Logistics of driving to Boston/ Maine with young kids
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Anonymous
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I would love some advice.
I am driving with my two kids (1.5 and nearly 4) to Maine. We need a car to get around while we are there and I'm hoping to stop in Boston as I have family/friends who I'd like to see (could be for an hour or to spend the night). In the past when we have driven, we drive through the night with my husband and I switching off drivers. We feel like this is easiest for the kids and it has worked well for us in the past. He has to work for the first several days of vacation so will be flying up and joining us later in the week. We will all drive home together (through the night). We usually drive at night because it seems so painful for the kids to sit for such long distances. I can't drive by myself all night long so I'm wondering how best to do this. We can leave anytime on Sunday and onwards and there's no specific time we need to be there but would prefer by Monday afternoon, possibly Tuesday. I'm trying to decide if we should spend the night in Boston and, if so, when should I try to do the DC to Boston leg of the drive. My kids nap 1-3 in the afternoon, so will take advantage of that, but can't quite figure out what would be the best time to leave, or good breaks to take along the way. If you've done this drive, do you have any recommendations? Particular places to play would be helpful as would general advice (only x hours in the car at a time). I should mention that we will be joining family when we get there so I can be exhausted and hand over care for the children for several hours to take a nap. But I don't trust myself to plan on driving through the night as I do get sleepy when it gets past 1am and don't want to put my family at risk. |
Anonymous
| I always leave in the morning because my kids are in their best moods at that time. Sunday morning from DC to Boston should be pretty clear for traffic, and weather should be good. Could you leave early like 6 or 7 am? |
Anonymous
| I've done the drive alone with my son and I seem to remember it taking close to 10 hours to get to Boston, I'd try to leave early (6am?) so that you can hopefully miss the Boston rush hour traffic. Then I'd stay the night and do Boston to Maine the next day - easy peasy. |
Anonymous
| ^^pp - I see you're leaving on Sunday so rush hour isn't a big deal. I'd still try to leave early. |
Anonymous
| If you go over Tappanzee there is an enormous mall with a carousel near there where you can burn off some steam, get a snack and use the restrooms... |
Anonymous
have they completed the construction? |
Anonymous
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We've done this drive so many times. Kids are now 2 and 4.
We leave at 445. Drive as far as possible, which is usually the second to last rest stop on the jersey like as I don't want to head into the city without a full tank. I change them out of their pjs, let the go to the bathroom, then get back in. Not a long stop. We always go over the GW. I stop again in CT for a longer time. In the summer we stop here - http://m.yelp.com/biz/edds-place-cuisine-to-go-westbrook. It's not far off the highway and about 2 hours and 29 mins to Boston. I buy a lobster roll and get the kids something from the kids menu. The eating area is fully fenced in (picnic tables) and they have a swing set/play set, so I can sit and relax while they get some energy out. We all climb back in and the kids watch a movie. Also, our super awesome (dare I say wicked awesome) nappers who were always on a schedule never napped on schedule in the car. Ever. Good luck it's worth it. I'm writing from the Cape. 
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Anonymous
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Thank you everyone, especially the PPs that gave specific recommendations for places to stop.
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Anonymous
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We stopped in Newburyport on the border with Maine and just loved it.
Beautiful little town and walkable downtown area. |
Anonymous
Newburyport is close to the border of New Hampshire, not Maine. New Hampshire's coast is small, but it's nice. Signed, A New Hampshirite. |
Anonymous
| We plan to do a similar trip but to Boston/Cape Cod. I think we will break up the trip and stop by Philadelphia and CT on the drive up and NYC on the drive down. We have friends/family in all those locations. Even if we did not have people to meet up with, there is plenty of attractions to visit. |
Anonymous
| We just drove with our kids to Maine. We actually left on Friday night, drove several hours while they snoozed in the car, then woke up early the next morning and drove the rest of the way. Stopped somewhere in CT for food. Overall it was not bad. |
Anonymous
| DC to Boston can easily be done in 8 hrs or less. Leave early & just get it over with. Boston to Maine is quick - depending on where you're going. 2hrs to Portland. Another ~3 hrs to get to Acadia. So many great places to visit & stay in Maine!!! |
Anonymous
I've always wondered what you guys call yourselves! --a Vermonter |
Anonymous
| Planning this exact trip with a 4mo baby and 3 year old... thanks for the suggestions. DH usually likes to power through and I have to remind him to stop for the kids (feedings, diapers, potty breaks). He suggested (to my surprise) doing it overnight with a stop at a hotel (leaving in the evening - hotel - morning drive) which seems like prolonging the trip to me. Any other suggestions? |