Family Trip to New England--suggestions??
Jan 30th, 2004, 07:36 PM
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Family Trip to New England--suggestions??
We are thinking about taking our family (our kids are 17, 14, and 11) to New England in August. We would like to spend some time relaxing at a nice resort-type place for several days, but we'd also like to see some historical sights and scenery (possibly including the coast of Maine). Does anyone have ideas or recommendations of things to see or places to stay? Thanks so much for your help!
Jan 30th, 2004, 10:42 PM
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My son and I did a similar trip a couple years ago. We flew to Boston, stayed in Rockport, MA which is one hour N. of Boston. Darling quaint town, cheaper than staying in Boston and the commuter train runs to Boston. We went up to Bar Harbor, Acadia which is gorgeous and has all kinds of outdoors activities as well as the Downeast feeling with lobster, clams etc. Went from there over to New Hampshire and stayed at Eagle Mountain House which is a big, old-fashioned inn with pool, horse-back-riding, golf etc. Made a very nice trip but you have to allow enough time for the slow driving in the mountains.
Jan 31st, 2004, 08:35 AM
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The Samoset in Rockport Maine is very nice, especially if you are golfers. On Cape Cod, the Lighthouse Inn is great for families.
My suggestion would be BOOK NOW, because Maine gets very crowded in August!
My suggestion would be BOOK NOW, because Maine gets very crowded in August!
Jan 31st, 2004, 08:54 AM
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We live in Maine and we take a trip to Acadia every year. It's fabulous. Portland is nice for the historical, museum and light houses. You can also get ferries out of Portland to some of the outer islands which would be fun. Like Chebeuge, (sp?)or Peaks. They have some nice Inns out there. Another of our favorite trips is Monheagan Island. It's very artsy in the summer but you can walk around the whole island and there are 2 rough beaches. You have to take a ferry there also, or the mail boat.
Feb 3rd, 2004, 11:11 AM
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You might want to consider the Middlebury area of VT. Beautiful college town with great scenery, a few good restaurants and easy access to VT, Lake Placid & Canada. I thought nearby & understated Mount Independence was fascinating and have heard that the Sherbourne (?) Museum is world class. Very rural and different in many ways from what you will see along the Atlantic Coast of NE.
Feb 3rd, 2004, 12:07 PM
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Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT is a great stop, especially with kids. It's a replication of an 1800s whaling village and has some really cool exhibits. It's also a working village and you can stop in at a blacksmith's, etc. to see how things were done back then. www.mysticseaport.com. The town of Mystic is pretty neat to wander through, as is nearby Stonington. Also, in Groton., CT there's a submarine force museum. I haven't been there myself but I've heard it's pretty neat for a short stop. I stumbled across Newport, RI and it was such a neat place. The mansions of the rich and famous were really great and the town itself seemed like such a cool place. Unfortunately it was raining, but I plan to go back this summer.
Feb 3rd, 2004, 12:45 PM
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The other posters are correct in their suggestions, however, if it's history you want, then you must go into Boston. Walk the "Freedom Trail" with a guide or on your own and you'll visit some of the most historical places in the country. They'll recall them from their history books and make it come alive.
Feb 6th, 2004, 06:38 AM
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For a wonderful resort that has activities for all ages and outstanding food and service try the Balsams in Dixville Notch, NH. After exploring the coast of Maine you could head west and do a few days there then onto Vermont. FMI www.thebalsams.com
Included in the room rate are 3 meals daily , kids program, golf, tennis, swimming, nightclub, movies, etc., etc., There is a culinary institute on the premises.
I would also recommend Acadia Natl. Park, Shelburne Museum south of Burlington, VT.
Have Fun!
Included in the room rate are 3 meals daily , kids program, golf, tennis, swimming, nightclub, movies, etc., etc., There is a culinary institute on the premises.
I would also recommend Acadia Natl. Park, Shelburne Museum south of Burlington, VT.
Have Fun!
Feb 6th, 2004, 02:51 PM
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may i just add that the balsams is beautiful. I have stayed there twice with my husband and each has been magnificant. We plan to go more often, but something usually gets in the way with three active teenagers....it's a great place to get away to.
have a great trip!
have a great trip!
Apr 21st, 2004, 04:42 AM
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Lots of great suggestions have already been given.
As one who lives in NH (and has for 27 years), I can attest to the huge variety of possibilities that will be open to you in August.
When I was growing up (in Ohio), my family vacationed in NH/New England every year.
Some specific things you might like:
In North Woodstock, NH, don't miss Clark's Trading Post. It looks like a giant tourist trap, and it is (in some ways). But, it is FABULOUS when you actually pay the (reasonable) admission price. You get a train ride (wood-burning locomotive), a trained bear show (black bears, like we have in the woods here in NH -- it's amazing what they can do!), visits to Merlin's Magical Mystery Mansion, a chance to ride the water bugs, several museums, a circus, strolling performers, etc.
This is a family-owned business (the Clarks live right across the street), and it is positively fun!
In Maine, stop at Nubble Light for a very picturesque view.
Also, stop at Cliff House (north of Ogunquit, ME), and walk out onto the cliffs. If you time it right, you can sit out there and watch the tide come in from a very unique perspective.
Gotta run..will try to come back and write more suggestions later.
G.
As one who lives in NH (and has for 27 years), I can attest to the huge variety of possibilities that will be open to you in August.
When I was growing up (in Ohio), my family vacationed in NH/New England every year.
Some specific things you might like:
In North Woodstock, NH, don't miss Clark's Trading Post. It looks like a giant tourist trap, and it is (in some ways). But, it is FABULOUS when you actually pay the (reasonable) admission price. You get a train ride (wood-burning locomotive), a trained bear show (black bears, like we have in the woods here in NH -- it's amazing what they can do!), visits to Merlin's Magical Mystery Mansion, a chance to ride the water bugs, several museums, a circus, strolling performers, etc.
This is a family-owned business (the Clarks live right across the street), and it is positively fun!
In Maine, stop at Nubble Light for a very picturesque view.
Also, stop at Cliff House (north of Ogunquit, ME), and walk out onto the cliffs. If you time it right, you can sit out there and watch the tide come in from a very unique perspective.
Gotta run..will try to come back and write more suggestions later.
G.
Apr 22nd, 2004, 05:28 AM
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A few more comments:
While in NH, be sure and stop at The Basin, just north of North Woodstock on the main road. It's free, and is an absolutely beautiful walk, with fun places to play in the stream/river that cascades down through the mountains. Don't be fooled into stopping after you've walked about 100 yards and see a sign marking "The Basin" (a big pothole - really awesome), but continue on the path for a half mile or so. You'll come to places with big slabs of rocks, swirling water and beautiful sunny places to picnic, sunbathe, read or book or whatever. (Skip the first such place, where there's a wooden footbridge, just keep going over the footbridge...the best is yet to come!) When you get to the next big (huge compared the previous ones) slab of rock, the best hike from that point is just to walk up the streambed, ignoring the trail off to your right. It's fun - you get to wade across (or use stepping stones) a few times, and you come to a beautiful waterfall after about 3/4 of a mile. It's one of our favorite spots in all of NH.
There are very limited facilities (i.e., some rudimentary "outhouse" type sheds) at the Basin, so either bring your lunch, or time it around your meals.
For an ever-so-slightly more formal version of this, you could go to "The Flume" (same road, in between Clark's Trading Post and The Basin). This has an admission cost (I have no idea how much, but it's not going to break the bank) and has a self-guided walk along a pretty spectacular gorge, with water rushing all around you. The big drawback to this is that you can't actually get close to the water and there are a LOT more people there in summer than at the Basin. This is a state-fun facility and has a snack bar/restaurant and good bathrooms, etc.
In Maine, I highly recommend going to Reid State Park, north of Portland (on the map, look at the little "fingers" that extend out into the ocean...Reid State Park is on one of those). This park has the most incredible tide pools I've ever seen. Go a couple of hours before low tide and spend a few hours there, checking out the sea life. We've caught crabs (from less than an inch across up to about 12 inches), lobsters, starfish, and all sorts of interesting creatures. (By "caught," I mean we scoop them up with a net and put them in a bucket of sea water. We ooh and ah over them for a while then dump them back into the ocean.) The Park has a snack bar (hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster rolls type of fare) and so-so changing/bathroom facilities. There are picnic tables scattered around the area and a life-guarded swimming area (on the opposite side of the "finger" from the tide pools, but accessible from the same parking lot).
While you're in that part of Maine, stop in at the legendary LL Bean store in Freeport. All of Freeport is built around LL Bean and "factory outlet" shopping, if you're interested in that. Even non-sportsmen (like me) love LL Bean - and it's open 24 hours a day, so you can go when everything else is closed.
Can you tell we love living here in New England?
We're never bored! From our location, we can be at the beach, the mountains or the big city (Boston) within 60-75 minutes. Paradise.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Gayle
While in NH, be sure and stop at The Basin, just north of North Woodstock on the main road. It's free, and is an absolutely beautiful walk, with fun places to play in the stream/river that cascades down through the mountains. Don't be fooled into stopping after you've walked about 100 yards and see a sign marking "The Basin" (a big pothole - really awesome), but continue on the path for a half mile or so. You'll come to places with big slabs of rocks, swirling water and beautiful sunny places to picnic, sunbathe, read or book or whatever. (Skip the first such place, where there's a wooden footbridge, just keep going over the footbridge...the best is yet to come!) When you get to the next big (huge compared the previous ones) slab of rock, the best hike from that point is just to walk up the streambed, ignoring the trail off to your right. It's fun - you get to wade across (or use stepping stones) a few times, and you come to a beautiful waterfall after about 3/4 of a mile. It's one of our favorite spots in all of NH.
There are very limited facilities (i.e., some rudimentary "outhouse" type sheds) at the Basin, so either bring your lunch, or time it around your meals.
For an ever-so-slightly more formal version of this, you could go to "The Flume" (same road, in between Clark's Trading Post and The Basin). This has an admission cost (I have no idea how much, but it's not going to break the bank) and has a self-guided walk along a pretty spectacular gorge, with water rushing all around you. The big drawback to this is that you can't actually get close to the water and there are a LOT more people there in summer than at the Basin. This is a state-fun facility and has a snack bar/restaurant and good bathrooms, etc.
In Maine, I highly recommend going to Reid State Park, north of Portland (on the map, look at the little "fingers" that extend out into the ocean...Reid State Park is on one of those). This park has the most incredible tide pools I've ever seen. Go a couple of hours before low tide and spend a few hours there, checking out the sea life. We've caught crabs (from less than an inch across up to about 12 inches), lobsters, starfish, and all sorts of interesting creatures. (By "caught," I mean we scoop them up with a net and put them in a bucket of sea water. We ooh and ah over them for a while then dump them back into the ocean.) The Park has a snack bar (hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster rolls type of fare) and so-so changing/bathroom facilities. There are picnic tables scattered around the area and a life-guarded swimming area (on the opposite side of the "finger" from the tide pools, but accessible from the same parking lot).
While you're in that part of Maine, stop in at the legendary LL Bean store in Freeport. All of Freeport is built around LL Bean and "factory outlet" shopping, if you're interested in that. Even non-sportsmen (like me) love LL Bean - and it's open 24 hours a day, so you can go when everything else is closed.
Can you tell we love living here in New England?
We're never bored! From our location, we can be at the beach, the mountains or the big city (Boston) within 60-75 minutes. Paradise.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Gayle
Apr 22nd, 2004, 06:27 AM
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My favorite lighthouse is at Pemaquid Point, near Southport, not too far north of Boothbay. There's a nice restaurant-shop nearby (with GREAT ice cream) and climbing around the rocks is lots of fun.
Jan 25th, 2005, 06:31 AM
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I 2nd the vote for Samoset in Maine. Would go back to that area in a heart beat - just beautiful along the cost. I think there would be things for the kids to do at the resort as well as lots of other activities nearby.
