Vermont– Since we are from Vermont, Vermont has its own page with lots of info
Maine– Bar Harbor – (September 2020) Acadia National Park is located here – free with National Parks Pass or $30 per vehicle- there is a lot of hiking and a beautiful ocean coastline to explore – we recently hiked the Precipice trail which was very exhilarating- for sure not for young children and dogs are not able to hike due to having to climb rungs- the views were amazing – you have to use the rungs to climb over a Boulder in the very first 5 mins of this hike and if that is challenging for you then this climb is not for you – I would recommend the Beehive hike- its a mild version of this hike
Also a sunrise or sunset hike or drive up Cadillac Mountain is a must. Seal watching and walking around Thunder Hole is so cool. Hike around Jordan pond with your pup. Hike around Otter Cliff and watch the rock climbers. You must drive the park loop road- it’s so worth it. It’s really such a gorgeous National Park with so much to explore. You can also do whale watching out of Bar Harbor https://www.barharborwhales.com/
Millinocket- (September 2020) Maine is also known for its white water rafting! We stayed in Millinocket and used Penobscot Adventure- we booked the rafting through them and did the rustic camping on site- the camping was right on the water and they had kayaks you could use- you have a gorgeous view of Mt Katahdin https://penobscotadventures.com/
We have rafted in Costa Rica and in New York and this might have been my favorite – the guides were great and really gave you something to talk about!! They are not afraid to give you a wild rafting experience- we loved it! They fed you after and you watched a slide show of the photos and laugh so hard with everyone haha!
We chose to camp and do rafting instead of hike Mt Katahdin- but if you are in this area you should look it up- it’s the end of the long trail and quite a beautiful hike
Portland, Maine– we visit friends here so we just eat where they take us and hang with them so I don’t have any great recommendations other than eat everything and enjoy the dog friendly beaches
New Hampshire- Mount Washington -(September 2020) Drive or hike up- there is also the Cog Railway to get to the top that the kids would love – there is also a lot of ski mountains in this area if you come in the winter- the leaves in the fall are gorgeous and would highly recommend coming during the fall season
Drive up is $20- Cog train is around $60 adults $50 kids https://mt-washington.com/
Franconia Notch– is right by Mt Washington and has been on my list for the fall for years now- I would love camp and to see the leaves turn in this area – Cannon Mountain, Fluke Gorge & Artist Bluff are in this area
Flume Gorge – 2/3 hour hike through the Gorge- with waterfalls- kid friendly- no dogs allowed – cost adults $18 kids $16 kids under 5 free https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/park-sites/flume-gorge
Cannon Mountain- ski in the winter, hike in the summer and fall or take the tramway to the top- at the base is the New England Ski Museum https://www.cannonmt.com/things-to-do/attractions/tram
Echo Lake Beach- rent canoes or kayaks- this beach has great views of Cannon Mountain and Mt. Lafayette- adults $4 children $2
Artist Bluff- 1.5 mile hike to a great views and foliage – this is the shortest hike in the Franconia Notch
Ice Castles – Woodstock, New Hampshire– cost $20 adults kids $15- they usually sell out so recommended booking in advance- you can go during the day or at night with the lights- they have ice slides and last year added tubing- for young kids bring a sled to make life easier https://icecastles.com/new-hampshire
Boston, Massachusetts– Joes brother lives here and we usually fly internationally from Boston. Freedom trail takes you through many important landmarks in Boston. Fenway park to see a Boston Red Socks game. Boston Harbor- home of the historical site of the Boston tea party. The kids will love the New England Aquarium https://www.neaq.org/& Legoland https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/boston/Museum of Fine Arts & Museum of Science. Get a drink at the cheers bar https://cheersboston.com/. There are also a lot of great breweries like Trillium Brewery.
Salem, Massachusetts (October 2018) – learn about the witch trails of Salem – we took a train from Boston for a day trip here- we went right before Halloween but we went mid week so it was not super busy. We went to Laurie Cabot shop which was the most recommended by friends- you find home made potions and treasures in there. We of course went to the Salem Witch Museum- we started our day here so we could get the history and accounts of what happened in Salem causing the witch trials- it was very informative and would recommend starting your trip here or at the Witch Dungeon Museum- they perform a reenactment of the witch trials as well- http://www.witchdungeon.com/witchdungeon.html we went here after the Salem Witch Museum and I appreciate both stories as they both differed in ways- looks like with COVID they now want you to purchase tickets ahead of time https://salemwitchmuseum.com/also go to the cemetery and visit the house of the seven gables- explore all the witchy shops and find the bewitched statue- find old town hall in Hocus Pocus! Salem is a lot of fun and very informative
New York City (December 2013) you can walk inside the Statue of Liberty, check out Times Square, see a Broadway show, eat a soft pretzel, walk across the Brooklyn bridge, ice skate at Rockefeller center, take a photo at the Christmas tree, walk around Central Park, explore the museum of natural history, and so so much more
Lake Placid, New York– (January 2014) we attended a winter wedding here and what a place for a wedding! Lake Placid is very magical in the winter- they have ice skating at the speed skating oval where they train for the Winter Olympics- check for public skating times- they have dog sledding- there is a lot of shopping & food- the town is so so adorable- and there skiing at Whiteface Mountain https://whiteface.com/
Niagara Falls, New York (October 2013)- up by Buffalo, NY you will find Niagara Falls- you can view it from the American or Canadian side- the Canadian side has a better view but both sides are pretty powerful- you can take a boat ride down to the falls https://www.maidofthemist.com/ or walk along the top walkway- at night the falls is lit up and I believe they are building a zip line across it- looks like the zipline is on the Canadian side- so bring your passport if you want to check it out https://www.wildplay.com/niagara-falls
Rachel Travel Vibes 