My husband and I are planning a 3-day New England getaway at the start of January, before we both return to teaching. We are looking for a place to relax, sleep late, unwind in front of the fireplace, stroll about town, enjoy local seafood, and walk along the coast (if the weather permits). Ideally, our vacation locale would be:
* Within a 2 hour drive from Boston (I'll be 7 months pregnant, and we don't want to drive too far, especially with the risk of snow).
* On the coast - we love the ocean, even in the winter.
* In a large enough town that restaurants will be open. We were in Kennebunkport for 3 days in March, and while we had a lovely time, many of the restaurants were still closed.
We have been considering Newport, RI, Some of the larger Cape Cod towns, the southern coast of Maine, etc. Possibly Mystic, CT?
Any suggestions for which town might be the best fit? We also welcome suggestions for bed and breakfasts (we will spend a good amount of time relaxing in our room, so value a king-sized bed, large tub, fireplace, etc., and hope to take advantage of both winter rates and mid-week specials to stay somewhere a bit nicer for less money). Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
January vacation in New England (<2 hrs. from Boston)
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Portland, ME
Newport is stunning around the holidays with all the mansions aglow. I lived in Mystic; while beautiful year-round, less happening in winter months but if no tourist crowds are what you want, go for it. Restaurants are open but not with the later hours of summer. Bar Harbor, ME is lovely but perhaps a bit far. Not sure how much you will have time for if you'd rather enjoy the amenities of your lodging in three short days, but there are wineries in the Mystic/Stonington area which you can tour daily year round, Jamestown, RI is also a sure thing if you plan to hit Newport. Historic and architecturally interesting. Have a safe trip!
Rockport/Gloucester, MA
Chatham, C. Cod-Chatham Bars
Williamstown, MA-The Orchard
Portsmouth, NH-Wentworth by the Sea
We love the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Maine. They have some rooms w/FPs and they have offered really well-priced specials in the past for Sundays and Mondays. Amazing breakfast and afternoon tea included in the room rates and one of our all time favorite superb gourmet and yet low-key restaurants.
Sorry a little fuzzy above---the restaurant I refer to is the Maine Dining Room which is located within the Inn. Here is their site:
http://www.harraseeketinn.com
I second socialworker's suggestion of the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. You can stroll & shop in Freeport, and you will be close enough to visit Portland, too. Portland has a great art museum, seafood restaurants, Old Port area is nice for walking & shopping/window shopping, the Portland Lighthouse is nearby. You could also drive to Brunswick, Maine, which I am partial to because of Bowdoin College. And from there, drive out to Harpswell, Orr & Bailey's Islands for beautiful coastal scenery.
Alternatively, I also like the idea of Newport, RI. We have been there in Jannuary, and some of the mansions are open for tours, waterfront is pretty, you can walk along Fort Adams with beautiful views of the water & bridge. Great restaurants in Newport, too. It's much quieter in January, of course. No lines for the mansions, restaurants, etc.
What socialworker and Kwoo said. There is a huge variety of stuff accessible from Freeport, and a room at the Harraseeket Inn is a great idea.