For those in the northeast- where are u vacationing this summer?

[katie111]

Trying to get some ideas on where to go for our summer vacation this year. We live outside Boston but are willing to drive pretty much anywhere within 4-5 hours. We just did a big family trip to Costa Rica so we are trying to plan something a little more low key. We have 3 kids ages 5, 8, & 9. Probably looking to rent a cottage but are open to other ideas. Will probably go for a week with DH and would be willing to spend another week with the kids if we could find something reasonably priced. It seems like the Cape Cod rental prices have gone through the roof this year.

So, where are you headed?

 

[Sammy]

We are staying in York Beach, Maine for a week in August. We stay up on Nubble point and plan on doing Long Sands beach for a few days, Ogunquit, Kittery, maybe a coastal/lighthouse drive. I found the rental on HomeAway.com and for York, it was pretty reasonable.

I'd like to do another week somewhere, so I'll be interested to hear what other posters might be doing.

Sammy

 

[lwake]

Hi Fellow New Englander: Have you done the Bar Harbor, Maine vacation? There is lots to do there. Hiking, biking, carriage trails, sea kayaking, and walking along the ocean are just a few of the things to do. You should be able to get a room for less than $200/night. I am sure that you can book a cabin, too, for a reasonable rate.

 

[Tpiejg]

Hi, I grew up going to sebago lake in Maine. Now i take my kids. If you want total relaxation just sitting on the lake in a rustic cabin right on the water I can't think of any place I would rather be. Nice sandy beaches. Jordans Realty does most of the rentals on the lake.

 

[Donnainnj]

A couple of summers ago we went to the White Mountains and really enjoyed it. We stayed in a suite hotel so not sure about cabins. We enjoyed a variety of activities including hiking, and zip-lining, climbing Mt. Washington, Storyland and Santa's Village. It was a fun family trip on a budget and your kids are at a much better age for it then ours were.
Donna

 

[Bowen9475]

With kids your age I would also suggest the White Mountains - we love Story Land and even more so, Santa's Village. We have also gone to the Wells, ME area many times. This year we are thinking of driving out to Niagara Falls.

 

[Desnik]

Of course we're going to Disneyworld this summer! But we will be going to Ogunquit, Maine for a long weekend over Memorial Day weekend. It will be our first time there & we are really excited about it.

 

[Scrappygrrl]

We lkive in NJ and we went to Maine last year - so much fun! My kids talk about it more than Disney if you can imagine and we are going again this year. We stay in a very sleepy town called Camp Ellis - rented on vrbo.com. Off the beaten path, not too crwded and easy day trips to Cape Elizabeth, Portland, Ogunquit, etc. The kids loved what we did in toewn most of all; we walked the jetty, went crabbing off the marina, and at low tide we found tons of water snails and hermit crabs in the ocean that we collected and played with on the beach (and then returned, of course!). It's also a very short drive to Old Orchard Beach where there are amusements, etc.

There's a link in my siggy to our Disney video trip report. If you follow that link and look up my other videos under my username, I have a Maine video trip report too; that might interest you.
Edited to add the link so you don't have to go digging for it!

http://youtu.be/DsdgYrp_TIw

 

[mickeyboat]

We go here. It is on Lake George, NY.

www.canoeislandlodge.com

 

[Darcy03231]

I highly recommend the Rocking Horse Ranch!

www.rockinghorseranch.com

We have many great memories of our trips there. When my children were younger we went every year and they had a great time.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

We have done Storyland/Santa's Villiage and loved it!

But... Last year we did a week at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. I was able to book a 2 bedroom guest house with my timeshare and my DD loved both the indoor and outdoor pools. We took day trips to Vermont Teddy Bear (can get expensive if you buy bears), Cabot Cheese and of course toured Ben and Jerry's. We also did a ghost walking tour in Stowe that our 5 year old loved. One night we did a campfire at the resort that was fun and they have a bunch of activities (some free, some for a fee.)

These are timshares so you may be able to pick one up on Redweek or VBRO. There are many other family oriented resorts in Stowe also.

http://www.trappfamily.com/accommodations/guest-house

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Of course we're going to Disneyworld this summer! But we will be going to Ogunquit, Maine for a long weekend over Memorial Day weekend. It will be our first time there & we are really excited about it.

I was married at the Cliff House in Ogunquit, you will love it! If you are in Kittery check out the Chuancy Creek Lobster Pier. The fun thing is you can BYO anything that is not on the menu. People wheel in coolers of beer, wine, mixed drinks, appitizers... I even saw someone bring an entire watermellon of cut up fruit for a party.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...y_Creek_Lobster_Pier-Kittery_Point_Maine.html

If you like cooking, check out Stonewall Kitchen in York (right past Kittery). They have cooking classes but they fill up quick. They have the best jellies, jams and sauces.

 

[msmama]

What about up into Candada? If I remember correctly you can get ferries from either Maine or Rhode Island (though they are pricey). The ferry ride is an adventure to itself!! We drove from Prince Edward Island down back to the states - there are a lot of cool towns there and I'm sure you could find something to rent.

Or camp - it's honestly the only trip I've ever camped, myself so I know it's not too horrible. I was pregnant at the time, too!!

 

[HeatherC]

We are also going to Maine for a week....Phippsburg which is outside of Bath. Been vacatioining there every year for over forty years..and I am 46. We are renting a big house on the water with other family members.

We are also going to Block Island for a week. Free trip since my brother has a house there.

One place I would like to try is in the White Mountains at a campground called Lost River Valley. They also have cabin rentals...which is what I would do. Our friends swear by the place and they aren't really into camping. Pretty affordable and lots to do in the area.

 

[Tinknalli]

We are an hour from Lake George and go there often. There are tons of family friendly activities in that area. We're headed over to the drive in movies this weekend. The lake is pretty with a tourist village with shops, restaurants and touristy stuff like haunted houses and wax museums. There are a couple of amusement parks (one is Six Flags), water parks, lots of mini golf, go carts and arcades, outlet shopping, a French and Indian War era fort, boat rides on the lake (we'll be on a dinner cruise on the lake next month). Lots of hotels including the Great Escape Lodge with and indoor water park. The Comfort Inn and suites has a nice little indoor pool area with water slide and a kiddie pool with fountain. They also have a nice playground and grills and picnic tabels out back. Country Inn and Suites is right next to the Six Flags park so you can walk. We've stayed at all 3 of the above and had a nice time.

Our favorite weekend getaway is the Portsmouth, NH area. In Portsmouth there is Strawberry Banke museum, a water park and Odiorne State Park. We also go up to Kittery for the outlets and York. It is really nice to stay right in Portsmouth (love the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside, but it is pricey), but it is really not necessary. For budget accomodation there are some nice hotels in the Dover area that can be had on Hotwire for a really reasonable price. Dover is about a 15-20 minute drive to everything and has the children's museum.

 

[MinnieForMe]

I highly recommend the Rocking Horse Ranch!

www.rockinghorseranch.com

We have many great memories of our trips there. When my children were younger we went every year and they had a great time.

My daughter would have the time of her life here. I figured it would be just under $900 a night for our family of five. I couldn't find check in times. Time to start saving more!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[MinnieForMe]

Trying to get some ideas on where to go for our summer vacation this year. We live outside Boston but are willing to drive pretty much anywhere within 4-5 hours. We just did a big family trip to Costa Rica so we are trying to plan something a little more low key. We have 3 kids ages 5, 8, & 9. Probably looking to rent a cottage but are open to other ideas. Will probably go for a week with DH and would be willing to spend another week with the kids if we could find something reasonably priced. It seems like the Cape Cod rental prices have gone through the roof this year.

So, where are you headed?

I second/third the White Mountains. You can zipline, race little cars down the mountain, ride the Cog, Santa's Village, swim, and just enjoy the beautiful views!

Do you mind PM about your trip to Costa Rica? Where did you stay? Did you like it? Did you feel safe? My kids are 14, 11 and 6 with the exception of the 6 year old, they are ready to start traveling somewhere besides Florida!

Thanks so much!

 

[Mom23Disneybelievers]

We are doing a week of camping at Hamonasset Beach in CT for the first time.
We also always do two weeks in a beach house at the Jersey Shore.
Rocking Horse Ranch is also a great destination. (It is local for us.) They frequently offer special deals and rates when you sign up for the emails. Avoid the Pine Grove Dude Ranch (also local) it is a dump!!!

 

[englishteacha]

We're not going anywhere this summer. First time in 10 years. Baby will be arriving any time now!

We love Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor. Fabulous vacation spot, and prices for lodging range from under $100 a night (outside of Bar Harbor) to very expensive, so you should be able to find something you can afford. The White Mountains in NH are also lovely. And there are hundreds of lakes in Maine if you wanted to rent a camp or cabin for a week and swim/fish/boat/grill/relax.

 

[figment3258]

We love the elm wood resort in wells Maine. It has a kitchen bedrooms bathrooms living room is big and very close tothe beach and it's cheaper than most highly recommended

Also we do love the cape check out a hotel that is not on a beach huge price diffrence

I love north Conway NH it's great the mountains are so peaceful and the shopping is great