4kids4me Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I'd like to travel down the east coast starting at Boston (I'm coming from Canada). We don't have long...thinking of hitting Boston, NY, Philedelphia before stopping at Myrtle Beach for a little vacay. Would there be another must-see city in between there (have done Washington and Norfolk)? From Myrtle Beach we may go to Charleston for the day - what the the top three things you would recommend there? We've got a day, maybe two in each city...what are MUST SEES in each (no museums!! LOL)? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 You can check out my hometown of Newport RI on your way down! Beautiful beach town. I visited Charleston a few years ago and really enjoyed our dinner at Magnolias: http://www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com/magnolias.asp?id=118000&action=detail&catID=20428&parentID=20426 We stayed at the Meeting Street Inn, which is a great little hotel right downtown. http://www.meetingstreetinn.com/ And we enjoyed the famous coconut cake at the Peninsula Grill. http://www.plantersinn.com/cake.htm Baltimore is also a fun city to hit up - they have a great aquarium! Oh and Gettysburg PA is really fun too. I went to school there for a year and the history there is great. Visiting battlefields, feeling transported back to the civil war. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I'd like to travel down the east coast starting at Boston (I'm coming from Canada). We don't have long...thinking of hitting Boston, NY, Philedelphia before stopping at Myrtle Beach for a little vacay. Would there be another must-see city in between there (have done Washington and Norfolk)? From Myrtle Beach we may go to Charleston for the day - what the the top three things you would recommend there? We've got a day, maybe two in each city...what are MUST SEES in each (no museums!! LOL)? Thanks! How long do you have total? If only a week, that is a lot of time just spent on driving -- 6 hours from Boston to Philly, and then another 9 hours from Philly to Myrtle Beach, and yet another 2 hours to Charleston -- 17 hours total ONE-WAY to get that far south. We did a similar trip a few years back (flew to Philly, rented a car and did Philly, Valley Forge & Gettysburg, Boston, New Jersey coast, Washington DC, Virginia Beach, and ended visit family in SC -- of our 20 days, 5-6 days of our time were spent just driving, and 2 were flying. It was a LOT to traveling for a whirlwind of sightseeing. Are you traveling with children, or just adults? That would make a big difference to me on length of time in the car! :tongue_smilie: You'll likely want 1-2 full days *each* in Philadelphia and Boston (be sure to stop for coffee and cannoli from Modern Pastry, or other east-end Boston bakery!). Instead of spending 2 days of driving to get to/from SC, what about vacationing in PA -- visit the Hersey's chocolate plant (2 hr west of Philly) and do the theme park; travel in Amish country, shop in Lancaster (1 hr from Philly). Or, for beaches, you could travel down the NJ shoreline. See here and here for vacation location ideas. We visited a light house at Barnegat (cool to us, as we have no lighthouses anywhere near us). Atlantic City (1 hr. from Philly) would likely be a good shopping stop. We also really had fun driving down the rest of the NJ coast and taking the Cape May/Lewes ferry across from the tip of NJ across to DE. And just a little further south (2-3 hours from Philly) are Delaware beaches for relaxing. See here and here for good vacation spots and tax-free shopping. That would allow more of your limited time to be focused on relaxing and vacationing, rather than driving. Just a thought! Have a super vacation, wherever you end up going! We really enjoyed our East Coast trip! :) Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsH Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 It's hard to say without knowing what you're interested in! For Boston, I'd look at the freedom trail bc it covers a lot of history. The swan boats and frog pond are fun for kids. The Boston public library is a gorgeous building, and catch a game at Fenway if you're into baseball. Consider aspending your time in Gloucester or Rockport instead, if you'd like an old new England fishing town feel. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Agreeing with Lori - that is a LOT of driving. The trip from Boston to PA was enough for us that we spent a week there once we arrived, and we easily could have spent another. Personally, I'd pick one spot and really enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Williamsburg, Jametown, and Yorktown. They are called the historic triangle because they are close together. Williamsburg also has Busch Gardens which imo is the best amusement park in America, and is certainly the cleanest and prettiest. Yorktown has a really nice beach and is a quaint town with free trolleys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Also on the East Coast is Assatague and Chincoteague Islands. If your kids love the Misty of Chincoteague books this would be on my must see list. The wild ponies roam all over Assateague to this day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lieutenant Stranger Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I heart Charlottesville, Virginia. East Coast- but not coastal. Raleigh/Durham or Wilmington, NC could be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 You can check out my hometown of Newport RI on your way down! Beautiful beach town. I visited Charleston a few years ago and really enjoyed our dinner at Magnolias: http://www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com/magnolias.asp?id=118000&action=detail&catID=20428&parentID=20426 We stayed at the Meeting Street Inn, which is a great little hotel right downtown. http://www.meetingstreetinn.com/ And we enjoyed the famous coconut cake at the Peninsula Grill. http://www.plantersinn.com/cake.htm Baltimore is also a fun city to hit up - they have a great aquarium! Oh and Gettysburg PA is really fun too. I went to school there for a year and the history there is great. Visiting battlefields, feeling transported back to the civil war. :-) Newport is one of my favorite places in the world. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Lots of great ideas! The kids are 9, 11, 15, and 16 now (for some reason my signature isn't updating)...it takes 17 hours to drive from my home to Myrtle Beach anyway, so I thought going to the coast and driving down it, stopping in at different spots a good idea, since dd will be working full-time next summer. This is our last summer together. We LOVE the warmer ocean in Myrtle Beach so I couldn't imagine NOT going there. The kids have told me time and again they'd rather do Myrtle Beach than Disney World. :) I haven't decided how long we'll go but friends are taking our dog, so likely 13 days or so will be our max...wanting at least 6 days in Myrtle, so it's a quick stop in each city as we go down the coast. Maybe we'll cut out Charleston since we've already done so much driving to MB and back with all those stops. Not interested in doing day things like an aquarium or theme park - more historical sites and things we'd see on TV (LOL) and experience food from each area.My niece lives fairly near Williamsburg yet we've never done it, nor anything historical in that area. I guess I figure she'll be there for a while so it'll always be available to us! :) It's always a possibility. Maybe I'll suck up a separate drive to her home when they have the homeschooling price break and do it with her. Hmm...now that I'm saying that I could get her sister, who lives near me, to come with her kids, too!!!! Ding, ding!!!!Keep the great suggestions coming! I love the idea of going to Chincoteague as well as the restaurant ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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