holiday trip

My husband and I are thinking about spending our holiday (christmas and new years%26#39;s) on the east coast. we have never really explored the area and are at a loss for where to start.

What we%26#39;d like to do is fly into one city and do a driving loop of the east coast, staying in 3-4 towns over 8-11 days. We really just want to relax, explore some cute little towns, maybe do some wine tasting, horseback riding, skiing. I read a long time ago about places where you can go help colect sap and make syrup - is that true? My husband is interested in Providence and Mystic, I would like to see some mountains and stay mostly in Vermont or Maine and maybe go up to Quebec.

If any one can help with some reccommendations of places to stay (off the beaten path, romantic but not too pricey), things to do, and in particular what states and towns we should visit I would really appreciate it.

Also, are we crazy to consider doing this over the holidays? I don%26#39;t mind the cold but I don%26#39;t want everything to be closed to to risk massively bad weather.

Thanks so much!

holiday trip

Newport would be a great place to include in your itinerary. It would really be a shame if you missed out on it.

www.GoNewport.com

Christmas In Newport is an event that plans something each day in December. One that sells out very early (November) is the Victorian Christmas Feast at Astors%26#39; Beechwood mansion. A fantastic event recreating a holiday meal in the year 1891 and you interact with the actors. There are a few of these planned, but they all sell out early. Or attend a concert in some of the historic churches and other mansions. Some of the mansions are beautifully decorated for the holidays.

Newport has three vineyards. Newport Vineyards does a great tour and tasting and there is a great deli right next door with fantastic soups and desserts.

On December 24th there are great places to eat that are open in Newport and the Clarke Cooke House has a local, Ron, that plays piano and leads the crowd in song once a year on this evening. A real small town experience and a good place to eat.

www.TableHound.com for all restaurants.

Don%26#39;t skip Newport! You%26#39; regret it and you will wish you planned more time in Newport once you arrive.

holiday trip

Newport is very cozy and romantic at Xmas, great shopping too -as far as coastal locations over the holidays Maine will be quieter and colder for sure. You could do Prov in a couple hours- if you%26#39;ve never been to New England I would include Boston and the Freedom Trail. Prov to Boston about 1 hour. Since you like to ski Vermont will be cozy, however every time I go to Vermont I think New Hampshire is much nicer-especially the area around Squam Lake, Holderness, in addition to the higher mountains. The Northeast corner of Vermont is most beautiful too though.

A few years ago my boyfriend and I had a late New Year%26#39;s Eve dinner at Tucker%26#39;s Bistro in Newport -it is a wonderfully romantic place and like most restaurants in Newport it offers a package for New Years (make reservations several weeks in advance for most places). After living there for awhile, we still visit several times a year and our favorite restaurant is 22 Bowens-the food and wine selections are fabulous.

If you have several days I might fly into Providence and spend a night there then head to Newport the next afternoon and spend 2 nights at one of the many reputable B%26amp;Bs. Definitely see 1 or 2 mansions at Christmas time (you can%26#39;t go wrong with the Breakers and my favorite is Marble House), they are beautiful year-round, but they really shine that time of year. From there you can travel to Boston- only about 70 miles away.

Montreal is about a 5 hour drive from Boston mostly through Vermont or you can go to Quebec City which is about a 6 hour drive from Boston mostly through New Hampshire and if you plan to do it I would definitely make sure your rental car has 4-wheel drive as you will be heading through mountains either way.

In Quebec City you could stay at Le Château Frontenac, or in April we stayed at Hotel Clarendon right around the corner and the room was a bit small, but it was an otherwise lovely place to stay with great service and a central location. I fell in love with Quebec City and defintely recommend it for perhaps a 2 or 3 night stay.

Just some suggestions, there really are a million things to do in New England during every season.