Central Virginia thru New England

**EA37TS** · 07-08-2015, 04:29 PM

My wife is planning a fall trip from Central Virginia to New England and back. Right now we are looking at the trip taking somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks.

We would appreciate any input from others on "must see" or "must stop areas".

I would also appreciate input, if any one has any, on big rig (38 foot) friendly gas stations or travel centers along the way. I already have the Pilot Flying J app so I know about those, however, I notice they have none listed in Maine.

I have not yet decided whether or not we'll be towing a car or going the rental route as required. I will make that decision as the planning stage progresses and the itinerary gets further refined.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations you may have.

JamieGeek · 07-08-2015, 04:52 PM

I know I'm a bit west of there in MI, but we did manage to make it out to Maine a while ago while pulling a trailer. In addition, just a few years ago we did make a Boston trip. Of course my recommendations include family friendly campgrounds...go figure! LOL

A stop at Acadia is a must: Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

A really great campground near Boston is Normandy Farms: Home - Normandy Farms
(I saw it on a Travel Channel show and so we stayed there while near Boston--really nice.)

Lets see campgrounds in Maine:
Narrows Too: Narrows Too RV Park | Bar Harbor Campground, Maine
It was ok, just off Acadia on the mainland. Does have a nice view over the water. It is right next to the airport though.

Bayleys Resort near Portland: Bayley's Camping Resort - Southern Maine's Finest by the Ocean
Big campground with lots of amenities and lots of Mosquitos (it is in a swamp!).

That's all I got...

ArrrV · 07-08-2015, 05:00 PM

We went from FL to Maine on a three week vacation 2 years ago, and you will need to be very careful about low clearances in New England, and weight restrictions on some of the backroads. The Good Sam trip planner has route warnings about clearances and weight, so you might want to run your trip on their program first.

Not knowing your particular interests, top attractions, not in any particular order--Mystic Seaport; a game at Fenway; Westpoint and some of the historic homes overlooking the Hudson in NY; Boston's Faneuil Hall (really an historic outdoor market) and the historic walks and buildings in and around Boston/Concord; Acadia National Park; Antiquing in Maine, Fresh lobster/lobster roll in Maine; Lake Sunapee in NH; Woodstock, Vermont; Mt Washington (take the cog railway);Kancamagus Highway; Plymouth Rock (a real disappointment, but we can say we have been). I have done this trip many times usually heading first to Maine and then moving back through New Hampshire and Vermont before heading home, so I have a long list, ones for with and without kids, but this should give you something to think about.

**EA37TS** · 07-08-2015, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

I know I'm a bit west of there in MI, but we did manage to make it out to Maine a while ago while pulling a trailer. In addition, just a few years ago we did make a Boston trip. Of course my recommendations include family friendly campgrounds...go figure! LOL

A stop at Acadia is a must: Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

A really great campground near Boston is Normandy Farms: Home - Normandy Farms
(I saw it on a Travel Channel show and so we stayed there while near Boston--really nice.)

Lets see campgrounds in Maine:
Narrows Too: Narrows Too RV Park | Bar Harbor Campground, Maine
It was ok, just off Acadia on the mainland. Does have a nice view over the water. It is right next to the airport though.

Bayleys Resort near Portland: Bayley's Camping Resort - Southern Maine's Finest by the Ocean
Big campground with lots of amenities and lots of Mosquitos (it is in a swamp!).

That's all I got...

Jamie,

Thanks. We are planning a stop at Acadia and we'll check out the campgrounds you mention.

**EA37TS** · 07-08-2015, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArrrV

We went from FL to Maine on a three week vacation 2 years ago, and you will need to be very careful about low clearances in New England, and weight restrictions on some of the backroads. The Good Sam trip planner has route warnings about clearances and weight, so you might want to run your trip on their program first.

Not knowing your particular interests, top attractions, not in any particular order--Mystic Seaport; a game at Fenway; Westpoint and some of the historic homes overlooking the Hudson in NY; Boston's Faneuil Hall (really an historic outdoor market) and the historic walks and buildings in and around Boston/Concord; Acadia National Park; Antiquing in Maine, Fresh lobster/lobster roll in Maine; Lake Sunapee in NH; Woodstock, Vermont; Mt Washington (take the cog railway);Kancamagus Highway; Plymouth Rock (a real disappointment, but we can say we have been). I have done this trip many times usually heading first to Maine and then moving back through New Hampshire and Vermont before heading home, so I have a long list, ones for with and without kids, but this should give you something to think about.

Thanks.

I use a couple of applications for route planning to include RV Trip Wizard as well as the desktop app for my RV GPS.

We have been to Boston and New York City a couple of times in the last few years so we have pretty much seen all they have to offer. The last time we were in Boston we got to observe the Duckling Day Parade on Mothers Day. We are planning to stay away from both places this time around for no other reason than the traffic.

We do plan on feasting on the seafood as we head North so the New England Clam Chowder and Maine Lobster Rolls are a must.

Again, thanks

Larry · 07-08-2015, 10:13 PM

The coastal fishing towns above Boston, Marblehead and Gloucester are quite nice places and Salem is an interesting town.

If you like Revolutionary War history then Lexington and Concord are a must see.

The Portland Head Light on the coast near Portland, ME has some really beautiful scenery.

The White Mountains of New Hampshire are beautiful also and the Shelbourne Museum in Vermont is fun to visit.

We've made a couple of visits to these NE towns in the fall pre RV but haven't visited any campsites there. Looking forward to doing that in the MH sometime. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves.

**EA37TS** · 07-08-2015, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry

The coastal fishing towns above Boston, Marblehead and Gloucester are quite nice places and Salem is an interesting town.

If you like Revolutionary War history then Lexington and Concord are a must see.

The Portland Head Light on the coast near Portland, ME has some really beautiful scenery.

The White Mountains of New Hampshire are beautiful also and the Shelbourne Museum in Vermont is fun to visit.

We've made a couple of visits to these NE towns in the fall pre RV but haven't visited any campsites there. Looking forward to doing that in the MH sometime. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves.

We've been to Lexington and Concord during out trips to Boston. We do plan on going through Vermont and NH.

Thanks much and I'll pass this on to the travel planner.

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