Recommendations for a Labor Day getaway (within a day's drive of Boston)

In My Humble Opinion
1

We’ve got nothing scheduled this Labor Day weekend, so I’m looking to take the family on a little road trip. Criteria:

  1. It should be within a day’s drive of Boston.
  2. We want to avoid the places that tend to get crowded on holiday weekends (e.g., Cape Cod). I’m not looking for isolation, just somewhere where we won’t be three deep in people wherever we go.
  3. We have three kids – 13, 11, and 9 – so we’d like there to be something for them to do/see.
  4. We’re not looking to camp, so we need someplace that has hotels and places to eat.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

2

The Cape actually isn’t bad on Labor Day weekend. Most of the kids have already started school so things aren’t as busy as they used to be. That’s where we’re going. Haven’t had a problem finding solitude in the past few years.

But you can head to the Lakes region in NH, plenty of hotels and activities. The Newport RI area is very nice but a little pricier. Maybe a trip to Block Island? But you’ll probably have to be there without a car if you don’t have a ferry reservation yet.

3

You’re going to encounter traffic because it’s a holiday weekend. That said, a lot of schools are starting before Labor Day since it’s so late this year so perhaps many families will just stay put.

How about the southern coast of Maine? Ogunquit and the surrounding area has lots of fun family type things to do. You could go a bit further north and visit Arcadia National Park.

4

Friday: drive to Niagara Falls and walk around the town
Saturday am: go into the falls on maid of the mist
Saturday pm: go to Marineland and see the Orca
Sunday: drive to Toronto and spend day at Canada’s Wonderland, a huge amusement park now owned by Cedar Fair
Monday: drive home

Or just go to Hampton Beach, NH for 3 days

5

If you have passports, I recommend a trip to Montreal.

6

Portland, Maine. Lots of funky craft shops and restaurants (though you might not want to take them into the one selling handblown glassware… quite literally all bongs and pipes, if lovely ones). Boat tours including dolphin and whale-watching. A trip through Moose Alley in New Hampshire would be fun also.

7

Lincoln, New Hampshire.

Very scenic, and surrounded by scenery in all directions.

For the kids, there’s Clark’s Trading Post.

While there aren’t any really remarkable eating places that I know of, there are certainly some decent ones. Black Mountain Burger Company was good twice and bad once. El Greco’s Pizza was good twice.

8

You stole my suggestion.

There’s alsp Crawford Notch, on the other side of Kancamagus Highway from Lincoln. Or Lake Winnipesaukee, or lots of other spots in the woods of New Hampshire – Mt. Washington, Bretton Woods, Polar Caves, Ruggles Mine, Wolfeboro (which claims to be “America’s Oldest Resort”)

9

Thanks for all the suggestions! I’m actually leaning toward Montreal. I always forget how close Canada actually is to me, and the kids have never been outside of the US before. (They do have passports, though, so we’re all set there.)

10

If you do it, try going through Franconia Notch in one direction for a very beautiful ride. Go straight up I-93 and keep on it. As you go through the notch it cuts down to one lane each way and briefly loses its interstate designation. Then continue to St. Johnsbury, I-91, Quebec 55, Quebec 10 and right into Montreal. I’ve driven to Boston many times and tried the Franconia Notch once. It is a bit slower.

And these days, sadly, your money will go much further here.