New England with small children
Jan 4th, 2015, 03:31 PM
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New England with small children
Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I posted, but I could really use some advice. We are planning on a week long vacation to New England in May. We (husband and I) will be traveling with our five year old twin girls. Because of this I'm trying to find an area or two to base ourselves so we can explore. Long hikes and extreme sports are obviously out. We are looking for a region with enough to do, even if that's just walks around towns or playgrounds some of the time, to keep us busy.
I'm very intrigued by the White Mountains and/or Lake Winnipesaukee. I would also love to explore some of Maine, near Portland. We have never been to either state. We love nature, beautiful scenery, walks, biking and cute/quaint towns. I like the idea of a boat ride on the lake or a gondola up to the top of a mountain, maybe a historic train ride. The area has to be family friendly (no fancy restaurants for us this time around!).
Is May a good time of year to visit? I don't expect swimming weather, of course, but I'm hoping to avoid summer crowds. It looks like we could stay in one area in NH and visit Portland as a daytrip. Is it better to break the trip up into two different areas and spend a few nights near Portland?
We would be flying from Charlotte, using Southwest because we have miles. We could fly into Manchester or Portland.
I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions.Thank you!!
Tracy
I'm very intrigued by the White Mountains and/or Lake Winnipesaukee. I would also love to explore some of Maine, near Portland. We have never been to either state. We love nature, beautiful scenery, walks, biking and cute/quaint towns. I like the idea of a boat ride on the lake or a gondola up to the top of a mountain, maybe a historic train ride. The area has to be family friendly (no fancy restaurants for us this time around!).
Is May a good time of year to visit? I don't expect swimming weather, of course, but I'm hoping to avoid summer crowds. It looks like we could stay in one area in NH and visit Portland as a daytrip. Is it better to break the trip up into two different areas and spend a few nights near Portland?
We would be flying from Charlotte, using Southwest because we have miles. We could fly into Manchester or Portland.
I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions.Thank you!!
Tracy
Jan 4th, 2015, 03:59 PM
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In may, many seasonal attractions haven't opened yet, or may be open on weekends only.
My kids are 4&6. They love being in Boston, they enjoy hiking in the white mountains, we have lots of great museums. I'll think this over and post again.
My kids are 4&6. They love being in Boston, they enjoy hiking in the white mountains, we have lots of great museums. I'll think this over and post again.
Jan 4th, 2015, 04:04 PM
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rizzo0904, that's what I'm afraid of. I don't really expect the areas in NH to be bustling necessarily but I don't want to be stuck with everything closed either.
We loved Boston! We spent a week in Cape Cod this past May. We definitely ran into a lot of seasonal places that were still closed, but fortunately there was still enough to do to keep us busy for the week, between the towns on the Cape and a daytrip to Martha's Vineyard.
Thanks for your reply!
Tracy
We loved Boston! We spent a week in Cape Cod this past May. We definitely ran into a lot of seasonal places that were still closed, but fortunately there was still enough to do to keep us busy for the week, between the towns on the Cape and a daytrip to Martha's Vineyard.
Thanks for your reply!
Tracy
Jan 4th, 2015, 07:04 PM
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No lake areas in May...too many mosquitoes. Try the Ogunquit Maine area or maybe Cape Cod...things start opening up late May and if the weather's good you should find plenty to see and do. And then 2 or 3 nights in Portland.
Jan 5th, 2015, 02:30 AM
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I agree, in May you'll probably have to stay out of the woods due to black flies. I would choose the Lake Winnipesaukee area but check to see when Squam Lakes Science Center in Holderness is open. Our gds loved it. Expect to spend the day but will take more time if you can go on their pontoon boat to explore the lake. Should you hit lousy weather, a day trip to Manchester would be feasible. Our gds also liked SEE Science center in the old mill section.
Given the time of year, I think I would split between Lakes Region and Portland ME area. I've heard the Children's Museum in Dover NH is excellent. Have not been to the Chlidren's Museum in Portland. The kids might find the mailboat ride around Casco Bay to be a little boring. From Portland you could do a day trip to Rockland ME. Not sure if bugs would be a problem on the short, easy hike to Owls Head Light. There is also a wonderful park in South Portland, Fort Williams Park with a wonderful view of Casco Bay. Great place for a picnic. Sometimes we have some very warm weather in May so you might luck out on day when you can explore tide pools and dig in the sand. I would suggest York ME for that since there's a playground near the beach.
The Montshire Museum in Norwich VT is right near Hanover NH and I89 but a little tricky to get there from the Lakes Region. They have a wonderful outdoor water play area but May might be too early for that. Indoors would still be fun but Project SEE in Manchester NH would be easier to get to.
Get the ice cream and cheese trail maps for the states you are visiting. Also another suggestion if you get bad weather is the Christa McAuliffe planetarium in Concord NH. Concord has a lovely, walkable downtown. Nice small city.
Given the time of year, I think I would split between Lakes Region and Portland ME area. I've heard the Children's Museum in Dover NH is excellent. Have not been to the Chlidren's Museum in Portland. The kids might find the mailboat ride around Casco Bay to be a little boring. From Portland you could do a day trip to Rockland ME. Not sure if bugs would be a problem on the short, easy hike to Owls Head Light. There is also a wonderful park in South Portland, Fort Williams Park with a wonderful view of Casco Bay. Great place for a picnic. Sometimes we have some very warm weather in May so you might luck out on day when you can explore tide pools and dig in the sand. I would suggest York ME for that since there's a playground near the beach.
The Montshire Museum in Norwich VT is right near Hanover NH and I89 but a little tricky to get there from the Lakes Region. They have a wonderful outdoor water play area but May might be too early for that. Indoors would still be fun but Project SEE in Manchester NH would be easier to get to.
Get the ice cream and cheese trail maps for the states you are visiting. Also another suggestion if you get bad weather is the Christa McAuliffe planetarium in Concord NH. Concord has a lovely, walkable downtown. Nice small city.
Jan 5th, 2015, 06:19 AM
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Spring in northern New England can be a mixed bag. By May the mud will be gone, and the land will be really coming to life, with temps in the 50's and 60's. However black flies are out in full force anywhere there are woodland streams. These little critters can draw blood, and on calm days can surround you in a haze of bugs - not the best for hiking with youngsters. As others have pointed out, there is plenty to do and see, just don't plan on too much walking in the woods.
Jan 5th, 2015, 01:29 PM
#8
We went to Maine often when our daughters were about the age of and we always stayed in the Freeport/Bath/Wiscasset area.
In the Freeport area there are Wolf Neck Woods: easy hikes, tidal pools, nice field to play ball, etc.
Bath has Reid State Park with a nice beach and a tidal river; our kids could stay for hours. Popham Beach State Park is in the same area, and there is also an easy hike in the Morse Mountain and the beach. (Take Parker Head Road at least once)
The town of Wiscasset has a historic train ride (might not run in May) Across the causeway there is a fort in North Edgecombe.
In Bath there is also the Maine Maritime Museum.
The Shaws food store in Bath (across from the Holiday Inn) is open 24hrs and very convenient to get snacks, pick-nick supplies, etc.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is not a long of a drive from Bath.
Dodge Point Preserve is an easy area to hike with small children.
In this area of Maine there are enough rocks, beaches and tidal pools to keep young children fascinated for hours.
Every small or big town will have a playground, usually near a school or a sports field.
Mark
In the Freeport area there are Wolf Neck Woods: easy hikes, tidal pools, nice field to play ball, etc.
Bath has Reid State Park with a nice beach and a tidal river; our kids could stay for hours. Popham Beach State Park is in the same area, and there is also an easy hike in the Morse Mountain and the beach. (Take Parker Head Road at least once)
The town of Wiscasset has a historic train ride (might not run in May) Across the causeway there is a fort in North Edgecombe.
In Bath there is also the Maine Maritime Museum.
The Shaws food store in Bath (across from the Holiday Inn) is open 24hrs and very convenient to get snacks, pick-nick supplies, etc.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is not a long of a drive from Bath.
Dodge Point Preserve is an easy area to hike with small children.
In this area of Maine there are enough rocks, beaches and tidal pools to keep young children fascinated for hours.
Every small or big town will have a playground, usually near a school or a sports field.
Mark
Jan 6th, 2015, 03:45 AM
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Thank you all for the replies. I really appreciate it! I had no idea about the black flies. This concerns me so I'm leaning against the White Mountains. Sounds like maybe Maine would be a better choice for the week?
Tracy
Tracy
Jan 6th, 2015, 04:15 AM
#10
I think the black flies will be a problem in spring in the NE. They don't hang out in just one state.
"Is May a good time of year to visit? I don't expect swimming weather, of course, but I'm hoping to avoid summer crowds"
I think that waiting until early June would help with the flies and I don't think the summer crowds start until mid-June when schools are out in the NE.
http://education.vermont.gov/documen..._Calendars.pdf
"Is May a good time of year to visit? I don't expect swimming weather, of course, but I'm hoping to avoid summer crowds"
I think that waiting until early June would help with the flies and I don't think the summer crowds start until mid-June when schools are out in the NE.
http://education.vermont.gov/documen..._Calendars.pdf
Jan 7th, 2015, 02:33 AM
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We have vacationed in Maine a lot and especially like the 4th of July week because Bath celebrates Heritage Days and has a wonderful parade, craft fair, etc. But I would not consider staying in the busy southern coastal area during the summer. Rt 1 can be a congested nightmare. A friend likes to rent a cottage in Wells for a week and being within walking distance to beach is fine but route 1 and restaurants are very busy. In the mid-coast area, traffic will get backed up in places like Friday afternoon commuters plus vacationers trying to get over the narrow bridge in Wiscasset. Rt 1 goes right thru town. Boothbay is very busy. Camden is very busy almost every weekend thru September but there are plenty of less popular towns where there aren't any crowds. The Harpswells east of Brunswick seem to be overlooked. There's a small, short coastal walk where we saw a few people unlike the Marginal Way in Ogunquit that was more dramatic but also more crowded (southern coast). There are some nice hiking trails in the conservation areas.
Mid-June can be a great time in Maine. You can find some small town festivals like the Lupine Festival or simply enjoy seeing the flowers in bloom.
Bugs bother different people differently. I have stood next to people in AZ swatting a bugs while I didn't have a problem (it was late May). The 4-H summer camp in NH used to hire camp counselors from Europe and some of the kids weren't used to mosquitoes and seemed to get all the bites. I garden so I'm outdoors a lot esp in Spring when the garden needs to get planted and black flies are at their worst. I just avoid the days when they are bad. The amount of flies varies depending on temperature and weather. You aren't going to have a problem any place except for wooded areas. Mosquitoes are generally bad late in the day as it's getting dark. (We generally have a camp fire 4th of July weekend.) I have taken kids hiking in July in the White Mountains and not noticed any bugs.
Mid-June can be a great time in Maine. You can find some small town festivals like the Lupine Festival or simply enjoy seeing the flowers in bloom.
Bugs bother different people differently. I have stood next to people in AZ swatting a bugs while I didn't have a problem (it was late May). The 4-H summer camp in NH used to hire camp counselors from Europe and some of the kids weren't used to mosquitoes and seemed to get all the bites. I garden so I'm outdoors a lot esp in Spring when the garden needs to get planted and black flies are at their worst. I just avoid the days when they are bad. The amount of flies varies depending on temperature and weather. You aren't going to have a problem any place except for wooded areas. Mosquitoes are generally bad late in the day as it's getting dark. (We generally have a camp fire 4th of July weekend.) I have taken kids hiking in July in the White Mountains and not noticed any bugs.
Jan 7th, 2015, 04:03 AM
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Thank you all again! We have mosquitos here in NC as well so we are unfortunately used to them. We use lots of bug spray because one of my twins is somewhat allergic and the bites can sometimes get infected. Likewise we use spray when we go on walks in the NC mountains. But I don't want swarms of bugs around so we are leaning towards coastal Maine which sounds lovely. I love that some towns were mentioned because its giving me a starting point.
Jan 7th, 2015, 04:58 AM
#15
Coastal Maine is gorgeous. Ogunquit should definitely be on your list and Acadia NP is spectacular.
This is a wild card and you may not be in the least bit interested, but did you enjoy the Anne of Green Gables books and/or have any interest to see Prince Edward Island?
We flew into Boston, drove up the Maine coast and on to PEI - and I fell in love with PEI. This may sound silly but it looked like someone took a biscuit cutter and cut out a part of middle GA (or NC or Missouri) and moved it to become an island off the NE coast. Rolling pastures, secondary roads and locales from the AGG books dotted along the way. If you are up that way and have any interest at all, take a look -
http://search.tourismpei.com/search/...um/op_id/5175/
http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-anne-itinerary
I think the girls would really enjoy it. If you went later (in June) you could see the musical, but we didn't see it either -
http://www.charlottetownfestival.com...807.1420638528
We stayed along the coast except on our return when we drove inland through Maine and I loved seeing the blueberry fields.
The only time we had problems with flies were when we were sitting outside at a lobster barn. Enjoying our feast of lobster and corn, sitting on wooden picnic tables outside...until a magic moment a dusk when we were swarmed by black flies. We tossed the paper trays in the trash and drove to an indoor seafood restaurant. They didn't bother us at all until dusk, and then they were there with a vengeance. I had an image of the bats from the bridge in Austin all flying out at the same time.
This is a wild card and you may not be in the least bit interested, but did you enjoy the Anne of Green Gables books and/or have any interest to see Prince Edward Island?
We flew into Boston, drove up the Maine coast and on to PEI - and I fell in love with PEI. This may sound silly but it looked like someone took a biscuit cutter and cut out a part of middle GA (or NC or Missouri) and moved it to become an island off the NE coast. Rolling pastures, secondary roads and locales from the AGG books dotted along the way. If you are up that way and have any interest at all, take a look -
http://search.tourismpei.com/search/...um/op_id/5175/
http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-anne-itinerary
I think the girls would really enjoy it. If you went later (in June) you could see the musical, but we didn't see it either -
http://www.charlottetownfestival.com...807.1420638528
We stayed along the coast except on our return when we drove inland through Maine and I loved seeing the blueberry fields.
The only time we had problems with flies were when we were sitting outside at a lobster barn. Enjoying our feast of lobster and corn, sitting on wooden picnic tables outside...until a magic moment a dusk when we were swarmed by black flies. We tossed the paper trays in the trash and drove to an indoor seafood restaurant. They didn't bother us at all until dusk, and then they were there with a vengeance. I had an image of the bats from the bridge in Austin all flying out at the same time.
