Need a quick vacation end of August.
Will drive up to 4 hours or there are cheap flights on our datesto Nantucket, Burlington, and Portland, ME.
Prefer near water (lake/ocean/bay) but we are not sit-all-day-on-the-beach and our daughter is scared of swimming in the waves anyway, so not doing hamptons/jersey shore.
I see beautiful pictures all the time of the various little islands and seaside towns in maine but I have no idea where to start. if anyone has suggestions for reasonably priced hotels (or nice smalls towns that might have good airbnbs) within our trip paramaters, let me know!
We are looking at the beachside inn in nantucket http://thebeachside.com/ which seems a bit pedestrian but the “nicer” hotels are all $$$$.
If you are headed to Nantucket I can suggest a great drive on the way there. If you head across Long Island to Orient Point there are plenty of cute little stops and lots of cute wineries and pie and fruit stands along the way near the end of the island. Just nice scenery and peaceful for the most part. At Orient Point drive onto the ferry and hop on over on an hour ferry ride to New London. Its a very quaint little town with a lot of great little seafood joints on the water to grab some lunch at. Then its back onto the 95 from there and on your way to Nantucket. I used to drive this route on my way from NYC to Boston when my business took me out there but I can’t say I have any great suggestions as far as stopping at any particular place along the way as I never had the permitted time to do so myself.
Ethan, I don’t know when the “end of August” is for you, but we have a lovely log cabin, accross the street from the ocean in an authentic lobster and Wyeth country village an hour and a half from Portland airport. Though it is rented much of this summer, it is available from 8/13-23. Usually it’s a week rental…but…And there are no waves on the nice beach in the area to scare anyone. Two lobster docks down the street.
The temperatures for the last month up there have mostly been in the '70s for the daytime. September and October are beautiful months up there; was on the beach last October 1 and in the water…when the Pope visited Philadelphia.
Block Island.
Take Metro-North to New Haven, then Shoreline East to New London.
Walk across the street to the Block Island Fast Ferry.
Cheap, exhilarating, relaxed, and easy.
If you have time, rather than getting on I-95, take Rt 1 up the coast from New London at least as far as Stonington, CT.
Tourist stops include Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Village.
Other places of note include Groton Long Point/Noank, Mason’s Island & Stonington Borough.
Some incredible shoreline properties in those locations.
Of course another great stop along the way is Newport, RI.
It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned: fly to Portland, ME and vacation at Acadia National Park. Gorge yourself on lobster and beautiful vistas. One of my top 5 spots in the US.
It’s near water, it’s beautiful, it can be done by car and with easy hikes. Did I mention it’s beautiful?
Disclaimer: I had good weather (incidentally in early September IIRC), conditions may vary.
Decided to drive up to Maine (a bit of a schlep but also extended the trip a little so we can make a long day of it).
Most likely 3nights in portland and 3 nights somewhere else (tentatively inn by the sea on cape elizabeth, but other suggestions welcome). We have 6 nights total, so might squeeze in a 3rd hotel too if any good ideas along the southern maine coast.
Bump - decided to go to Portland and Kennebunkport - any recommendations for those areas (food or otherwise)? Kid-friendly (or at the very least kid-tolerant) a necessity.
Ethan - we rented a great old, classic house in Kennebunkport last year. 5 or 6 bedrooms, with Kayaks and a water entrance on the property. If you need something that big let me know and I can send you the info.
