Hi Mavis,
I was wondering if you could help with a few suggestions?
My daughter (28) is planning a trip to Portland to run the 1/2 marathon in October. She is thinking she wants to spend a week in New England & make a proper trip of it.
Where would you suggest she visit/stay for Oct 4-10?
She will be renting a car, so can drive around to NH & VT and maybe even Boston. She loves good food, history, art & outdoorsy stuff. Thanks so much for your insight!
~ Sara
Hi Sara,
In no way and I am expert on the area but I do have a few places that I’ve enjoyed over the years. I’ve gathered up my favorite spots and shared them below.
I am really hoping other people who love the area as much as I do will chime in and leave other suggestions for your daughter too.
Here Goes…
Boston
Favorite Hotel in Boston – The Liberty Hotel
The Liberty is within walking distance to The North End, Boston Common, Charles Street {and great restaurants and bakeries}.
There is SO MUCH history!!! A simple google search will help you narrow down what you want to see. The North End is a must though in my book.
Rockport, Gloucester and Manchester By The Sea.
You can hit them all up on the same day and all are unique, walkable and interesting.
Portsmouth
Favorite Hotel in Portsmouth – The Ale House Inn
Small rooms but a fantastic location within walking distance to everything. The Strawbery Banke Museum is a must see.
La Maison is my go to French pastries and savory crepes.
If I was a single person and wanted to live in the city, downtown Portsmouth with all its history, shops and eateries would be where I’d want to live.
Kittery, Maine
Lil’s Cafe for a crueller and Anju {for the ramen}
Kennebunkport
Favorite Hotel in Kennebunkport – Nonantum Resort
The hotel is clean, staff is great, rooms come with a glorious daily breakfast buffet, bike rentals and the vibe is fantastic.
The Nonantum Resort is also within walking distance of Dock Square, the beaches and just about anything you’d want to see in Kennebunkport.
Portland
Favorite Hotel in Portland – The Press Hotel
The hotel itself is great. And if you like a “city” vibe and all that comes with it, well, you’ll probably enjoy the downtown area.
I know a lot of people LOVE Portland, Maine. And the waterfront area can be nice on a sunny day. The Portland Head Light is pretty spectacular too. 🙂
But other than a few food places; Standard Baking Co. and Becky’s Diner, it’s not a place I spend a lot of time in.
Here’s a list of Things To Do Between Portland and Camden, Maine.
And Vermont?
Well, I’ve been to Woodstock, Manchester, Quechee, Shelburne and Burlington, Vermont and a few other random spots.
J.J. Hapgood in Peru, Vermont is a great place to stop and eat if you are passing through the area. And the Shelburne Museum will always be a favorite of mine.
Vermont to me is for meandering, stopping at mom and pop general stores and CHEESE. There is a lot of cheese to sample in Vermont. 🙂
So while I know this isn’t a full list of all the great things to do and see in the area, I hope it’s a start.
~Mavis
Dawn says
If Sara’s daughter loves Halloween a day trip to Salem could be fun in October. I don’t go much in October anymore because of the crowds (and I live nearby so can go any time) but the Peabody Essex Museum is beautiful and I have always enjoyed The House of Seven Gables and the two witch museums. There’s even a night time ghost tour. If staying overnight The Hawthorne Hotel is very nice and it’s haunted as is Rockafella’s Restaurant (supposedly). There’s a fun speakeasy there called Hallowed Ground and the sister restaurant to that is Dire Wolf Tavern, I’ve eaten there a few times and the food and cocktails are delicious. You may even run into Lori Cabot, the official witch of Salem and if not you can take a selfie with the statue of Elizabeth Montgomery. It’s a great walkable city and especially in October there is so much to see and do.
Rosemary says
I loved Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.
Mary says
Ju Hapgood in Peru Vermont was actually in the movie Baby Boom staring Diane Keaton as is the church and I think you can even find the house she bought ( the one where the well ran dry and she told the plumber oh, you can just pull the hose from around back and fill it up) Beautiful little town
Jen says
Since she loves history I would highly recommend Boston. She should hit up Modern Bakery in the little Italy neighborhood. The best cannoli I’ve ever had is there!
Kerri says
Waterville Valley or Loon Mt (Lincoln NH) are two great areas for seeing the beautiful White Mts, tons of hiking, biming, kayaking, swim in rivers kinda options. Lots of eating options or pack picnics. If she needs to choose I’d focus on ME, NH and Boston. VT is nice but will eat up time. Def skip Burlington and NH cities, not much worth the drive there. Another area in Boston thats great is Seaport area which is walking (2 miles??) from North End. Bakeries and food in general are SO good there. Mass transit MBTA will get her anywhere in the city and over to Cambridge (Harvard Sq has lots to see and eat). It would be a fabulous trip.
Rosaleen says
I second Dawn’s suggestion to visit Salem, MA. Worth it to me is the trolley tour. The guide can tell you a lot about the city in a short time. An example of a fun fact that you might not know about was there was a volcano where Salem is now. That brings me to the Saugus Iron Works, about .5 hour from Salem. I wonder if some of the minerals or catalysts needed to produce iron could have come from an ancient volcanic eruption? If you have time, there is a lot of history to check out in the Lexington-Concord area. Lowell, MA, has preserved mills. All of the places I’ve mentioned have at least parts of them overseen and protected as National Historic sites, if not parks, so you should be able to read about them online before the trip. The hardest thing here could be limiting visits to fit your time. Have fun!
Beth Barrier says
I am going to throw in Newport, RI if she wants to see the Gilded Age houses. I love touring them.
Essdee says
Beth, what are your favorite houses to visit? Thanks!
Essdee says
Boston is a ton of fun for history buffs. I went with my daughter and we had the best time walking the Freedom Trail, walking around the North End, Beacon Hill, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. We visited Maine a couple of years ago and enjoyed Camden (very quaint), Damariscotta and walked out on the Rockland breakwater, visited Stephen King’s house and Arcadia National Park plus a couple of lighthouses. ChatGPT is great: ask for a list of spots to visit according to your interests and then narrow it down. I discovered that we did a LOT of driving in Maine to get from point to point and toll roads were involved FYI.
Joely says
I have to throw in a vote for visiting the Cape and islands. You could visit Provincetown (the original landing place of the pilgrims), climb its monument and have a view of long point. Day trips to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are both 1 hour ferry rides from Hyannis. All are very beautiful, historic and full of great art, food and shopping.