Eastern seaboard vacation?

[justHB]

Hi all,

I did a search and couldn't find anything on this, so I'm starting a new thread hoping that you'll be able to help me out.

My sister's family and DH & IU are planning to vacation together in the summer of 2008 (yes, that IS far away, but we're planning to go the week of 4th of July and early research indicates that we have to book 1 year ahead to secure this particular week).

Anyhow, I've visted Kennebunkport, Maine before and just loved it, so coastal Maine is an option. I've long thought both Cape Cod and Martha' Vineyard would be excellent destinations as well. Any other locations you think I should look into while doing my research? If there's a place you've been that you really love, feel free to throw it out there with details on why you think it's a great place for a family vacation.

Thanks!

[laura]

How long are you planning? You could do a coastal New England trip from Rhode Island through Maine over several days. There are lots of cute seaside towns along the way like Provincetown, the cape, Rockport/Gloucester in Mass, either coastal New Hampshire or the lakes region is also a cute area, and then coastal Maine. Not sure how much you want to see or how much time you want to spend in the car, though. The Cape/Vineyard are nice, though, but $$$$ in summer - and 4th of July week is probably the height. FWIW, Boston proper has great 4th of July fireworks over the river w/ the Boston Pops playing along.

I know, that was not very helpful!

[bookworm]

I like Maine, but usually end up down the Cape because I have family there (and I can invite myself for weekends :) ). The only thing with Maine is that the ocean can be mind-numbingly cold, so if you plan to swim, brace yourself. Ogunquit is a good spot--it's touristy but the beach is still nice (and Marginal Way is a lovely walk).

I love the Cape, but I don't know that it's worth a whole trip. It has gotten so built up since I was young.

If you're considering the Vineyard, I'd also consider Nantucket. I prefer it--it seems quieter, and the downtown area is charming, with shops and some good restaurants near the marina. You can rent houses near/on the beaches out of town.

The pain in the neck thing about either the Vineyard or Nantucket is having to take the ferry. I have no patience for trying to time a ferry arrival after sitting in traffic, and if you're going over the 4th, you'll definitely need ferry reservations. It is worth it once you're there, but I'm lazy and usually just stay on the Cape instead.

[Rosebud]

There are small threads here on Martha's Vineyard (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3759) and Maine (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16011) that may have a few tips in them.

I love the Cape and have stayed there many times. I agree that you'll want to book way ahead for 4th of July-- it's nuts then! I've stayed in Hyannis, which is great because there's lots to do, and Dennis, which is really residential. But my favorite area is Chatham. It's a small, charming little town with lots of great places to stay. Wequassett Inn is really nice (and pretty $$$) and would be great for a family. There's also a bunch of great B&Bs and smaller inns.

The other place I'd recommend is Newburyport, MA. I just LOVE it here. When I was in college in Boston we used to drive up to Cape Ann all the time to go to the beach. There were a couple really good ones in the area. And Newburyport is just about the most charming and adorable New England beach town ever.

[jesseybell]

Even further up in Maine is Bar Harbor - I've rented a house there over the 4th before and it is beautiful!

Just plan on there being absolutely a ton of traffic no matter where you go. Even getting up in the middle of the night on a Saturday (since most houses are saturday-saturday) there is traffic, but worth it.

I am much more partial to the Vinyard than Nantucket. I know they retired one of the old ferries this year and got a faster one. I know about 10 years ago they changed the ferry rules, making it harder to book tickets, but since then a lot of the rentals will include the ferry ticket for 1 car with the rental.

[Anna Low]

Must you do New England or are you open to any coastal place on the east coast? If not, then I would definitely suggest Charleston or Savannah. They, like NE, are very historical, plus they are much easier to navigate. There is lots to do, great shopping and the food is fantastic. Plus, the water is warm enough for comfortable swimming - at least for me.

I lived in NE for years and although I love the beach, I rarely went because the water was so cold and I couldn't bring myself to jump in.

[laura]

I laughed at the PP who said the water in Maine is frigid. The water is Mass is certainly no warm bath, either - even in the dead of summer when it's 100 degrees out! Though I guess it is *slightly* warmer down the cape than it is in Maine; personally I would not plan on any ocean swimming in the Northeast at all. Be sure to stay somewhere with a pool! ;)

[jennylou]

anna - we've talked about South too, but I think our concern might be the humidity. We have lofty expectations of being able to sit outside and enjoy ourselves, not be holed up in the AC. :)

[lee60657]

I would also suggest Nantucket - you can rent a house there which would be perfect for a family. It is a good thing you are planning well in advance though, b/c the 4th is a VERY popular time of year in Nantucket. The downtown area is so charming and there are a lot of very good restaurants as well.

As for the ferry - that is not your only route - we always fly out of Providence when we go- just another option to consider.

eta: Jenny I have been to South Carolina (Hilton Head) at the end of May and it was SO humid - not the kind of weather you want to be outside in- I cannot imagine what it would be like in July!

[justHB]

laura - We're pretty fixed on one location since we'll have N and I don't want to move her around from place to place. If it was just adults, a road trip would be an option.

bookworm - I'm familiar with the water temps in Maine. My OP noted that I've stayed in Kennebunkport before, and yes, the water is cold, but it's not our prime reason for going to that area. Nantucket is also a consideration. Can you bring cars to the island?

Rosebud - It's funny you should mention Newburyport; I'm going there in July for my best friend's wedding.

Jesseybell - Bar Harbor is definitely on my radar.

Anna Low - New England isn't a must, but a strong preference. For one, I *do not* do well with humidity, so summer in SC is pretty low on my list of desires. Secondly, DH and I would like to do a road trip between Savannah and Charleston where we stay in high end Inns and B&Bs, so I'd like to save those locations for that trip.

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone.

[Anna Low]

Hmmm. The humidity didn't occur to me. I grew up in the south and am now living there again, so it is second nature to me. Newburyport is good - I lived there for a short time and it is a great town.

Have fun!

[BethIrish]

The Bar Harbor area is beautiful. DH and I are planning on going there next summer for a week :)

[bookworm]

Nantucket is also a consideration. Can you bring cars to the island?



Yes, through the Steamship Authority (http://web2.steamshipauthority.com/ssa/displaysch.cfm?Port=NT). You can also rent one on island if you fly over.

[laura]

Well FWIW, it's humid in New England, too, but of course nothing like the south! A change from the Bay Area for sure, though.

We went to a wedding last fall in Northeast Harbor, ME, which is on the same island as Bar Harbor, just on the other side. It was a PITA to get up there (we drove up from Boston, which I do not recommend!), but Bar Harbor was definitely a cute little New England coastal town. I'm not sure I could entertain myself for a week there (?), but it depends totally on what you have in mind. OTOH, we had the best lobster roll EVER and we frequently talk about going back just for that. And yes, it was THAT good! ;)

ETA: If you do Bar Harbor, IMO the best place to fly into would be Bangor. It's approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour from there, IIRC, and 3-4 hours from Portland. Maybe 3 if it's not POURING RAIN the entire drive, but I digress!

[strwbrygirl]

Have you thought about Camden, ME? It's mid-coast, somewhat touristy (but not more than Kennebunkport). Definitely not as much of a PITA as driving up to Bar Harbor, and there's some fun stuff to do there (sea kayaking, shopping, art galleries, restaurants). There are lots of B&B's, things to do nearby, and it's a good excuse to stop in Freeport for a day as well.
I'm sure that you already know that July is high season on the east coast, but things are a bit more low-key as you get further up the coast in Maine-- and the humidity drops as you cross the border from MA. It's like a commercial or something!

[cari2]

What about Newport, RI? I love it there - - it has good restaurants, bars, shopping, beaches, etc. You could also make day trips (if you desired) to Boston, Providence, or even Block Island from there. It does get pretty busy, but is good if you are looking for a place with a lively vibe...

[nic]

delete

[boilermaker]

We went to Bar Harbor last year and loved it. We were only there for 5 days but we could have easily stayed another few days...but we are hikers, so being in the park was what we wanted. That being said, we're looking at some of the other areas you posted about for our fall trip this year.

[meatpie]

We went to Bar Harbor last year and loved it. We were only there for 5 days but we could have easily stayed another few days...but we are hikers, so being in the park was what we wanted. That being said, we're looking at some of the other areas you posted about for our fall trip this year.

I was just going to post this. Bar Harbor was wonderful (we flew into Bangor and drove from LA) and we could have stayed a week easily. There are cute shops, the hiking is great and you can take a ferry to Nova Scotia. Plenty to do in that area. Plus, it's a bit sleepy and I thought totally relaxing.

I also think Newport is a great idea. We loved Newport when we were there with my parents a few years back.

[justHB]

We went to a wedding last fall in Northeast Harbor, ME, which is on the same island as Bar Harbor, just on the other side. It was a PITA to get up there (we drove up from Boston, which I do not recommend!), but Bar Harbor was definitely a cute little New England coastal town. I'm not sure I could entertain myself for a week there (?), but it depends totally on what you have in mind. OTOH, we had the best lobster roll EVER and we frequently talk about going back just for that. And yes, it was THAT good!I remember that nightmare! If we do this trip, I'm really looking for something that's just totally relaxing where I won't feel bad about sitting down and reading a book for the whole afternoon, or going in to town to shop for awhile and then just doing *whatever.* Most of our vacations tend to be highly scheduled, regimented trips, so something that wasn't and was - dare I say, boring! - is exactly what I want. As long as it's scenic and there's good food. I *love* lobster! I can still remember most of our meals the first time we went to Maine and that was in 1999 or 2000. :) It looks like you've already received alot of good recommendations but I'm going to second the Newburyport area. It's such a great place in the summer and you can always head down to Boston for the day. I think I mentioned this before, but DH and I are already going later this summer for a wedding, so it's not really a consideration for this trip I'm planning, but thanks anyhow.

Thanks for the feedback about flying into Bangor vs Portland for the drive to Bar Harbor.

Right now we're still very much in the planning stages so I'm copying down all of this info and will reference it as we get further along in the process.

Oh, if any of y'all want to post pictures, I'd love that too.

[boilermaker]

I don't have the pictures on Flickr (had used up my quota that month) but here is a shutterfly album link.

Bar Harbor Pics (http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNGLRi5ZNGHj)

We flew into Boston and didn't think it was a big deal but we took our time getting up to Bar Harbor (went to Kennebunkport, Monhegan Island and Port Clyde first) then spent the last 3 days of our trip in Boston, so it worked for us. If you aren't looking to do stops (with Nora along, I can certainly understand), then it is not so fun.

[PeanutButter]

We are renting a house in Maine this summer. We'll be in a tiny town that is very near the Camden and Rockport areas. Our rationale for this location was that we could do day trips to great locations (Portland, Freeport, Bar Harbor/Acadia) throughout Maine, but there were also cute areas nearby in case we want to just chill for a few days.

I will know more once we get back, of course, but renting a house seems like a great choice from an economic standpoint. I started by just googling things like "rental cottage Camden Maine" and found a number of agencies that act as brokers for private homes. We were more comfortable working with an agency, but we also talked to some individuals.

Good luck!

[LandR02]

Just thought I'd put in a plug for Block Island. It's really mellow, and a large segment of the island is protected open space. There isn't a ton of stuff to do - but in a good way. Days can be easily spent lazing at the beach, eating seafood and ice cream, and going for relaxing bike rides. The "salt pond" in the middle of the island provides several options for water sports. And there are many (quite nice) house rentals, as well.

You can take the ferry out from either New London, CT or Point Judith, RI.

Newport, on the other hand, is very touristy and not very beachy at all.

[curlygurl]

I love the Outer Cape (Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Provincetown) area. Great beaches. Less crowded than rest of Cape - but a haul to get out there.

http://www.capecod.com/Maps/OuterCapeCapeCod.jpg

I probably wouldn't stay in P-town with a family, given that their are so many nice house rentals outside the zooiness of P-town. Great area for relaxing and then restaurants, art galleries and shopping also available.

More Info (http://www.wellfleettrurovacations.com/outercape.htm)

[justHB]

Oooh, thanks for posting those pics. Reminds me exactly why I love Maine so much and makes me want to dig up my old scanned images.

[BeachBum]

I'm in the SE and although it IS humid in the summers I don't find it miserable. Granted, I might just be used to it. :)

Just thought I'd throw Amelia Island (ameliaisland.org) out there for consideration. It is decidedly not typically Florida. It is a beautiful small town with 14 miles of beach. There is a state park, a historic downtown and lots of kid friendly restaurants.
There are not many hotels (and the only ones on the beach the Ritz and the Inn at the Plantation). Most visitors rent a house or condo which seems like it would be what you guys need. It is reasonably close to the airport (JAX). You would need a car while you were there.

[nic]

delete

[Boopy]

I'll chime in with my rec for Maine! Dh and I flew into Boston and rented a SUV. The first day we drove up to Boothbay and stayed at a nice B&B. Along the way we stopped in Freeport for some retail therapy! From there we went to Camden and Bar Harbor and stopped for a night again in both Camden and Boothbay on the way back since we liked it so much. We camped and stayed in B&Bs along the way. The only reservation we had was the one at the B&B on the first night. We had a loose plan of where we wanted to go and we got there everything just fell into place.

This was one of the best vacations we've had. I loved just driving around and stopping when we came upon something interesting, like the blueberry festival we found. It was a true road trip. We went whale watching, hiking, and just chilled and read books! And ate a lot of seafood. You name it, we ate it!:D

[jessmaine]

JustHB: I live in Camden and I think it is such a cute little town. I never think of it as touisty but I guess it gets busy in the summer. There is so much to do around here. There are great beaches and lakes. All kids of hiking and kayaking. There are lost of great cocktail sunset sails ect. Some of the best things about this area is the great resturaunts. I know you are a foodie so you will not be let down. Some of the best places in Maine are right in the area. Check out
www.camdenac.com They have great rentals. A friend of mine works there so could be a great help. It is only like a 3 1/2 hr drive from Boston. Let me know if you need any info at all

[laura]

We flew into Boston and didn't think it was a big deal but we took our time getting up to Bar Harbor

Just wanted to clarify - I am sure the drive up from Boston can be great, scenic, relaxing, etc, but in our particular case we drove up for a hell-wedding-weekend after flying 3000 miles to Boston and the ONLY reason we couldn't fly directly to Portland or Bangor was b/c we had to have dinner w/ my ILs in Boston. B/c they are insane. But I'm not bitter. ;) In any case, B already knew that whole drama, so that's why I didn't explain myself better here. Didn't mean to imply the drive could not be nice or would always be hell.

All of that said, here are some pics - will these links work?

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPo0%3F87KR6xqpxQQonxoJ0xQJJxv8uOc5xQQQoeloJnGanG qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPo0%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPoG%3F87KR6xqpxQQonxoJ0xQJJxv8uOc5xQQQoeloJnGnPo qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPoG%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPoo%3F87KR6xqpxQQonxoJ0xQJJxv8uOc5xQQQoeloJnGnP0 qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPoo%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6lQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPo0%3F87KR6xqpxQQonxoJ0xQJJxv8uOc5xQQQoeloJnGn0Q qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPo0%7CRup6aQQ%7C/of=50,332,442

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPPn%3F87KR6xqpxQQonxoJ0xQJJxv8uOc5xQQQoeloJnGnJe qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPPn%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPoP%3F87KR6xqpxQQonxoJ0xQJJxv8uOc5xQQQoeloGQln0Q qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPoP%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442

[jajacobsen]

Okay, I'm a Georgia native and DH and I jsut go tback from week vacation on Amelia island, Fla an di I don't want to offend anyone but.... if you don't love heat and humidity (an di don't) you really don't want to be south of the Mason Dixon line on 4th of July weekend.

I ove Savanah. I love Charleston. And I particularly love Amelia Island, and DH an dI hope to retire there someday. I was even going to recommend Outer Banks, NC. Until I saw the date of teh planned trip. All of these placeds have loads of charm an dare great vacation spots, prior to Memorial Day or After Labor Day. I'm sorry but the OP has stated she doesn't do well with heat and humidity, and that's what these places have.