North East Coast

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Since moving back east I’ve always wanted to do a long weekend upper east coast trip...I know there would be a lot of driving involved so I wanted to try and work it around a time we’re I didn’t have any of the kids...which is few and far between. Luckily I’ll have be able to have some kid free time here in a few months. I’m gonna take the plunge and just do it...but I’m having a hard time figuring where to start. It’s a lot to try and squeeze in 3 days. Does anyone have suggestions on a route for such a quick trip? I’d definitely like to hit Maine first and probably work my way back down??? Or should I do the opposite? Goal would be to see a few things, drove the coast a bit, eat some yummy seafood and that’s pretty much it lol
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Newport, RI isn't too far. Lots to see and do and things aren't too spread out. You can hit Mystic, CT either coming or going.

Maine is a haul from Maryland. A good day's drive up and back. So you could stop somewhere and visit then turn around and head back. That doesn't sound like a lot of fun. YMMV
 

limblips

Well-Known Member
If Maine is a must do I suggest a non-stop via Southwest to Manchester NH (or Boston Logan) and rent a car. Portsmouth NH is a nice stepping off point and then up the coast as far as you like. A good return trip would be through the White Mountains (Conway, North Woodstock, and other places) back down to Manchester. Not a bad loop for a 2-3 day weekend.
 

RoseRed

American Beauty
PREMO Member
If Maine is a must do I suggest a non-stop via Southwest to Manchester NH (or Boston Logan) and rent a car. Portsmouth NH is a nice stepping off point and then up the coast as far as you like. A good return trip would be through the White Mountains (Conway, North Woodstock, and other places) back down to Manchester. Not a bad loop for a 2-3 day weekend.

Manchester is an awesome little airport. Skip Logan if you can.
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
I highly recommend Maine.

Driving isn't bad (about 12 hours), but the tolls are ridiculous. Last time I drove to Maine the tolls were more than the gas we used.
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
anyone have feedback on driving to Connecticut?

Traffic is horrible around Harford at rush hour. We were heading to Boston and decided to take 84 instead of 95 and learned our lesson. :lol: But the state is beautiful as is most of New England.
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
anyone have feedback on driving to Connecticut?
Native Connecticuttian :howdy: It's smooth sailing along the 95 corridor more so after New Haven, which is actually where most of the natural (coastal) beauty is anyways! 95 runs all along the coast of CT until it takes a left up into RI and Mass. There's certain routes that help alleviate the headache of NYC traffic (lots of people work in NYC and live in that first county of CT).
 

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Newport, RI isn't too far. Lots to see and do and things aren't too spread out. You can hit Mystic, CT either coming or going.

Maine is a haul from Maryland. A good day's drive up and back. So you could stop somewhere and visit then turn around and head back. That doesn't sound like a lot of fun. YMMV
We were going to head up on evening after work...we typically take turns driving while the other naps...so I was thinking if we did a straight shot to Maine (Ogunquit) we could spend the day and night there then head down...just where should we head too is the hard part. We’ll be have two full days to see other places. Just trying to decide the peffect route and spots to go has me all :jameo:
:yeah that

Our usual 8-9 hour trip to MASS took us 13 because we left late and hit rush hour through NYC. Never again!
YIKES!!! I’m assuming their traffic is along the same time as the DC area??
Native Connecticuttian :howdy: It's smooth sailing along the 95 corridor more so after New Haven, which is actually where most of the natural (coastal) beauty is anyways! 95 runs all along the coast of CT until it takes a left up into RI and Mass. There's certain routes that help alleviate the headache of NYC traffic (lots of people work in NYC and live in that first county of CT).

Awesome that sounds great! I’ve done the whole upper north eastern trip when I was a teenager but don’t remember much about the route we took. DH has never been past philly so this will be all new for him!
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
We were going to head up on evening after work...we typically take turns driving while the other naps...so I was thinking if we did a straight shot to Maine (Ogunquit) we could spend the day and night there then head down...just where should we head too is the hard part. We’ll be have two full days to see other places. Just trying to decide the peffect route and spots to go has me all :jameo:

Ogunquit/Wells is a good area for a base. Kennebunkport isn't too far of a drive.

Here's our forum thread for that area. https://forums.somd.com/threads/321917-Greetings-from-Wells-ME!
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
We were going to head up on evening after work...we typically take turns driving while the other naps...so I was thinking if we did a straight shot to Maine (Ogunquit) we could spend the day and night there then head down...just where should we head too is the hard part. We’ll be have two full days to see other places. Just trying to decide the peffect route and spots to go has me all :jameo:

YIKES!!! I’m assuming their traffic is along the same time as the DC area??


Awesome that sounds great! I’ve done the whole upper north eastern trip when I was a teenager but don’t remember much about the route we took. DH has never been past philly so this will be all new for him!


Honestly, I'd strongly suggest breaking your trip into two. I know the North East looks relatively small and manageable but I promise there's so many fascinating places and SO much traffic (yes akin to DC) in the metro areas. and there's less space for them all to sprawl out so it often feels like you only have one way to go, and that's thru traffic :ohwell: Also, Maine is like a small Alaska...you do a TON of driving in between the good spots with very little in between. Not that the little in between isn't gorgeous bc all of Maine is. But when you're cramming it into a long weekend, it looks daunting.

Do a Maine/NH/maybe possibly VT too in one swoop, then come back for Mass/Boston/RI/Newport/CT.

Also, when are you going? After Memorial Weekend, Thurs thru Sunday nights are HOSED up in traffic with everyone trying to get to the Cape and the nice little beaches on the shoreline. All the rich people from NY and MA come outta nowhere and it magically takes me 10 hours to get from MD to CT on a Thurs evening after work (ask me how many times this has happened) :dye:
 

MADPEBS1

Man, I'm still here !!!
expect SNOW/slickness possibly on roads.... Will be pretty with all the snow that NE has had....
Portland is saying 5-8" on 3/20......

Portland is foodie paradise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Might be worth trip to Boston, it really is a nice city now.
 

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Ogunquit/Wells is a good area for a base. Kennebunkport isn't too far of a drive.

Here's our forum thread for that area. https://forums.somd.com/threads/321917-Greetings-from-Wells-ME!
Awesome thank you so much for sharing the link! ❤️
Honestly, I'd strongly suggest breaking your trip into two. I know the North East looks relatively small and manageable but I promise there's so many fascinating places and SO much traffic (yes akin to DC) in the metro areas. and there's less space for them all to sprawl out so it often feels like you only have one way to go, and that's thru traffic :ohwell: Also, Maine is like a small Alaska...you do a TON of driving in between the good spots with very little in between. Not that the little in between isn't gorgeous bc all of Maine is. But when you're cramming it into a long weekend, it looks daunting.

Do a Maine/NH/maybe possibly VT too in one swoop, then come back for Mass/Boston/RI/Newport/CT.

Also, when are you going? After Memorial Weekend, Thurs thru Sunday nights are HOSED up in traffic with everyone trying to get to the Cape and the nice little beaches on the shoreline. All the rich people from NY and MA come outta nowhere and it magically takes me 10 hours to get from MD to CT on a Thurs evening after work (ask me how many times this has happened) :dye:
It does seem pretty adventurous when I try to plan out the route. Maybe we can just kick it in Maine for a few days and then pop back.

All I know is I NEED some fried full belly clams! :yum: So I’m gonna need to figure out the must hit Lobstah shacks
expect SNOW/slickness possibly on roads.... Will be pretty with all the snow that NE has had....
Portland is saying 5-8" on 3/20......

Portland is foodie paradise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Might be worth trip to Boston, it really is a nice city now.

I’ve noticed that. It seems like a lot of the food spots we’ve seen on the different shows are centered around that Portland aea!
 

lovinmaryland

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I'd strongly suggest breaking your trip into two. I know the North East looks relatively small and manageable but I promise there's so many fascinating places and SO much traffic (yes akin to DC) in the metro areas. and there's less space for them all to sprawl out so it often feels like you only have one way to go, and that's thru traffic :ohwell: Also, Maine is like a small Alaska...you do a TON of driving in between the good spots with very little in between. Not that the little in between isn't gorgeous bc all of Maine is. But when you're cramming it into a long weekend, it looks daunting.

Do a Maine/NH/maybe possibly VT too in one swoop, then come back for Mass/Boston/RI/Newport/CT.

Also, when are you going? After Memorial Weekend, Thurs thru Sunday nights are HOSED up in traffic with everyone trying to get to the Cape and the nice little beaches on the shoreline. All the rich people from NY and MA come outta nowhere and it magically takes me 10 hours to get from MD to CT on a Thurs evening after work (ask me how many times this has happened) :dye:

Summer time. Late June early July. Our plan is to leave Wednesday late evening or Thursday morning around 1 am. Do you think we’d need to leave before then?
 

lucky_bee

RBF expert
Summer time. Late June early July. Our plan is to leave Wednesday late evening or Thursday morning around 1 am. Do you think we’d need to leave before then?
I think you'll be fine with either of those times. Weekending in New England is typically Thurs night thru Sunday afternoon. If I head up on a Thurs, and I can't leave work early enough to leave St. Mary's by 2pm, I'll wait until 5:30/6pm or after dinner to avoid Annapolis traffic and NYC.
 
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