Hi! We planning a trip to the New England area April 9-17. We are flying in and out of Boston. We have a hotel booked from April 9 - 12 in Boston. So, we have Tues-Sat to see other stuff. We know the weather may not be the greatest, and are fine with that, since we are from San Diego and are used to perfect weather. We have already been to RI and CT, so we don't want to go there. Our kids are aged 8, 11, and 13. Can you PLEASE give me ideas on a possible itinerary...perhaps hitting on Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, if possible?? Could we throw Cape Cod in there, too? I am reading all the travel books on the area, and getting more and more confused on where to go and what to see. I need ideas on how long realistically it will take to get from one place to another.
Thank you!
Claire

What kind of things do you want to do?

Weather is likely to be cool or even cold, especially in VT/NH/ME.

Rain or even snow is possible all over.

Many sites of interest will have reduced hours or even be closed, especially outside the bigger cities. Even some things in the cities don't really open until Memorial Day.

Not sure that Cape Cod is the greatest destination with children in April. The water will be too cold for swimming and some of the other fun stuff won't be open for the season yet.

You might want to visit Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II (south of Boston) and Lexington and Concord (north of Boston).

The museum of science in Boston is great, they have a fantastic static electricity show, I max, planetarium etc. You could take the train up to Salem and visit the witch houses etc there.

If you want to go to the Cape, consider taking the ferry from Boston to Provincetown and renting bikes to visit the National Seashore in the provincelands.

Tour the oldest ship in the navy is Old Ironsides.

Visit the Aquarium.

Hit Harvard's Peabody Museum.

Walk the Freedom Trail.

If there is a Red Sox game when you are there, go. Take the tour of Fenway.

I would skip the Cape and save it for a September trip when the weather is perfect.

A trip to Cape Ann (Salem, Marblehead, Gloucester, Rockport) will have interesting scenery, lot of tacky witch stuff in Salem but a wonderful museum (the Peabody Essex) which focuses on life rather than just pictures. Gloucester is a working fishing port. In Marblehead, we watched lobsters being unloaded into a truck, then followed the truck to a nearby restaurant where we ate the lobsters. Rockport is arts and will be quiet that time of year, but it is quite picturesque.

I live near Boston. I have to agree with other posters that the Cape can be quite raw in the spring. Going inland can mean a 10 degree difference in temperature. A lot of history in Lexington and Concord. Why not walk the Freedom trail while you are in Boston (which will take you by the Old North Church, one if by land, etc), then start driving west, retracing Paul Revere's ride, stopping in Lexington (which I'm not that familiar with) and then Concord (where my husband grew up). Concord has the Old North Bridge where the local farmers (minutemen) met the British and successfully defended their arms supply. Also in Concord are several author's homes - Louis May Alcott, Emerson and Thoreau.

I currently live near Plymouth, and that is also a good history lesson, the Plantation is a pretty good take for kids and the Mayflower is good for about an hour. Unfortunately that is also cool and raw in the spring, but would be nice if you get a warm day.

And I agree that Salem is fun for kids, the witch trials, Nathanial Hawthorne's house. A lot of shopping (small stores). There's a young adult book called A Break with Charity that takes place in the Salem witch trials time period, you could have them read that now in preparation.

All three of the above places would be easy day trips from your hotel in Boston. Maybe extend your stay?

I love Vermont, and being inland it might be nicer than you think in April. Woodstock is one of my favorite towns, a lot of B&Bs and there's the Billings Farm and Museum.

Lastly, Acadia National Park in Maine might be fun if your family likes to hike. I'm not sure about the weather in April, if that interests you maybe post another question more specifically asking about weather. But there are the carriage roads there, so I'm thinking they would be open in April.

Thank you for all this great advice!! I will take notes and check out all these places on my map. Since we live near the beach in San Diego, we don't feel like we need to do the beach thing since we have that year round here...also the aquariums are plentiful in our area, so that would not excite the kids.

My kids love weird wacky stuff, so Salem sounds perfect. And, the Plymouth/Cape Ann sounds great, too. I don't want to pay for another night in a Boston hotel, so do you think doing Salem and Plymouth in one day is possible, and then finding a place to stay on the north end of Cape Ann? Does anyone know how long it would take to get from Cape Ann up to Acadia National Park during that time of year? Then perhaps go from Acadia National Park over to Woodstock (is that possible, or are there mountains in the way?)? I guess what I need to know is: Is there a good way to get from Acadia National Park area, cut across New Hampshire into Vermont, so we can then head back down to fly out of Boston? We basically have 5 full days after we head out of Boston. Thank you!

Not sure where you're going in Maine, but when we were there this past August we went on a lobster boat tour. It was a good way to see the coast from the water and interesting to learn about the life of a lobsterman. We were able to purchase some of the lobsters that were caught on the tour and enjoyed them for dinner that night. I've attached the link to the tour we went on, but am pretty sure you can find similar tours up and down the coast. Just bring a sweater.

http://www.captainjacklobstertours.com/

The ski season extends into April. You might get lucky (or unlucky) that there will still be some winter activities on the weekend at a ski area. You might have to play it be ear - see if anyone is still tubing.
Salem MA is a great suggestion.

You could go to Plymouth for the day and then backup up to Cape Ann area for the night.

I'm not sure April is a good time to visit Acadia. If you go from Salem MA to VT you might go I93 to I89 but stop in Concord NH for a visit to the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium.

I don't think you can "do" both Salem and Plymouth in a single day - at least you can't without rushing through things. They are at least an hour apart, and twice that during rush hour. You could visit Plymouth one day and then spend the night in Salem that night, however.

Salem to Acadia is around 5 hours. By the way, Salem is not on Cape Ann, although it is on the North Shore (Cape Ann is Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester, and Essex).

I don't want to pay for another night in a Boston hotel, so do you think doing Salem and Plymouth in one day is possible, and then finding a place to stay on the north end of Cape Ann?

It's possible but not advisable. They're in opposite directions. It's easy enough to spend an entire day in Salem! If you do both, you end up spending more time in the car than actually sightseeing.

I find Sturbridge Village more interesting than Plimoth Plantation, FWIW. If you don't want to pay for high hotel prices IN Boston, you can drive West to Sturbridge Village for the day, then stay at a hotel in Waltham area for the night. There are many hotel chains there with free parking. The next day, just hop on Rt 128 north and head to Salem & North shore area.

I also do not think Acadia is a good idea at that time of the year. According to Acadia National Park's website:

When does the Park Loop Road open and close each year?
The Park Loop Road closes on December 1, unless there is a significant snowfall that forces an earlier closure. The road reopens on April 15 if weather permits. A two-mile section of the road, one of the most scenic sections, remains open all year.

http://www.nps.gov/acad/faqs.htm

Hi everyone, I have been slowly researching all the different places you have suggested. If we hit all these things and head up the coast to Bar Harbor area, we are just looking for a way to get back down to Boston without completely backtracking. Does anyone know anything about what Highway 2 from Bangor, Maine connecting to I93 in New Hampshire back down to Boston would be like in April? It this a mountainous route/stressful drive? Or does anyone have any other suggestions on how to get back to Boston from the Bar Harbor area without backtracking down the coast? Again, thanks for any input you can give me!
Claire

Can't help you with directions but neat places to hit along the way from Boston to Bar Harbor...Portland Maine is a great town! Cobblestone streets downtown and you are then about a half an hour from Freeport Maine (home of LL Bean) which is also a cute town ...lots of outlets. Take a Duck tour in Boston or ride swan boats in Boston Common, visit Little Italy for dinner, Fanuel Hall has fun shopping and restaurants. My kids just love even walking along Newbury Street to see all of the unique stores. Freedom Trail, Museum of Science, Harvard, Salem are all good suggestions. Enjoy!

Swan Boats in Boston begin operations for the season on April 16.

Some random responses:

You aren't very likely to want to take a lobster boat ride in April, even if you could find someone to take you.

You don't need to go as far north as Bar Harbor to see a lot of Maine coast. What you won't see much of is the coast from the main highways. Unlike, say, 101 in California, the through route misses most of the scenery, which is on long peninsulas. Follow the little roads out to the lighthouses and rocky coves of your dreams.

Highway 2, before it connects with I-93, and then I-93 itself will have gorgeous views of the White Mountains, which should at that time still be covered with snow. There is often skiing into June at Tuckerman Ravine.

US 2 is not a scary highway with precipices to avoid, but it is a two lane highway and can be slow if there are logging trucks on the road.

Whenever we traveled with our kids, we took advantage of teaching them things along the way that they will be studying in school. The New England area is full of American history, and judging by the ages of your kids, they will be studying that in school. Our kids learned because they got to experience the places first hand and could relate to it better when they read about it in history class.

You’ve received ideas about some great places to visit. Our kids really enjoyed the Freedom Trail, Museum of Science (a lot of hands on here), and Salem, especially the waterfront ships, and the house inside the Peabody Museum in Salem. Cape Cod was fun in the summer but April can be cool for New Englanders, and likely downright cold for someone from southern California. Like others have said, April can be a tricky month. One year there was 26” of snow on April 1st – an April Fool Snowstorm.

Plimouth Plantation is interesting for the way they “speak” in the olde English language. My DS was getting hungry and said he wanted pizza or something to eat. The interpreter asked him why was he asking for a piece-of? “Doest thou want a piece of pie, a piece of meat or something else?” Sturbridge Village interpreters dress in colonial dress but speak in modern day English. Both are great for teaching moments.

The Concord-Lexington battlegrounds are great for hiking, but again, it depends on the weather; plus it’s the beginning of mud season.

Enjoy New England.

OK, so I am going to jump in here and contradict what a few other people have said about Cape Cod. The Cape Cod National Seashore has children's programs during school vacation in April and there are lots of outdoor activities if you bundle up a bit, so it makes perfect sense for you to plan the rest of your trip by heading south from Boston. The outer cape, from Eastham to Provincetown, did not get all the snow that the rest of NE is still buried in. In fact, the daffodiles are pushing up, the temps are in the mid-40's and it looks like it will be another early spring on Cape Cod. Certainly, Cape Cod is warmer and a lot closer to Boston than Acadia so you won't have to spend so much time in the car if you decide to explore the Cape cod National Seashore on the mainland, with trips to either MV or Nantucket islands. I suggest you reconsider your itinerary by including the Cape Cod National Seashore after you visit Plymouth. Your kids may enjoy a whalewatch out of Provincetown (it will be cold on the water) or a gentler version of mammal sighting by hanging out at the Chatham Pier to watch some seals. The towns of Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown have many walking trails, restaurants, museums and fun things to do.
Unfortunately, the National Park Service has not yet posted their April schedule but if you take a look at
http://www.nps.gov/caco/loader.cfm?c...&PageID=300752, the schedule for Feb, you will get some idea of the free offerings for April.

You will find taking a day trip to the islands to be a pleasant excursion.

Soooo, don't rule out Cape Cod in April. In my book, it is a much friendlier destination than northern New England at that time of the year....and it certainly will be warmer, closer and equally entertaining!

Distances in New England are tricky. Some things are much closer than you expect (i.e., Plymouth to Boston, Boston to Concord MA or even Wolfeboro NH), and some are much further (Acadia is quite far from everything - you are going both quite far north AND quite far east). IMO you either make Acadia/Bar Harbor your destination and don't try to do much else (even then, you are in the car half a day each way), or leave it off the list.

Suggest you either get out a map or "Google Map" some point-to-point itineraries to see the time and distance differences.

I too am taking a 10 year old to Boston for Spring Break and would appreciate advice on the best hotel for adults/kid -- am thinking of Boston Harbor Hotel at Rawes Wharf. Thoughts?

jeglex, the Boston Harbor HOtel @ Rowes Wharf is a good location: walking distance to most of the historic sights, and the hotel has a great view of the harbor!

I don't know that driving all the way up to Acadia in April would be worth the drive, especially for a family accustomed to beautiful ocean views (I know, I know, the Atlantic and Pacific coasts are very different, but they do also have a lot of similarities - rocky coasts, beautiful ocean views).

I'll echo the suggestions for Salem; our kids have enjoyed their several visits there. Don't forget the actual, real House of Seven Gables, upon which Hawthorne based his story.

Lexington and Concord our kids actually found meaningful in terms of U.S. history, and the visitors center has a very good presentation on the fateful events.

And I LOVE Plimoth Plantation, as I'm a big history buff. The kids like it too, but I'm the person that they have to drag away from the interpreter that I'm talking to.