<p>D3 has been begging for a summer trip. With her older siblings in college we aren’t up for a big expensive trip.
We are in Ca. We have done San Diego, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Ca coast. Also most of the National parks in the west. We have also been to British Columbia.She is already going to Orlando in August for a few days to visit her sister who is doing an internship in Orlando.
She suggested Vermont since she wants to see Univ of Vermont.What is there to do in summer in Vermont? She also likes Hawaii but I don’t think that is happening. Any other suggestions. I am thinking somewhere with outdoor activities versus a city. H would like to avoid anyplace with lots of shopping opportunities.</p>
<p>I love the Maine coast and Acadia National Park. Hiking, biking, kayaking, walking along a rugged, rocky beach. The last time we visited, we rented a little cottage set on an inlet and took canoes out. Turns out there were dolphins out there in the inlet.</p>
<p>[Acadia</a> National Park - Home (U.S. National Park Service)](<a href=“http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm]Acadia”>Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service))</p>
<p>I’m not sure how easy it is to get to UVM from Bar Harbor, but at least it is in the same part of the country.</p>
<p>Traveling from Acadia to UVm is a l-o-n-g drive. Although we enjoy Acadia and it’s the only national park on the east coast, sounds like it’s best to plan a trip around UVm. How about more college tours? How about renting a house & boat at Lake George in the Adirondecks? Maybe go to Niagara Falls (Canadian side is much prettier). Traveling the Thousand Islands? One enjoyable, very inexpensive trip we did when the kids were little was stopping at many factories up in Vermont: Simon Glass, granite mines, breweries, quaint farms, and of course Ben & Jerry’s.</p>
<p>Montana? Not a whole lot of shopping, but tons of beautiful scenery.</p>
<p>Of course, Washington State is always nice in the summer: Mount Rainier, Olympic Penninsula, Hoh Rain forest, etc. And I’m sure Woody wood love to meet you. :)</p>
<p>[Best</a> Tourism Ad Ever](<a href=“Best Tourism Ad Ever - YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unQz4kFJ2Tg)</p>
<p>(Moderators, please do not kill the messenger, for this is the official Leavenworth tourism ad [Woody</a> Goomsba Bio](<a href=“http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/?pageid=294&path=63|294]Woody”>http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/?pageid=294&path=63|294) :))</p>
<p>Vermont is beautiful in the summer but there is not a whole lot to do besides bike, hike and shop a bit. Do you want to come to the east coast? The flights will be expensive I’m guessing but there are lots of places to visit here. Bar Harbor has been mentioned and it is lovely. The Ogunquit/Kennebunk area of Maine is great, too but there is lots of shopping there, lol. How about Boston? Or DC. All of the Smithsonian Museums are free in DC. Lets of great restaurants, too.</p>
<p>Vermont is beautiful in the summer, if you like biking, hiking, camping, swimming in lakes it’s wonderful. The town that University of Vermont is a beautiful, artsy town with shops and restaurants. Vermont does host some music festivals in the summer, but you would have to google that. However, UofV is far up north and not as close to some other attractions such as Maine.
Boston is another great place to visit. The Harbor and Back Bay area have many attractions as well as Fanueil Hall, the Maritime Museum. If you had 2weeks to spare and don’t mind driving, you can cover a lot a ground visiting some great places just in the northeast.</p>
<p>Limabeans had some great ideas! In Vermont you are also very close to Montreal, a beautiful city with a european feel, and Ottowa. You can rent houseboats in the Thousand Islands (the idea of trying to navigate on the St Lawrence intimidates me!) or the Rideau Canal. If your daughter is checking out U of V you might want to see what other schools are on her radar that you can fit in.</p>
<p>OT, but Limabeans–there are other national park sites on the EAst Coast. I just spent a lovely day at Gateway last week.</p>
<p>several years ago we did a DC - upstate-NY - Niagara Falls - Toronto - Montreal - Quebec City - New Hampshire - Vermont - DC trip. Lots of fun stuff to see and do. We especially liked Quebec City. Unfortunately, Happydad’s goal of driving up Mt. Washington was foiled by fog at the end of the hard-surface road. We have the bumper-sticker, but he won’t put it on the car because we didn’t make it the whole way. [Mount</a> Washington Observatory (MWOBS) – White Mountains, New Hampshire (NH)](<a href=“http://www.mountwashington.org/]Mount”>http://www.mountwashington.org/)</p>
<p>Hi Mom60!</p>
<p>You’ll love Burlington, Vermont, where UVM is located. It is right on Lake Champlain, plenty to do outdoors. My H & I took our two boys to Vermont & Montreal @5 or 6 years ago for a week to ten days in the summer. We did a lot! We managed to go during the Montreal Jazz festival, which was not intentional, but had a blast. My kids were much younger then, but would enjoy it even more now.</p>
<p>We stayed in Central Vermont and had the most incredible meal in Montpelier at a cooking school. They have cheese factories all over the place. The maple farms salad dressing place is there. We went on a ski lift (I think in Stowe) and it brought us to the top of a ski mountain where we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the valley, gorgeous. We also saw the Von Trapp family lodge and took a tour of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory!</p>
<p>Burlington, Vermont is fun! There is a Science museum on the water that my boys liked. Again, they were younger. Tons of yummy eateries right on the lake area. You can rent bikes easily.</p>
<p>Montreal was a short ride away. They have these underground shopping malls that were interesting to visit! Never saw a mall with a food court with FRESH vegetables of every kind for a make-your-own kind of salad! (Right up my alley) Loved the Montreal Jazz Festival and also saw the Olympic arena. Had French pastries…I keep mentioning food places…for me it’s all about the food! :):)</p>
<p>It really was an excellent vacation to Vermont & Montreal. Do a bit of research & you’ll do fine! Enjoy! Let me know if you end up going!:)</p>
<p>Lake Placid is only a couple of hours away. Lots of outdoor activities and events, beautiful Adirondack lakes/scenery, nice town. And you get to take a ferry between NY and VT.</p>
<p>I love the idea of Montreal. I have never been. H and I have been to Acadia National park. 20 plus years ago H and I did a fall foliage trip starting in Boston and going up into New Hampshire and upstate NY. UVM is the only east coast school she will apply to.
Washington state is another good suggestion. She will apply to Western Washington and Seattle Univ. H and I have been to the Olympic *****ula and Hoh but D has not. We did do a family trip when my D was young to Seattle, Orcas Island and up into British Columbia. I think airfare to Washington will be more reasonable. Any suggestions for river rafting in Washington? Bunsen- loved the link.
Other option floating out it Kauai. I will have to price the airfare.</p>
<p>mom60, my D and my friend both went river rafting in Wenatchee/Leavenworth area. I will ask what co.'s they used and report back here. There is a lot of rafting and kayaking activity going on on the Wenatchee river almost year round! If your D is interested in Western Washington, you have to visit that area. It is gorgeous! And Vancouver BC is not that far. </p>
<p>Kauai sounds like a great option, too. I know that there are numerous flight options to LIH from LAX or other CA hubs. There is a lot of hiking opportunities in Kauai! My deam is to hike the Kalalau Trail someday.</p>
<p>mom60, Looks like you left the N out of Peninsula, so the word police blocked out the offending part!</p>
<p>Take your passports with you if you head for Montreal (just in case you haven’t been to Canada in a few years.)</p>
<p>You could probably pick up a last minute cruise to Alaska out of Seattle - there are some unbelievable last minute deals.</p>
<p>mom60, Nobody has thrown this out yet so I’m pitching it out there for you… How about the Outerbanks in NC? Not a lot of shopping and TONS of outdoor activities.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.outerbanks.org/[/url]”>http://www.outerbanks.org/</a></p>
<p>If you go there you must go to the Jockey’s Ridge State Park… and take a camera. It’s gorgeous.</p>
<p>I also think you’d have a great time in Montreal &/or Quebec. The jazz festival in Montreal (early July) has lots of free outdoor concerts going on & is just a lot of fun. A little later in July there is a comedy festival in Montreal, which I have heard is great too. (We’ve been to the jazz festival twice, hope to make it to the comedy festival sometime.) Quebec (old city part) is very European - lots of narrow streets, outdoor cafes, etc. Take the horse & buggy ride (I know it sounds corny & touristy, but it gives you a really good sense of the city).</p>
<p>MomofBoston:</p>
<p>We did that very trip! Flew to Seattle and took an Alaskan cruise…but your mindset has to be ready for that type of trip. It was so wierd to be on a cruise ship full of people wearing heavy ski jackets! :)</p>
<p>Depends on how much mom60’s D wants to see UVM before appyling, I guess.</p>
<p>Garland, you’re right in that there are other national parks on the east coast other than Acadia. I meant Acadia’s the only national park in the northeast. How provincial of me!</p>
<p>Another way to plan a vacation is to figure out what you want to do first, then build a vacation around that. My kids aren’t into shopping either, so we gear our trips around themes. I already mentioned our factory-tours vacation. Another one was a waterpark theme.
While there, we also combined that with side trips to colleges. You can also do a historic theme: go to Williamsburgh, plus visit DC.
And then there’s a water theme: water parks, aquariums, a ferry ride, and the beach (water park
, Mystic seaport
, mystic aquarium
, ferry to Block Island and bike ride
, RI beaches)</p>
<p>You mention Vermont and also UVM. I live in Vermont. Many come here for vacation. If you have a week, you could piece together these sorts of things…</p>
<p>Burlington and Lake Champlain:
See UVM
Church Street Marketplace…outdoor cafes, etc.
Lake Champlain…kayaking, sailing, other boating, ferry rides (some with dining), swimming at beaches
Bike/pedestrian path along the lakefront
Various festivals and performances/arts
Shelburne Museum
Teddy Bear Factory
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center</p>
<p>Stowe area (about 40 min. from Burlington)…
Gondola ride to top of mountain for a picnic (there is also the toll road)
Bike path
Nice dining and artsy gift shops
Ben and Jerry’s Factory
Stowe Theater (musicals in summer)
Trapp Family Lodge
Hiking
Hot Air Balloon Festival (July 8)
Smugglers Notch Scenic Byway
Vermont Ski Museum</p>
<p>Mad River Valley area (55 min. from Burlington)…
canoeing, kayaking and tubing on the Mad River
hiking
fishing
golf
resort at Sugarbush…sport centers, activities, lift rides, zip line, tennis
road and mountain biking
fine dining
farmer’s market
VT Festival of the Arts….all of August
Warren 4th of July Parade (very unique…attracts people from all over East Coast)
Broadway cabarets at Skinner Barn Theater
A Little Night Music (professional theater in a barn)</p>
<p>Side trip to Montreal…lots to do (90 min. from Burlington)</p>
<p>Side trips to other towns in Vermont……down to Woodstock and Quechee (gorge, Simon Pearce, galleries….near Dartmouth/Hanover) or combine with Pico and the Alpine Slide</p>
<p>Side trip perhaps to Boston but there is plenty to do without going that far</p>