What would your 3 month east coast fieldtrip include?

[Julie in Monterey]

We have the awesome opportunity to live in Boston, MA for three months this fall (mid Sept-mid Dec). We currently live in Monterey, CA.

 

Over the years we've spent a considerable time in Boston and Washington, DC. We were also able to make it to Colonial Williamsburg/ Yorktown for home school week one year. Other than those locations, I would love, love, love any recommendations.

 

I think the girls and I would be able to venture as far south as Norfolk, VA as we have friends to stay with there. We are open to camping, museums, farms....really anything.

 

This community has always provided such great information and suggestions, I thought why not ask the hive?!?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice! Also, it would be fun to hook up with other homeschool folks along the way if anyone was open to that.

 

Julie in Monterey

[Melinda in VT]

Things you may have already seen during your time in Boston:

* Newport, RI (You can take a tour of the oldest synagogue in the U.S. There are many Gilded Age "cottages" to tour. The Cliff Walk. The beaches. There's a bird sanctuary in nearby Middletown. Newport makes a big deal of Halloween, so the end of October might be a fun time for a visit.)

* Providence, RI has an evening event called Waterfire. It's worth a trip.

* Sturbridge Village in CT (near MA border) is a living history museum

* The Eric Carle museum in Springfield or Amherst (You know the man behind The Very Hungry Caterpillar? This is a museum of the original art from his books. What makes it great even for older kids is the really awesome studio they can create in, with real artist materials. We haven't been in years, so verify this.)

 

You're going to visit NYC, right? :D

 

We spent a couple of days near Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell. Walking tours. Valley Forge is nearby. We also took a day trip to Longwood Gardens.

[cat in black]

Anywhere in Maine.

[Adrianne in TX]

Mystic CT it has an old time maritime village, a cool aquarium (the archeologist, Ballard (I think) that found the titanic is stationed there), if you are into the movie Mystic Pizza -the shop is still there :)

[gingersmom]

I think I would spend the whole time driving down the coastline. I would hit New York and Philadelphia. Stop in the Carolinas and end in Florida.

[FriedClams]

I would highly recommend the "Off the Beaten Path" books for each state. Lots of cool obscure things in them. I would not miss Philly, Mystic (Coast Guard Academy is right down the street - beautiful), NYC (and a play there!), the leaves changing in the fall, Harvard (great natural history museum), MFArts Boston, the North End, the Cape (maybe Woods Hole), apple picking in the fall, DC, Newport, Yorktown/Jamestown (small - 1 day together), Tanglewoed (if the timing works out)...

 

Have fun!!!!!!!!

[phathui5]

In upstate NY:

 

- Strong Museum of Play in Rochester

- Buffalo Museum of Science

- Rosemond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse

- Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse

- Niagara Falls

[FriedClams]

In upstate NY:

 

- Strong Museum of Play in Rochester

 

 

Unquestionably the best children's museum we've ever been to (and we've done a lot of them!).

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Anywhere in Maine.

 

:iagree:

 

Or Bay of Fundy area.

 

Niagara Falls is good, too.

[creekland]

Pending the age of your kids, a Civil War history trip including Harper's Ferry, Antietam, and Gettysburg would be within your range on a driving tour. It's certainly not a day trip.

 

If you end up going to Niagara, afterward head around Lake Ontario (either side) and up to the Thousand Islands region of NY. It's incredibly pretty there. Then head back across the Adirondacks to Boston. Lake Placid can be on your way.

 

In Canada, Montreal hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

Many others I can think of at the moment have been mentioned.

[MaMa2005]

The Civil War battle sites! We spent one summer just going from battle site to battle site and had a blast. Really a great way to make the Civil War come to life.

[TerriMI]

Obvious NYC sites including The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met is, in my eyes, worth a whole trip.

[littlebug42]

My husband and I spend a day on our honeymoon in Philadelphia. We toured all of the Independece Hall type sites, the liberty bell etc. I loved it. We had been in a production of the musical "1776" a few years before that and it was neat seeing all of the sites in person.

[Ellie]

I've always wanted to go to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. :)

[RanchGirl]

Colonial Williamsburg

Paul Revere Trail in Boston

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home

Crayola Museum

 

And if you have littles, Sesame Place near Philadelphia

[Annie]

I visited the Confederate Civil War museum and the White House of the Confederacy last summer. They're in Richmond, VA and were very interesting for this northern transplant to Virginia.

 

I would also reccomend Appomattox if you're doing civil was things.

 

I like visiting Poplar Forest (Thomas Jefferson's vacation home) near Lynchburg, VA, but I know it closes for the winter at some point... They're still in the restoration process, so they have a several displays about how they're doing it, and if you call ahead, they may very well provide one of the researchers to answer questions for you. It's much less formal than Monticello where I felt a little like herded cattle. :tongue_smilie:

[nono]

If you start in Norfolk and make your way up the Delmarva Penninsula, you can connect to New Jersey via the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and experience the shore communities along the Jersey coast. September is perfect weather for wading or swimming (and not so crowded as traditional school has started!). Cheaper accomodations, too. :)

 

This route will still get you to Phila. or NYC, but without the inland drive through I95. You would experience the rural areas of some of our more crowded states (VA, MD, DE, NJ) and get an entirely different feel for these states in just a couple days. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we have plenty of history and culture, but we also play and relax pretty well, too. ;)

 

Happy :auto: !

[Mama Geek]

Omish Country and York PA are really nice and could be done on the same trip as Gettysburg. Also Annapolis is a neat town...they have the US Navel academy among other things.

 

West Virginia is a beautiful state and has some great white water rafting. The New River Gorge Bridge near Beckley, WV is an incredible sight as well.

[Murmer]

Queechee gorge mid fall too see the amazing leaves, the white mountains in nh. Boston museum of science is a personal favorite.

[Colleen in NS]

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are GORGEOUS at that time of year. Inexpensive camping, too. Though most campgrounds close by mid-to-end of October. But there are plenty of other places to stay. I'd say PEI would be about a 10-11 hour drive from Boston, about the same to NS.

[Julie in Monterey]

I am always so impressed and touched at the generosity of this community! Thank you for taking time to answer my query.

 

My kids are 7 and 10. We've been to several of the sites but hadn't thought of so, so many of the recommendations. Geez, 3 months doesn't seem like it's enough time. We'll be living in Boston and venturing out as much as we can while getting some seat work done.

 

Keep those ideas coming!

 

Thank you! Thank you!

 

Julie in Monterey

[Pongo]

* Sturbridge Village in CT (near MA border) is a living history museum

 

 

 

 

Sturbridge Village is in Sturbridge , MA

[WishboneDawn]

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are GORGEOUS at that time of year. Inexpensive camping, too. Though most campgrounds close by mid-to-end of October. But there are plenty of other places to stay. I'd say PEI would be about a 10-11 hour drive from Boston, about the same to NS.

 

And there's the added bonus of having me in NS and a standing invitation to supper at my house. :D