aliska

Daughter will be going off to college late August just west of Boston. We will be driving with her stuff, which we can drop off early with friends, so we will have a car. We will have the 2 girls, 18 & 15, and would like to make one last (probably final) family vacation around August 15. We are BIG beach people, never been to Cape Cod, always North Carolina coast and further south. Mountains would be nice too. Not interested in remote solitude. Looking for condo rental within 2-3 hour drive from Boston for a week with lots of stuff to do, restaurants, shopping, swimming, art/culture. We will have plenty of opportunity to visit Boston Any suggestions Fodorites? Thanks!

Dreamer2

Sounds great! Which college will she be attending?

August is high season on Cape Cod. Lots to do, nice beaches, shopping/restaurants, but no art/culture. Provincetown, Chatham or Nantucket would be good choices. Considering your desire for art/culture, however, I think I'd choose Newport, RI. That fits all your requirements, and the water is a lot warmer. If you don't mind cold water, check out Ogunquit or Kennebunkport, Maine. For mountains, you can't go wrong with the Mt Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. The resort itself is a bit remote, but there's plenty going on at the property. It's also close to all the outlets and shopping of No Conway.

Have fun! We're in the same boat, and I understand your desire for that perfect family vacation. Congrats to daughter!

aliska

Thanks Dreamer, we will check out Newport, RI. Daughter going to Brandeis in Waltham. Was thinking about Ptown - we are not prudes (liberal Dems) but have heard this is Boston's answer to Fire Island and not appropriate for families - any thoughts?

china_cat

I think if you decide on Cape Cod, you should look for rentals somewhere on the outer Cape, such as Wellfleet. Nice area. And you can certainly visit PTown from there. It has a certain amount of "local color", but its a very nice town to walk around, look in the galleries and gift shops, take a whale watch from the pier.

china_cat

oh, and if what you really want is art/culture/mountains, you cannot beat the Berkshires. The opportunities for theater, concerts, museums and the like are unparalleled. There are loads of fine restaurants and shopping. The scenery is not so dramatic as the White Mountains, but the culture is much better. And there are lakes and ponds for swimming and boating opportunities. Not really a beach vacation, but it would be a nice place to spend a week. You can daytrip to Vermont from there as well.

cigalechanta

You'll love PTown. Race Point is one of the most beautiful beaches of anywhere. Lots a art, a lovely bike trail, night life, but book now reservations will be difficult later on.

marigold

Cape Ann, just north of Boston, might serve you better as a base of operations. There's much in a two- to three-hour striking distance from there: New Hampshire lakes and mountains; Kittery, Maine, outlet shopping; Portsmouth, N.H., an artsy, interesting town with good restaurants, Essex, Mass., for antique shopping, Gloucester for art and "The Perfect Storm" tours and whaile watchinge, etc. There are some good sandy beaches nearby, but the water likely will be cold. Although in some Augusts, it is quite comfortable swimming.

capecodshanty

I must say,from your descriptions of what you are looking for in a family vacation, do consider the Outer /Lower Cape. The towns of Orleans, Wellfleet, Truro, are unique, filled with art galleries, wonderful restaurants, weekly classical musical venues during the summer, pristine(National Seashore) beaches, kettle ponds, charming villages, and all close to Provincetown, which is a delightful town, with many families enjoying it's diversity.
Having raised my two girls here every summer, thru college, and now the grandchildren, who can't wait to come and work during the summer between their college years,I can't imagine a better enviroment for the "last family vacation". You do need to book fairly quickly, for the best houses, which I would assume you would like for a weeks time, are taken year after year by the same families, and when one opens up are quickly snapped up. Have several friends here, Brandeis grads,who discovered the area during their college years( and some whose children are now there). I need a vacation.com, and cyberentals.com, all will have many choices for you, or you could conatact each towns Chamber of Commerce,(all have websites), and they will send you a booklet with much information that would be helpful to you. My personal preference is Wellfleet, with magnificent beaches, wonderful art galleries, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre,a professional company (again Google) highly regarded, the best restaurants,and wonderful Seashore hikes and programs.
If you need more information, just give a shout!

cybor

Hi Aliska,
I have a summer place in Truro, Cape cod and live close to Newport, RI and my 2 cents says that your requirements for beaches etc. would be better served around the National Seashore areas (40 miles of pristine beaches) on the Cape.

You can somewhat reasonably get a cottage/condo on the bayside of the Cape (which has very warm waters, by the way) and bike or take a trolley from Truro and PTown to the ocean beaches which are quite expansive and beautiful. There's plenty of stuff to do as others have said including whale watches, biking trails etc. You can take a ferry over to Boston from PTown as well.
PTown is a great walking town with many activities and so much to do.

As far as the lifestyle offerings I've seen all types of people including many families who do seem to enjoy themselves.It's really just like any place where couples may be holding hands while strolling around - all quite harmless and unobtrusive depending on your tolerance level.
The coastal towns from Newberryport MA. up to Kennybunkport may also fit your bill but the towns are further apart and the ocean water are mighty cold. My Mom has a place in Ogunquit and although we do go to the beach because it is stunningly beautiful, you never catch me in those waters.
Good luck with wherever you decide.
Sherry

alya

We live in MA and visited Provincetown in 2004 and enjoyed the daytrip, Yes it's has diversity but that's part of it's charm.

It was lovely to be able to walk around the town, it has wonderful shops and we didn't see a single 'chain' store.

Don't forget to climb the Pilgrim Monument - on a clear day you can see Boston.

capecodshanty

ttt. for aliska

Dreamer2

As others have said, Ptown is fine for families. You may see a couple males decked out in makeup and sequins, but they are most likely advertising female impersonation shows. Basically, it's a "safe" place for all types of couples to be able to relax and walk hand in hand, but nothing most teenagers haven't seen at school. My son was 14 and daughter 16 last summer, and enjoyed their visit immensely. No issues at all. We did the Dunes tour, and it was like being on another planet. Really cool! Day trip out to Nantucket would be great too. Best wishes for a great trip!

seafox

I'm a big fan of Ptown (even own a 2nd house there). I do like the suggestion of renting in Truro thus giving you access to Ptown and the beaches along the seashore. The one drawback you may "feel" is that from Orleas out it is somewhat remote, Not a real lot to do and nothing in walking distance. This is where Ptown wins hands down. You can park your car and forget it all week. There is a shuttle to beaches and kepy points in town and the walking is not that far in any case. For kids in their late teens the place offers a lot of variety...... whale watches, shoppig, galaries, great eating, great beaches and yes the local color. This year the week following 8/12 is Carnival. Accomodations will be a tough find and late in the week things go a little over the top. With 60,000 attending a parade in a town with a year round population at about 7500, it gets crowded and yes there are "sights" to see. This years theme is the "can can" - it should be a hoot!