New England Family Vacations

[PatsMom]

How about North Conway, NH. You can find hotels, motels in various price ranges. I dont' know how old your children are but they have Story Land, Santa's Village, North Conway Railroad, miniature golf, tons of restaurants, some shopping and the Kangamangus Highway has lots of picnic, hiking places to visit. We love it and go every year. Lots to do. Lots of beautiful sites like waterfalls, mountains.

I live a bit north of North Conway. You might want to check out hotels in the Glen/Bartlett area. I am told we are slightly cheaper than up in the village of North Conway. A bit further to some of the stuff in town but worth it.

Some shopping is an understatement. We have the Outlet Village which those of us who live there consider a blight on the landscape but the tourists seem to love! We only like it when we need new shoes! They have a lot of shoe stores. There are also cutsie little shops in the village itself.

New this year is that both Mt Attitash in Bartlett and Mt Cranmore in North Conway have mountain coasters. Either of these places is a full day attraction now if your kids are the right age. They have mountain slides, bikes, water slides, etc. Not all at both places but they have web sites.

There is a lot to do and a vacation is very doable. Lots of condo type accommodations for rent, at least in Bartlett. That can save a lot on groceries and maybe have a pool. There are swimming spots in the Saco and Rocky Branch rivers in the area, as well as a lake not too far away.

 

[Tinknalli]

Not exactly NE, but we live an hour from Lake George, NY. Lots of family type amusements, Six Flags, water parks, another small amusement park, mini golf, go carts, drive-in movies, outlet shopping, Fort William Henry, wax museums, tubing, horseback riding, a garnet mine, rodeo, the village, the lake, steamboat cruises, dinner shows, a bike path, rock climbing, the list goes on an on. Summer is high season but you can get great hotel rates in the shoulder season.

Our favorite in NE is Portsmouth, NH. We usually stay in Dover which is about 20 minutes outside. We use Hotwire and know which hotel is the Comfort Inn there and routinely get it for $59-$79/night. Not bad considering breakfast is included. From there you can drive over to York, ME for the beach and they have a little zoo and amusement park. Then Kittery with the outlets and trading post. The Seacoast Science Center is neat in Portsmouth. There is also a water park and Strawberry Banke living history museum. Hampton has concerts in the summer. The trip would not be complete for our kids without a few hours at Chuck E Cheese in Portsmouth. Right in Dover there is the NH Children's Museum and Hilltop Fun center with mini golf, go carts, batting cages etc.

One thing we usually always do is check out Hotwire and use www.betterbidding.com to help us figure out the hotel before purchasing. The Comfort Inn above is usually $110 if you book through them.

 

[rdevine10]

I was going to suggest Boston. we have done a few inexpensive trips there. Hotel via hotwire or priceline (look at betterbidding & biddingfortravel sites for help).

Lots of museums (which if you have a local membership is often reciporical with the Science Museum). Or get a citypass. Free: walking the freedom trail, seeing all of the historical sites, walking around Fanieul Marketplace (always are street performers there).

Ride the T (pretty cheap). Take a boat ride on Commuter Ferry to the USS Constitution (which I think is included in the T ticket).

Go to the Public Gardens, Take a ride on the swan boats, etc.

Also, the Bostons Childrens Museum used to have $1 entry on Friday nights.

Lots more to do.

Enjoy!

 

[beansmom]

we love Salem especially in the fall. It's close enough to us for a daytrip.

We also go to Newport, RI for the beaches coz the water is a bit warmer there. The hotels in Middletown are less expensive than in Newport proper. We do Ft Adams, Ocean Drive, the beach and walk around the harbor. There is an incredible old cemetery on Farewell street as well.

We love Gloucester, too with Hammond Castle (a real life castle built by the man we ALL love and adore...the inventor of the remote control!), the 'Gorton's Fisherman' statue and the harbor. There are nice schooner cruises on the Thomas E Lannon that are affordable and very nice.

Camden, ME is beautiful...a picture postcard setting.

I'd sign up for Groupon for the major cities in NE and see what comes your way.

Also not in NE but in PA in Amish country is the Red Caboose Motel... http://www.redcaboosemotel.com/ . Check it out! We're definitely doing this with our kids.

 

[Bren's Mom]

There are LOTS of affordable choices in New England!

We're staying at the Tidewater Inn in West Yarmouth on the Cape in two weeks. We're paying 'preseason' prices of $79 a night, but even the first week of August it's only about $129. It's got an indoor pool, little diner on the premises, balcony or patios...not on the beach, but just a short drive.

In the North Conway area, the Red Jacket sister property called the Fox Run Resort is a great location, has lots of kids activities, and you can purchase tickets for the indoor water park at the sister property (that is only for property guests).

http://www.redjacketresorts.com/fox-ridge-resort.php

We've also stayed at a bunch of different campgrounds in camping cabins...many of the comforts of home, lots of the fun of camping!

One year we did Meredith Woods, it's $850 per week. The cabin has a kitchen and full bath, a living room with cable and AC and a bunk bed plus a loft area, and a separate bedroom plus a screened in porch. You get a little yard and a fire pit. The campground was mostly all summer residents with permanent trailer homes, very quiet. Game room and indoor pool. You can free access to the sister campground across the street with the lake and beach, boats, etc. (And now they're offering free Wifi too!)

http://www.meredithwoods.com/index.html

We've also stayed at Mountain Lake Campground, in cabin 7. It's a little over $700 for the week. These are smaller cabins, each has its own yard (ours was a nice size), picnic table and fire pit. It's got a tiny kitchenette with a dorm sized fridge and a small bar area with stools you can sit and each at or prep food on, a little pantry shelf area, a bath with only a toilet and sink (you need to shower at the communal showers) and a tiny bunkroom in the back with two bunk beds (so 4 beds). It was intimate and more 'camp like'. This campground has an outdoor pool and lots of kids activities, a lake onsite for fishing and boats/paddleboats. Make your own ice cream sundaes and candy bingo for the kids, etc. A playground. LOTS of fun!

http://www.mtnlakecampground.com/site_info.php?site=cabin7

Next on our list is to try Eastern Slope Campground. The big draw there, for us, is the campground has two beaches right on the Saco River. You can tube from one beach downriver to the other! (No charge, they supply the tubes.) Or pay a small fee to be trucked upriver further and canoe down at your own pace. The Saco River is beautiful to do this on, bring a picnic lunch, there are many little beaches along the way. Their cabins are $595 per week. Smaller than Meredith Woods, but larger than Mt Lake. It has a bath/shower, AC, TV, etc.

http://easternslopecamping.com/cabins.htm

Also, if a condo is more your style...you can get one in the White Mountains/No Conway area for very reasonable. Here's one example, Seasons at Attitash in Bartlett, you get 2 BR 2 BA for $690 a week in the summer and use of the clubhouse, pools, etc.

http://www.vrbo.com/59917

 

[pooh17]

Not exactly NE, but we live an hour from Lake George, NY. Lots of family type amusements, Six Flags, water parks, another small amusement park, mini golf, go carts, drive-in movies, outlet shopping, Fort William Henry, wax museums, tubing, horseback riding, a garnet mine, rodeo, the village, the lake, steamboat cruises, dinner shows, a bike path, rock climbing, the list goes on an on. Summer is high season but you can get great hotel rates in the shoulder season.

Our favorite in NE is Portsmouth, NH. We usually stay in Dover which is about 20 minutes outside. We use Hotwire and know which hotel is the Comfort Inn there and routinely get it for $59-$79/night. Not bad considering breakfast is included. From there you can drive over to York, ME for the beach and they have a little zoo and amusement park. Then Kittery with the outlets and trading post. The Seacoast Science Center is neat in Portsmouth. There is also a water park and Strawberry Banke living history museum. Hampton has concerts in the summer. The trip would not be complete for our kids without a few hours at Chuck E Cheese in Portsmouth. Right in Dover there is the NH Children's Museum and Hilltop Fun center with mini golf, go carts, batting cages etc.

One thing we usually always do is check out Hotwire and use www.betterbidding.com to help us figure out the hotel before purchasing. The Comfort Inn above is usually $110 if you book through them.

I live a town over from Dover. It is a great place to live and vacation. One thing I'd add....there is a train stop in Dover (walking distance from Comfort Inn). Take the train to Boston for a day and hang out in the city. Tons to do.

Oh, and Canobie Lake is an amusement park in Salem NH. Its about an hour drive from Dover.

 

[LaNina72]

Not exactly NE, but we live an hour from Lake George, NY. Lots of family type amusements, Six Flags, water parks, another small amusement park, mini golf, go carts, drive-in movies, outlet shopping, Fort William Henry, wax museums, tubing, horseback riding, a garnet mine, rodeo, the village, the lake, steamboat cruises, dinner shows, a bike path, rock climbing, the list goes on an on. Summer is high season but you can get great hotel rates in the shoulder season.

This is a great option! I live on the NY/VT border and there is lots of fun and some great inexpensive opportunities in the Lake George area for familes to enjoy. Some friends regularly rent a house on LG for two weeks and never run out of stuff to do with the family. And not to mention there is also some great activities in the Green Mountains of VT where they turn the ski resorts into "fun parks" for the summer.

Tinknalli, we must not be too far from eachother!

 

[Tinknalli]

I live a town over from Dover. It is a great place to live and vacation. One thing I'd add....there is a train stop in Dover (walking distance from Comfort Inn). Take the train to Boston for a day and hang out in the city. Tons to do.

Oh, and Canobie Lake is an amusement park in Salem NH. Its about an hour drive from Dover.

I had thought about Canobie Lake but had never explored taking the train to Boston. Great tip. Thanks!

 

[Tinknalli]

This is a great option! I live on the NY/VT border and there is lots of fun and some great inexpensive opportunities in the Lake George area for familes to enjoy. Some friends regularly rent a house on LG for two weeks and never run out of stuff to do with the family. And not to mention there is also some great activities in the Green Mountains of VT where they turn the ski resorts into "fun parks" for the summer.

Tinknalli, we must not be too far from eachother!

We are in Tinmouth, VT. It's a tiny town about 20 minutes east of Granville. We probably are close!

 

[englishteacha]

I agree hotels in NE can be pricey. That's why we camp! When we stay in hotels in NE, we either use Travelocity's Top Secret hotels or Priceline. (or Motel 6-the one in Portsmouth, NH is nice) We're going to a wedding in Gloucester, MA in late June. Hotels were $200+ with a 2 night minimum. We're staying at Comfort Inn in Danvers, about 40 minutes away for $45 with a Priceline bid. We live in Western Maine, lots of lakes, mountains, ski areas, etc. Some of the ski resorts like Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Sunday River and the hotels near those places offer good summer deals, and you can stay there and use it as a home base for day trips.

 

[LaNina72]

We are in Tinmouth, VT. It's a tiny town about 20 minutes east of Granville. We probably are close!

and I am in Granville. Small little world we live in!!

 

[thebeesknees]

We typically head up to my parent's area in CT for our vacations. They live on the northern edge right near the MA border, and we can usually get a decent hotel with breakfast for 5 of us for less than $100 a night. From there, it is an easy drive to Boston for the day, down to Mystic for the seaport, Newport RI to see the mansions - this is not to be missed!, or we can even head up to Maine for a night or two at our favorite beach. That is one of the things I love about New England is that everything is so close together and easy to see.

 

[luvmy3]

I just rented a cottage on Cape Cod, it equates to less than $200 a night and since it has its own kitchen I don't have to worry about having to go out to eat for every meal. When you have a family of 5, that adds up during an entire week, at least with the kitchen and outside grill I can prepare out own meals. (I know some don't see that as a vacation, but I don't mind doing it). It walking distance to the beach, near bike and hiking trails, and has a pool, playground and basketball court. We are planning one day of spending but for the rest of the week we will be doing free/close to free stuff.

 

[hsmamato2]

We also really like going to Mystic CT. There is so much to see and do there! Aquarium, Mystic Seaport, go on a real submarine, endless options.

If you're in the Mytic area, you can also include the Groton Sub base. The kids can explore the subs and climb on all the equipment.[/QUOTE]

Mystic is so overpriced the aquarium is...meh. the seaport is interesting IF you like old dusty museum type places(my DH does)
hotels near the quaint town are RIDICULOUS.
I go elsewhere for inexpensive fun in NE.
(the sub base is free and fun for a visit,though)
We camp in the area at the beach/state park areas- which is cheap and wonderful-I think Maine,Vermont is a lot cheaper than a lot of CT...

 

[hsmamato2]

now that I read a couple of pp's..... I like Boston a LOT - you can find lots of inexpensive fun things up there- and priceline hotels are awesome and plentiful

 

[dogluva]

If you're in the Mytic area, you can also include the Groton Sub base. The kids can explore the subs and climb on all the equipment.

Mystic is so overpriced the aquarium is...meh. the seaport is interesting IF you like old dusty museum type places(my DH does)
hotels near the quaint town are RIDICULOUS.
I go elsewhere for inexpensive fun in NE.
(the sub base is free and fun for a visit,though)
We camp in the area at the beach/state park areas- which is cheap and wonderful-I think Maine,Vermont is a lot cheaper than a lot of CT...[/QUOTE]

I love Mystic! I live in north MA and have done it all (I think!). We love going to Mystic, CT and try to do it every year. We camp at Odetah-it is the best campground we have been to and I have camped for 14 years with my kids. I liked the aquarium and I love the seaport. I don't find it dusty, what ever that means, either.

 

[hsmamato2]

Mystic is so overpriced the aquarium is...meh. the seaport is interesting IF you like old dusty museum type places(my DH does)
hotels near the quaint town are RIDICULOUS.
I go elsewhere for inexpensive fun in NE.
(the sub base is free and fun for a visit,though)
We camp in the area at the beach/state park areas- which is cheap and wonderful-I think Maine,Vermont is a lot cheaper than a lot of CT...

I love Mystic! I live in north MA and have done it all (I think!). We love going to Mystic, CT and try to do it every year. We camp at Odetah-it is the best campground we have been to and I have camped for 14 years with my kids. I liked the aquarium and I love the seaport. I don't find it dusty, what ever that means, either.[/QUOTE]

I'll have to check out that campground..... the aquarium is highly overpriced...for locals,we usually don't bother. I've spent less at Seaworld than a day at Mystic...if you only visit once,I could see it....again,it's not that I don;t like the aquarium,but it is NOT budget.Even a family year pass is so expensive we won't buy it. We have passes to Boston museums....ain't life funny?
by dusty,at the seaport,I mean it's a museum,with a few live people at times there to tell you facts and history,etc. My kids dislike the place...they like the aquarium ok though,we haven't been since we had classes there a year ago.....I have been trying to help a friend price a 'staycation-type' thing lately,Mystic area was completely out of the question on a tight budget.
to each their own,I guess.....I like to visit places at my relatives cities that they think are so *yawn* but b/c we're tourists, we find enjoyable...

 

[Tinknalli]

and I am in Granville. Small little world we live in!!

Too funny! My father worked at Telescope while I was growing up.

 

[rockydek]

I agree hotels in NE can be pricey. That's why we camp! When we stay in hotels in NE, we either use Travelocity's Top Secret hotels or Priceline. (or Motel 6-the one in Portsmouth, NH is nice) We're going to a wedding in Gloucester, MA in late June. Hotels were $200+ with a 2 night minimum. We're staying at Comfort Inn in Danvers, about 40 minutes away for $45 with a Priceline bid. We live in Western Maine, lots of lakes, mountains, ski areas, etc. Some of the ski resorts like Sugarloaf, Saddleback, Sunday River and the hotels near those places offer good summer deals, and you can stay there and use it as a home base for day trips.

Danvers Comfort Inn is only about a 15 to 20 minute drive from Gloucester. And Also from Boston...Unless you are in rush hour traffic.

 

[lisa-upnorth]

and I am in Granville. Small little world we live in!!

small world indeed!! I moved from Danby to Granville about 8 years ago-we love it here

We really LOVE Disney though

I have a thread about our last train trip down on the transportation boards.
We will have to have a get together next time one of us is planning to head down!!We are waiting until the construction is done in 2013