Good East Coast Vacations with baby 1-2 years old...

[etwahl]

We decided to stay on the east coast, so now i'm already planning vacations! what are some good vacations for the east coast? Also, if you are suggesting a vacation spot, can you give the best time of year to go to that place (and if there's an age minimum...)

Also, when's the ideal age for going to Disneyworld? I'm thinking we will probably take Lauren before I get pregnant again, and we were thinking of spacing the kids approx. 3 years apart (if it so happens to work in our favor!)

thanks everyone. we're now looking forward to staying here and can't wait to do some exploring :)

edited to say interested in all sorts of vacations (short, long, driving or flying)

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[Tondi G]

Tammy we live so close to Disneyland and have been quite a few times with Mason already... infact we are now annual pass holders...LOL! Mason's first trip to disneyland was at 10 months of age.... in fact he took his first steps there!!!! We had a wonderful time at Disney then and it has just been getting better and better every time we go... he can do more and loves to explore... we love to just kinda let him go and follow his lead!!!! Lauren would probably love to look at Disney now but if you wait till she is closer to a year or more she will be able to do so much more... I'd wait till she is walking so 12 to 15 months most likely...... or till she is about a year and a half.... she will be able experience it all and it won't just be pics of you holding her everywhere.... she'll be ready to sit in those prop cars and take pics etc!!!! I also went to DL while I was preggo with Mason and there were quite a few things I couldn't do but there was a lot of stuff I could do as well... so if you are preggo don't worry! I would say to try to attempt to go to Disney when the school age kids are in session... not on holiday time and when the weather is cooler.... summertime is HOT HOT HOT!!!!

Otherwise.... I am a west coast girl so I don't know much about east coast vacations!!! I've heard Hilton Head Island is beautiful and you should check out Gatlinburg Tennesee... smokey mountains in the fall! I highly recommend a website called www.Tripadvisor.com they have real traveler reviews of hotels and vacation areas all over the world.... totally helped us when planning trips!!!!

Good Luck and Enjoy exploring that side of the country!!!!

~Tondi and Mason 7/8/01

[LucyG]

Hmmmm. What a fun question! My favorite spot on Earth is the Western NC mountains. You can't go wrong there. Try the Blue Ridge Parkway (a scenic highway) for breathtaking scenery, good camping (I have no idea if you are outdoorsy!), the Appalachian Folk Art center, etc. There are many neat inns in the Asheville area, but also try Boone, Blowing Rock, Seven Devils, etc. Mount Mitchell and Grandfather Mtn. are nice state parks. Fall is a gorgeous time of year to go to the mountains, but they are really beautiful in all seasons. We go several times a year (from Georgia). You must, must, must go to the mountains!!

Speaking of GA, the GA coast is very nice. Savannah is a fun town to explore, and is very walkable and stroller friendly. I have not been with a baby, so can't speak to that aspect. We prefer the coasts of NC and SC to the GA beaches. They (St. Simons, etc.), are somehow less "beachy," and have fewer waves than we like. You are near to the beach, I think, so shouldn't have trouble getting there. Savannah is hot in the summer, so I would say to visit in spring or fall.

As far as cities I'd visit if I were you: Richmond, Williamsburg, D.C., Charleston and Savannah for starters. I'd also venture west a little, and go to Memphis, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Might as well take in the Southeast while you are on this part of the map!

We spent a week in Maine (our last pre-baby trip), and absolutely loved it. I think there are some Maine residents (do they call themselves Mainers?) on this board, so they can give you better info.

On the East Coast, and particularly in the South, we like to do lots of backroads travelling. There are so many unique, off-the-beaten-path places to be seen if you just explore a little.

Just writing this post has gotten me in the travelling mood! Have fun exploring, and I'm so glad that you have decided to stay in this part of the world for a while!

ps - I, personally, would not do Disneyworld with a young child. That is just my opinion. We plan to wait until our kids are at least 5 before taking them due to the expense and the tiredness factor of small children at theme parks. Many people do take young kids and love it, though, so I'm sure you will have fun if you take Lauren. Just my two cents worth!

[lizajane]

where are you starting out? (i am sure you already said that somewhere...)

we LOVE the outer banks of NC. we have a house in corolla, in fact (my parents do...) it is a great family beach.

nc mountains are super, i agree. dh is from an area very close to blowing rock. very pretty. and blowing rock has "shops on the parkway" outlets that i love! a baby gap and a carters!

we were engaged in savannah, ga. loved it. not sure if there is anything specific for kids...

[Andrea S]

My family likes Folly Beach, SC. We have rented a beach house there a bunch of times. It is 15 minutes away from Charleston, SC which is a great historic town. We are spending Christmas there this year. Fredhollandrealty.com is who we rent beach house through.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02

[etwahl]

we're starting out 2 hours south of Raleigh!

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[Rachels]

Lucy's post has me salivating all over my keyboard. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the mountains. I did my undergrad at App and could happily park in Blowing Rock or Asheville for the rest of my days. If you need to do a mountain thing but don't want to spend a fortune (or just want to go to a quiet spot for a few days), let me know. My family has a little mountain house in between Asheville and Boone that you'd be welcome to.

Other ideas: Sunset Beach is my favorite family beach, Maine is gorgeous (I especially like Acadia National Park), and Boston is a fun city to visit! :)


-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[etwahl]

Wow Rachel, that's a really wonderful offer. I wonder how long of a drive that would be for us. Better yet, if we went, could you join us?!

Now I'm getting excited about all the travel possibilities. We're glad to be staying now (at least for 3-4 years sounds like).

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[lukkykatt]

How about Cape May, NJ - so quaint and close to Ocean City, NJ for night time when Lauren wants to see the boardwalk. (summer)

Annapolis/St. Michaels/Baltimore in MD - tons to do. (Spring through fall).

New England in October is supposed to be gorgeous with the leaves turning colors.

[Rachels]

YES!!!!!! Clay may actually be designing a house there soon. If the clients decide to go ahead, we'll be there periodically. Yay! It's not fancy, but it's definitely comfortable and such an incredibly beautiful spot. It's also an easy day trip over to Asheville or Boone. But it's a haul for you-- all the way across the state. :( It might be relatively inexpensive to fly, though. What's your nearest airport? Wilmington? You could fly into Asheville, which is only 45 minutes from the house. It would no longer be free if you did it that way, although you'd still save a bundle by not having to pay for a hotel, and it would still be beautiful...

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[alkagift]

I too would nix Disney until you've got a kid with some endurance. It's fun for adults too, which means it's hard to go all the way there, pay for entrance, then not see most of it because your little one is just too pooped to party. Having said that, I've not done it with a baby, so take the advice of someone who has!

I vote for Savannah, too--mellow and lots of cute things to see, although not particularly fun for the kids per se, it's pretty kid-friendly. You'd be surprised how old it is--Revolutionary War era. There are some cool ruins out there too, the Wormsloe State Park.

St. Augustine is a personal favorite along with Savannah--the best time for there is during their Easter parade (all the "floats" are pulled by decorated horses and the people dress up as 18th century spaniards, even the politicians) or at Christmas. I would probably pick St. Augustine over other places with kids. During the Christmas holidays, they have a lighted boat parade that is super cool. Lots of neat stuff to look at--for kids or adults, old architecture, history, decent beer and the beach! St. Simons Island in Georgia is small-town boardwalk and beach, and the neighboring Jekyll is remote old resorty if you like that kind of thing. Hilton Head is too "country club golf" for my taste, but it's pretty.

The mountains of NC are great--I would head to the lower west Appalachians just due to it's being quieter--Robbinsville NC area. The Joyce Kilmer forest is fabulous and with a child in a backpack would be easy hiking.

The best beaches in the country are in the Panhandle area of Florida, kind of a long drive from you but not really worse than Orlando--pure white sand and not much in the way of Walmarts, if you know what I mean. Destin, Sandestin, Port St. Joe (VERY neat) are pretty beaches.

Allison
Mom to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03

[JustMare]

DH and I go to WDW every year and would go with a baby. But that's just us. We love it there. I've seen many young babies there throughout the years. Do they remember the trip, no. But you will get adorable pictures to cherish. It's a personal decision. We're actually thinking about going the week before Thanksgiving. The rates drop drastically.

Many areas of Florida are nice. I loved Clearwater Beach.

Hilton Head Island, SC is not far from you, but VERY relaxed and layed back. To some, it could be boring. We enjoyed to hear the crickets at night for a change, but we're New Yorkers :)

We really enjoyed Myrtle Beach this summer. We rented a condo on the water and had loads of fun at their entertainment complexs "Broadway at the Beach" and "Barefoot Landing".

Have fun where ever you goQ!

[LD92599]

We just came back from a Disney Cruise (this afternoon!). It was wonderful; the staff was extremely attentive; rooms are pretty spacious (we opted to save $$ this time around and skip the balcony..we had a huge porthold though!).

We had a blast and Will was a trooper throughout. He "partied" with us and had the staff oohing and ahhing over him day & night.

We did the 4 day on the Wonder; we've done the 7 day on the Magic as well as the 3 day a few years back. All are super!

Even though we've always gone in September (wedding anniversary) we've never encountered rough seas...the biggest "wave" this time around (and last year too) was maybe 3 feet!

HTH!

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

[JustMare]

Laura,

Did you do the land/sea cruise? Did you take the shuttle bus to the Port? Just curious if you used the infant carseat on the shuttle bus.

DH and I did the cruise 2 years ago and would love to go again with DS next year. The carseat issue is my only concern.

[elvisfan]

How about Boston and NYC.........lots to see and do

[egoldber]

Here's another vote for Folly Beach! I had a WONDERFUL time there once over Labor Day weekend. The water was warm, and the beach was big, beautiful and EMPTY! And Charleston is a wonderful city.

And don't forget about Washington DC area! There's lots to do here and you'd have a place to stay here too. :)

[etwahl]

ooh, thanks beth! i was just asking neve about dc yesterday. she said it would be about a 5 hour drive. now i just have to figure out if lauren can survive the car. at least i could sit back there with her, which might make it a little easier.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com