New England Family Vacation Ideas

Preschoolers approach the world with such wonder and energy that they allow us to see even places we know well with a fresh set of eyes. If you're planning a New England vacation with preschool-aged children or grandchildren, these accounts of some of my baby's most memorable early travel experiences will help you discover wonderful destinations and attractions that enchant little travelers.

Ocean Edge Resort on Cape Cod is one of New England's largest resorts, a 400-acre property with a 700-foot private beach on Cape Cod Bay that provides luxury, country club-style family getaways. The resort is both immense and diverse, providing an amazing array of accommodations options and activities to suit all ages and interests. I'd take my family back to Ocean Edge in a heartbeat--our stay in June of 2004 was our most memorable family trip to date, and as you might imagine, we travel a ton.

The Wildflower Inn, located in Lyndonville in the Northeast Kingdom region of Vermont, is charming, cozy and family-friendly in every way. If my two-year-old could have designed a B&B, she would have conjured up just such a place, where sheep "baa" hello, cows "moo" goodnight, a toy- and book-filled playroom boasts spectacular mountain views and Mommy and Daddy feel so relaxed that they don't fret when you only eat the chocolate chips on your teddy bear pancakes.

"The family that plays together stays together," and Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, is the perfect place for families to play in the sun and to create enduring summer vacation memories they'll share for a lifetime.

Have you taken your children to a grand hotel lately? That may seem an odd question… until you discover the Eagle Mountain House in Jackson, New Hampshire. New Hampshire's White Mountains region is famous for its family attractions and for its 19th-century grand hotels. At first blush, the two may seem worlds apart, but at the Eagle Mountain House, a 93-room grand hotel that has welcomed White Mountains travelers since 1879, kids will actually feel quite at home.

When you send the kids off to summer camp, after that initial burst of elation, don't you feel, well... just a bit... jealous?! You're never too old to long for days filled with ping pong tournaments, sailing lessons, rainy day Bingo games, hayrides, lip synching and bonfires. At Point Sebago Resort, a 775-acre family playground in Casco, Maine, adults can not only participate in summer camp activities usually relegated to the younger set, they can also enjoy adult-oriented recreational facilities including an 18-hole golf course, a driving range, a marina, tennis courts and a nightclub.

What will you do while the kids are involved with free, supervised activities all day? That may be the toughest question you'll have to answer once you make the easy decision to choose the Red Jacket Beach Resort for your Cape Cod family vacation.

Six Flags New England is the region's largest theme park and a great choice for family fun from spring through fall. Located in Agawam, Massachusetts, Six Flags New England delivers all of the thrill rides, tamer rides, children's rides and amusements and shows and events that visitors to the theme park company's other 20 locations have flocked to year after year. The opening of the park's Wiggles World themed area in 2007 means there's plenty of fun for preschoolers at Six Flags, too.

Ever wondered what a lobsterman's day is like? Want to learn all about Maine's delicious and mysterious crustaceans? Then book your family's spot aboard the Captain Jack Lobster Boat Adventure out of Rockland, Maine.

Most children share Dr. Dolittle's dream of talking to the animals, and while you may not be able to teach them to converse with critters, you can treat them to the next best thing... a walk with the animals. Not every animal makes an ideal hiking buddy... but one New England farm is home to four-legged trekking companions who are bright, agile, low-key and as eager to hit the trail as you are. Better yet, they'll carry all of your stuff.