Not Disney, but need advice

[DSNY4ever]

Just something to consider if you are interested- my parents did an east coast cruise a few years back and they absolutely loved it. It didn't hit all of the places on your list, but it did go to some and they have travelled the whole world and still say this trip was one of their favorites. I can't remember which cruise line it was, but I think it was either Princess or Royal Caribbean.

 

[NancyIL]

I just wanted to say thank you all for the advice! We had a wonderful vacation. The official trip ended up being Outer Banks, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York City! I was amazed by all the spectacular things I saw and all the amazing food we ate.

Thank you all so much for helping me put this trip together.

Next up....2 years to plan a 15 day trip to
New York City
Boston
Salem
Somewhere in New Hampshire
Somewhere in Maine

I'm glad you had a great trip. For your next trip, instead of starting in NYC, I suggest starting and ending in Boston. My DH and I did this in October 2011 for 12 nights, and this was our itinerary:

- Fly to Boston, rent a car and drive to Lexington, MA (1 night)
- Drive to Woodstock, VT (2 nights)
- Drive to Burlington, VT (1 night)
- Drive to N. Conway, NH, with stop near Stowe, VT to tour Ben & Jerry's (2 nights)
- Drive to Bar Harbor, Maine (2 nights)
- Drive to Portland, Maine (1 night)
- Drive to Boston (3 nights)
- Fly home

With more time, we could've driven through western MA and/or upstate NY.

 

[disneychik21]

Just something to consider if you are interested- my parents did an east coast cruise a few years back and they absolutely loved it. It didn't hit all of the places on your list, but it did go to some and they have travelled the whole world and still say this trip was one of their favorites. I can't remember which cruise line it was, but I think it was either Princess or Royal Caribbean.

Just curious, what were the stops and what did they have to say about the cruise. I wonder if it would be more costly or if it would save money. I will have to look that up. Thank you!

 

[disneychik21]

I'm glad you had a great trip. For your next trip, instead of starting in NYC, I suggest starting and ending in Boston. My DH and I did this in October 2011 for 12 nights, and this was our itinerary:

- Fly to Boston, rent a car and drive to Lexington, MA (1 night)
- Drive to Woodstock, VT (2 nights)
- Drive to Burlington, VT (1 night)
- Drive to N. Conway, NH, with stop near Stowe, VT to tour Ben & Jerry's (2 nights)
- Drive to Bar Harbor, Maine (2 nights)
- Drive to Portland, Maine (1 night)
- Drive to Boston (3 nights)
- Fly home

With more time, we could've driven through western MA and/or upstate NY.

What were your favorite parts of these places? Why did you pick these over the others? I really want to make sure I am picking the best possible places. We are history lovers, so we like to visit historical things.

 

[NancyIL]

What were your favorite parts of these places? Why did you pick these over the others? I really want to make sure I am picking the best possible places. We are history lovers, so we like to visit historical things.

I wanted to visit the New England states that I had never been to (ME, NH, VT), so I looked at the itineraries of a few tour companies (Tauck, Insight), then tweaked our plans. I had been to Boston before, but was clueless about what to see in Vermont and New Hampshire.

We went in early October to see the fall colors, and we stayed in a mix of hotels and B&Bs. Check out travel guides to the New England states at your library for suggestions on what to do.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you are not already, I would suggest joining AAA. Then get the tour books and city/area maps for the locations you are going. This will give you a lot of ideas.