Suggestions for a summer week in New England with grandma and 2 kids

[FLDVCFamily]

I'm looking for suggestions of where to go for a week in late June with my mom and my 2 kids (who will be 9 and 12). I grew up in New England as did mom but we hardly traveled outside of MA, NH and southern Maine. There are so many places my mom hasn't been in New England! Last summer we did Santa's Village and Loon Mountain. I'm open to pretty much anywhere as long as I can get a trade into a nice 1 or 2 bedroom. I have both II and RCI access as well as Wyndham points. We enjoy historical stuff, restaurants, the beach, the mountains...you name it. Thanks.

 

[chapjim]

Not quite New England but pretty close -- Lake Placid, NY.

Assume Grandma is ambulatory?

 

[bluehende]

Stowe VT has lots to do and even more in the general area including Montepelier and Burlington.

 

[tschwa2]

The kids would love Smugglers Notch.

 

[missyrcrews]

Just polled my kiddos. (Older than yours, but still...they like to weigh in!) They vote for Smuggs. We went in late August this year. Have been many times before, but never in summer. It was AMAZING for kids. We like Vermont in general...we've stayed at Jackson Gore Inn and Grand Summit Mt. Snow. Both are nice. Truly, hard to go wrong in New England, especially if you are up for creating your own fun! Enjoy the planning stage!

 

[WinniWoman]

Since you have already been to the Lincoln, NH area, I also vote for Smuggs. You can't go wrong there for your kids entertainment, and there is plenty for you and your mom as well. As long as you don't mind driving, there are lots of things to see and do in the surrounding area- Stowe and Burlington, etc.

Just make sure the week you book is a week they start the activities for the summer. This is usually week 25+ I believe.Maybe 24....Call and ask.

I am pretty sure with Wyndham you will not have to buy a Smuggs activity pass, but you will if you trade with RCI.

 

[elaine]

We did inn season Pollard brook in Lincoln nh with my mom and teens this summer. Lots to do and several nice day trip that my mom enjoyed. Great high ropes zip line course. Tons of day hikes. Resort activities like painting tye dye etc. we did smuggs also. Smuggs is great esp if you want a new area.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Smuggler's Notch is now at the top of the list, especially because I can book directly with Wyndham points. I just need to see when those activities open since my mom and dad usually leave to come down here (FL) in late June. I might look to see if there are any good winter activities that my kids would enjoy there as well...I wouldn't mind going for a week after XMas if my Floridian children wouldn't object to the cold!

 

[theo]

I don't know the Smuggs property, but if you could exchange into Brewster Green on lower Cape Cod in late June (unlikely, to be honest) I'd at least consider it among your choices. Six National Seashore beaches within driving distance, numerous (not arduous) walking trails within the Park property, very close to Cape Cod Rail Trail for safe bicycling. After late June, Cape crowds and traffic are truly horrific. Fwiw, I believe that that BG weeks are "Friday to Friday".

That being said, there is nothing of any interest on site at Brewster Green for the kiddos and / or Grandma, but IMnsHO BG is still a good "hub" location for exploring nearby Dennis, Chatham and Orleans, as well as the CCNS lands and beaches and the towns and harbors between Orleans and Provincetown.
There are also several fresh water ponds within nearby Nickerson State Park (also in Brewster).

I don't own at Brewster Green (never did), but have stayed there and lived year round on the lower Cape for a few years some time ago. I personally think that Brewster is a near perfect location for a lower Cape Cod vacation. You are not within walking distance of any beaches while at Brewster Green, but are still within easy driving distance of six different CCNS beaches (all have lifeguards, 5 are on the ocean side, only Herring Cove in P-Town is on the bay side).

 

[e.bram]

Surfside Resort in Falmouth Mass. Across from private beach, indoor and outdoor pool, bocci, shuffle board and tennis courtrs and full kitchen!

 

[Bwolf]

Smuggs may be the place to go, especially with Wyndham points. While in the area, take a loot at the activities at Trapp Family Lodge. If the kids are into mountain biking, or even want to try, there are trails at Trapp. There are tours and other activities that would appeal to the adults.

 

[WinniWoman]

Smuggler's Notch is now at the top of the list, especially because I can book directly with Wyndham points. I just need to see when those activities open since my mom and dad usually leave to come down here (FL) in late June. I might look to see if there are any good winter activities that my kids would enjoy there as well...I wouldn't mind going for a week after XMas if my Floridian children wouldn't object to the cold!

Winter is also awesome at Smuggs. Besides skiing and snowshoeing activities, they have lots of fee based activities like snowmobiling through the notch and a candle lit gourmet dinner up Sterling Mountain with a moon lit snowshoeing trip down the ski trail afterwards. They also have a snow coach ride. Dog Sledding in Eden nearby. Horse drawn carriages in Stowe. They just do not have much - if any-in the way of evening entertainment in winter and also you cannot drive through the notch in winter, meaning you have twice as long of a trip to get to Stowe and you miss the experience of driving through the notch and also exploring the caves, waterfalls and trails in it.

Also- sometimes the snow Fall is not up to par in December. We were there a couple of XMAS's ago and it was warm out- like Fall- and NO SNOW- except what they made. They could not perform some of the entertainment that required snow for the holiday, but they did do fireworks and some alternate activities. My brother and his family had their heart set on the dog sledding on XMAS DAY, so they opted to do the Dog Sledding on Wheels in Eden instead and loved it. But not the same as with snow in my opinion.

When we were there in winter years before that- around 1/6- that week- it was good, especially for the dog sledding.

And they do now have the new FUN ZONE Building which a lot of kids really like.

 

[WinniWoman]

Smuggs may be the place to go, especially with Wyndham points. While in the area, take a loot at the activities at Trapp Family Lodge. If the kids are into mountain biking, or even want to try, there are trails at Trapp. There are tours and other activities that would appeal to the adults.

Also- the new Lamoille Valley Rail Trail- you can rent e-bikes- a real hoot.

We also love the Stowe Recreation Path and the Burlington bike path to the Colchester Causeway across Lake Champlain.

 

[mdurette]

Mom hangs in New England all winter and then summers in Florida? Complete opposite from what most do around here! Love it.

Most kids around here get out of school mid/end of June. The week after fathers day is usually a great week because most of the activities start daily operations (instead of weekend) and a lot of the kids are still in school. If you are thinking early June...yes, you should definitely check out activity schedules before you commit to anything.

We have done Smuggs in the summer twice.
The first week (mid June) was a bust, mainly due to weather and there isn't a heck of a lot to do "indoors" in the general area. The second time (mid July) the weather was perfect and we did resort activities, nearby horseback riding and zip-lining.

Just my opinion, but I consider Smuggs more of a "resort" vacation.
If your looking to explore the area, be prepared for a bit of a drive. Here is a link from their site: http://www.smuggs.com/pages/summer/activities/area_attractions.php

There is a big hot air balloon festival mid June on VT/NH line: https://www.quecheeballoonfestival.com/

Personally, I adore the White Mountain region of NH and I still prefer it over VT anytime of year. I simply find more to do with less of a drive. With that said - I would suggest if you have been to Lincoln already....then I would try the other side. RCI is best for this area and I would suggest either Eastern Slope Inn or the Suites at Eastern Slope if you want to be in the middle of restaurants, shops, etc. Personally, I prefer Bartlett because it is NOT in the middle of all that. The Suites at Attitash Mountain Village or River Run

Another great option which I think would a good mix for adults and kids is Newport, RI. I would suggest any of the Wyndam properties with Long Wharf being on top and the Wellington.

 

[hjsweet2002]

I'm looking for suggestions of where to go for a week in late June with my mom and my 2 kids (who will be 9 and 12). I grew up in New England as did mom but we hardly traveled outside of MA, NH and southern Maine. There are so many places my mom hasn't been in New England! Last summer we did Santa's Village and Loon Mountain. I'm open to pretty much anywhere as long as I can get a trade into a nice 1 or 2 bedroom. I have both II and RCI access as well as Wyndham points. We enjoy historical stuff, restaurants, the beach, the mountains...you name it. Thanks.

We love Bentley Brook. They have lots of activities, nice pools, and hot tub. It is also next to Jiminy Peaks Ski resort. They have several rides there and a tree to tree location.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Mom hangs in New England all winter and then summers in Florida? Complete opposite from what most do around here! Love it.

Most kids around here get out of school mid/end of June. The week after fathers day is usually a great week because most of the activities start daily operations (instead of weekend) and a lot of the kids are still in school. If you are thinking early June...yes, you should definitely check out activity schedules before you commit to anything.

We have done Smuggs in the summer twice.
The first week (mid June) was a bust, mainly due to weather and there isn't a heck of a lot to do "indoors" in the general area. The second time (mid July) the weather was perfect and we did resort activities, nearby horseback riding and zip-lining.

Just my opinion, but I consider Smuggs more of a "resort" vacation.
If your looking to explore the area, be prepared for a bit of a drive. Here is a link from their site: http://www.smuggs.com/pages/summer/activities/area_attractions.php

There is a big hot air balloon festival mid June on VT/NH line: https://www.quecheeballoonfestival.com/

Personally, I adore the White Mountain region of NH and I still prefer it over VT anytime of year. I simply find more to do with less of a drive. With that said - I would suggest if you have been to Lincoln already....then I would try the other side. RCI is best for this area and I would suggest either Eastern Slope Inn or the Suites at Eastern Slope if you want to be in the middle of restaurants, shops, etc. Personally, I prefer Bartlett because it is NOT in the middle of all that. The Suites at Attitash Mountain Village or River Run

Another great option which I think would a good mix for adults and kids is Newport, RI. I would suggest any of the Wyndam properties with Long Wharf being on top and the Wellington.

Oh no lol! She's here all winter also. They're in NH for spring and fall, so aboud 6 months evenly split up but they go back and forth twice

Newport could actually also be really fun! I'll look into those properties. I'm not sure we want to do NH again...it was so horribly buggy this year. Not looking to repeat that!

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Winter is also awesome at Smuggs. Besides skiing and snowshoeing activities, they have lots of fee based activities like snowmobiling through the notch and a candle lit gourmet dinner up Sterling Mountain with a moon lit snowshoeing trip down the ski trail afterwards. They also have a snow coach ride. Dog Sledding in Eden nearby. Horse drawn carriages in Stowe. They just do not have much - if any-in the way of evening entertainment in winter and also you cannot drive through the notch in winter, meaning you have twice as long of a trip to get to Stowe and you miss the experience of driving through the notch and also exploring the caves, waterfalls and trails in it.

Also- sometimes the snow Fall is not up to par in December. We were there a couple of XMAS's ago and it was warm out- like Fall- and NO SNOW- except what they made. They could not perform some of the entertainment that required snow for the holiday, but they did do fireworks and some alternate activities. My brother and his family had their heart set on the dog sledding on XMAS DAY, so they opted to do the Dog Sledding on Wheels in Eden instead and loved it. But not the same as with snow in my opinion.

When we were there in winter years before that- around 1/6- that week- it was good, especially for the dog sledding.

And they do now have the new FUN ZONE Building which a lot of kids really like.

I would love to go in the winter but Southwest doesn't fly to Burlington or Montreal and we have the companion pass for our youngest so we only fly Southwest domestically right now. The closest airport would be Manchester, NH and that's like 2 hours 45 minutes away...it could be bad weather for driving so I guess we'll stick to summer. Too bad because the youtube videos I saw looked fantastic in the winter!

 

[mdurette]

A few things on Newport:
The wyndham properties are all in the center of downtown. Long Wharf has the largest units, I believe full kitchens and daily activities. Anything you want: tours, restaurants, shopping, boat excursion, spa are right outside your door. The mansions will surely be a hit for the history buff and the kids would like to walk the Cliff Walk.

It is also a great location for area day trips less than an hour away:
1. Battleship Cove in nearby Fall River, MA may be of interest if you like military history
2. Mystic, CT offers a their historic seaport and aquarium.
3. Warwick RI has a nice zoo - Roger Williams
4. Providence is an easy drive and a lovely city. Great historic tours there too.
5. Newport has a polo team in nearby town of Portsmouth, lots of good clean family fun.
6. Plenty of beaches in the area- but the water will be cold in June.
7. Wineries all around

Southwest has plenty of nonstop to PVD from most Florida locations too!

Any specific questions on the area, feel free to reach out.

 

[Bwolf]

I would love to go in the winter but Southwest doesn't fly to Burlington or Montreal and we have the companion pass for our youngest so we only fly Southwest domestically right now. The closest airport would be Manchester, NH and that's like 2 hours 45 minutes away...it could be bad weather for driving so I guess we'll stick to summer. Too bad because the youtube videos I saw looked fantastic in the winter!

We live 20 minutes south of MHT. We drive to Stowe every week 6. Yes, there could be bad weather. However, New Hampshire and Vermont have really good highway departments. The roads are generally clear except during the brunt of a storm. Also, MHT is a great little airport. Rental car pickup and dropoff is quite easy. If possible, rent an all wheel drive vehicle. You may want to reconsider and go in the winter.

The one concern with driving is not YOUR driving, it is SOME other people on the road. For example, we went to Stowe just after a blizzard. We drove responsibly for the weather conditions. At a point where we knew there was a bit of a curve and a slope to the road, we slowed even more. Another car blew past us. A few minutes later, we saw that car off the road. Both the driver and passenger looked stunned. We called it in.

We could continue this discussion. Perhaps others will chime in. If you are interested in learning more, just ask.

 

[MelissaI]

I also live in Florida. I have two kids, 9 and 11. We own a fixed week at Smuggs, week 29. My kids love the resort. There is so much to do. There are Day camps, a overnight camp, the Fun Zone, mini golf, hiking, pools, etc. We did a few things off property, such as zip lining and fishing, but we mainly stayed at the resort.

 

[candygirl]

Mom hangs in New England all winter and then summers in Florida? Complete opposite from what most do around here! Love it.

Most kids around here get out of school mid/end of June. The week after fathers day is usually a great week because most of the activities start daily operations (instead of weekend) and a lot of the kids are still in school. If you are thinking early June...yes, you should definitely check out activity schedules before you commit to anything.

We have done Smuggs in the summer twice.
The first week (mid June) was a bust, mainly due to weather and there isn't a heck of a lot to do "indoors" in the general area. The second time (mid July) the weather was perfect and we did resort activities, nearby horseback riding and zip-lining.

Just my opinion, but I consider Smuggs more of a "resort" vacation.
If your looking to explore the area, be prepared for a bit of a drive. Here is a link from their site: http://www.smuggs.com/pages/summer/activities/area_attractions.php

There is a big hot air balloon festival mid June on VT/NH line: https://www.quecheeballoonfestival.com/

Personally, I adore the White Mountain region of NH and I still prefer it over VT anytime of year. I simply find more to do with less of a drive. With that said - I would suggest if you have been to Lincoln already....then I would try the other side. RCI is best for this area and I would suggest either Eastern Slope Inn or the Suites at Eastern Slope if you want to be in the middle of restaurants, shops, etc. Personally, I prefer Bartlett because it is NOT in the middle of all that. The Suites at Attitash Mountain Village or River Run

Another great option which I think would a good mix for adults and kids is Newport, RI. I would suggest any of the Wyndam properties with Long Wharf being on top and the Wellington.

I add my vote for Attitash in Bartlett. As a previous owner, I can tell you the place and area is great for children and adults alike-lots to do for both. Great Alpine slide, horse back riding, etc. right at the place!

 

[Nag]

We have owned at Attitash for 27 years. Great for kids, lots to do in the area. Story Land is fun for all ages, my last trip there was a group of 7 14 year olds, they had a blast. Train rides, Mount Washington, canoeing. We never miss a year and every year we wish we had more days.

 

[ahdah]

Our favorite on Cape Cod is Brewster Green. We could never trade in, so we ended up buying 2 weeks, then we added another week. They have 2 and 3 bedroom units with full kitchen and the fee for a 2 bedroom is just over $700. We love it there.