First time to New England, need some info

[thickey]

My family and I are considering our first trip to the New England area the
> first week of June of this year.
> We are totally unfamiliar with the area at this point, and would like to
> see as many highlights of the area in our week there (Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Boston, etc.).
>
> We would prefer to stay the full week at one resort.
>
> Do you have any suggestions as to where we should try to stay so that we
> are centrally located to
> explore the areas attractions?
>
> Any suggestions for a nice resort (2BR)? We have 2 kids (ages 5 and 8).
>
> Any information and/or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> Tim Hickey and family
tim.hickey@redcatsusa.com
>

[mdmbdumont]

First,

I would edit your post and remove your personal phone numbers unless you want a lot of future phone calls.

The first week of June can see rare amounts of snow in NH/ME. I recall a snowstorm while camping in Greenfield, NH one Memorial Day weekend, glad we had a heater.

If you are more concerned with the Cape & Martha's Vineyard I would stay near there. Either RI or Cape may have some units still available, but be aware of the kitchen requirements, many of the cape/RI units either are not large enough for a kitchen or have local statutes restricting them.

If you are looking more for kid oriented stuff, neither the cape, nor the White Mountains in NH are totally open for summer stuff. Any theme parks (small vs. a Disney or Universal) are going to be primarily weekends only. Waterparks may be open, but cold and again only on the weekend.

Boston has a number of museums, including the Chilren's Musuem, which are easily accessible from Cape exchanges. NH exchanges would primarily be a 90-150 minute drive back to Boston. Southern Maine exchanges would be a little closer, straight down 95, but will be similar to Cape exchanges, limited kitchens, smaller units, lots of hotel conversions.

Daytime could be 40 degrees and windy or 75 and beautiful, ocean will be very chilly, too cold for most people to swim, so look for hotel/condo with either indoor pool or year-round heated pool. Many hotels with outdoor pools will open them for Memorial Day, but if they are not heated you will not be in them with your kids.

You are late in your search, but because it is just after mud season, the season between winter skiing and summer fun...you will probably be able to get a 2 bedroom someplace. One more caveat, we have black fly season, the further from the coast you are, the most likely you will get to experience it for yourself. They might be able to lift the young one off the ground, but the rest of the family will be safe.

Good Luck and again remove your phone numbers from your internet postings, you are really inviting trouble when you are that open about your info.

JMHO

[rklein001]

New England is a pretty big area, and traffic (especially in or passing through the Boston area) can make day trips difficult.

If this is your one trip to New England the top priorities would be
1. Someplace scenic in Vermont
2. Boston
3. Cape Cod
4. Newport, RI

Your best bet if you're going to be in one spot for a week is a T/S in southern Vermont, which will put you in range of Boston and will be scenic but probably not fit to ski.

That will give you #1 and #2.
#3 and #4 may have to wait for another visit

[Patti]

I would recommend Brewster Green on Cape Cod. The weather in June will be mild and the traffic will be of no concern. Being from Indiana, you must see the outer Cape beaches! There are many which are easily accesible from Brewster. Boston would be a doable drive...although you might want to take the train in and get a place to stay overnight.

Mashpee, Cape Cod is also a good location as you can hop the ferry to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket Island which are very special places.

[rklein001]

Patti makes a good point - - if you'd rather see the ocean than the mountains, then #2 + #3 as she suggests would make more sense. You'll do more driving, though.

[nerodog]

hello, I live in New England and have a few suggestions for you... if you want the beaches and cape, yes, Brewster Green would be a great place for room for your family...but there would be substantial driving...it depends on your focus. If its that corner around the cape, then Newport , Boston is doable. But if you want the mountains, consider staying in NH or VT and drive over to Maine... maybe hit the LL Bean store, beach at Ogunquit... check out the Yankee magazine site for interests..maps etc..there is a Yankee summer planner , getaway book that covers all of New England. When I had friends visiting from England, they stayed with me in western MA and then toured Boston, cape but stayed overnight there. Staying at one resort means a good base for your interests. If its the cape, MV and Boston, then Brewster is good... I would be happy to answer any other questions and if I can help, let me know.I think you will love it...just tailor down your highlights so its not ovewhelming the first time.

[thickey]

[quote=thickey]My family and I are considering our first trip to the New England area the
> first week of June of this year.
> We are totally unfamiliar with the area at this point, and would like to
> see as many highlights of the area in our week there (Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Boston, etc.).
>
> We would prefer to stay the full week at one resort.
>
> Do you have any suggestions as to where we should try to stay so that we
> are centrally located to
> explore the areas attractions?
>
> Any suggestions for a nice resort (2BR)? We have 2 kids (ages 5 and 8).
>
> Any information and/or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks so much.
>
> Tim Hickey and family
tim.hickey@redcatsusa.com
>

[KevJan]

I, too, am interested in what's being posted in this thread. My husband and I are in the same situation i.e. first time to the northeast this summer. We already have lodging booked at Brewster Green, a plus. My husband is a true blue New York Yankee fan and I just found out they have a home game when we will be in Cape Cod. My question, is it a doable trip to go to the game and back in the same day? The game is at 4 PM on a Saturday. What is the best way to get there and what about public transportation vs. driving in the city. I just had a thought, could you possibly fly into New York from Providence? My mind is all awhirl and I need some help from you guys in the east. This would be a surprise Valentine if I can figure it all out. Thanks!

[Patriot]

Originally Posted by KevJan

I, too, am interested in what's being posted in this thread. My husband and I are in the same situation i.e. first time to the northeast this summer. We already have lodging booked at Brewster Green, a plus. My husband is a true blue New York Yankee fan and I just found out they have a home game when we will be in Cape Cod. My question, is it a doable trip to go to the game and back in the same day? The game is at 4 PM on a Saturday. What is the best way to get there and what about public transportation vs. driving in the city. I just had a thought, could you possibly fly into New York from Providence? My mind is all awhirl and I need some help from you guys in the east. This would be a surprise Valentine if I can figure it all out. Thanks!

KevJan, Well, seeing that I am a diehard Red Sox fan and from this area I will be glad to help you out! It would be certainly a long day if you drive. I would be estimating that it would take you a good 4-5 hours one way if driven depending on traffic. Taking a flight out of Providence is probably not a bad way to go. It would take you roughly an hour to get to T.F. Green Airport (Providence/Warwick) from Brewster. I just recently took a flight into LaGuardia Airport in New York from Providence. It is a very quick flight - less than an hour. I am sure that you could hop a cab over to Yankee Stadium and catch a late flight back into Providence. Just to let you know that the Airport is in Warwick R.I. and is never ever congested. I hope this works for you. You probably would have never thought that you would get all this info from a BoSox fan! Enjoy your trip to New England and give our hellos to Johnny Damon! (ugggggh!)

[Holly]

You could also take Amtrak into the city and then the subway goes straight to Yankee Stadium. Also, if you've never been to NYC it would be great if you could spend a night or two. I would really try and do that if it's your first time to the NE. Hotels.com, Skyauction, and Priceline usually offer reasonable hotel options.

Feel free to PM me. We are local Yankee fans!

[Moosie]

Do make sure you can indeed get tickets first! Once you do that yes we Red Sox fans will help you get there the best way.

We'll even do our best to help you decide what will work for you - plane or train. You really will not wat to drive.

[rklein001]

Originally Posted by KevJan

We already have lodging booked at Brewster Green, a plus. My husband is a true blue New York Yankee fan and I just found out they have a home game when we will be in Cape Cod. My question, is it a doable trip to go to the game and back in the same day? The game is at 4 PM on a Saturday.

It's about 200 miles each way--all highway but add at least an hour cushion for traffic mainly at the end of the trip. So that's about 5 hours each way.

Money aside, I wouldn't suggest flying--you'd still be driving over an hour to get to Providence, you'd need to arrive at least an hour before the plane's departure, and LGA to the stadium would require a fairly long cab ride or a rental car. Mass transit into Manhattan and out again would be too time consuming.

If I were motivated to go, I'd stay the night before the game at the the Marriott or another hotel in Stamford, Connecticut or (possibly cheaper but farther out and a little tricky to find) the Marriott in Trumbull, Connecticut . Both are in good areas about 30 miles from the Stadium and a lot easier and cheaper than Manhattan. [There are also hotels near the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York ]

[hudson1126]

Nice day trips out of Boston with children are to south-eastern Connecticut: Mystic Seaport with whaling theme and aquarium; Groton, CT home base of the US submarine fleet; the Native American Museum ( designed and curated by the Mashantucket Tribe) close to the Foxwoods Casino/resort. Another day drive a bit north of Boston to the historic coastal village of Marblehead where the Perfect Storm was filmed. Plenty of nice areas off the road to climb around the coastal Atlantic rocky coast. Remember to order New England Clam chowder. Good family place in greater Boston is the Summer Shack(www.summershackrestaurant.com) for seafood and other good stuff. Very close to T stop at Alewife Station/just off highway also.

Have fun!

[falmouth3]

I'd vote for Salem,MA, the location of the witch trials. It's a very pretty town, and very historic. Two other places I'd suggest are Plimouth Plantation, near Plymouth, MA, a recreation of the Pilgrim's village and the "cottages" in Newport, RI. There's a ton to see and do in Boston. Try www.bostonusa.com and www.massvacation.com.

Sue

[JUDIE25]

I beg to differ with RKlein001. If the game is at 4:00 PM, you have plenty of time to drive into the city that day. You could stay at the Marriott that night however, and save yourself a hard drive back to the Cape in the middle of the night.

[KevJan]

I appreciate everyone's info about my concerns with the Yankees ball game. We have just about decided to spend the night in our timeshare at Brewster, get up early the next morning and drive towards New York, stopping in the New Haven or Bridgeport, Connecticut area to find lodging for after the game on our way home. Will this work? If so, any recommendations on where to stay?

[hudson1126]

Driving north from Yankee Stadium after the game, you would have a shorter drive and safer accommodations to stay in any of the towns off the Cross Westhchester Expressway ( I-287)in Westchester County, NY, just north of the Bronx. On the western end of 287 in Tarrytown,NY on Old White Plains Road( also known as route 119) you have several Marriott brands and other chains. At the eastern end where 287 meets I-95 you also have chains in Rye and in the middle you have White Plains. It's only a few minutes drive but these places get you safely away from the cities you mentioned and into your lodging quicker after the game.

[rklein001]

Originally Posted by KevJan

stopping in the New Haven or Bridgeport, Connecticut area to find lodging for after the game on our way home.

Bridgeport is not a nice place to visit - - I've stayed at the Holiday Inn Bridgeport without problems; it's cheap but it's in an unattractive area and I did worry about my car parked overnight in the parking structure across the street.

If you want to stay near Bridgeport I'd recommend instead the Trumbull Marriott mentioned in my earlier post.

The principal hotel in New Haven is the Omni New Haven which is a typical big city hotel, maybe a little run-down and probably not cheap but safe and you could walk a little around Yale (British Art Museum and/or Yale Art Gallery, restuarants and coffee shops, etc) the next day.

If you have some energy and want to make a fuller day of it, you could press on about two hours beyond New Haven and stay a night in Newport. I've only stayed in timeshares there but I'm sure you could find a hotel or bed-and-breakfast. You could see a mansion or two the next day and walk the Cliff Walk.

[sfwilshire]

We had an enjoyable vacation last year in New England, but we spent three weeks. If I only had one week, I'd choose a location and stay there.

We spent a week on Nantucket Island (our family favorite), a week in Southwest Harbor Maine and a final week in Boston. All three weeks were terrific and very different. On Nantucket, we hit the beach and relaxed. In Maine we did a lot of driving around and looking at the sights. In Boston, we hit the museums and art galleries. The kids particularly liked the Science Museum.

Sheila

[3kids4me]

Originally Posted by KevJan

I appreciate everyone's info about my concerns with the Yankees ball game. We have just about decided to spend the night in our timeshare at Brewster, get up early the next morning and drive towards New York, stopping in the New Haven or Bridgeport, Connecticut area to find lodging for after the game on our way home. Will this work? If so, any recommendations on where to stay?

Don't stay in Bridgeport. If you are just looking for a place to sleep after the game, let me know how much of a drive you are willing to take after the game ends (there will also be lots of traffic leaving the stadium) and I will find you a nice hotel. I live about 50 minutes from Yankee Stadium (longer with traffic of course) and have a good knowledge of hotels in this area. I'm happy to help you find a clean, safe place to stay, and within distance of a tourist attraction (there is a nice aqarium in Norwalk, CT and a great one in Mystic but not sure you want to drive that far that night) if you would like to do something the next morning before you head back up.

Sharon

[Iwant2gonow]

If I had to choose one area to see that included mountains and lakes and activites for kids that are your age...without too much traveling on a daily basis, I might choose North Conway, NH. If you look at the North Conway Chamber of Commerce you can find many activities including Storybook Land and a western theme park that I can't remember the name of at the moment. There are also 2 railroads. The cog railway that runs to the top of Mount Washington (for the daring) and the refurbished North Conway Railway. There is also canoeing and some resorts resorts are on small lakes with small beaches and paddle boats.

[tonyg]

One really needs to choose a location to stay that fits best with their ideas of a vacation. Here is a site which may help: http://www.visitnewengland.com/