This summer, we spent about a month away from home visiting friends, family, soaking up all New England has to offer and going to new places we hadn’t been before. I know I’ve written about New England before, but it has a special place in my heart and should be on everyone’s travel list.
There’s more than just skiing in the winter and the changing of the leaves in the fall in New England.
If you love animals there are plenty of zoos to visit.
Zoo New England has two locations and you can get a discount if you are a member of the Chattanooga Zoo as they are part of the reciprocal program. They were setting up for the Asian Lantern festival when we were there, so all the beautiful displays were up around the property. The silverback gorillas were fun to see as the youngest was playing with and teasing one of the others while the rest ignored them. It was pretty entertaining.
Southwick’s Zoo has rides along with animal encounters with rhinos, giraffes, and sloths. Animal Adventures was an interesting place. Not far from my parents, it’s an animal rescue and petting zoo. They have several exotic animals that were rescued because people thought they would make good pets or animals saved from the wild. There was a huge tortoise walking around the playground that you could pet, along with a rabbit pen, and you could pet any of the reptiles in the cages that were open. They have several tour packages with a zookeeper where you learn about the different animals and pet several mammals such as a capybara, porcupine, wallaby, armadillo, and reptiles. This is where our son William surprised us and touched all the animals in the petting areas and at the daily animal shows.
Our kids love the Chattanooga Aquarium, so we figured a day at the New England Aquarium would be fun.
Located on the waterfront, the aquarium is in a nice location so you don’t have to get too far into Boston traffic and it’s set back from the main road. They have seals and sea lions, but besides that, my husband and I were underwhelmed. We think our aquarium is better. The New England Aquarium is in one large building with a center tank and all the floors rotate around the center. The amount of people in the building made it feel like it needed an expansion to spread out the exhibits so you could see them better. The touch tank was backed against a wall so only one side was accessible and the jellyfish tank had three jellyfish in it — boo. However, the penguins were pretty fun because their exhibit was the whole bottom floor open to all levels to look down on. In short, save your money for something else.
From the aquarium, take a stroll through Christopher Columbus Park where your kids can get out some energy on the playground or enjoy the splash pad.
At the end of the park, take a left down Richmond Street toward the North End and follow the deliciously enticing smells wafting from Italian eateries where you can grab something for lunch, snack, or dinner. Dolce, near the corner of Richmond and Hanover Street, is the perfect stop for gelato on a hot day and not a far walk from Modern Pastry to grab a cannoli or other Italian treat.
My husband and I were able to have a kid-free weekend away in Stowe, Vermont.
Just over three hours from Boston, Stowe offers more than just skiing to visitors. We woke up every morning to peace and tranquility with a misty view of the mountains and 75F degrees almost every day. If you love to hike, there’s plenty to choose from:
- The Stowe Pinnacle Trail is about three miles, but you can start part way up so it’s just over two. The second half of the trail is a bit more difficult and there is some rock scrambling near the top but the view is worth it.
- The Stowe Recreation Path is 10 miles round trip but is more leisurely and can be biked. It’s a great way to see the town and countryside as the path winds through fields, woods, past shops, and restaurants.
- Moss Glen Falls is the tallest waterfall in Vermont and very accessible. The trail is five miles, but the waterfall is at the beginning so you don’t have to do the whole trail. Make sure to wear sneakers though. We passed a few people in flip flops and it was not going to be a pretty ending.
In Stowe, there are plenty of eateries to choose from for all meals. I would highly recommend Idlethyme Brewing Co. and Cold Hollow Cider Mill as they were delicious. There’s also plenty more to discover like Ben & Jerry’s, mini golf, the arcade, Cabot cheese, or the Trapp Family Lodge. Don’t sleep on Stowe, Vermont and make sure to stop at King Arthur Flour if your route passes that way. Finally, if you venture to New England make sure to do some real Apple Picking and enjoy an apple cider doughnut.
