Hits These 35 Highlights on your Next New England Road Trip

 

Are you among the throngs of travelers hitting the road this summer as cities open up after a year of Covid cramping your style? Grab some comfortable shoes, a bottle of sunscreen, and a boatload of trail mix and head northeast.

New England’s rocky coastal views and wild nature will mix with quaint harbors and history to delight everyone in your family from the littlest legs to the most senior travelers.

Here are some highlights to inspire your travel itinerary. These worked beautifully for my family: kids aged 4-8 as well as Mom, Dad and Grandma.

Newport, Rhode Island

1.       Park at Narragansett Avenue to start at the 40 Steps and walk south past Gilded Age mansions like the Breakers, finishing this section of the Cliff Walk with some fun bolder leaping and views of Marble House across the inlet from Belmont Beach. This gives you the highlights of the cliffs without the complete 3.5 miles. You can also take a $2 trolley ride along Bellevue Avenue back to your car.

2.       Tour the International Tennis Hall of Fame and cross over to nearby Touro Park to see the remains of a windmill built in the 1600s.

3.       Eat chowder along the pier in the Waterfront District.

4.       Meander through the Green Animals Topiary Garden on your way out of town.

Boston, Massachusetts

5.       Ride the Make Way for Ducklings statues and swan boats in the Public Garden.

6.       Splash in Frog Pond in Boston Common, the oldest city park in the United States.

7.       Follow the red brick Freedom Trail past historic sites such as Benjamin Franklin’s statue by the first public school, Phillis Wheatley’s church, the location of the Boston Massacre by the Old State House, Faneuil Hall meeting house and marketplace known as the “Cradle of Liberty”, and Paul Revere’s house.

8.       Grab a snack amidst the bustle of Quincy Market.

9.       Get your bearings from the observation deck at Marriot’s Custom House.

10.   Climb aboard the USS Constitution. Launched in 1797, “Old Ironsides” is the world’s oldest ship still afloat.

11.   Hop on a Duck Tour bus-boat for an efficient way to see sections of town and the Charles River too far to explore by foot.

12.   Captain your ship at the playground in Christopher Columbus Park.

13.   Wind through the labyrinth in Armenian Heritage Park, ride a wild animal carousel, and cool off at the splash pad along the Rose Kennedy Greenway, where the highway once stood before the Big Dig.

14.   Taste your way along Hanover Street in the Italian North End with gelato (bring cash), pastries at Mike’s and dinner at Panza, where the chef will tweak the menu to include your child’s Italian favorites.

15.   Take a contemplative walk through the six steamy towers of the New England Holocaust Memorial.

16.   Dine at nearby Bell in Hand—the oldest continuously run tavern in Boston.

17.   Spot the turtles, penguins, seals and octopus at the New England Aquarium. Visit the adjacent IMAX theater featuring favorite aquatic creatures to cool down and relax on a hot afternoon.

18.   Wander through the Harvard University campus and Cambridge Common, where George Washington took command of the Continental Army in 1775.

Ogunquit, Maine

19.   Stroll along the Marginal Way, a 1.5-mile cliff walk with benches and fabulous views.

20.   Cool down with ice cream at Sweet Peas as you explore Shore Road.

Portland, Maine

21.   Play arcade games and ride the coasters at Old Orchard Beach.

22.   Stock up on sweets at Len Libby Candies, home of Lenny, the life-size chocolate moose in Scarborough.

23.   Grab a lobster roll and soak up the view from the Portland Head Light.

24.   Walk around the cobblestoned Old Port in Portland.

Penobscot Bay, Maine

25.   Climb up the last half mile of the Mount Battie trail in Camden Hills State Park or start lower on the mountain for a longer stretch. Get your bearings before parking by first driving all the way up to the lookout.

26.   Ditch the stroller and hold on tight to little hands as you skip from boulder to boulder on the Rockland lighthouse jetty. Gather spiral shells at the connecting beach.

Acadia National Park, Maine

27.   Search for critters in tide pools along the way to Bar Island, accessible from Bar Harbor at low tide through a natural sand bar bridge that extends from Bridge Street.

28.   If you aren’t staying in Bar Harbor and want to explore by foot, park your car in Winter Harbor and take the scenic 45-minute Downeast Windjammer ferry to Bar Harbor. Walk along Main Street to the Village Green to connect with the excellent and free Island Explorer shuttle bus system that takes you throughout Acadia.

29.   Take the #2 shuttle from the Village Green to Hulls Cove Visitor’s Center, where park rangers answer questions and set you up with park passes. If your family has a fourth grader, you can explore National Parks for free!

30.   Wander the paths at the Wild Gardens of Acadia to see a variety of plants from Mount Desert Island. This is the perfect scale walk for those not up for a hike.

31.   Shed your hiking boots, make a sandcastle, and watch the waves crash through a scattering of rocks at the end of Sand Beach. Wash off the sand at a spigot near the bathrooms.

32.   Climb the steps from the beach facilities up to the Loop Road to walk over to Thunder Hole, where crashing waves at high tide make quite a show.

33.   Taste tea and popovers rain or shine at Jordan Pond House. Hike the 3.5-mile nature path around the pond with great views of the Bubbles. Shorten the route by doubling back instead of circling the pond.

34.   Drive up Cadillac Mountain for views of the Porcupine Islands and beyond from the peak as well as turnouts. Reserve a time slot through the Recreation.gov app for a small fee. Daytime is less crowded than peak sunrise and sunset viewings.

35.   Finish off with ice cream and shopping in Bar Harbor and public restrooms at Ells Pier.

What are you waiting for? Download some audio books, pull up Google Maps, and wind your way up our majestic coast for a summer you’ll never forget.