Xmas road trip. (Amherst, Woodstock, Northampton: renting, dangerous, cabin)

[cjma79]

Hey,
I need some Christmas vacation ideas.
I was thinking of going to a small town (in any of this states: NY, NJ, PA, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI, DE), but it doesnt have to be a small town.
Just in case it would be 2 adults, and a 2(almost 3) YO boy.
Also maybe renting a cabin(Not a rustic cabin, we need running water ). A friend of mine told me about Hershey, PA. It looks really nice, especially with the Sweet Lights drive-thru.
I really want to make this Christmas special since it would be the first time we(wife, son and me) would spend the holidays alone .

[NJ Chutzpah]

why would you want to be all by yourselves during christmas?

that is the time of the year you should spend in a crowded city like NYC

with all the lights, and bustle, it is an exciting time

why would you want to go to a small town?

Do you plan on skiing?

[cjma79]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

why would you want to be all by yourselves during christmas?

Well actually this road trip would be on the 19-22 weekend, so we will be in NYC for Christmas,

that is the time of the year you should spend in a crowded city like NYC

I was thinking of doing a party at my place but most of them are not going to be here.

with all the lights, and bustle, it is an exciting time

Well this would not be our first NYC Christmas. But please tell me any good NYC ideas.

why would you want to go to a small town?

Something different. Some of this towns go all out on Christmas.

Do you plan on skiing?

Not necessarily, we already have plans to go skiing in Jan.
But of course it wouldn't hurt.

[bmwguydc]

One of the best light shows on the East Coast is in Springfield, MA. Here's a link for more information: Bright Nights Now, while the third largest city in MA might not exactly be a getaway location, it is in line with other getaways in the Berkshires and beyond, especially if you want to combine the trip with skiing.

There are some great small towns in New England, among the best for that quintessential New England flavor is Woodstock, VT. And, Mount Washington Resort is always decorated so well for the holidays, such that even if you didn't want to ski, it would still be worth the trip. That would be a long drive, however, but could easily be combined with a stay and the light show in Springfield to break up the drive on the way out or the way back. It's nearly 7 hours from Manhattan to Mount Washington, while Springfield is under 3 and Woodstock about 5, all depending upon traffic, of course.

In the other direction, albeit a little further south, Williamsburg, VA puts on a nice show for the holidays, but there's no skiing to be had in that part of Virginia. Williamsburg is about 7 hours from Manhattan as well, but getting through the DC area can be a pain in the neck as the traffic is absolutely horrible on the way to Richmond at any time during rush hour so an off-peak trip would be advised.

[Viralmd]

DO NOT stay in Springfield. It is fairly dangerous. There are lovely small towns further north, such as Amherst, South Hadley and Northampton where you can stay and they're typical New England towns, especially Amherst and South Hadley, complete with village green.

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

DO NOT stay in Springfield. It is fairly dangerous. There are lovely small towns further north, such as Amherst, South Hadley and Northampton where you can stay and they're typical New England towns, especially Amherst and South Hadley, complete with village green.

Good call, Viralmd. I was probably half asleep when I typed my reply and see that one might infer that I was saying to stay in Springfield itself. I agree that you can go to the light show and stay in a small town in the general area.

[Irish Eyes]

Bethlehem, PA might be nice. It's a pretty town and they do a Christmas Village for most of the month. I haven't been to it but I've been wanting to

Welcome to the Christmas City, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania! - www.ChristmasCity.org