:40 AM
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I have 2 girls (11, 16)..and a boy, but we're talking girl stuff... and we freqently travel to New England. Love Boston and have done the Duck Tour, ate yummy Italian in the North End and walked around Harvard and BC, Aquarium, Museums, Fanueil Hall....it's all great.

For a side trip...my kids really like Newport and Mystic. We've been to both countless times. Newport has a wonderful colonial history as well as guilded age history. Your girls would probably like touring some mansions even if they aren't history buffs....and while you're checking out all the historical stuff, they can shop. Same goes for Mystic, but if you are going to pick one, Newport is closer and bigger. And October will be a much better time to be there than the summer..it's crazy busy then.

Vermont is great too and just like Escargot suggested...so much to see...it's almost a trip in itself.

Berkshires are beutiful too....Great Barrington has wonderful shops and restaurants and there are some great museums as well. Never taken the kids there, but I think they'd like it.



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Old Jan 24th, 2006, 04:43 PM
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Hi Biscuit,
Re: Funky shops

1.Boston - down Newberry and Charles St. - store after store of cool and interestingly unique stuff. There's too many other locations to mention in Boston to keep the girls busy spending.

2.Provincetown, Cape Cod has many varied shops, galleries, owner operated resturants etc. the trolley will take you around town and to the beaches for walking trails or biking. Very fun place with good energy.

3. Newport has a smattering of shops - mostly traditional but a few fun shops for the girls. Some good resturants and a very pretty cliff walk - lots of history for you while the girls shop.

4. Providence RI - along the river walk and my alum. RISD there are some great shops and the RISD Museum of Art. Because of Johnson and Wales culinary school and ethnic influence, there are many wonderful resturants in Providence. You'll find good book stores and cute shops around Brown U. Nice historic area Benifit St. - close to shops.

None of this however, compares to the amount of stuff to do in Boston but would make for nice and relatively close sidetrips.

Enjoy!
Sherry
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Old Jan 25th, 2006, 07:41 AM
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If the girls love funky little shops, in addition to the stretch of Mass Ave between Harvard and Central Squares, as someone else suggested, you might want to check out Davis Square as well (accessible via public transportation, or walk along Mass Ave in the other direction from Harvard). Back when I used to live in the area, there was some great, non-chain shopping - Pluto and Black and Blues come to mind as specific stores that might be of interest. (Of course, anyone who is still a local should feel free to correct me if my info is out-of-date!)
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