I am attracted to the idea of going to one of these places this summer. H and I have done a good amount of international travel, but I've never been out East and my experience with Seattle was a three night work conference and I want to go back. The thing is I know nothing about ME or VT - I just have a beautiful image in my head of quaint towns, lobster, and strolling along rocky coastline. I've heard good things about Portland but, again, it's all vague.
We would probably have a week or so in late June with 15 month old dd. We love food, though I am not a big seafood eater. Wine if we can bring the kid along. I like gorgeous scenery, a good mix of stuff to see and do and relaxing, and nice hotels. For this trip I'd budget no more than $250-300/night for the hotel if we will be out sightseeing, but if there are any cool places where we could chill out on the coast for a few days, I'd pay more.
Tell me what you love/like/hate. Cities you recommend? Is a VT/ME split doable in a week? Seattle and Portland? I'll take whatever you've got - hotel recs, photos, your blog entries. I used to spend a ridiculous amount of time researching trips and I'm not able to do that at the moment.
Post by everafter07 on Jan 28, 2015 23:27:14 GMT -5
If it were me, I'd do Seattle/Portland or Seattle/Olympic Natl Park in the summer (mild temps) and Maine in fall (for the leaf changes). I'm outdoorsy though, not sure if you are.
everafter07, I love the fall idea and daydream about seeing the leaves change in New England someday! I work at a school so my vacation time works around that schedule. I look forward to travel that feels cheap in comparison when I retire!
Post by everafter07 on Jan 28, 2015 23:40:42 GMT -5
Oh that makes sense! I hope you get to see NE in fall one day, it's so amazing. I've been to NE in summer, too, and it was a lot of fun! I went to RI and the beach walks and sunsets were really beautiful. Either is a good choice for summer!
Post by daisy24342 on Jan 28, 2015 23:56:48 GMT -5
I'm going to plug ME being the good new Englander I am. I've only done VT in the winter so I can't comment there.
Kittery, York, Ogunquit, Kennbunkport is a great stretch of quaint coastal towns. Can get pricey staying near the beach in the summer but doable. Portland is also great.
It's embarassing that I haven't been, but I've heard awesome things about Bar Harbor/Acadia. Gorgeous gorgeous coastline up there....it's just far if you flew into Boston.
Post by everafter07 on Jan 29, 2015 0:00:30 GMT -5
Oh and chicago, I've never been to Chicago. ER is my favorite show and my first stop when I eventually get there will be County General's ambulance bay (hopefully not actually injured, lol).
ME and VT are totally doable in that timeframe. In ME I would recommend Bar Harbor, Kennebunk, Ogunquit, and I adore Camden. In VT I would recommend Stowe, Norwich, or Woodstock.
We did a New England road trip the summer DD was an infant and it was great
We did seattle/Vancouver with our kids two summers ago and it was fabulous, and this summer we are doing a big New England road trip, Boston to Maine (kennebunkport and bar harbor) to Quebec and Montreal to Burlington. I think either choice will be great.
Oh and chicago, I've never been to Chicago. ER is my favorite show and my first stop when I eventually get there will be County General's ambulance bay (hopefully not actually injured, lol).
Chicago is so much fun -- my only recommendation is that you visit in the summer!
Post by mainelyfoolish on Jan 29, 2015 9:05:09 GMT -5
I wouldn't bother with VT, you can easily fill a week in Maine. Not that I'm biased or anything.
In the summer I would stick to the coast. Spend a couple of days along the southern coast (York, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunkport are all sandy beach touristy areas), spend a day in Portland, check out Freeport if you want to see the LLBean flagship store, spend a day in Rockland or Camden, and then another couple of days for Bar Harbor and Adacia National Park (do not come all the way to Maine and not see Acadia).
We've been to both in the past 1.5 years. You can't go wrong either way.
Seattle was in late August 1.5 years ago. We stayed w/ friends and just explored. Went to Mt. Rainer one day, went out to Snoqualmie Falls (old college friends live out that way), and played tourist. TONS of great places to eat.
Someone said this up a few, but we plan to go back in 2016 and go to the San Juan Islands.
this past summer we did Maine. Stayed in an area a little north of Camden. It was gorgeous - all of it. Definitely a different trip than Seattle, though. Everything is smaller, quainter, slower. But we really enjoyed it.
ME and VT are totally doable in that timeframe. In ME I would recommend Bar Harbor, Kennebunk, Ogunquit, and I adore Camden. In VT I would recommend Stowe, Norwich, or Woodstock.
We did a New England road trip the summer DD was an infant and it was great
Ditto all this. I'd also recommend Burlington, VT as there are more food options and it is nice by the lake.
ME and VT are totally doable in that timeframe. In ME I would recommend Bar Harbor, Kennebunk, Ogunquit, and I adore Camden. In VT I would recommend Stowe, Norwich, or Woodstock.
We did a New England road trip the summer DD was an infant and it was great
Ditto all this. I'd also recommend Burlington, VT as there are more food options and it is nice by the lake.
Post by theintended on Jan 29, 2015 16:05:00 GMT -5
VT recommendations when staying in/around Burlington:
Hotel Vermont:
VT beauty that's fun with a 15-month old: Shelburne Farms (20 min drive), where you take a wagon ride out to this amazing barn, to pet animals, milk a cow, see them make cheese (and sample it), or play with a huge room of toys:
Walk a couple blocks to Church Street for lots of great food, street performers and shops:
Or walk the other way from the hotel to check out the waterfront, where there's a park, a bike path, ice cream, a science center/aquarium and a bar:
Post by InBetweenDays on Jan 29, 2015 16:28:01 GMT -5
I went to college in Vermont and now live in Seattle - both would be great trips.
Vermont has Church Street (Burlington), Lake Champlain, Shelburne Farms/Museum, Magic Hat Brewery, Hiking at Camel's Hump or Mt. Mansfield, and of course the smaller towns like Stowe.
Seattle has the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, ferries, mountains, Olympic Peninsula/coast, float planes, great food, LOTS to do.
We've also spent time in Maine and LOVED Bar Harbor and Camden.
Personally, I'd do 4 days in Seattle and take a float plane to the San Juans for 3 days.
I am really excited about all options now, either Maine/ME and VT, and Seattle and the San Juan's. I would love to go whale watching! I think we're going to price things out and see how they compare.
SJ, we spent a few nights in Iceland while I was pregnant. I loved it!