Your kids might like West Point (the military academy). There is history (a museum or two) and a lot to see outdoors (old forts, statues).

Dinosaur state park in ct is good for kids your age. I think you are trying for alot in just one week with all the driving time.

Anonymous wrote:We're thinking about doing an east coast road trip, from DC to Maine. If you've done this, can you offer your advice/suggestions/experiences? Are there specific cities you'd recommend we visit along the way? I was thinking Philadelphia, NYC, New London, Newport (or Providence), Plymouth, Boston, and Portland.

Thanks for any help!

The drive to Maine always seems very long to me, and the Connecticut/Massachusetts part is deadly boring, unless you veer off to the coast, which adds more time. How much time do you have? There are some good places to stop overnight, but if you want to stop and do things in the cities, I think you're going to contend with a lot of city traffic.

Providence is cute. Mystic has an aquarium and a historic-y area but it might be a little advanced for your kids. The Norwalk aquarium (in Connecticut) is good for little kids.

Anonymous wrote:If you go to Portsmouth you can take the boat to the Isles of Shoals (half-day trip). Or you could go on a whale watch in Gloucester (halfway between Boston and NH).

^^And if you go to Portsmouth there's a great children's museum not far away

If you go to Portsmouth you can take the boat to the Isles of Shoals (half-day trip). Or you could go on a whale watch in Gloucester (halfway between Boston and NH).

Mystic, Newport, Boston and maybe Portsmouth, NH. Forget NYC. As an adult is was nasty and overcrowded in July. Can't imagine it with little ones.

We did this 2 years ago on our way up to Maine to stay in a friends cabin. We stopped at Mystic Seaport, CT and Portsmouth, NH. Portsmouth is a great little town. There's lots of things to see and do when you get to Maine so you probably want to put aside a few days for that - Bar Harbor, Acadia, Camden/ Rockport. We basically made hotel reservations as we drove up based on how far we were able to drive in any given day. On our way back south we stopped in Boston to see friends.

Those generally sound like good stops. Not sure about New London or Plymouth. Want a beach stop? I'd do Newport over Providence myself.

I imagine kids that age would have fun at Mystic with the aquarium and all the ships.

OP here. Two kids, ages 6 and 3. We'd go soon, so basically the last week or so of August. We'd like to experience historical sites, get a bit of local flavor, and have a generally low-key trip. Thanks!

Kids?
Timeframe?
Interests?
Budget?

We're thinking about doing an east coast road trip, from DC to Maine. If you've done this, can you offer your advice/suggestions/experiences? Are there specific cities you'd recommend we visit along the way? I was thinking Philadelphia, NYC, New London, Newport (or Providence), Plymouth, Boston, and Portland.

Thanks for any help!