I recently put together this list of day/weekend trips we have taken to present for our church's Best of Boston Night. It made me realize just how much we have done in the 5 years we have lived here, and how much I LOVE living in New England. People are always asking me what they could do when they come to visit; well here are a few ideas. I am working on putting together a list of things to do in Boston as well, so stay tuned!
Day (Or Weekend) Trips in New England
Things to do outside of Boston
Places the Gentrys have enjoyed
Massachusetts
Lexington to Concord
Trail: Follow this trail to see the Battle Green, the National Heritage
Museum, Where Paul Revere Road to warn about the British, the Minute Man
National Historic Park, Old North Bridge, Louisa Mae Alcott and Hawthorne
Homes, and Sleepy Hollow were famous writers are buried. http://www.battleroad.org/sites.html
Walden Pond: A
great place for kids to enjoy a beach without the waves of the ocean, and a
great place for people to swim. If you are training for a triatholon or just
love to swim, this is your spot! There is a $5 parking fee.
deCordova Sculpture
Park and Museum in Lincoln: We have only been to the Sculpture Park, after
certain hours it is free, so it’s a beautiful way to see art and let your
children run around. They have a lot of
sculptures to see that are all different and unique. http://www.decordova.org/
Fruitland’s Museum,
in Harvard: This is a very diverse place to visit. They offer art exhibits, a Native American
museum, and an old Shaker Home tour.
This is also a great place for child friendly hikes that are flat but
beautiful. There is a gorgeous view of
the city from the museum. http://www.decordova.org/
Peabody Essex Museum,
Salem: Explore 200 years of extraordinary
art, architecture and culture from New England and the world! Described by The
New York Times as "a cross-cultural marvel," the museum's preeminent
collections contain over 1,000,000 objects to excite your curiosity and broaden
your horizons. View the finest maritime art in the United States, art and
cultures of North America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, and three
centuries of American life in historic period houses. The Phillips Library
houses the original court documents of the Salem Witch Trials. Museum shop and
Cafe. Allow one hour or more. Cost is
$15 for adults and is closed on Mondays.
http/::pem.org:
Salem, MA: This
place is rich with history. It has many
museums you can visit in the town, but my favorite thing is to take the trolley
ride around town, as it will give you a tour of the town and the history of
this interesting place. I recommend
visiting in October, because the city becomes alive, but it is better the first
few weeks of October because at the end it gets really crazy busy. If you plan to go in October the parking is
limited; we have found it fun to take the commuter rail in and walk around that
way. There are plenty of things to do and see on a day trip to Salem any time
of the year.
Richardson’s Ice
Cream in Middleton: If you want to escape for a country outing to get away
from the city this is the place. They
offer many farm animals that the family can see, as well as a dairy farm and
bottling facility. Not to mention you
can get fabulous ice cream while visiting.
They even have a nice mini gold course to enjoy the friends and/or
family.
Rockport: A
quaint and adorable fishing town. This
is a great day trip to see ships, the ocean and adorable New England shops and
candy stores. Very nice place to visit in the summer and I’ve read they have a
lot going on during the Christmas season as well.
Gloucester:
Another great fishing town that can offer great beaches, shops and scenery. This is a great place to catch a boat to go
Whale Watching, which I recommend doing at least once while in the area, it is
an AMAZING experience. The time to whale
watch is in the summer months when the whales come to feed.
Wrentham Premium
Outlet Mall: If you love to shop and get a good deal then this is the place
for you! If your husband goes with you,
it’s close enough to stop by and see Gillette Stadium.
Tanglewood: This
is the summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It is a beautiful place to take the family to
listen to classical music. It has a huge
lawn area where family can bring a picnic and listen to a beautiful
concert. If you thought you would have
to have a special date night to ever enjoy the symphony then think again. This is a great family outing.
Berkshire Mountains: There are many places to go in the Berkshire
Mountains. It is a great place for
hiking, camping and swimming in lakes. A
popular spot that many in ward camp at is October Mountain. It is also a beautiful drive to make in the fall
when the leaves are changing.
Cape Cod: Every
town on the Cape is Unique and has it’s own personality. There are many wonderful beaches; one of my
favorite there is Skaket Beach. They
also have a few great campgrounds, the most popular being, Nickerson State Park
(June and August are the best times to camp, in July there are biting flies
that are out in full force.) They have a wonderful Cape Cod Rail Trail, which
is a great bike path. Chatham is one of
my favorite towns, as it feels so ritzy, has adorable shops a beautiful
lighthouse and a great beach. http://www.capecodchamber.org/
Martha’s Vineyard:
We have always done a day trip here while staying on the Cape. We take the ferry from Woods Hole because it
is the cheapest way to get there. There
is no place on earth like the Vineyard.
It also has many quaint small towns and gorgeous beaches. All the town have a different feel and lots
to offer. Oak Bluffs has lots of shops,
the Gingerbread house and the worlds first Carousel. I also love Edgardtown which is very pricey,
but has a very picturesque lighthouse your can visit. From the lighthouse you can see the beach
where Jaws was filmed. http://www.mvy.com/Visitor_Information/default.aspx
Mass MoCA, in North
Adams: This is a wonderful museum to visit it has lots to offer. If you do a beautiful drive to see the fall
colors you should stop here. If you go
on Bank of America Museum Day (if you bank there) you can get in for FREE.
Southwick Zoo, in
Mendon: I love this zoo so much more
than Franklin Park zoo. It is not as
modern and nice as Franklin Park, but they have a lot more animals to see, as
well as train rides, sky rides, and pony rides.
It is a big zoo where you can spend a good chunk of the day seeing the
animals. http://www.southwickszoo.com/
Revere Beach National
Sand Sculpting Festival: Revere Beach has a reputation for being more
ghetto than others. But each July they
have a sand sculpting festival, which is not to be missed. It is AMAZING to see the art that can be
created with sand. Take a trip to see
the sculptures and spend the day at the beach.
http://reverebeach.com/sandsculpting-2012/
Crane Beach and
Mansion: This is a beautiful and clean beach with wonderful facilities such
as toilets, showers and changing rooms.
As part of your parking admission ($25) you can also tour the Crane
Estate (they make toilets)which is absolutely beautiful! This is such a beautiful area to visit and a
great way to spend your day. While the
parking fee is hefty, it is worth it at least once. July isn’t a great time to visit as they have
green biting flies and you don’t want to subject yourself to that.
Wilson’s Farm in
Lexington: A fabulous farm with tons of fresh produce, flowers, baked
goods, etc. Love to stop here on my way
back from Walden Pond. They also have some fun fall activities for families
such as Hayrides and whatnot.
John Adam’s National
Historic Park in Quincy: If you watched the John Adams series done by HBO
or love American History, you will definitely want to visit the birthplace of
two of our great presidents. Not a great
outing for young children.
Wellesley College: There are many colleges in the Boston area,
but this college campus is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. This campus reminds me a lot of Hogwarts and
is a beautiful place to walk around in the summer time when there are not many
students.
Maine
Portland Head
Lighthouse on Cape Elizabeth: visit one of the most photographed
lighthouses in Maine. It is a beautiful
drive and not far from Portland or Kittery. http://www.portlandheadlight.com/
Kittery: Only an hour away, you can enjoy a lovely
coastal town that offers outlet shopping, great sea food and the best candy
store I’ve ever seen. It is also close
to a few different lighthouses. http://www.kitteryme.gov/Pages/index
Portland: This is
a quaint Maine town filled with recreation, entertainment and culture. It is right on the water so it is a great
place to enjoy a Maine Lobster. There
are fun shops, parks and people everywhere you go. http://www.ci.portland.me.us/
Ogunquit: One of
my favorite towns in Maine. The beaches
are clean and gorgeous! Parking is rough
in the summer, so come early to claim your spot. When you are done at the beach, take the
trolley for a tour around the town; they have a lot of great restaurants and
shopping to offer. They also have a
playhouse there that is very popular. I
love this town!
York Beach: I
love this beach too! It is very close to
Ogunquit. It is a small but lovely
beach. It has an awesome arcade right
next to the beach; when you visit you feel like you stepped onto a movie
set. Cute candy shops are all around. There is also an Animal Kingdom nearby, but I
have never been.
Old Orchard Beach:
The Maine beaches are my favorite. This
is a fun place because the beaches are clean, nice and stretch out for
miles. There is a fun amusement park for
small kids that my 3 year old LOVES.
There are arcades, shops, and lots of food to be found. There is a cute pier that you can walk on
that is full of restaurants and shops.
We visit right before the on season and we’ve been able to get really
cheap rooms to stay in right across the street from the beach.
Acadia National Park: This is hands down the most beautiful place I
have been in New England. This is a bit
far for a day trip, but a great way to spend a long weekend. There scenery is outstanding there is plenty
to do and take in. There are many hikes
available, great biking trails on old carriage roads and beauty in every
direction.
Bar Harbor: This
town is adjacent to Acadia National Park.
It is an adorable town, full of family activities, cute shops and
restaurants and a great place to stay if you are visiting Acadia National Park.
Vermont
Joseph Smith Birth
place in Sharon: If you love church
history and have seen most of the sites, you should probably see this one
too. There is a 38 ½ foot memorial of
Joseph Smith, a foot for each year he lived.
They have a nice visitors center and beautiful grounds to walk around. I know they have land for camping, but I
don’t know much about it.
Brattleboro: Was
recently voted one of the best small towns in America by Smithsonian
magazine. What a quaint Vermont town
full of music, art studios, shopping (including a wonderful yarn store), and
small orchards for apple picking.
Grafton Village
Specialty Cheese: If you visit Brattleboro, just drive a bit further to
visit this cheese factory. You can see
cheese being made as well as try and purchase some of the most amazing cheese
in America!
Woodstock: A
Fabulous small Vermont town to visit!
Visit Billings Farm, a lovely place for children to pet horses, cows and
even learn how to make butter. They
often have live music as well. Silver
Lake is close by where you can swim, rent paddleboats and kayak as well. There are fun swimming holes as well. Many other museums, antique shops and farmers
markets are easy to locate as well. http://www.woodstockvt.com/visitorsguide.pdf
Connecticut
Mystic Aquarium:
In my humble opinion, this aquarium in 10x better than the one in Boston. It is ½ indoor and ½ outdoor so is better to
visit with good weather. They have the
most interactive and adorable beluga whales that are worth the trip! http://www.mysticaquarium.org/
Mystic Seaport, The
Museum of America and the Sea: Mystic Seaport is the
nation's leading maritime museum. Discover American maritime history first-hand
as you climb aboard tall ships, stroll through a 19th-century coastal village,
explore exhilarating exhibits, and watch a working preservation shipyard in
action. This place is REALLY cool and
the scenery is breathtaking. http://www.mysticseaport.org/
Mystic Pizza: If
you go to Mystic, you might as well try this famous restaurant out! It is the same one where the movie is filmed,
you know with Julia Roberts.
Ocean Beach Park in
New London: This is a beautiful beach, and during the summer it is also an
amusement park with mini golf, a swimming pool and waterslides. Super fun family outing and is close to Mystic
if you take a weekend getaway. http://www.ocean-beach-park.com/Family-Activities.html
Hartford: I love
the Hartford ½ marathon if you are a runner; it has the feel of the Boston
Marathon as so many people come out to cheer you on. Bushnell Park is my favorite park in Hartford
and has a lot of family friendly activities to offer. http://www.bushnellpark.org/attractions/
Rhode Island
Newport Mansions: To me this is a MUST SEE. These
mansions are amazing, but NOT kid friendly.
You can see 3-4 mansions in a day and all are audio guided tours and
amazingly interesting. If you don’t feel
like touring the mansions there is a Cliff Walk that allows you to walk along
the ocean and see all the mansions from outside. This is more child friendly, but had a lot of
stairs so is not stroller friendly.
Everything about these mansions and their grounds are AMAZING! http://www.newportmansions.org/
Roger Williams Zoo Jack-O-Lantern
Spectacular: I can’t tell you if the
zoo is good or not, but these jack-o-lanterns are true pieces of art! They have thousands of beautifully carved
pumpkins lit up. They have anything from
cartoon characters to famous people to antique cars carved into them. It is amazing and well worth the drive. This is only during the month of October and
starts at 6 p.m. https://www.rwpzoo.org/178/jack-o-lantern-spectacular
New Hampshire
Canobie Lake Park:
If you are into amusement parks this is a good one! They have a lot of rides for small and bigger
kids. My 3-year-old son LOVED going
there and still talks about it. It is
the equivalent to Utah’s Lagoon. http://www.canobie.com/
White Mountains: If you love nature, this is a great place for
you. It is THE place to go if you like
to hike, it has numerous hikes to chose from, beautiful lakes and from what I
hear is a great place for skiing. There
are many quaint towns to drive through and visit in this area. http://www.visitwhitemountains.com/
Lake Winnipesaukee: If you are more of a lake person and
enjoy water sports, this is place for you in the summer! There is a lot going on with shopping, eating
and water fun here in the summer.
Laconia/Tilton: Shalimar
Resort and outlet shopping: We stayed at the Shalimar resort last winter
during the off-season and it was so much fun.
If you get stir crazy in the winter, this was a fun place to visit. It is across the street from a beautiful lake
you can walk around. It also had a pool
table, arcade games, a pool table and a restaurant at the hotel. You wouldn’t have to leave if you didn’t want
to! If you want to get a shopping fix
in, there is an outlet mall just 10 minutes down the road. http://www.shalimar-resort.com/
Parker’s Maple Barn:
A great place to visit in the Spring to see how they make maple syrup, and then
enjoy eating it at the restaurant! http://www.parkersmaplebarn.com/
Hampton Beach: Another of my favorite beaches. It is clean,
beautiful and has a fun town to shop and eat in. This is a great place to eat some good fish!
