We've just booked a flight in and out of Burlington in mid June. We are a family of 6 consisting of 2 adults and 4 kids ages 1,3,6, and 9. We are from LA so in this trip we like to be in a beautiful location while minimizing transition, so a town/village with some things to do, things to walk to, restaurants will be good, so the kids won't be glued to the TV in the hotel room all day. Moderate prices on lodgings and restaurants are good since we're already spending a ton of money on airfare and car rental (minivan).
Please feel free to tweak anything and I mostly welcome suggestions on activities restaurants or even other lodgings that you think would be better suited for our family. Also, we are vegans so if you have particular suggestions for this, that's great too. My husband doesn't really like the idea of driving too much. Once we are in a nice town with comfortable lodging, he'd rather explore that place than driving around and seeing too many places.

Arrive Wed. morning in Burlington - stay one night, no clue on lodging, nice to be in central location, thinking of doing a ferry cruise on the lake or lakeside stroll.
Thursday - drive south to check out Shelbourne Museum or Farm, but perhaps not both. My kids have been to farms with animals in other parts of the world, so seeing live animals is not a new thing for them. Drive towards Waitsfield and perhaps stay one night there. I read this area is beautiful, but do you think it's boring for the kids. No clue on lodging since the Inn at Red Barn does NOT take little kids and it's too expensive for us anyway.
Friday, Sat, - Hanover for college reunion
Sunday - Drive to Wolfeboro - thinking Lake Motel.
Monday and Tuesday - Drive to the mountains and stay in Jackson - thinking the Lodge at Jackson. While here I'm thinking of checking out Attitash for the alpine slide.
Wednesday - Drive towards Burlington. Thinking of checking out the Flume or Boulder Caves. Is it too far out of the way? Also Franconia Notch area and maybe a little of NE Kingdom like St. Johnsbury. Overnight in Burlington.
Thursday - Flight out in the afternoon but need to return car at 10.

My neighbor who's from NH highly recommends Portsmouth. I'm really tempted but I think it's out of the way and I've have to cut out one night somewhere for this and I'm not sure one night in Portsmouth is worth it because of the distance we have to travel to get there and back to Burlington. She thinks we might regret. What do you think? Is it really different from VT and NH? We have beautiful coastline and nice beachy towns in LA too.

Thanks so much. I look forward to reading your responses as always.

I'm not sure whether you and dh or the kids are going to wilt first from that schedule. I think it is too many hotel changes.
Your neighbor is right. Portsmouth is great and contains historic buildings unlike what you have in LA. Portsmouth is a working seaport not a beachy town. You would have to check hours of operation for anything you want to do for mid-June. It's not quite tourist season so some attractions might be open weekends only. There is a great water park on Rt 1 south of Portsmouth if the weather is warm enough. Ocean water will be much too cold. The cruise for Portsmouth Harbor or Inland Rivers is interesting but might be too long for the children. We have not been to the newly renovated Children's Museum which is now in Dover. Strawbery Banke Historic Area might have some child activities on a weekend.

Wolfboro is also about an hour from Portland ME. The mailboat cruise is fun. The kids who live on islands take the mailboat to high school in Portland. Wolfboro to Portsmouth shouldn't be more than 1 1/2 hour drive. No interstate hwy in that direction. The children might be too young to appreciate the difference in architecture, streets, and general topography from LA. It's very different. We have not been to the children's museum in Portland ME. Downtown Old Port Area is walkable from the boat terminal but not sure there is anything interesting for the children.

The Flume opens mid-May. Storyland in Glen NH has value week starting June 20, before that weekends only. Storyland is fun for the youngest children. Age 9 might still enjoy the rides. Check open hours for Alpine slide. Keep in mind you might be hitting black fly season in northern NH and VT which would make hiking in the woods uncomfortable. Most of the walk in the Flume is in a gorge and should be ok. DS and his family also like Lost River and Polar Caves (which are not deep exciting caves like Mammoth).

I think the children are too young for Shelburne Museum. How about the Science center in Norwich. We haven't been since DS was young and it was in Hanover. It's on the to do list for our grandchildren. If you are headed to Wolfboro you might check out the Squam Lakes science center in Holderness. Again, we haven't been in years but they have wild NH animals that might be different from CA animals.

They might have fun at Ben and Jerry's ice cream tour.
Since you are arriving in the morning, you could skip the Burlington activities and save them for your last day. Across the lake is Ausable Chasm which is similar to the Flume but includes a small boat ride (rubber raft). The car ferry is simple to take.

If your schedule overlaps with a weekend event in some town, I would make that the focus. In our area there are some nice spring weekend events with some great activities for children. Off hand can't remember events for mid-June but another poster might know of one. I would try to cut out so many hotel changes. It's 3 hours from Burlington VT to Concord NH and then an hour north to the White Mountains via interstates. There is probably a more direct route but that gives you an idea of driving times.

dfrostnh, thanks for your suggestions. could you please suggest an alternate itinerary. my husband prefers staying in one town and just relaxing there if the hotel is comfortable and there are things to see around town instead of driving around to see other towns. i'm not sure why you're suggesting concord nh, do you mean that's the route i'd have to take if we go to portsmouth the end of the trip before going back to burlington?
do you think there are more things to do in portsmouth? i'm thinking last night that i should choose either portsmouth or burlington since there are both waterfront places, are they both considerably different?
if any, what part of my itinerary should be cut out to accommodate portsmouth.
i've been reading that holderness is a prettier and less commercialized villages than meredith or wolfboro, are there places to stay there that are lakefront? it's not really covered on the guidebooks.

thanks again. and please chime in everyone else, i'd look forward to your suggestions.

Two things jump out at me. first, with a pack of kids that age, sightseeing would not be my first choice - beautiful locations have a very short shelf life with them. Perhaps modify and rent a cottage on a lake in VT and enjoy the lake, simple activities. I might even stay close to the Burlington area. Hanover can be a day trip from Burlington for the reunion.

The second point is the vegan part. (That would rule out the appeal of Ben and Jerry's ice cream tour, in my opinion). A cottage will increase your food options; plus, the Burlington area seems to have more food options that would be consistent with your dietary needs.

Portsmouth is wonderful - but I am not sure what would appeal to little kids there. When ours were that age, digging on a beach, chasing bugs and each other, catching little fish in a lake made for a perfect vacation. Getting hauled in and out of car seats, sitting in high chairs in boring restaurants - not so much.

I mentioned Concord because I89 is a major route from VT past Hanover and ends in Concord. To get to the mountains you would then go north on I93. To get to Portsmouth you could go south on I93 and then Rt 101 east. To get from I89/Hanover to the White Mountains there are state hwys you can take. Fine for travel, you just need a map.
Burlington is a very nice college town on the lake but it lacks Portsmouth's historical properties. The trouble with Portsmouth is I'm not sure you can find a comfortable hotel for children. I don't think there is a suite hotel although there is a non-chain one in Seabrook NH - the Hampshire Inn. South of Portsmouth and at least a 15 minute drive.
OTH if you stayed in Wolfboro or the mountains you should be able to find a cottage or ski area condo rental. There would still be driving but you could also sit outside and the children would have a play area. (For a June cottage rental make sure you have a screened porch.)
Holderness is definitely less commercialized. There isn't even a public beach on Squam Lake. The cottages have been in the same families for generations. If you can find a rental there, it would be beautiful. Very quiet. You are almost in the mountains so places like the Flume would only be a 30 minute drive. Less commercialism also means not many restaurants although the Corner House Inn in Center Sandwich is great. Most of the restaurants are on the hwy around Lake Winnipesaukee. From the Squam Lake area, Portsmouth NH or Portland ME might be more like a 2 hour drive. Holderness is very rural. It's an area where kids play outside and make their own fun. We've rented a cottage for a week on Lake Winnisquam and not even turned on the tv but it's also mid June so a little early for swimming unless we get a heat wave. Some families would be bored. You might not even have good cell phone reception in that area because of the mountains.
If you like the looks of the Lake Motel, Portsmouth could be a day trip from Wolfboro. The Attitash slide could be another day. Squam Lakes Science Center could be part of the day. But check mileage. Each activity could be 30-60 minute drive.

hi gail, thanks for the reply. do you have a suggestions for places by the lake in VT, what about NE Kingdom? what about if we want to stay in one other place in NH, Wolfeboro or Jackson? My husband doesn't want us to always stay at a self-catering place since he wants to have options to walk around village in addition to playing by the lake and try some places to eat. We can do pizzas and pastas and burritos (if there are any good ones in New England, he..he). You're right though, Ben & Jerry's doesn't appeal much to us. Thanks for your suggestions.

dfrostnh, thanks. i see yours and gail's point about limiting the transitions and focusing on simple activities for the kids. now i'm even more undecided, lol. i'm apprehensive about renting a cottage from someone i don't know, never done that before. do you know of a reputable source? many of the places we read about that are family friendly are $200+plus tax a night because we have to get a large room. the ones i'm thinking of are in the mid-$150's, still a lot but more reasonable. how much can we expect to pay for a cottage rental?

I would post a new thread with something like "Cottage in VT rental suggestions". Renting a cottage certainly does not rule out eating at interesting places - but it would be nice to have a kitchen and refrigeration for breakfast, lunch, snacks - especially for the baby and 3 yr old. Wish I had more specific suggestions. We have used VRBO website, but understand your reluctance to renting from strangers. We have also rented cottages in other places by using a rental realtor in the area - you pay more, but have some recourse if there is a problem.

Not even sure a hotel would let you have 6 people (even if 4 of them are kids) in one room - you would have to check on that.

Going from Burlington to the White Mountains via I89 to Concord and then north on 93 is WAY out of the way. Take 89 to Montpelier then Route 2 east. About 2 hours-2 hours 15 minutes to Lancaster or Littleton NH in the Whites.
I agree with the suggestion regarding renting a cabin/cottage somewhere and do day trips.
Joe's Pond in West Danville VT (in the Northeast Kingdom) is a great lake with lots of camps. Lake Morey or Fairlee Lake just north of Hanover NH in Fairlee VT might be another option.

Hi Bm and thanks for your response. Joe's Pond and the other lakes you mentioned, are those campgrounds? We're not planning to camp since we'll be flying or are these cottages avail. for rent. If so, where do we rent from?
thx.

It would be a good idea to check the Vermont and New Hampshire visitors websites for activities for children. Another excellent resource is "Vermont, An Explorer' Guide" and "New Hampshire, An Explorer's Guide". Those guides are very comprehensive, particularly with regard to lodging (much not found on the web) and activities for children.

You will probably be restricted by your lodging budget, as some of your chosen towns do not have chain motels with enormous rooms where "kids stay free" and, as mentioned, 4 people is usually the maximum occupancy per room, regardless of age. Lodging is far pricier, for example, in Jackson than the next town over North Conway (where the scenic railroad is highly recommended, kids love riding on the trains) which does have an array of chain lodgings. Same goes for Woodstock with pricey inns and B&B's, versus nearby White River Junction and Lebanon, NH with chains.

The possibility of finding "comfortable" in town lodging in a "nice" town to explore does not seem feasible to me with a brood of four young kids and a very low budget.

Much, too, will depend on the interests of your children.

While there are plenty of "cottages", more so on Lake Winnepausakee, they are not economical and typically (those for vacation rentals) book up a year in advance. There are few, if any, on Squam Lake because most of the lake front property is privately owned to avoid same. You might look for cottages in Alton Bay - a gorgeous spot on the lake and more family friendly.

Frankly, I would skip Portsmouth. I live less than an hour away in MA and have been there a few times, but I don't think it is worth a trip out of your way to visit for 1 day with 4 young children.

And no, I am not a Massachusetts native, so no bias against NH there!

bm, thanks for providing better route from Burlington to Littleton.
Sorry I missed the vegan part.
We used a commercial agent to choose a lake cottage but it was several years ago. Also several years since we rented a ski area condo but the ski area condo might work because you don't have to stay a full week. An estimate at a Loon Mountain condo at the Deer Park resort was about $200/night including taxes for a 3 bedroom/sleeps 6 condo. I liked the looks of that one because of the lake and river.

A couple of years ago we stayed at the Quality Inn at Quechee Gorge in VT which is near Woodstock. The rooms are very large with a separate area set up as a living room. It looks like with a crib they will allow 5 and is under $200. (thurs night is cheaper than weekends). For a motel it is decent. It's not far from Hanover but it's not a village location.

There has been a lot of tweaking here, but I don't see a lot wrong with your original ideas, esp if the 1 and 3 year olds could stay home with grandma . Of course you will want to show them off to your fellow alums, but it mean you miss the evening events.

A lot of these suggestions assume the kids will want to swim etc, but June weather in NH and Vermont is going to be about as warm as March in LA, if it isn't 95.

If you go to the Northeast Kingdom, explore the area around Craftsbury Common rather than spending a lot of time in St Johnsbury, then head toward Stowe and back to Burlington.

Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for your suggestions so far, very very helpful. My husband agrees that my original idea is probably too much transitions for the kids. He also likes the idea of staying in a cottage by a lake so there is built-in entertainment for the kids. He also would like to stay near a town where we can go out to eat if we get tired of cooking for ourselves. I looked into Highland Lodge in Greensboro, VT. Their room-only rate is $150 per night plus taxes but the nearest pizza place is 1/2 hr away so that's too long. I started looking at VRBO and some other cottage rentals and boy, it's so overwhelming, but I'm glad I have a lot of time.
My husband wants the kids to have some exposure to history and culture and he is interested in tubing down some river with them.
Can anyone suggest an itinerary that includes those things?

Thank you so much.

Ok so what about this:

Arrive Burlington, stay two nights (Wed, Thur) in downtown area. There is a nice pedestrian strolling area, you can walk right down to the water, take a boat cruise of some sort, play in the park, walk along the shore. You should have no problem finding vegan fare in the downtown area.

Friday, make a leisiurely drive to Hanover, with frequent stops, via the Shelburne museum and parts south. Two nights in Hanover (Fri, Sat).

Next, pick either (Wolfboro or Conway, somewhere on the lakeshore), or else Portsmouth, and stay two nights. Either could work.

The lake area offers lakeside activites (digging in sand), touristy towns to stroll around in, StoryBook Land, and a scenic train ride. I am not familiar enough to recommend a place to stay.

Portsmouth is a small New England harbor town -- take a boat tour of the harbor, watch the lobsterers at work. There is a ``marine life touch tank'' sort of a petting zoo for sea creatures, near the water. The downtown area has a old cobblestone bricks and shoppes, and a big waterfront park. Strawberry Banke is interesting historic section,fun for the kids to walk around in. Nearby York has a zoo and amusement park, Hampton Beach has boardwalk-style beach attractions (but June is pretty much off-season since the water is cold), and digging in the sand.

Then drive back almost to Burlington, and say for a night in a family resort in Smugglers Notch, or Stowe, or therabouts.
There are lots of ``family resorts'' in the whole area -- they offer cabins or inn-style stays, with lots of amenities and activities for kids.

For many years we travelled to Purity Springs Resort in Meridith, which would be perfect for the kids (lake beaches, playgrounds, and activites), but maybe to far from town for hubby's liking.

i checked out purity springs and since we'll be there mid june, the price is very reasonable, although only some cottages have lakeside view. how far is it from town and is the food good at the resort itself?

what's the difference between conway and n. conway? from what i read, i don't know of a lake nearby.

is portsmouth the only place for culture and history for kids?

also, i keep reading about north conway scenic railroad, isn't that the 5 1/2 hour train ride or is there a shorter one?

Portsmouth, NH, is great. Portland, Maine, is better because it is larger and has more variety (excellent art museum, for example). It is the place where you can ride the mailboat.

The food is really excellent (not gourmet but good family style, with 3-5 entree choices per night, plus sides) although you might want to call to ask about vegan choices -- I don't remember what they might have had.

As I recall it might have been 15 minutes to town, but we didn't go much, so I don't remember well. Its mostly all forest and hiking trails, but they have canoes and little kayaks,playgrounds, a playhouse, 3 sandy beaches, and waterskiing and sailboats, an indoor pool (just in case) and trivia night and movies and a climbing wall and etc. Maybe hubby could survive 2 nights?

As ack mentioned Portsmouth and Portland are great for culture and history.

You should find lots to see and do in the Burlington area, including the Echo Center on Lake Champlain for the kids. Many Vegan friendly restaurants and chain hotels/motels in Burlington and South Burlington.

If you remain interested in a lakeside cottage www.vermontproperty.com is a good site to check. Another family-oriented lake is Lake Dunmore, which is south of Middlebury. A previous poster mentioned the water temperature of the lakes in mid-June. It will still be a bit nippy. There is a wonderful food co-op in Middlebury to fill your vegan needs.