New England offers great opportunities for outdoor recreation, and a couple of theme parks too, open in summer and with major scary fun at Halloween. Several family resorts go all out with kids programs, family activities, and weekend celebration packages at Thanksgiving and other holidays.
1. VT: Smugglers Notch
"Smuggs" -- near Burlington-- is open winter, summer, fall, and has extensive kids programs, two teen centers, A 5400 sq. ft.child care centre for babies, indoor FunZone, and dozens of activities.
Photo courtesy of Smuggler's Notch.
2. VT: Tyler Place Family Resort
On Lake Champlain 45 minutes from Burlington, this family resort has 165 acres, cottages and a country inn, and kids' programs for many different age groups including babies and toddlers. "Family retreats" are a specialty. All-inclusive pricing, too.
Photo courtesy of Tyler Place Resort.
3. NH: White Mountains
The White Mountains are a four-season getaway, with a National Forest plus fun attractions such as scenic railroads, gorges, Santa's Village. Also, an outdoors center has all-inclusive seasonal packages for families including activities and use of gear.4. NH: Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods
This National Historic Landmark has indoor and outdoor pools, golf, tennis, horseback riding, mountain biking, kids camp, family programs such as rock-climbing. In winter, kids can join the ski school at Bretton Woods.
Photo courtesy of Mount Washington Resort.
5. More Family Resorts in New England
Check out more choices: Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, Lake Champlain...6. Northeast Summer Camps for Families
Doing a week at a summer camp with your family can make great memories: outdoors fun during the day-time, campfires at night... and price can be as low as under $1000 for a week, for a family of four-- with meals!
Photo courtesy of Medomak Family Camp, Maine.
7. Summer vacation Ideas in New England
A round-up of ten places that are sweet to go to in summer months, including Lake Compounce Amusement Park, in CT, and Six Flags New England theme park, in MA. (Garfield has a themed area, at Lake Compounce.)
8. Maple Syrup Season Getaways
Maple season typically runs from March 1 to mid-April, and is that time of year when sap is collected from sugar maple trees, and gets boiled down in sugarhouses to make maple syrup. A special time to visit New England!
9. Moose Tours
From end of May to early October is your chance to see the largest members of the deer family (and they are really big: an average moose's height at shoulders is 6.5 to 7.5 feet.) Check out several tours, in NH and Maine; spotting an animal in the wild can never be guaranteed, but some tours have a 97.3% success rate in finding moose.
Photo courtesy of Town of Gorham NH.
10. MA: Boston
"Go Boston" card delivers sightseeing at a discount, plus fun attractions such as an amphibious-craft Duck Tour.
Photo courtesy of Tony Conboy III.
