New England @ Thanksgiving???

[hmwnick]

We are thinking about planning a trip to New England around Thanksgiving & need some suggestions or pointers. My 7yo DS loves history..13yo DD wants to ski, 9 yoDD is easy to please. I'm thinking about leaving on Tues. & returning on Sat. to hopefully avoid some of the airport traffic. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Did you ask about NE in a earlier post but for Columbus day?

What would you like to know? I hope to God you will not be able to ski at that time. It is way too early. Most likely snow is in Jan. We rarely have even a white Christmas dispite what those who do not live here might think. Where are you planning to go? What would you like to do (besides skiing)

 

[Crankyshank]

Where specifically were you looking at staying? You can find historical pretty much everywhere here. Plimouth Plantation is a lot of fun at Thanksgiving but as you can imagine, it's pretty crowded then
http://pilgrims.net/plymouth/
Boston is always fun for kids with the aquariums, museums, and the freedom trail.

It's still a little early for skiing. We generally don't have snow then, but some ski resorts do open Thanksgiving weekend. You won't be able to ski unless it's fake snow.
It would help to know which part of New England you're interested in. All parts have lots of fun and interesting things to do for Thanksgiving.

 

[aprincessmom]

I don't know how much skiing you will get done then...last year we went bike riding in shorts Thanksgiving morning. Other years we've frozen in full winter regalia. Weather is a bit of a crap shoot that time of year.

As for airports...that is the busiest travel weeked of the year so be prepared for airport traffic regardless of the days you choose to travel.

What kind of suggestions are you looking for? Places to visit? Places to stay? Places to eat? Places that are related to Pilgrims?

You can book dinner at Plimouth Plantation...it's a mass production and will be served at long tables with lots and lots of people.

Here is the menu and information for this year and the link to the Plimouth Plantation website
http://www.plimoth.org/

Thanksgiving Day Buffet

November 25, 2004
Seatings at 11:00 am, 1:30 (THIS SEATING SOLD OUT), 4:00 & 6:00 pm

By reservation only

Oh the delights of the season! From hearty vegetable soup to tender roasted native turkey, from savory stuffing to sweet pies, our buffet has it all.

Bill of Fare:

Vegetable Soup
Garden Salad
Roast Native Turkey with Giblet Gravy
Carved Roast Sirloin of Beef
Cornbread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Creamed Onions
Cape Cod Cranberry Sauce
Freshly Baked Cranberry & Pumpkin Breads
Hot Crusty Rolls
Wood-Pressed Apple Cider
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Coffee & Tea
Adult: $55.95
Child (12 & under) $36.95

Adult Member: $39.95
Child Member: $26.95

Prices include museum admission and tax.

Museum admission includes: Hobbamock's (Wampanoag) Homesite, 1627 Pilgrim Village, Mayflower II, Crafts Center, and Nye Barn.

Advance reservations required.
We begin taking reservations at 9:00am on June 1, 2004.

 

[hmwnick]

sorry I wasn't more specific...Maybe CT or MA? I figured no snow My DD wanted to go to Canada

 

[chrissyk]

Maybe you could ski at Killington that weekend, but most other mountains probably won't be open yet. What sort of history are you looking for? You could do Sturbridge Village/Plymouth Plantation/Old Ironsides, etc. The weather at that time of year can be bleak and cr@ppy, though. It's not winter yet, but it's past foliage season. Nov. can be a really yucky time in New England! It's definitely not the time of year I'd choose to be a tourist here.

 

[Crankyshank]

CT and RI or CT and Western MA?

Mystic CT is great for kids- there's the aquarium and the seaport.
Newport RI has a lot of great activities and it's gorgeous there. The mansions are a lot of fun

MA has Plimouth Plantation, but I am pretty sure Thanksgiving dinner there is booked. My friend tried last month.
There's always something to do in Boston.
The Berkshires in Western MA are beautiful and there's lots of outdoor activities. Sturbridge Village is a lot of fun out near Worcester. 30 min from there is a great restaurant www.salemcrossinn.com

 

[Lisa96]

It can be a great time to visit but as others have said, you might want to narrow down your plans a bit for better advice. However, I'd skip the skiing plan and head for either Boston or Salem or someplace on Cape Cod(Dennis & Chatham are beautiful.) T'giving will be very busy at Plimoth Plantation, but if you're on the Cape you could easily make a day trip there. And fall is a great time to visit there - the crowds have gone and the residents are more relaxed, there are great little shops to check out and usually lots of area festivals and happenings for the holidays.
Salem is beautiful any time of year and a wonderful place for anyone with an interest in history. Lots to do there and nice day trips within short distances. The Peabody Essex Museum has just been all done over; they have really great exhibits on the trade btn Salem & Asia/Indies. Essex, Marblehead, Gloucester, Newburyport and Ipswich are all nearby for quaint shopping & dining. If you choose Salem, check out what might be onstage at Salem State College for great theater at very reasonable prices. (Although they may be closed for the holiday weekend, I'm not sure.)
Boston is a wonderful city for visitors and also makes a nice base for a NE trip. You can drive (or even take the train) to good day trip locations - Kittery ME, Portsmouth NH, or even Lexington/Concord area for the history buff. And we have loads of history right here in town and plenty to keep you busy.
If you do decide to do Plymouth, check out the John Carver Inn. They often have family specials and they have a great pirate ship pool that kids love.

 

[hmwnick]

thanks for the great tips

 

[pjlla]

I saw several people suggest Old Sturbridge Village (www.osv.org). They also have a Thanksgiving dinner in their tavern, but book early. Also, while OSV is great, it can really all be seen in one day and there is not much else to do in that town or surrounding towns (except shopping). To see more you would have to drive to Boston (about two hours, but not a difficult drive.... Massachusetts Turnpike would take you right from Sturbridge to Boston or even Sturbridge to the Berkshires if you were so inclined). Or if you opted for Mystic, CT or Hartford, CT, I-84 goes right out of Sturbridge down that way. PM me if you would like more information on Sturbridge.... I lived there for the first 27 years of my life!...................P

 

[shamrock30]

Another poster alread mentioned the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. When my niece, 9, came to visit this summer, we took her there to see the Ying Yu Tang house, brought here from China. It's quite something. The tour is free with museum admission, but you have to get a ticket with a time on it, as only a few people are let in at a time. If you go, go fairly early in the day because they do sell out of time slots. Be sure to watch some of the films while you're waiting for your time slot. My niece was fascinated.

There's also Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA, but I'm not sure of their hours at that time of year. Gloucester is not far from Salem.