From Yankee Magazine recently...
Family Adventure Spots in New England
Whitewater Rafting Deerfield River, Northwestern Massachusetts>Mountain Biking Kingdom Trails, East Burke, Vermont
Sea KayakingWickford Harbor, Rhode Island
Camping Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine
Biking Province Lands, Provincetown, Massachusetts
Canoeing Umbagog Lake, New Hampshire
Stephen Jermanok, travel writer and father of two young children, reveals his favorite family adventure spots. Some of them may surprise you. Get ready for New England's best adventures in whitewater rafting and biking in Massachusetts, mountain biking in Vermont, sea kayaking in Rhode island, camping in Maine, and canoeing in New Hampshire.
Showing posts with label New England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New England. Show all posts
Family Adventure Spots in New England
Pet-Friendly New England Travels
There's a cool guide to pet-friendly travel guide at the Boston Globe's web site, here. Places to roam with Rover, dog-friendly parks in Boston, pet-friendly lodging, pet-friendly attractions, dog parks and trails, and Boston kennels.
Also, a photo gallery of travel pals.
Children's Museum, West Hartford, CT
On a day off from school recently, Tinsley found herself with two kids to entertain and no help from Dad (I had to work, it's good Friday, not great Friday). She decided to spend the day at the Children's Museum in West Hartford. She didn't bring a camera as she already had her hands full, but we did convince Tom to write it up for our blog.
Here's Tom's write-up:
Here are a couple of tips from Tinsley:
Here's Tom's write-up:
In the yard of this really awesome place in West Hartford called the children's museum, I saw and went inside a hollow concrete whale that said facts about its self. But every time I went inside, it fell silent.Sounds like a good time.
Inside the museum there was a room called turtle town. And no wonder! There were turtles everywhere! Turtles! Turtles! Turtles! there were big turtles, little turtles, snapping turtles, box turtles, tortoises, every one you could think of! Eventually we had to leave turtle town.
In the next room, I almost fell down -- practically every thing was made of LEGOS! Boy did I have a fun time in there! But, sadly, we had to leave; my annoying sister convinced us to go back to turtle town.
After that, I got to pet a snake with really scaly skin. I didn't miss my turn! Later on there was this really awesome thing where I saw a scorpion underneath an ultraviolet light. (It looked white.)
After a while something even cooler came to my eyes. I actually saw a fake dinosaur that moved and roared! The last room was the gift shop. I bought a little lizard, a “grabit”, and a rock called snakeskin. They were all awesome! I sighed.
On the way home I had quite some fun thinking about all of the fun stuff I did at the museum. It was really fun, and I wish I could go there again.
Here are a couple of tips from Tinsley:
- Bring hand sanitizer to swab the kids down with after they pat the turtles and snakes and swarm the LEGO pit.
- Parking can be a little difficult in west Hartford, so looking for lunch before going to the museum may be challenging. I recommend the Subway on Farmington Avenue.
A Scenic New Hampshire Drive
Yankee Magazine featured a loop around Mount Monadnock recently.
The Many Views of Monadnock: A Driving Tour
There's a slower pace and evidence of bygone eras in southwestern New Hampshire.
We haven't road tested this route yet, but we will soon enough.
Have you road tested this route?
Download the directions here
The Many Views of Monadnock: A Driving Tour
There's a slower pace and evidence of bygone eras in southwestern New Hampshire.
We haven't road tested this route yet, but we will soon enough.
Have you road tested this route?
Download the directions here
Kid and Dog friendly lodging in Belfast, ME
Rather than trying top zoom straight through from Portland to Acadia -- and miss some of the best parts of coastal Maine -- slow down, spend a night in Camden or Belfast.
Belfast is a nice little city in mid-coast Maine. Belfast is a whole lot less crowded in the summer, and it's closer to Acadia. One good place to stay, with a view of Penobscot Bay from every room, is the Comfort Inn, just over the bridge over Passagassawaukeg River on Rt 1.
The inn has an indoor pool, a "continental breakfast" and allows dogs for a mere $10 extra. They have suites, king rooms with kitchenettes, and regular rooms.
And there's a great little Thai restaurant across the street.
Places to go in The Granite State
Here's a user-generated map of things to do in New Hampshire from Yankee Magazine's web site.
Seadog Brewing Company: Best. Sandwich. Ever.
Maybe the best pit stop in mid-coast Maine. Nay, the Best. Pit stop. in Mid-coast Maine.
Most of the way through an eight hour drive to Belfast, ME we stopped for dinner. Where you get off I-95 for Rt. 1 is Topsam, ME. A little over a mile from the exit is The Seadog -- a comfortable kid-friendly brewpub restaurant offering many yummy local brews, yummy burgers, yummy fish and chips and dining on the deck next to the Androscoggin River.
When we go there, which is oftener and oftener, I typically get a burger. Because I like a burger and a beer. But Tinsley always opts for the Tuna steak sandwich because it's on the menu. And she would feel foolish ordering a burger when she could have the tuna steak sandwich with radish sprouts and wasabi mayo. She likes it as rare as possible so that it's almost a sushi sandwich. Usually she's delighted with the sandwich. This time she said "Absolutely, the Best. Sandwich. Ever."
But what do you really think, Tinsley?
Dinosaur State Park: A Good Pit Stop
Stop in for a picnic lunch and explore the museum, craft room, and more than two miles of nature trails through the Dinosaur Park State Arboretum.
In
Five hundred footprints is nothing to sneeze at
The footprints were discovered in 1966 when excavators were digging out to set a foundation for a new state building. The workers found 2,000 footprints (500 of them are on display under the dome, the rest are buried for preservation). The tracks were laid down 200 million years ago.
Did dinosaurs eat walnuts?
In the early dinosaur days, most of the plants we see today were already established: conifers (cone-bearing), ferns, horsetails and ginkos. Missing were the flowering plants, whose pollen first appears in the fossil record about 140 million years ago, and who were prolific by 90 million years ago. The same
Cost: $5 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6-12, free for kids under 6.
Open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Trails close at 4 p.m.
View Larger Map
Vermont Ski Getaway: Okemo Mt
If you want great skiing, good food, shopping opportunities and general friendly fun, don't bother with the Killington crowds, head to Ludlow instead.
We go to Ludlow each year for early Christmas with one chunk of our rather extended family. Most of the time we spend a day skiing. There are lots of great things about Ludlow, Okemo, and Vermont in general, but it's hard to not start with the skiing.
What a great mountain! You can ski trails that are as challenging or gentle as you like and the crowds are non existent. Pretty much. Many of the runs on the upper part of the mountain we had to ourselves. I literally skied a few runs without seeing anyone else. Tom went to ski school for the second time (probably the last time he'll need it) and then skied with Tinsley and me after school. Tinsley took advantage of an Okemo extra: 'never-evers' ski free. If you've never ever skied before, the lesson, rentals, and lift ticket are free for the day. She was thrilled with the experience.
Dining:
Avoid the Pot Belly pub unless you just want to watch the game from the bar. The food is mediocre and the wait is looong.
Sam's Steakhouse has great fine dining in a casual atmosphere. Reasonably kid-friendly, and not overpriced.
The Hatchery is where we always end up eating breakfast. It seems to me that we've gone to Trapper's as well, but we keep going back to the Hatchery.
Other fun stuff:
We were there a few years ago in September, around Tom's birthday, and we went for a side trip to Chester to ride the Green Mountain Flyer. What a wonderful train ride and what fun for a four year old!
Cheap Kicks in Boston: 25 Things to do for Under $25
Here's one from the The Boston Globe, not all of them are kid-type activities, but maybe the parents can split up and enjoy a little "Mommy time" (Dad can do #1 with the kids while Mom does #10...)
25 Things to do for $25 or Less
1. Cheer along at a Celtics game
2. Skate along Boston Common's Frog Pond
3. Enjoy the fine art at Boston’s International Fine Art Show
4. Grab a cup of tea
5. Savor a delicious fondue treat
6. Curl up with a good book
7. View the official lighting of the Boston Common tree
8. Bring the kids to a Candy Land adventure
9. Savor a steaming cup of hot chocolate
10. Indulge in a spa treatment
11. Karaoke your heart out
12. Extend your Japanese culture
13. Catch a comedy show
14. Enjoy a delicious brunch
15. Get in shape indoors with a yoga session
16. Celebrate the King’s 73d Birthday
17. Peruse the crafts at the Castle
17. Peruse the crafts at the Castle
19. Celebrate Boston’s First Night
20. Plan your wedding at the Boston Wedding Show
21. Plan your next RV or camping adventure
22. Curl up with a cocktail by the fire
23. Enjoy the beauty of spring in the winter
24. Jam along to some jazz
25. Hang out with the dogs at the Bay Colony Dog Show
What do you do for cheap kicks?
Upper Penobscott Bay, part 2: Bucksport, Maine
Bucksport has great attractions: A haunted, spooky grave, a huge granite and grass fort, and an observatory that's 42 stories high
North of Belfast and Searsport is a little town called Bucksport on the Penobscott River which is guarded by Fort Knox. The fort was built in the middle if the 19th century to deter British invasion (the Redcoats closed off the river twice -- during the Revolution and the War of 1812).
The bridge over the Penobscott River has recently been replaced and the new one features the fastest elevator in Maine shooting up to an observatory that offers views spanning from Camden in the south to Mount Katahdin in the northwest. But there's more than a fort and a bridge to Bucksport.
There's a legend.
Begin with the curse of Johnathan Buck
The town of Bucksport is named after Col. Jonathan Buck, a Revolutionary war hero and one of the first settlers of the area in 1762. After the British seized the "plantation" to choke off the lumber communities up river (Bangor among them) from supporting the colonists in the revolt, the town lay dormant. It was resettled after we whooped the king.
But there's more to the story. A whole spooky-lot more. Look at the stocking foot on Col Buck's grave stone. Where did this come from? How could it appear even after replacing the original stone? The curse of Johnathan Buck first appeared in the Haverhill (Massachusetts, Buck's home town) Gazette on Marsh 22, 1899:
"Jonathan Buck was a Puritan to whom witchcraft was anathema. When a woman was accused of witchcraft, he sentenced her to be executed. Then according to the paper, "the hangmen was about to perform his gruesome duty when the woman turned to Col. Buck and raising one hand to heaven, as if to direct her last words on earth, pronounced this astounding prophecy: ‘Jonathan Buck, listen to these words, the last my tongue will utter. It is the spirit of the only true and living God which bids me speak them to you. You will soon die. Over your grave they will erect a stone that all may know where your bones are crumbling into dust. But listen, upon that stone the imprint of my feet will appear, and for all time, long after you and you accursed race have perished from the earth, will the people from far and wide know that you murdered a woman. Remember well, Jonathan Buck, remember well."
Many other variations of this tale are here.
Burn off some steam at America's First Fort Knox!
The other Fort Knox is near Louisville, Kentucky and is full of gold, so you can't run around and play. Fortunately, this Fort Knox is mostly empty, save for some cannons, so running through the battlements and over the grass is perfectly acceptable.
After the drive to Bucksport and viewing the spooky grave, it'll be about time for lunch, the fort is a great place for a picnic. To make it easy, pick up a couple of sandwiches, or (lobster rolls) across the river in Bucksport and bring them over to the fort. Explore for a half hour until you find a picnic spot and then let the kids loose.
If you're a photography freak, bring a tripod for interior shots (it's dark in there and flash doesn't always do justice to what you're looking at). Which reminds me, bring a flashlight. Or two or one for each of you. If the kids each have a flashlight, they'll be busy running around the dark spots and it'll be easier to scare the pants off them in the dark, dark prisoner cells...
Top off the day way up over the bay (well, river to be exact)
One of three bridge observatories in the world, the Penobscott Narrows Observatory has one of the the best views in the state (world?). The other two are in Thailand and Bankok. This 420 foot tall observation tower is part of the new bridge that runs next to the old bridge offering a structural contrast of 20th and 21st century bridge building. Open and accessible to all from May through October, you buy a ticket at Fort Knox, across the river.
Tip: Good place for Leaf-peeping!
Upper Penobscott Bay: Belfast and Bayside, Maine
Belfast and Bayside have everything except crowds.
Camden, Rockport, and Rockland area are nice, but let's face it -- they're crowded. Sometimes they're very crowded (usually). Among the best sailing, but also great places to explore, eat, shop, and drive around. There is even a lighthouse to visit.
As a kid, I spent summers in the cottage we bought from my great Aunt Alice in Northport. In a community called Temple Heights Spiritualist Camp (there are Spiritualist meetings each night during the summer). We weren't Spiritualists, and there weren't many kids in Temple Heights, just a bunch of old people going to Spiritualist meetings.
Up the dirt road three miles was a community called Bayside, which is another settlement of Victorian cottages, but with many more kids. And a playground. And we spent a lot of time there each summer. A dock with both a swimming float and a boating float, a playground, basketball court, beach, and big grassy hill provided almost more entertainment options that a bunch of kids could exhaust. Nowadays, the dirt road is asphalt and not nearly as desolate. But it's still a pretty drive (or bike ride).
Further up the road maybe 10 miles is Belfast, the city of this section of Maine Coast. Belfast has had a bit of a renaissance in the past couple of decades. But the Gothic Revival buildings downtown and Greek Revival sea captain's houses have always been classic. The working waterfront (lead photo) has a couple of tugboats, a breakwater, a long grassy park for goofing around in, and a seafood restaurant.
There are also plenty of opportunities for shopping with art galleries, gift stores, clothing and the oldest shoe store in America, Colburn's Shoe Store, where I used to buy my shoes as a kid. Come to think of it, I suppose I ought to stop in and buy a pair of Hush Puppies next time I'm in town.
Keep rambling up the road to Searsport, an old fishing town with some of the most beautiful houses you'll see along the Maine coast. Before you make it to Searsport though, stop in to Perry's Nut House across the river in Belfast. The kids will love it. If you like looking at architecture, spend a little time tooling around Searsport. You can also stop in to Treasures and Trash, an antique/junk store in a big red barn.
A Lighthouse That's Worth the Climb
Owl's Head Light offers an amazing view of Penobscot Bay.
Located just south of Rockland, ME atop a long stretch of stairs, perched on a rock outcrop sits Owl's Head Light. This side trip makes a great after-dinner activity. The stairs tire out the kids and offer a wonderful reward for very little effort. Get up there an hour before sunset and you might capture some magical light.
This could be a fantastic place to peep leaves, if you're a foliage aficionado.
To get there, take Route 73 south from Rockland to N. Shore Drive. Turn left just after the Owl’s Head Post Office (about 2.5 miles) onto Main Street and then Lighthouse Road. Follow the signs to the lighthouse.
Tips for Leaf Peepers
This in from the Fodor's Travel wire:
Helpful hints on seeing the best of autumn's colors....
1: Don't head to New England on a whim, blithely assuming you'll be able to find a place to stay. Everyone visits New England in autumn, so make your lodging reservations well in advance.
2: If all the country inns are full, it's best to book a hotel in a larger city and use that as your base camp. Boston is close to the action and a great departure point for day trips in Massachusetts. Portland gets you close to Maine's foliage-hot spots. Or if your schedule is flexible, try booking a room Sunday through Thursday rather than busy Fridays and Saturdays.
3: For updates on fall foliage conditions, call the National Forest Service's Fall Color Hotline at (800) 354-4595. But don't get freaked if you're too early or too late to see colors. Autumn color is a process not a single moment, and from the end of September to mid-October you can usually be guaranteed great colors somewhere in New England.
4: Be respectful of locals on the road. For you, driving along the road looking at fall foliage is a magical-mystery tour through nature's glory. But to a local, that same road is just a way to get from point A to point B. Show some respect. Pull over and let them pass.
5: Pay attention to critter-crossing signs. Moose- and deer-crossing signs are serious warnings that large animals -- like a 1,000-pound moose -- could dart or amble out onto the road at any minute.
6: For the very best photos, hit the road early. Colors are most vivid in the morning light. And do linger late -- the hour right before sunset is perfect for capturing fall colors against a muted deep sky. Don't just snap the big panoramic views either. Look for single, brilliantly colored trees with interesting elements nearby, like a weathered gray stone wall or a freshly painted white church. These images are often more evocative than big blobs of color or panoramic shots.
7: Pack a sweater or jacket. It might be 70 and sunny during the day, but New England nights are invigorating, to say the least. And if you're heading into the mountains you'll probably need a sweater during the day; it can be 20 or more degrees cooler at higher elevations. You might also want to pack lunch or snacks so you aren't at the mercy of overcrowded restaurants.
8: Don't fixate on the foliage. Mother Nature is wonderfully unpredictable and one windy rainstorm can put a brusque end to any location's foliage season. There are many ways to enjoy autumn in New England, so plan to visit a harvest festival, museum, art galleries, go antiquing, pick apples -- whatever interests you. Looking at the leaves should be just one part of your trip, not its sole focus.
--Michelle Delio
More Leaf-Peeper Drives in New England
New England's fall foliage is the best in the country. And it's just starting to pop. Usually the peak is around early to mid October, but if you miss it in one area, just drive a bit south and look there.
Try this 85 mile loop beginning in Torrington, CT:
Don't miss the covered bridge in Cornwall.
View Larger Map
And a 185 mile loop in northern Maine, beginning and ending in Skowhegan (You'll probably want to stop over at Moosehead lake for a night or two):
View Larger Map
There are many web sites for tracking the progress, here are a few of them:
www.yankeefoliage.com
www.maine.gov/doc/foliage
www.foliagenetwork.com
Fall Foliage Drives in Vermont
From Yankee Magazine. here are a couple of American Backroads that offer nice foliage. Both up in the north west corner.
a southern loop, about 42 miles, which takes you through Smuggler's Notch:
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and a connected northern loop, about 46 miles:
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Yankee Magazines suggests these places to stay:
Edson Hill Manor, Stowe, VT
From $199 including breakfast
The Governor's House, Hyde Park, VT
From $95 including breakfast
The Green Mountain Inn, Stowe, VT
From $169
800- 253-7302
The Smuggler's Notch Inn & Village Tavern, Jeffersonville, VT
From $89
802-644-6607
Smuggler's Notch Resort, Jeffersonville, VT
From $154
800-451-8752
Sterling Ridge Log Cabin Resort, Jeffersonville, VT
Lodge from $180, cabins from $99
800-347-8266
Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VT
From $105
800-826-7000
American Backroads: Bridgeport, CT to Camden ME
Back roads through Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. During the summer, it's almost always wise to avoid Interstate 95 in New England. The Maine Turnpike, the Mass Pike are two more to skip. These back roads may take longer if there's no traffic on the interstates, but they'll be quicker on the week ends during summer. And there are more hometown places to stop for a bite to eat and sights to see.
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