If you're going down the east coast to Lancaster PA, you will practically go right by my house, especially if you want to avoid the big cities. There's a very nice state park, Hickory Run State Park, where you could stay with the camper and we could meet up. You can stay at my house if you would like, but I would have to find a place nearby where you could park the camper, which can be done! And maybe at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. IMHO, the PA/Poconos route inland is the much preferable way to go down the east coast to Lancaster. Even if you want to take a detour to somewhere around Philadelphia. Canoeing on the Delaware is very fun and dead cheap. In Sept. if you are at all into birds, you will not want to miss hawk watching at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. I work up in the Poconos so would be glad to take a day to show you the highlights there, or the highlights of Allentown or go to Hawk Mountain, all of which I love. Let me know if any of this appeals to you, send me an e-mail via GW.

Would be so nice to see you and your hubby!!

Here's some links
PA DCNR Find a Park.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Lori,
It would be great to see you again! Actually, we are not taking the big camper. For extended trips where we only stay in a location 1-2 nights, we take a truck camper, so we would not need any special place to park. I would love to meet up with you, except I am not yet sure what day of the week we would be coming through. I will try to iron that out.
I also love the dead cheap ideas since I am unemployed right now.
I'll get back with you when we iron out more details.
By the way, after the get-together at my house that you came to, I seemed to acquire a white melmac plate. Is it yours?

Sherry

Lori, also we are avid bird watchers! The Hawk Sanctuary sounds great!
Sherry

Sherry, you really should drive around the countryside in Lancaster County and see the lovely Amish farm lands. There is a musical theatre in Lancaster that you can check to see if that would be of interest.

There is a great antique center in Adamstown just north of Lancaster. I have seen a number of campgrounds just east of Lancaster, but have not stayed at them myself. Lots of great grocery stores and farmers' markets. There is Intercourse Canning Company in Intercourse if you have room to take home canned goods. And Dutchland Quilt Patch on Rt. 30 heading east from Lancaster.

Our group enjoys eating at Good and Plenty, a family-style restaurant. And I have many other suggestions for dining out. I have been there every year for the past ten years.

Longwood Gardens and Winterthur Museum and Country Estate are wonderful to see and just east of Lancaster.

I hope Lancaster County is a good destination for you. It is kind of touristy and frankly I feel bad for the Amish who are constantly gawked at. However, many of them take advantage of it by playing to the tourists. I have a feeling many of those are Mennonite, certainly not Old Order Amish. However Lancaster County is quite lovely.

I second the suggestion of Winterthur and Longwood. In fact the entire Brandywine Valley has many wonderful sites, including the Wyeth Museum and the recently restored De Nemours Mansion. Brandywine Valley includes the Wilmington DE area. You can also go canoing on the Brandywine River, which is a lot of fun and soooo pretty, especially in fall.

A great place for a hike is Ricketts Glen State Park. It has fabulous waterfalls. It's not flat, though! It is located north of the Lancaster County area, so it would be a place to visit on your way here.

http://www.thebrandywine.com/attractions/nemours.html
http://www.canoepa.net/aboutus.html
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/parks/rickettsglen.aspx

Sherry,

Are you coming down from Maine along the coast or going inland? If you'll be along the MA, RI, & CT shores I've got lots of ideas...if you're going inland don't miss Antique Associates, West Townsend, MA! They are one of the premere antique dealers in New England. There are also lots of antique stores in Sturbridge, MA (inland). Eat at the Red Lion Inn (home of Country Curtains). There's also the home of Yankee Candle in Deerfield, MA. They've got a great Xmas store plus there are also LOTS of historic homes/museums in Deerfield.

Of course, the BEST thing to do in September in New England is attend a Pats game & have a tailgate cookout! Their at home on September 21 (Miami). rofl

If you're coming down the coast...hit Portsmouth, NH (Strawberry Banke); Boston, MA; Newburyport, MA; Plymouth, MA (Pilgrims); Newport, RI (one of the most awesome towns in America!); Stonington Burough/Mystic & Essex, CT.

I'll think of other stuff...

/t

Here is a link that might be useful: Antique Associates

I vote for the coastal rout....and the cape...although the traffic can bea wful getting over the canal..
And you could take the very coastal route and hit the Jersey shore, south to Atlantic city, across the pine barrens to Philly and there is more than enough history and antiques for you....and Lancaster is just a spit and a holler up the road.
Linda C

There's also the Barnes Foundation Museum near Philly. We wanted to visit there last year but hadn't planned ahead and Reservations were closed. We stayed with friends who live in Hershey which is nearby Lancaster. We thought Hershey was a lovely area. I loved finding out about their school and taking the tour. Chocolate...what could be bad?? LOL

Hi Sherry!!

Not sure if Sharon is still planning a similar trip to the east coast but I seem to recall it was to be some time in late Sept/early Oct??
Hmmmm....wouldn't that be grand???

I SO agree with Pam...the Lancaster area, while beautiful, has become a mecca of tourists-heck, they are even putting up an Olive Garden right on rt 30 at Rockvale!!
That being said I still go about 3-4 time a year to shop.
LOL!! There is an awesome flea market near Lancaster-its called the green dragon. Its only open on Fridays.
You can google it.

I think you would LOVE Cape May. They have a large bird watching community there and you can walk the lovely victorian streets to boot!

E mail me off line so we can swap numbers...I'd love to meet up with you during your trip!!

Cheers!
Susie

It's after Labor Day so traffic on the Cape won't be that bad. Keep in mind that many stores on the Cape are seasonal & close after Labor Day weekend. Others are open thru Columbus Day. It's a long drive from the canal to P-town so if you head onto the Cape allow a couple days. Here's a good place to stay a night...

Another fun thing to do is go whale watching. We've gone out of both Glouster & Newburyport, MA many times. Jeffreys Ledge & Stellwagen Bank are nearby...major whale feeding grounds. I 'think' the whale watching season runs thru October? Check first. P-town is also a good starting place for a whale watch excursion. They usually offer both 1/2 day & full-day trips. It's very exciting, IMO, to watch the whales! I never tire of those trips.

If you want to go fishing it's tuna time! DH & a friend shared a 117 lb. yellow fin last year. They'll be going again in a couple weeks. They go out about 75 miles off Montauk for 3-4 days of straight fishing. Again, you can take either a 1/2 day or full-day trip. Then, take the catch back to the campground & BBQ for dinner! In September, you might catch anything from stripped bass, bluefish, cod, and/or haddock. Yum!

If you're passing thru Mystic give us a shout out & we'll treat you to lobster at Abbott's on Mystic Harbor. We'll sit outside, watch the boats, & drip melted butter all down our chins! Or, you could be already stuffed full of lobster from Bar Harbor?!

There's so much to do in Newport, RI it would need it's own post so if you're taking the coastal route let us know & we'll all post our favorite Newport hangouts.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: North Truro Camping Grounds

Sherry, We really enjoyed our whale watching cruise off the NH coast. From there we visited light houses. I really loved the Newport Mansions tour but then you know how I love things of the ilk (Biltmore House).

You will have lots to choose from.

I think we will be taking the coast, so keep those ideas coming. If Lancaster is too touristy, maybe we will forego that for something that's not, allthough I would may go just for some serious "quilt watching." Tricia, we were actually thinking about going to Abbott's. I am going to try to get together with as many cooking friends as I can also. I have already had two contact me about getting together.
I am excited about this trip, although it is on a budget, so there will be lots of looking and not too much buying. Ah, the perils of unemployment.
Sherry

Oh Sherry what bad timing for us!

We have a wedding in Ottawa the 13th, I'm helping with the rehersal party so will be leaving Toronto the 10th!!!!

Doesn't sound like your schedule includes any Toronto time so I won't tell you all that you will be missing but you will love the Picton area , are you staying at Sandbanks Provincial Park ? Make sure you take some time to enjoy the Thousand Islands in the Gananoque area it's just past Kingston on your way to Cornwall......spectacular!!!

Promise you will make another trip back this way when we can show you all that the Toronto area has to offer!

Here is a link that might be useful: Gananogue

Geez, Sherry...

How can you NOT go to places named Intercourse & Bird-In-Hand??? Answer me now, how can you NOT go there?? roflmao
My curiousity alone would be enough to make the trip.

Actually, I'm another who enjoys going to Lancaster County once in awhile, taking ice chests, & stocking up on meats, cheeses, etc. that I can't get locally but as for quilts...

You can do much better for quilts at Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, NH. Although, by "better" I mean quality...prices are much higher than Lancaster County. If you've been saving change for 20 years & you're looking for that 'once in a lifetime' purchase...go to Shaker Village. If you're looking for quilts to use on your kitchen table & outside as well as everyday bedding then Lancaster County is the place.

There are great antique stores along Route 1 in Maine between Bar Harbor & Kittery on the NH border. York Galleries (York, Maine, Route 1) is a terrific multi-dealer shop specializing in 17th, 18th, & early 19th American country antiques. They are on the west side of the road. Then, just a bit further south, maybe 3 miles...on the east side of the road there's another great shop. They specialize in English garden antiques (the shop name isn't coming to me at the moment, drats). If you, however, take I-95 south...you'll miss all of them. Traffic on Route 1 heading south on weekends is a nightmare...even worse than the Cape, IMO. You'll be a tad early for 'Leaf Peeper' season so, hopefully, it won't be too bad.

I highly recommend touring through Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, NH. It's a self-guided, go at your pace tour. For dinner in Portsmouth, you can't do better (IMO) than the Dolphin Striker both for food & atmosphere. We love it so much we held our DS's wedding rehearsal dinner at the Striker. Another excellent restaurant is the Library Restaurant. The building is wonderful & so is the food. The Library also serves lunch.

After leaving Portsmouth, you'll pass through Rye, NH & there's a great beach wildlife preserve there with great hiking trails right along the Atlantic. Wonderful place. It's on Route 1...you can't miss it. Free parking, I 'think'. Then, after Rye...you'll be at Hampton Beach, NH. That's where the boardwalk is & a large beach. If you're hungry...Kennedy's...right on Route #1 is very good. It's a clam shack type of place right across the street from the beach.

Well, I've made myself hungry now...if you want other suggestions along the route let me know.

Oh, I almost forgot...

For great chowdah...Billy's Chowder House in Wells, Maine...southbound for you just off Route 1 is soooo good! Once you get to Wells watch for small (12"x18") signs with an arrow pointing east or...just ask anybody "Where's Billy's?". I love their seafood chowder & also the calamari w/marinara sauce is terrific. Billy's is located on the marsh flats in Wells. Great place.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: York Galleries, Route 1, York, Maine

Here's the link to the Dolphin Striker in Portsmouth. If you don't have dinner there...try to have at least a drink in the tavern. The Striker's a very fun place!

/t

Here is a link that might be useful: The Dolphin Striker

Tricia, You are making me crazy with childhood memories as I was born in Dover, my family lives in Exeter, the family business was in Hampton Falls, beach house was in Hampton Beach, and Mom and Dad met and married in Portsmouth.

I envy Sherry and Roger's trip!

Hi mustangs!

lol, I'm sorry about the homesickness! I sometimes feel that way about CA but love living in New England.

Hey, my DS was married in Exeter. DS & DDIL purchased a home on Park near the triangular park...the old Governor's Mansion. It was condominiumized into 4-units. What a great old mansion. I loved their home & was sad when DS was transferred to MA. Also, the Gilman Garrison in Exeter is an ancestral home of mine...DS was married in the Congregational Church at town square where our ancestors worshipped in the 1600s until after the Revolution. They were married in December at 4:30 p.m. The ceremony was held in the second floor chapel & the entire Church was lit only with candles (hundreds of them!) & decorated with red poinsettias & Casablanca lilies. There was no wedding march. Instead, a good friend of DDIL who's a concert violinist played Pachelbel's Canon in D as DDIL walked down the aisle. It was so beautiful it gave me the goose bumps! The reception was at the Exeter Inn just down the street. Gosh, it was a pretty wedding...classic New England. The Inn was decorated for Christmas so we didn't have to really do much of anything for the wedding.

I envy Sherry & Roger also! We're itching for a road trip.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Gilman Garrison

I may print this thread and make this trip sometime. You all are better than any tour book. I am looking forward to my week on the Cape. I have never done a whale watching trip because I get so seasick. Maybe I should just take a bottle of dramamine and go.

After I leave the Cape I plan to head to Newport for a couple days before heading home and (eeek) back to work.

Sherry, don't know unemployment. As my firend says, the hours are great but the pay is lousy. I'd love to have a few months off. I was between jobs a few years ago for three months. Wouldn't you know I broke my ankle the second week? What timing.

Enjoy your trip. MAybe you would enjoy this quilt festival? Harrisburg is not far from Lancaster.

Here is a link that might be useful: Harrisburg Quilt Festival

dedtired,

Hints for seasickness...

1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow;
2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land);
3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up;
4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO!

Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much.

We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry!

Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores.

History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson.

Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down".

When's your trip?

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot

Tricia , thanks for the tips. I have discovered that when the boat is underway, I am fine but the minute it stops and starts to roll, I turn green. I wonder how those seasickness wristbands work? Honestly the best cure for me is to just upchuck and then I am fine.

My current plan is to be in Newport Sept 7th and 8th and maybe depart early on the 9th. I usually drive through Mystic, but I'm trying something different this year. I could stop in Mystic on the way up on the 2nd. My other place that I love to visit is Stonington. What a darling place.

I only made a brief stop in Newport once, but hope to see more on this trip. Since I am traveling solo, I can do what ever I darn well please!