Help with planning a New England trip please
 

We fly into Boston on 20th July and out again on 21st August 2016.
Week one Boston Thurs - Sat, NYC? Sun - Mon, Tuesday Mount Vernon Washington DC , Wed - Sat Ocean City MD - This may sound odd but the Washington Maryland bit is because we are visiting family and friends.
Questions
I think we will use the train but if we don't do NYC we could fly. Where to stay in Boston what to see and should we stay 3 nights or 5
Week 2 travel with our friends to NJ cruise port 7 night cruise
Week 3 and 4 Where I really need advice we arrive back in NJ on 7th August a Sunday and fly out of Boston on 21st August. We own timeshare and can swop for a 5 night stay in Maine Edgecomb until 12th Aug and a 7 night stay in south Yarmouth Cape Cod from 14th-21st Aug. We wouldn't want to stay all of these nights but it's free and gives us a base for luggage etc.
We'd like to see Ben and Jerrys and Stowe in Vermont, Mt Washington in the White Mountains, Arcadia NP, Baxter State park. We'd like to see a moose and go whale watching.
Our interests are beautiful scenery, wildlife, short hikes from the car and local folklore. We love the sea and boats. We are late 50s early 60s and don't want to be driving everyday.
Any and all suggestions for an itinerary places to stay, what we could do in day trips from the above destinations and what small overnight trips we could include would be very welcome.
Thanks Lynn

Can you put the D.C. part at the beginning or end of your trip? Fly into Boston and out of D.C., or the opposite, because they are really far apart and you would be wasting lots of time.

No r in Acadia NP, and while I love Ben&Jerrys ice cream, the factory is not really interesting.

agree with Elberko that Ben and Jerry's factory tour isn't worth a special trip.

If you get to Mt Washington I would recommend some guaranteed wildlife by visiting the Squam Lakes Science Center in Holderness NH. The animals are in natural habitat enclosures plus there are educational lectures featuring one of the animals. Although I live in NH, I've only see moose twice. Your luck might be better if you check out one of the "moose alley" areas of Maine or NH.

I think Edgecomb Maine would be a good idea since it's near Brunswick and the Harpswells. There are some nice easy hiking opportunities in the Harpswells if you get their conservation properties map. The area isn't crowded. You can visit a different lobster place every day. Acadia is still a long drive north. If you stay on Rt 1 it will be a nice trip part of the way but once you are north of Camden, you aren't near the coast.

As much as I love Vermont, I would cross it off my list and spend more time in Maine. Get a list of popular lobster shacks and try to visit all of them. MDI ice cream is in Bar Harbor and apologies to B&J, but MDI flavors are more unusual and more fun. This would also give you more time for a boat trip.

Ben and Jerry's itself isn't reason to visit the area, but Vermont is so beautiful, Stowe, and Burlington both offer a lot.

Thank you for your replies my husband is an ice cream fiend so we'll definitely look for the Bar Harbor MDI flavours.I have made some firmer plans now.
Thank you elberko I needed someone to make me see sense.
I have chatted to my husband and we are no longer going to try and visit friends and family near DC. Hopefully we have now given ourselves some extra time to do New England a bit more justice.
dfrostnh can you tell me more about the'Moose alley' areas and thanks for the tip about the science center


So our new itinerary looks like this again any comments welcome


Fly into Boston on 20th July 4 nights at Charlesmark Hotel Boston


24th July Drive to South Yarmouth Cape Cod via Plymouth for 4 nights (timeshare)


28th July Drive to Mystic area in CT 2 nights (any suggestions)


30th July Evening Train to Newark stay overnight before boarding cruise ship on 31st July


7 night cruise return on Sunday 7th August


Sunday 7th August Fly to Burlington Vermont Stay 3 nights in Stowe(Timeshare)


10th August Drive to White Mountains stay 3 nights either North Conway or Lincoln (Timeshare, which area would be best?)


13th August Drive to Greenville for 2 nights any ideas?


15th August Drive to Bar Harbor via Baxter State Park and Millinocket stay 2 nights Bar Harbor again any suggestions


17th August Drive to Edgecomb stay 3 nights(timeshare)


20th August Drive towards Boston stay along the coast Portsmouth maybe suggestions welcome


21st August Drive into Boston Flight home 21:50


Ideas for the overnights, comments on the itinerary, route suggestions and activities must sees along the way all welcome. Thanks Lynn

Moose Alley info:
http://www.nhtourguide.com/triprepor..._nh_july07.htm

Pittsburg is very northern NH and very rural. Moose like swampy areas, lakes, etc. I believe there is a similar area of western Maine you can google.

This is the ice cream trail map for NH. The challenge is finding which ones make their own ice cream or are worth visiting for the location
http://www.visitnh.gov/uploads/pdf/2...ail-online.pdf

chowhound.com has some threads about who has the best ice cream.

From northern NH is you take Rt 2 to Maine, have your lunch stop picked out ahead of time. This is rural Maine where you are apt to see a skidder for sale on someone's front lawn instead of a car. I liked the ride, however. Surprisingly, we found a nice little Italian restaurant in Wilton ME in the former Bass shoe factory.
http://www.calzolaiopasta.com/default.aspx

"we don't like to be driving everyday"

If you stay in Edgecomb, you are going to be driving every day. It is not at all convenient to Moosehead, or Baxter, or Acadia, or any place other than Boothbay, really.