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You are here: Experts > Parenting/Family > Travel with Kids > Traveling with Children > Travel advice for Thanksgiving
Expert: Suzan Jackson - 8/8/2008
Question
QUESTION: Ms. Jackson,
I and my wife live in Rochester, NY. We are looking for a good relaxing destination in US for the thanksgiving weekend. We'll have only four days of vacations. We'll highly appreciate, if you could suggest some.
Thanks,
PS
ANSWER: Dear Puneet -
I happen to be from Rochester, NY! I grew up there and most of my family still lives there, so I'm certainly familiar with the area.
In order to make some useful suggestions, I'll need to know a bit more about how you'd like to spend your vacation:
- Do you want to fly or stay within driving distance?
- Do you want to go where the weather is warm?
- What kinds of activities do you and your wife enjoy? For instance do you like beaches, spending time outdoors, active vacations, restful vacations, museums, historical sights, nightlife, good food, etc...?
If you'll provide some additional information, I'll be glad to offer some suggestions.
Sue Jackson
www.travelfamily.net
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Nice to know that you are from Rochester,NY. Great!
I believe the following will give you more info:
- I want to stay within driving distance.
- Warm weather is absolutly preferable. However, I don't believe I can get one in the driving distance of Rochester.Can I? Certainly something less cold than Rochester shall work.
- I and my wife enjoy active vacations, water sports, beaches, nightlife,and good food. If it is helpful, we are looking for a destination where we can enjoy ourselves, relax and re-energize.
Will be looking forward to your sugestions.
Thanks,
PS
Answer
Dear Puneet -
You are right - driving distance from Rochester and a warm climate in late November just don't add up! But there are lots of nice places that you can travel to to enjoy the long weekend. I'm not sure how far you want to drive, but I'll give you a range of ideas.
We'll start with heading as far south as you can get within a reasonable driving distance.
If you want a quiet weekend at the beach, you can't beat Cape May, NJ (about 8 hours from Rochester). It certainly won't be swimming weather in November, but you can still walk on the beach and enjoy the town. Cape May is a very charming town, filled with lots of Victorian-style inns and bed & breakfast places, as well as nice shops and some very good restaurants. You can find more information at:
http://www.capemay.com/
http://www.capemaychamber.com/
http://www.capemaytimes.com/
Here is a calendar of special events for Cape May:
http://www.capemaychamber.com/pages/calendarC5.htm
Another of our favorite places is Baltimore, MD (about 7 hours from Rochester). Baltimore's Inner Harbor area is a wonderful place to visit and a nice central location to enjoy the city. Inner Harbor features the Baltimore Aquarium, lots of shops and restaurants, and a Science Museum. Fell's Point is a nearby neighborhood with great bars and restaurants, also right on the water. For more information:
http://baltimore.org/
If you'd rather not drive that far, Pittsburgh (5 hrs) and Boston (6 1/2) are both cities with a lot to offer visitors - great food, museums, and lots of waterfront. For more information:
http://www.bostonusa.com/
Good advice from Travel & Leisure magazine:
http://www.travelandleisure.com/cityguides/boston-the-boston-area
Inexpensive hotels in Boston:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2005/06/04/AR2005060400427.ht...
http://www.pittsburgh.net/
If you'd prefer a small town with more outdoor activities rather than a city, consider Stockbridge, MA (about 4 1/2 hours). Stockbridge is a quaint little town in the beautiful mountains of western Massachusetts. It includes excellent restaurants, theater, a charming town, and plenty of opportunity for hiking nearby. For more information:
http://www.stockbridgechamber.org/
Another relaxed location with lots of outdoor activities is the Catskill Mountains in south eastern NY state. There are many nice inns and lodges in the Catskills where you could relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Here's a nice article from Budget Travel:
http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/06/05/AR2006060500459.ht...
More info:
http://www.catskillguide.com/links-24.htm
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/the-ultimate-fall-travel-guide/?page=2
Finally, one of my favorite places near Rochester is Toronto (3 hours). It is north, rather than south, but Toronto is a fabulous city to explore, with wonderful ethnic neighborhoods, great restaurants, a beautiful waterfront area, museums, and more. Until next year, you can still drive to Canada without a passport.
More info on Canada travel:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
More info on Toronto:
http://www.math.toronto.edu/toronto/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Toronto
So, there are lots of great options, depending on how far you want to drive and what kind of place you want to visit. I hope you find something among these ideas that appeals to you. Have a great trip!
Sue Jackson
www.travelfamily.net
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