Wanna help us plan some trips for this fall? Not WDW..

C.Ann

<font color=green>We'll remember when...<br><font
Joined
May 13, 2001
DD and I would like to take a few trips this fall (places we can drive to) with and without my 6yr. old granddaughter.. They would only be weekend trips, so we would need lodging for two nights..

Some places we'd like to go are:

Plymouth, Mass (DD & I have been there many times, but would like to take the little one :flower: )

Salem, Mass (no little one - too scary)

The Amish Country (somewhere in PA - all of us)

Martha's Vineyard (all of us)

--------------------

Also - if you can think of other areas of interest - let's say within a 5 hour drive of the Albany, NY area - I'd love to hear about them!! We're not looking for amusement parks or anything like that - more of the educational sort or just "interesting" for some reason.. :)

Could you provide the names of some good hotel/motels? Don't need to be fancy, just clean and safe..

I know that some of you here on the DIS actually live in the areas I have mentioned so I'm hoping you can give me some concrete information, along with any info on "hidden" points of interest in those areas that we might overlook..

Thanks! :flower:
 
My parents like to go to Maine and also on the way to/from they stop in Stockbridge, MA.
 
marymrg said:
My parents like to go to Maine and also on the way to/from they stop in Stockbridge, MA.
----------------

We've been to Maine numerous times.. What's interesting in Stockbridge? :flower:

How about you Vermonter's and folks from New Hampshire? Anything interesting to see and do?

Folks in Connecticut? New Jersey? Western New York?

There has to be SOMETHING other than Disney World!! :rotfl:
 
Well, Central NJ has Washington Crossing Park, the Trenton Planetarium & Museum, Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell & Terhune Orchards. Lambertville has very interesting shops & restaurants on the river.

We have a very nice Marriott in downtown Trenton, but it is not the safest area. There is a Marriott Fairfield at the Scotch Road exit off 95 that would put you close to everything I mentioned. They have a nice breakfast buffet every AM and they do a dinner buffet on week nights, I think.
 


Plymouth is great fun...the John Carver Inn is a great place to stay with a little one. Terrific pool.

Salem, MA is actually not scary. They do a big thing in the Halloween season but it's a beautiful seaside town with more than just witches. There's a great little place called the Salem Willows, an old fashioned amusement/family park, that may be open during the fall season but probably only on weekends. You may want to google it to get more info. Salem has lots of little shops and restaurants and there are many lovely areas to visit that are only a short drive away (Gloucester, Rockport, Marblehead).

Martha's Vineyard is also quite lovely but be prepared for many things to be closed for the season come fall. A number of businesses close up after Labor Day and some stay open weekends until Columbus Day but after that it's very, very quiet. It's a great place to bike (nice bike paths along all sorts of scenery). Be warned that many inns also close up after the Labor Day weekend so make sure you ask if they'll be open during the time frame you want.

Stockbridge has lots of great shops, restaurants and the Norman Rockwell Museum.
 
C.Ann said:
The Amish Country (somewhere in PA - all of us)

Lancaster, PA is a good place to "see" the Amish. They have all kinds of interesting towns. I especially enjoyed 'Bird In Hand' and the market there. Very neat and interesting. I can't remember where we stayed, but I do know there is a lot of good resturants in town and lots of shopping. :sunny:
 


Philadelphia has tons to do for all ages - history, culture, entertainment, shopping, etc. There is the whole Independence Mall area, you can zip across the river to the just re-opened and expanded Adventure Aquarium in Camden, the battleship New Jersey tour (just did it 2 weeks ago and its a lot of fun). Franklin Institute science museum is wonderful as is the Academy of Natural Sciences. I could go on and on.

Great destination for a few days or a week or more.
 
Burlington, VT

Take the Lake Champlain car ferry over. See the VT Expos minor league baseball team. Tour the VT Teddy Bear Company Factory (free tour ticket for the family on their website). Shop and dine on Church St. (pedestrian mall). Visit the Shelburne Museum. Rent a canoe or kyack, or spend some time at the lakefront - there is a beautiful park/bike path area right at the dock in Burlington. Go to the aquarium called ECHO something or other. It is very easy to get around the city in your car, and there is plenty of parking available.

Next weekend is a hot air balloon festival.

There are lots of major hotel chains there and in the small towns surrounding Burlington (Essex Jct., Winooski, Shelburne). We were there last weekend and stayed in the Travelodge in Shelburne. We stayed in the old part of the hotel which needed a lot of sprucing up, but there is a newer part where the rooms have kitchenettes, which looked a lot nicer. The pool and hot tub were nice and there was a continental breakfast.

Denae
 
Add this about Stockbidge. Berkshire Botanical Garden, Berkshire Theater Festival, Tanglewood (technically most of it is in Stockbridge not just Lenox). and boating in Stockbridge Bowl. There is so much more in the rest of Berkshire County too!

One of my favorite weekend trips is Montreal. It's like going to Europe but so much easier and cheaper. We usually stay in Longueille at the Sandman hotel. It's less expensive than in the city, it's right on the Metro, the parking is free, and they have a pool. The old port is so much fun, the jet boats are very cool, restaurants, shopping, museums, parks, tours, and the botanical garden are great. Everyone speaks English, and are very helpful if the language issue causes any confusion.
 
Thanks all! These are great ideas!

Now - about Salem.. We were there once before when my granddaughter was about 9 months old and couldn't go into some of the museums and such because of all the screaming that was drifting out the doors.. However, we did go over to that park - and it was lovely!

What's in Lincoln, NH?

Hmmm...if we started off from here at the lake (in the Adirondack Mts.) it wouldn't be that far up to Lake Champlain..

Speaking of the Adirondacks, does anyone know if The North Pole is still open? That would be nice to do this summer.. :flower:

DD and I have done the Newport, RI scene - and would like to do it again sometime..

We also went over to Martha's Vineyard the 3rd week in September one time.. We were there just for the day (Oak Bluffs) and LOVED the area.. We rented bikes and rode all around.. Would love to do that again.. :)

We'd also like to see Nantucket - but I'm afraid that long boat ride would make me seasick.. :(

Any other suggestions? :flower:
 
I went as a kid and then took my older kids when they were 1 and 2. We were driving around with my parents, looking for a place to eat when DD 1 (about 18 months old) chimed in...........there's McDonald's. We were shocked to say the least!
 
C.Ann there's a fast boat to Nantucket now that takes about an hour.
What about Sturbridge, MA? Block Island, RI, Newport, RI, Mystic, CT
 
I was just searching on the Albany area for a possible trip for myself....

I recommend the Finger Lakes area in NY. There a lot of great parks, museums, and wineries. I haven't tour much of NY in recent years---last time was Buffalo/Niagara Falls in 1997.

Corning had this cool museum with a section where you could watch them do glass making.
 
We did a fantastic trip a few summers ago. We spent 4 or 5 days in Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, then we spent another 4 days in Buffalo. On the NY side, we visited a carousel museum, a toy museum (on the grounds of the Fisher Price factory), a kazoo factory, the Buffalo botanical gardens, the observation deck at the top of Buffalo City Hall and several other sites. It was a really nice time.
 
How about Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA? Exit 9 off the MA turnpike or easy off I-84 (exit 2 I believe). The Village can be easily experienced in one day (or a day and a half if you are a slow walker). It is beautiful in the fall. Wish I could share my pictures! I grew up in Sturbridge and my folks still live there, so my kids and I go to the Village a few times a year. There are several places to stay in town with different price ranges. Plenty of restaurants and some shopping, but not tons. If you like antiques, combine it with the Brimfield Flea Market weekend (but you would need to book a room early for that.... very busy time). If you want any more info about Old Sturbridge Village feel free to PM me. I think that their website is www.OSV.org .......................P
 
Wow! Even more great ideas!!!

For those who might be interested, I looked up Santa's Workshop at the North Pole and it's still there!! Not too far from Lake Placid (which makes it not terribly far from here) so maybe we'll check that out this summer..

Is the "fast" boat to Nantucket a big boat - so I wouldn't feel the motion that much? I'd LOVE to see Nantucket!

I forgot all about Sturbridge Village - been meaning to go there for years..

Anyone know about how long it takes to drive to Niagra Falls from the Albany, NY area?

Keep those suggestions coming - and thanks for all the links to web sites! :flower:
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top