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-   -   new england in april (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/new-england-in-april-1004678/)

Michish Feb 2nd, 2014 05:03 AM

new england in april
 
Hello everyone!

My husband and I are looking to take a short trip up to New England during the week of April 14th (a wednesday to saturday type of deal). We do not want to go very far as we are driving from NJ - looking for a 6 hour trip max. I went to school in RI so I'm not interested in the Newport/Block Island route, but am open to any other area.

We are looking for quaint towns where hopefully restaurants/shops will be open at that time. Obviously it will still be cold depending how north we go.

(We have also considered seeing what upstate NY has as well)

Thank you!
Michele

china_cat Feb 2nd, 2014 06:29 AM

you could go to the Berkshires. Lots of restaurants and shops will be open in Great Barrington and Lenox and Stockbridge. There are some nice small museums which will mostly be open as well.

Just an FYI, although I don't think it will affect your plans...Monday the 21st is Patriots day, which is a long weekend for many in Massachusetts. Its really more of an issue if you were planning on coming to Boston which will be full of marathon runners.

rizzo0904 Feb 2nd, 2014 01:37 PM

Berkshires is a great idea. Stop here: http://www.bridgeofflowersmass.org/

HappyTrvlr Feb 2nd, 2014 01:45 PM

April is mud season in Vermont. Don't know about the Berkshires.

jubilada Feb 2nd, 2014 01:49 PM

April is variable in the Berkshires, and can be cold. But everything is open and there are many indoor activities such as museums even if the weather is bad.

Ackislander Feb 2nd, 2014 02:14 PM

I am going to be in New England in April, and it is a month where I would only go somewhere that had plenty of stuff to do indoors.

April in New England can be cold and nasty as well as muddy. I will be at my own house and can read, listen to Opera CD's, and drink single malt whisky, but if I couldn't be home, I would go to cities, I would not go Patriots Day, and I would spend my time in museums and eating and drinking.

In CT, the Yale Museum of Art and the Yale Center for British Art have made big changes. If you haven't been, the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford is Worth It. The Worcester Museum of Art has just rehung its collection in daring ways. I don't know when you left RI, but the RISD museum and the local dining scene is amazing. The Currier Museum in Manchester, NH, has an interesting collection and a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house in great original condition. I love the Cape Ann Historical Society in Gloucester for its in-depth collections of local art and craft. Finally, Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem has a collection of houses (three Colonial American and one Chinese) in addition to art and artifacts of its own and visiting exhibits in a Moshe Safdie building.

I wouldn't go to the Cape or to ski areas. Somewhere in here New England kids will have a week oof, and many of them will be getting in the last of the spring skiing.

If the weather is glorious, you can ignore my advice!

Cranachin Feb 2nd, 2014 05:11 PM

"April is the cruellest month" never made sense to me until I moved from the South to New England.

330east Feb 2nd, 2014 07:04 PM

Madison Beach Hotel in Madison CT
The Orchard Hotel-Williamstown, MA
Clark Museum-Williamstown, MA

330east Feb 2nd, 2014 07:06 PM

You might also consider going over the line to Bennington, VT

Ackislander Feb 2nd, 2014 11:59 PM

Cranachin, your Eliot quote did come to mind, but I had already written too much anyway!

dfrostnh Feb 3rd, 2014 02:11 AM

Mud season? Unless a b&b has a poorly built and maintained driveway and is on a dirt road, I don't think tourists have to deal with mud. The good news - no black flies in April! Do you have any particular interests like classic cars or quilting? We like to visit used bookstores so the Berkshires are on our list (well, mine anyway). A recent but brief tv visit to the Worcester Art Museum looked interesting if I have the right museum. The Higgins Armory collection has been moved there (armor).

You could do a tour of wineries or breweries. Portsmouth NH is close enough to Portland so you could do a day trip to Portland. If the weather is nice and it can be, you could walk on a beach. Portsmouth has a great shopping area and you could also visit Newburyport.

isabel Feb 3rd, 2014 03:27 AM

I would go to Boston for a couple nights -it will be crowded (and probably sold out) by the weekend but Wed/Thurs might be OK. Then drive north through Cape Ann (if good weather go to Gloucester and Rockport, if bad go to Salem and do the museums) on your way to Portsmouth. Base there for the remainder of your time and from there you could easily do a day trip up the Maine coast (lots of nice stuff between there and Portland - Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, etc.).

On your way to or from NJ, if you like old houses, you could stop at Old Sturbridge Village (right on your way) or Historic Deerfield (short detour up through Northampton - good place for lunch).

HKP Feb 3rd, 2014 05:20 AM

I agree with idea of Cape Ann Gloucester (working sea town) and Rockport (touristy-er), but also suggest Marblehead, esp. Old T and M'head Neck.

Also agree with Sturbridge for lunch and poke-around on your way north.

Also might suggest the following circuit for outskirts of Boston area:

First, in Wayland/Sudbury Longfellow Wayside Inn http://www.wayside.org/ and Grist Mill, Mary-Martha Chapel (all three are together): http://www.wayside.org/tour/martha-mary-chapel http://www.wayside.org/tour/wayside-inn-grist-mill

and then the deCordova sculpture park and museum http://www.decordova.org/ which isn't far from Walden Pond.

HKP Feb 3rd, 2014 05:21 AM

Old T = Marblehead's Old Town, sorry. Very pretty


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