Romantic weekend getaways in the NE?

[LeslieR]

Anyone have any specific ideas for me? We live in Fairfield County, CT and are willing to drive up to four hours away. This will be our first kid free trip since having our son and we're looking to get away and reconnect. So, basically, we're not looking for a destination with local attractions as a selling point. Shopping is good, though. Especially outlets.;) Spa amenities are always good, too. I mentioned Mohegan Sun to DH, but he thinks it will be too pricey (and I'm not sure about romantic either). We've been to Newport and Providence in the past, so we're not really interested in RI, FWIW. TIA!

ETA: DH just mentioned Mystic, anyone ever stayed anywhere there?

[laura]

Newburyport/Gloucester area of Mass is pretty - cute shops, etc.

We like the Lakes Region in New Hampshire, but it could be more of a drive than what you want (?) - I have no idea where Fairfield County, CT is, sorry.

[LeslieR]

oops, sorry. We're right near the border of NY. About an hour and a half from Manhattan.

[j*east]

My sister lives in Fairfield!

Freeport, ME is great for outlets (not just LLBean) and some good food, and parks/ocean, but not a lot to do at night and not very busy except during the summer. It's probably right around 4 hours for you, maybe a bit more. Do NOT attempt to drive into Maine on Fridays in the summer--there is tons of traffic and it will take hours! But between now and Memorial Day, you'll be fine.

Or...Adirondacks, Lake Placid, etc. Maybe 2-3 hours?

Or...the Pocono Mts. in PA. 2 hours, tops.

Or...western MA...Stockbridge, etc...quiet little towns, good food, some minor sightseeing and outlets in Lee, MA. There's also a big spa resort there, Cranwell in Lenox, and Kripalu, a more hippy-like, yoga focused, but with great spa treatments place. ~2 hours.

Or Vermont...

Lots of good options! :) I'm most familiar with Maine and western Mass, if you have questions. Have fun!

[lil_geek]

How far would Quebec City be from you? Kind of like going to old world europe

[Sue]

We've been to Mystic before, it's near the casino's so if you want to go for the day it's not a long drive. That way you can take advantage of everything the casinos offer - the spa, the restaurants, the shows, the shops - but not pay the astronomical hotel prices. Then there is the aquarium and Mystic Seaport. For shopping, there is Old Mystic Village that has a ton of cute shops.

We've also been to Manchester, VT and it's a very quaint village, lot of outlets that are walking distance from each other, a spa, good food...

[PG-rated]

I think Mystic is a great idea - it's very pretty and peaceful, and there are some really nice B&Bs there. I also agree with j*east's suggestions, except Freeport (there's not much there except shopping, IMHO). I know this sounds odd, but we've done a nice romantic weekend in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which is probably about 4 hours from you.

[Fenway]

how about a B & B in Newport, RI?

[LeslieR]

Thanks so much for the suggestions! We decided on Mystic after all. We're going to stay at the Steamboat Inn (http://www.steamboatinnmystic.com/index.html). I found a lot of good info on tripadvisor.com and we now have a huge list of different restaurants to choose from. I was drooling all over their menus online today! I found out that there's 3 different spas in Mystic as well as the spa at Mohegan. I'm hoping to go to the Clinton Crossing Outlet and the Tanger outlet, but we'll see. We'll be heading there on Sunday and coming home on Tuesday-not sure how much we can cram into that short amount of time! Thanks again for the help!

[PG-rated]

FYI: Clinton Crossings is a hike from Mystic - at least 30 minutes, depending on traffic. I would go on the way back, instead of breaking up your trip to do it.

[LeslieR]

Good point-thanks! Maybe I can talk DH into stopping on the way there since check in isn't until 3pm.