Advice for a New England vacation this spring

[dislal]

DH and I are planning a last minute end of April driving trip to Massachusetts or Maine. We would be driving from Pittsburgh area DH wants to go whale watching, maybe visit some lighthouses other than that we aren't really sure what is available in those areas.

 

[pixiedustedme]

DH and I are planning a last minute end of April driving trip to Massachusetts or Maine. We would be driving from Pittsburgh area DH wants to go whale watching, maybe visit some lighthouses other than that we aren't really sure what is available in those areas.

Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island in Maine are beautiful. I've only been there in summer, though, and don't know what April would be like there.

 

[HeatherC]

I would suggest Cape Cod or Newport, RI. For Newport, I would come up 95 and stop along the way. You could visit Mystic, Ct, Watch Hill, RI, Narragansett, Jamestown, Newport and even take a day trip over to Block Island which is gorgeous. There are lots of shops and restaurants and you can tour one of the mansions.

If you go to Cape Cod, there are tons of cute towns to see. I would definitely suggest making it all the way to Provincetown to see the National seashore along the way, but it will be a longer drive.

Ogunquit, Maine is another great place to visit. The Marginal Way is beautiful.

Depending on how far you want to drive, Newport might be the shortest drive.

Have fun wherever you go! So many awesome places to visit!

 

[Meglen]

I second mystic CT. Aquarium,lots of shops, the port is there aswell. 15 min away is one if the biggest casinos in the country with a mall. It's also alot closer than Maine.

 

[leebee]

It's still cold here in Maine, at least north of Portland. We had 3" of snow in the Bangor-Bar Harbor area yesterday (4/3). Today's high is 36F with a "real feel" of 26 due to the wind chill. For the next 10 days the temps will range from 40F to mid-50s, but with 10-15mph winds, so it'll feel colder, and even colder on the ocean. I LOVE Bar Harbor (used to work there)/Acadia/MDI but this is not the time of year to think about whale watching and stuff. In fact, late April up here? I am not sure what will be open in BH, certainly not any of the ocean-going "watching" tours, and not too many shops, restaurants, etc. It's still late winter!

If I were doing this tour, I'd only go as far north as Portland. It's a great little city, lots of good restaurants, and you can go out to Portland Head Light and wander around. Lots of microbreweries in the area, too. Check online to see if any of the nature-watching boats are running yet. Definitely hit Ogunquit and walk the Marginal Way. Shops and restaurants are mostly open now (far warmer and more year-round than Bar Harbor) and you can see Nubble Light in York. Just south of York is Portsmouth, NH, a quaint little town for poking around in. Everything is definitely open in Portsmouth; it's not a seasonal place at all! In Mass there are all kinds of things IN Boston, but in the outlying cities you could visit Salem and take in the Witch culture (and the Peabody-Essex Museum), or go to Old Sturbridge Village is Sturbridge (outside of Worcester). There is also Plimouth Plantation on Cape Cod. There are places to go on the Cape, but once again, it might still be "off-season" so no guarantees of what is open.

 

[Mermaid02]

April is a winter month in Maine.

 

[Tattylou]

I live in Massachusetts - about 12 miles outside of Boston. It is 51 degrees today and you would think it was a heat wave. I agree on April being a semi- winter month up here. I've been to York Beach in Maine in May and there was only one restaurant open..... everything else closed up until after Memorial day. You'll find similar the further you go down Cape Cod towards P-Town.... lots of the places near the beaches will still be closed. My friend works Whale Watches out of Plymouth and those don't start until at least May. There will be plenty to see and do in Boston if you want to spend your time there, but it could be chilly. Things are also still open in Newport year round. I've been there in November and shops, restaurants, etc were open.
I'd suggest you push your trip off until late May/early June for New England if you want whale watches and stuff....or drive south from Pittsburgh instead if you want an April trip that guaranteed to feel like spring.

 

[leebee]

It's definitely still winter... we're expecting a couple of inches of snow tonight (4/5). The good thing about April snow is that it'll melt quickly; the bad thing is, IT'S STILL WINTER.

 

[Poohforyou]

We've vacationed on Cape Cod several times in the spring and fall. It's a great time as the crowds are low but most things are open. The weather is perfect for bike riding and long walks on to beach plus exploring lots of little towns.

 

[clutter]

It's definitely still winter... we're expecting a couple of inches of snow tonight (4/5). The good thing about April snow is that it'll melt quickly; the bad thing is, IT'S STILL WINTER.

And then you get mud season.

But to the OP, if it's good weather, it's a spectacular time to visit. It just depends on what you like to do on vacation. But you can find it in Maine. I love the Maine coast. And anytime is an excuse to go to Holy Donuts in Scarbourough.

 

[clutter]

.