Summer 2010 - help me with an East Coast vacation spot

CATBinCO · Oct 21, 2008

Going for a timeshare trade, looking at 3 potential spots on the East Coast. I was in So Cal for 30 years, and moved to CO 6 years ago, so all my experience/knowledge/vacations have been West coast. This will be the first East coast vacation and I'm kind of excited about it! (We actually are turning down San Francisco and So Cal which are also available, as we've both seen/done it before.)

The trades available are:
Cape Cod, MA 1 bdrm unit, July 9-16, 2010
Ashland, NH 2 bdrm unit, June 12-19, 2010
Callicoon, NY (Catskill Mtns) 2 bdrm unit, June 13-20, 2010

We will have a 12 year old and 3 1/2 year old by then, plus husband and myself.

I have heard horror stories about the summer humidity and the East coast.
We are tied to summer dates because of my husband being a teacher.

Why would you pick one over the other, or would you pick neither (because of the dates and/or location)?

We don't golf. We like to see some sights, play outdoors, swim, short hikes ok, eat out some, but cook breakfasts ourselves, mostly. I have seen NOTHING of the East Coast and neither have the kids. My husband on the other hand has seen the East Coast, mainly NY and NC and is geographically, more 'with it' than me. He would be our guide.

We would have a rental car, obviously and don't mind doing some driving, mainly within a 2-3 hour radius.

Thanks for all your help, East coasters!

beejaybeeohio · Oct 21, 2008

In order of my preferences

#1 Cape Cod
#2 Ashland NH
#3 Catskills (unless close enuf to do a day trip or two to NYC)

timeos2 · Oct 21, 2008

beejaybeeohio said:
#1 Cape Cod
#2 Ashland NH
#3 Catskills (unless close enuf to do a day trip or two to NYC)

100% agreed.

london · Oct 21, 2008

East Coast Humidity

beejaybeeohio said:
#1 Cape Cod
#2 Ashland NH
#3 Catskills (unless close enuf to do a day trip or two to NYC)

Agree with the order of preference.

Humidity is very high in the summer, just think positively.

Big Matt · Oct 21, 2008

Given your lack of East coast experience, weather, and my personal preference, I've listed my favorites from North to South stopping before Florida.

Maine Coast
Cape Cod
Poconos
Williamsburg
Outer Banks
Hilton Head Island

lprstn · Oct 21, 2008

Don't forget Myrtle Beach...

Jennie · Oct 22, 2008

There should be no humidity in June in any of the 3 locations you have listed. The weather should be delightful. BUT, it will still be off-season and many restaurants and attractions will not be open yet.

All of the 3 locations are cooler at night because of their proximity to the ocean or mountains.

Do some research about Cape Cod. There are great ocean beaches, unspoiled nature preserves, biking and hiking, whale watching, fishing, boat rides, charming quaint towns, great restaurants, flea markets, outlet shopping plus regular malls, lots of American history (one of the first settlements in "the new world" where the Pilgims landed). Unfortunately there's also a lot of traffic because most of the island consists of ancient two lane roads that snake through all the towns.

You can take a ferry (as passengers with or without a car) to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. There's also a high speed ferry to Boston which is a wonderful city to explore. You might want to stay overnight there because there's too much to see and do in one day. There's a Boston discount pass that will save you big $$$ on the ferry and many attractions in Boston.

On Cape Cod most of the timeshares do not have air conditioning or kitchens due to zoning laws. Briarwood, which exchanges through I.I. and RCI, (and RCI Points) is an older but very clean, spacious, and comfortable "plain vanilla" versus upscale timeshare and is one of maybe 2 or 3 resorts that have air conditioning and a full kitchen. Most of the units there are two bedroom, 2 bath, 2 story units. There are a few 3 bedroom units, but very few. It was originally built to be sold as year round town homes but the project faltered financially and they then obtained permission to sell the units as timeshares, hence the kitchens and air conditioning were "grand-fathered" in. It is mid-cape which is a great location.

Your other two choices are rather remote "relaxing" locations with far less activities.

pcgirl54 · Oct 22, 2008

Maine Coast and drive to Bar Harbor Acadia Ntl Pk
White Mountains NH
Cape Cod-Martha's Vineyard a must do!
Washington DC-lots to do and most is free
Virginia Beach/Williamsburgh
Outer Banks NC
Myrtle Beach

I have lived on the East Coast all my life. These are not in order of preference but are places with a real flavor of the east coast.

If you are in Maine most times you can drive to NH White Mtns.

Brewster Green in Cape Cod has 1200 sq ft, 2 & 3 bd condos with full kitchens and is central CC.

wackymother · Oct 22, 2008

I would take the Cape Cod in July. Where is the 1br? There's much more to do on Cape Cod than in the other two places you're looking at. New Hampshire is beautiful, but there's a lot of "let's go look at the scenery" activities, even in summer, and the reviews of Villa Roma say there's not much in the area.

I like Williamsburg--lots for the kids and everybody else to do--but the heat and humidity are indeed staggering, although if you can go in June it might not be so bad. It would give you more of a sense of the eastern half of the country, too, and our country's history. Plus they have Busch Gardens and Water Country and you can visit Virginia Beach from there.

IreneLF · Oct 22, 2008

Would choose Cape Cod primarily because of the kids. They will love the ocean beach which they do not get to see otherwise.
I think the water will be cold, but kids never seem to mind.
Lots to explore and see and do, so will be a good balance for the adults too.

The other two locations while nice may be too 'remote' with no much to do for the kids imo.

abc31 · Oct 22, 2008

Another vote for Cape Cod!

judyjht · Oct 22, 2008

Definately July on Cape Cod. Don't worry about humidity!!

gretel · Oct 23, 2008

Catskills Area

I haven't been to Villa Roma but know of it. It seems to have a lot of activities on site. Nearby is the Catskill Game Farm for kids. They can feed baby goats! There is also the world's largest kaleidoscope (it's cool, we've been there):
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2175
The Spotted Dog firehouse restaurant is a fun place to eat for kids.
There are numerous hiking trails and waterfalls and places to go fishing. There are waterparks and train rides too. Woodstock is a fun side trip to explore.

If you are looking for a mountain, outdoor-type trip then it might be worth researching:
http://www.thingstodo.com/states/NY/catskills.htm

jaym · Oct 23, 2008

CATBinCO said:
The trades available are:
Cape Cod, MA 1 bdrm unit, July 9-16, 2010
Ashland, NH 2 bdrm unit, June 12-19, 2010
Callicoon, NY (Catskill Mtns) 2 bdrm unit, June 13-20, 2010

Any luck trying to obtain Inn Seasons resorts, Pollard Brook, S. Mtn., for this period?
If possible, consider NH White Mtns. region, particularly Lincoln/Woodstock area (Loon Mtn.) for family vacation. Cape Cod is scenic but becomes heavily congested once school is out, mid-June until September.

We will have a 12 year old and 3 1/2 year old by then, plus husband and myself.
Why would you pick one over the other, or would you pick neither (because of the dates and/or location)?
We don't golf. We like to see some sights, play outdoors, swim, short hikes ok, eat out some, but cook breakfasts ourselves, mostly. I have seen NOTHING of the East Coast and neither have the kids. My husband on the other hand has seen the East Coast, mainly NY and NC and is geographically, more 'with it' than me. He would be our guide.

In my opinion:
Humidity can be an issue that time of year but Cape Cod has ocean effect (breezes) and mountains can cool down in evening.
Lincoln/Woodstock has gondola rides to top of Loon and Canon Mtns., "Hobo Mini-Golf" and scenic train rides, very good restaurants like Common Man and Woodstock Station, among others. There's Whale's Tale waterpark, Clark's Trading Post for younger kids. Also many more activities found in N. Conway area. Nice romantic dinner can be found at Darby Field Inn or 1785 Inn (both are found on other side of "Kanc" Hwy. - about 45 min. away) The Franconia Notch area is right up the road, swimming, kayaking, hiking (Flume Gorge, Lost River, etc.)
I live in MA, have two sons, made many visits to Cape and northern states in my youth. My wife and I get away to CC during offseason for great B&Bs but summer stays are less enjoyable for us. Don't take me wrong, Cape Cod offers much but I don't enjoy the overcrowded conditions everywhere I go, beach, restaurants, bike trails, you name it! Things a bit more spread out in NH and Maine. We rarely sit in summer traffic once there, some if you travel I-93 to get there.

http://www.lincolnwoodstock.com/
http://www.nh.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

wackymother · Oct 23, 2008

gretel said:
I haven't been to Villa Roma but know of it. It seems to have a lot of activities on site. Nearby is the Catskill Game Farm for kids. They can feed baby goats!

Alas, the Catskill Game Farm closed down a couple of years ago.

Kola · Oct 23, 2008

Delete Callicoon, NY (Catskill Mtns) from your list. Useless waste of your time and money.
Coastal Maine can be enjoyable but a quality resort is hard to get in the summer. Don't take a Central Maine resort if offered.
I would add Rhode Island, - again its not easy to get but The Wellington would be my first choice.

K.

pcgirl54 · Oct 23, 2008

Our northern waters are warm July and August only. Since kids get out of school late June in New England everywhere has vacationers. Our northern NE state roads are also crowded on weekends. Coastal rte 1 also gets backed up.

North Conway NH is a popular spot too!

The trick to driving to the Cape and leaving is to do it early in the wee hours of the morning. There are two bridges on and off the Cape hence the traffic. If you don't time it right you are in jams for hours.

gretel · Oct 24, 2008

wackymother said:
Alas, the Catskill Game Farm closed down a couple of years ago.

Say it ain't so! It was such a cute place. So much more hands-on than regular zoos.

With regard to east coast vacations, for a beach vacation consider timeshares in Brigantine, NJ. It's directly on a nice beach and close to Atlantic City (for adults) and Wildwood or other boardwalk places (for kids).

Also, Myrtle Beach, SC (or better yet North Myrtle Beach or Surfside) offers a lot of activities for kids too: beach, mini golf, car racing, water parks, etc. Hilton Head, SC is more nature-oriented: beach, bike riding, tennis.

We have enjoyed trips to Maine but we've been there off-season. We went on a lobster boat (the kids enjoyed it too), walked around Perkins Cove, and generally relaxed.

RahRah · Oct 24, 2008

CATBinCO said:
Going for a timeshare trade, looking at 3 potential spots on the East Coast. I was in So Cal for 30 years, and moved to CO 6 years ago, so all my experience/knowledge/vacations have been West coast. This will be the first East coast vacation and I'm kind of excited about it! (We actually are turning down San Francisco and So Cal which are also available, as we've both seen/done it before.)

The trades available are:
Cape Cod, MA 1 bdrm unit, July 9-16, 2010
Ashland, NH 2 bdrm unit, June 12-19, 2010
Callicoon, NY (Catskill Mtns) 2 bdrm unit, June 13-20, 2010

We will have a 12 year old and 3 1/2 year old by then, plus husband and myself.

I have heard horror stories about the summer humidity and the East coast.
We are tied to summer dates because of my husband being a teacher.

Why would you pick one over the other, or would you pick neither (because of the dates and/or location)?

We don't golf. We like to see some sights, play outdoors, swim, short hikes ok, eat out some, but cook breakfasts ourselves, mostly. I have seen NOTHING of the East Coast and neither have the kids. My husband on the other hand has seen the East Coast, mainly NY and NC and is geographically, more 'with it' than me. He would be our guide.

We would have a rental car, obviously and don't mind doing some driving, mainly within a 2-3 hour radius.

Thanks for all your help, East coasters!

If I had to choose in the order of preference (as an east coast native - NY/CT/DC), I'd say the Cape in July is very crowded and traffic on weekends is a mess, but has a lot for kids and good adult stuff in the evenings too; the catskills are nice and a great "family" option and is much less expensive overall than the Cape; NH has the least amount of things to do with kids IMO.

Other areas you may want to also consider (I've been to all of them, not always in a TS though)

Williamsburg, VA - lots of history and things to see, a short enough drive to VA-Beach and a few area amusement parks....I wouldn't recommend staying at VA-Beach though

Water's Edge in CT - close enough to a ton of stuff in CT, NYC and Mystic, CT if you have a car.....nice resort (I've stayed there on business)

Block Island (I think it's officially RI).....the carribean in the north - very nice place, great beaches, crystal clear light blue water, you can rent a boat, etc. - it's just quiet though, but if your kids like the beach, you'll have fun!

Ocean City, MD - beaches and lots to do as a family

mdurette · Oct 26, 2008

Well - I'm going to put my 2 cents in for New Hampshire, especailly because you have kids. The cape is nice - but IMO you have to love the beaches. Personally, I would rather (and do) take the 3-4 hour drive to NH than the 1 hour drive to the cape. (also the cape has just AWFUL traffic in the summer months)

Now, New Hampshire, I just love it and we go there about 4 times a year. Yes, it is alot of mountain scenery - but it is also a place to be if you just love the outdoors. Plenty of hikes (easy and hard) we did the easy/short ones with our 2 1/2 YO this past summer and she had a ball checking out the waterfalls and walking along the paths.

White Mountain National Park is my favorite - plenty to see and do. (if you can get into Polard Brook with II that is a great central location)

The kids (especially the little one) will have fun at Storyland, Santa's Village, Polar Caves, The lost River and Clarks Trading Post to name a couple off the top of my head (you can google). Also, most of the ski resorts have summer activities. Can be biking, gondola rides, water slides, etc.

Just about all the NH TS's will have full kitchens. The weather the 1st week in June is usually great - about 80 during the day and at night I would be surprised if you need a light sweatshirt.

NH also has an "attraction book" I wish I could find the link for you. But you pay one price for all major things to do - it ends up being a very good bargain if you plan to do alot.

If you want more NH info - feel free to PM me.

MaryH · Oct 27, 2008

My vote is for Cape Cod and add a few nights in Boston.

Summer 2010 - help me with an East Coast vacation spot

CATBinCO

beejaybeeohio

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timeos2

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london

Big Matt

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lprstn

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Jennie

pcgirl54

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wackymother

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IreneLF

abc31

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judyjht

gretel

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jaym

wackymother

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Kola

pcgirl54

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gretel

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RahRah

mdurette

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MaryH