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Old 07-07-2015, 01:46 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
5,800 posts, read 6,846,736 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keeval View Post
If at all possible, go past NYC/southern CT on a Saturday or Sunday, for the least amount of traffic. Traveling at odd hours helps, too. Parkways are more scenic than the interstates, but will get very backed up if there is an accident, so check Google maps frequently and be willing to change course.
Waze is a great app that provides real-time updates, based on location/speed/reports from other Wazers.
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Old 07-07-2015, 01:48 PM
 
Location: NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by don6170 View Post
Waze is a great app that provides real-time updates, based on location/speed/reports from other Wazers.
Yup, die hard Waze fan here. A buddy sold his car a few years ago and the owner wanted it "NOW" so I negotiated to get paid to drive it from Cary to Chicago. Set sail at 8pm from Cary and flew home on a jet plane landing at 5pm at RDU the following afternoon. No planning whatsoever other than Waze.
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Old 07-07-2015, 03:17 PM
 
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Some suggestions for things to do in New Haven (which is quite possibly on your way) - Food trucks. New Haven's food truck scene isn't rivaled by anything else in this country (and I say this as someone that has an undergrad from a college in NYC). New Haven also has some excellent pizza. Many of my weekday and weekends in New Haven involved picking up pizza from Frank's or Modern and eating it at East Rock Park in New Haven. Yale is also a campus rich in architecture.

For Boston, besides things that are already mentioned I highly recommend the freedom trail as well as campus trips to MIT and Harvard. For someone that enjoys urban landscape, I also quite enjoy a Charles River boat ride (also a very "pretty" ride in the Fall).

Vermont/Maine/Mass have some excellent microbreweries.

I also second the Waze app recommendation. Another recommendation I have for people that are depending on their Phone GPS is to get the Free Map app Here maps. You can download maps for offline use and you can use your phone GPS just as you'd use your standalone GPS. I also suggest that you get EZPass or Quickpass (either works all the way into Canada).
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Old 07-07-2015, 03:20 PM
 
Location: NC
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Good stuff, jaiho. I am going to get an NC toll transponder which will also work with EZPass to take care of that situation. I have to call to get the account stuff worked out one of these days.
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Old 07-07-2015, 03:28 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RDUBiker View Post
Good stuff, jaiho. I am going to get an NC toll transponder which will also work with EZPass to take care of that situation. I have to call to get the account stuff worked out one of these days.
I also suggest that when if you driving on 95 in Connecticut, you drive on Route 15 instead. Route 15/Merritt Parkway is a very scenic drive especially in the Fall.
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Old 07-07-2015, 03:29 PM
 
Location: NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaiho View Post
I also suggest that when if you driving on 95 in Connecticut, you drive on Route 15 instead. Route 15/Merritt Parkway is a very scenic drive especially in the Fall.
Nothing would please me more than to get off of I-95.
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Old 07-07-2015, 04:54 PM
 
Location: Patrolling The Wasteland
396 posts, read 406,618 times
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I am a bit biased in this, because it is one of my favorite places in the country, but I would highly recommend a visit to Vermont. VERY highly. Burlington is an absolutely beautiful city, the landscape is, in my opinion, the best in New England, Lake Champlain is incredible, you have the Ben and Jerry's Factory (which kids love), Stowe is incredible and has the alpine slide, another kid friendly attraction and it is all only about three hours north of Boston.

Were the winters not so unforgiving and the cost of living in some areas so high I would move there in an instant!
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Old 07-07-2015, 04:56 PM
 
Location: Cary
2,863 posts, read 4,660,887 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankpc View Post
Hey,
A few must visits are missing here - Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park, NJ Motorsports Park and Monticello Motor Club.
Surely they're already on the list?

Frank

Visit Wegmans. /End thread/

In addition to the track, Watkins Glenn has a great state park with a beautiful gorge to explore. Watkins Glen State Park - NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
Family friendly walking from what I remember.
North of Watkins Glenn is the grand canyon of the east in Letchworth State park.
Letchworth State Park - NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation
You'd be soooo close to Niagara at this point that it would be worth the extra few miles to go see them (and take the elevator down to the observation post behind the falls).

The finger lakes region in general will be absolutely beautiful that time of year. And, ah...the wineries!
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Old 07-07-2015, 09:12 PM
 
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Someone said to skip Maine unless you were going to Bar Harbor. Please ignore that advice!

Bar Harbor is a decent little tourist trap, but it is not the reason to go to that area of Maine. Bar Harbor does have its good points: there are historic homes, cute little shops (but mostly trinket stuff unless you're looking to spend good $$), some nice restaurants, whale watching cruises, and beautiful views. It's also ridiculously overcrowded June --> Labor Day, but worth it if you really want to see it. The reason to go to Mt. Desert Island (which is the island Bar Harbor is on) is for Acadia National Park. Absolutely beautiful! Great hikes, scenic views, wildlife, etc. You won't be disappointed.

Now, another poster mentioned that there's a lot of driving in Maine, and that's true. But, you can chop it up into smaller portions if you're strategic and get to see a decent portion of Maine while you're at it.

Here's what I'd recommend (this is assuming the idea is to see as much of Maine as you can and that you don't have the money or the will to just hang out at a ridiculously priced inn in Ogunquit or Wells):

Portland & Freeport
Portland is only an hour from the NH/ME line and is Maine's largest city (~65k people ). There are plenty of things for a family to do-- museums, Funtown/Splashtown amusement parks (small for what you might be used to, but your daughter will probably love it), scenic and seal cruises, thriving art scene, tons of restaurants/pubs/taverns and the city's becoming known for its "foodie" cred, Portland Sea Dogs games (Double AA team for the Red Sox), paddleboarding/kayaking, the iconic Portland Head Light, etc.

Freeport is just 15 minutes North of Portland and is home to the Desert of Maine (which is just fun because it's such a strange thing and it's kind of an inside joke in Maine and not many tourists seem to find their way there) and to dozens of outlets. This is where the L.L.Bean flagship store is and they often have exhibitions in the store during the summer and early fall, like fly fishing tutorials, etc. Have your picture taken at the big boot! If your family likes to shop, Freeport is probably one of the better places in Maine.

If Freeport doesn't sound like your thing, 30 minutes South of Portland is Old Orchard Beach. This is kind of like Atlantic City's little little sister-- sand beach, amusement park, shops, etc. But, if you're going much past mid-September, you might find a lot is closed.

Rockland/Camden Area
Rockland and Camden are about an hour and 20 minutes North East of Freeport (you'll notice that in Maine, we give distances in time! lol). They're both just pretty little towns with a nice slow pace and gorgeous scenery. There's: the Rockland Breakwater Light (wear sturdy shoes), shopping and good restaurants downtown, Owl's Head Light, The Strand Theatre, Mount Battie, etc. There's more than enough to explore for a day or so.

Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park
Bar Harbor is about 2 hours North East of Rockland. I already mentioned what BH and ANP have to offer. ANP makes it definitely worth it!

So...if you make it to Bar Harbor, you're about 4 hours into Maine. Castine would be a nice place to visit on the way home, but you might find it to be a little more of the same unless you happen to hit it at a time when the sailors from Maine Maritime Academy is shipping out and I really don't remember when they do that. Hallowell is roughly half-way between BH and New Hampshire and pretty close to I95 so it's convenient. The Liberal Cup is a local favorite and there is a cute little downtown.

This list is far from all that Maine has to offer, but it is some of the best, and I tried to suggest places not too far from the interstate and that were convenient to one another so your time experiencing Maine was maximized, rather than spending most of the time in the car!

Please don't skip Maine! It's a great place to vacation
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Old 07-07-2015, 10:41 PM
 
1,965 posts, read 3,290,403 times
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Some great posts up here already. When I took my family camping up there (when it was pretty safe to do so), my halfway point was a campground in Northern Maryland in Havre de Grace. It was quiet and peaceful with a nice drive on the way over once you get off I-95. It was another day's drive to New England and various points north.

Also camped in Western NY, near Ithaca on the finger lakes. It got chilly even in August but was a welcome respite from the Carolina heat.

Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine were all beautiful. Also camped in a place called Kettletown in CT. Had a great time fishing..
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