Pan and Lady Sage's honeymoon trip
 

So this is what we are planning, a car trip along New England. It's planned to happen mid May next year (we marry May 1st Beltaine). We're driving thru Pa., NJ, NYC, (yech), CT, RI, MA, NH, ME, NH, VT, upstate NY then back to Ohio.

If anyone has any idea how to get around NYC (and CT if need be) to RI without adding too much time or would like to meet for coffee, feel free to IM or post here.

We'd love top meet some TFP'ers.

This trip plan is entirely on the wrong coast, dammit! :(

A little side trip through the finger lakes wine region here in western ny would be just the ticket. Mrs. joe and I would love to show you around the hood!

You could easily swing up into Toronto as well. I am sure some of the group in town would be happy to meet you.

I don't suppose you will be able to make it to Asia though...

right coast, but wrong end of it, are you sure you dont want to do the southeast coast instead!!!

If you go thru Jersey and go over the GW bridge - that'll put you on the Hutch for about 5 seconds then to I-95 and take you thru connecticut onward to new england - while i don't understand why you'd want to - you are actually bypassing new york city proper and are skirting the city briefly and just staying on highways.

Or you can pick up 287 in New Jersey (nortwest part of the state) and take that over the Tappan Zee bridge ( a very cool bridge - even better if it's not a very sunny day - there's usually sun glare traffic) from the tappan zee you can hop on the Merrit Parkway and take that thru connecticut - the merritt is actually a pretty highway and last i checked - there were no trucks allowed on it.

If you're brave and feel like venturing a little - you can head out to the north shore of long island - or is it south shore - i'm bad at geography - head to orient point (have lunch with Sportswidow) then take the ferry over to New London Connecticut - if you're lucky you'll get on the ferry boat that's named after me :D The drive out to orient point is beautiful - lots of windy roads and you pass at least one winery... It's a nice area of long island

or even to block island, ri (but then you'd have to ferry back...

Wow, Mal...for someone who doesn't drive, you know a lot about this area:lol:
Pan, not sure how far south into Ohio you are, but, I think PJ might be onto something...you aren't that far from Toronto, Niagara Falls, etc. (less than 600 miles). You could swing up through Canada, visit Toronto, then come down through upstate NY ( a scenic area and lots of towns), down into MA and the east coast before taking a slight left back home.
AAA is the best source for route itinerary. If you don't have a membership, PM me and I'll get some info for you.

i grew up in north jersey and went to school in mass - i drove then - and i could do it blindfolded :D

fuck rights, baby............:lol:

Pan wants to take me to see the ocean since I have never been to it. My dream has always been to go to Maine. We decided to make a road trip out of it and just see whats on the coast.

He asked if I would like to meet other TFPers while we were out and I said sure, I wouldnt ind a few cups of coffee as long as he would stop for potty breaks. :lol:

We are looking so spend the night in Salem, Mass. and Portland, Maine and Utica, NY. If anyone knows any nice hotels that arent terribly expensive, we would love to hear about them!

Seconded. The whole Savannah-Atlanta-NC Mountains-Outer Banks route is a GREAT place for a honeymoon!

Wait, did you say UTICA, NY? What the hell for? It's quite literally the armpit of the state - there is a lot of gorgeous country surrounding it, but Utica ain't it. Trust me, it's next door to where I grew up.

If you make it into NYC, I'll be up for that coffee! Mmmmm.... coffee....

If you find yourself on I-84, I'm not far from Middletown, NY, in a rural part of Jersey called Vernon. It's a good way to avoid the ghetto of NYC that is most of eastern Jersey, and can easily allow for bypassing of NYC and/or the gridlocked parts of Connecticut. I've some neat routes to Maine and Vermont too if your interested, plus if I'm around I'd be honored to hook up for coffee.

And if your set on Maine, I recommend Biddeford Pool. Nothing like a sunset and sunrise on the water.

-bear

There's a cute little bed and breakfast in old orchard beach in Maine.. called th atlantic birches it's about 20 minutes from Portland - walking distance to the pier and the beaches - but let me warn you Maine beaches are cold and rocky - it's beautiful scenery - especially the lighthouses.. but it's cold cold cold..

I'm a jersey girl born and bred - the jersey shore - is about as good as it gets - Spring Lake or further out on LOng Beach Island to Barnegat (great light house there) is fantastic..

I love the suggestions so far! Please keep them coming and I will talk them over with Pan as soon as we have some time together. :D

In your travels another place you might want to hit - is brattleboro vermont - it's about an hour or so north of boston - maybe 2 -3 hours west of New Hampshire - and very pretty... It's got lots of quaint country stores and tons of stuff to do -

New Hampshire (Pan might twitch about their politics of the state) is anothe beautiful new england state - the lakes region - by Lake Winnipesaukee is gorgeous.. or MOunt Washington in the White Mountains though not sure if the auto road is open in early may - both regions are really lovely and worth seing.

Portsmouth NH is a coastal city - that's on your way down from Maine (You could go Maine, Portsmouth NH - then head weast to the white mountains and thelakes region into Vermont)

That area offers tons of bed and breakfasts...

RI - aroound newport is beautiful but RI really doesnt have that much more to offer - unless you like coffee milk... :D

Well as I tried to bring up subtly in your journal.....Utica may not be the exact place you want to spend the night.
If you're looking for something truly regal, check out the Horned Dorset in Leonardsville NY about 20 minutes from Utica. You can stay and dine in absolute luxury at the Dorset, then hop over to Utica during the day to check it out.

We picked Utica because it was on the route back home, but if it is a bad area we surely want to avoid it. Bad armpit sweat stains and all! I will have to check into Leonardsville though!

I suggest that you go to NY via the southwestern US, so I can properly kiss the bride! :icare:

Well, congratulations in advance and I hope you have a great trip.

Hahahahaha! Pan suggested we go to Arizona. He wanted to drive..... I know my butt wouldnt take it!

Trust me, I'd much rather head South..... hate the cold.

Are you saying I can't? :D

Thanks all keep the replies coming.

new england in may isn't that cold - but it is the start of black fly season (mutant mosquitos)- depending on how wet the thaw is - if its a mild winter... then it's not bad.

Going back to New Hampshire and/or Vermont -there's tons of day type hiking trips - especially in New Hampshire's White Mountains - theres one called Rattlesnake -- it's a few hours hike - and an easy hike at that - sneakers and a bottle of water are all that are needed -and a picnic lunch when you reach the top - and you're greeted with spectacular views of Squam Lake

If the black flies are out -- a can of deep woods off is helpful -


While new england is absolutely beautiful - from Ohio - it's a quick trip thru PA and settling in the area around New Hope - which is ont he jersey border -it's a really lovely area -lots of antiquing - restaurants - bed and breakfasts and inns - plus white water rafting is nearby and may is a great time for rafting - you get the best rapids

I went to New Jersey a few summers ago and fell in love with the beaches and area (Wildwood and Cape May)...

I'm looking forward to this trip and Mal is being exceptionally nice for such a Bah Humbugger...... hmmmm maybe it was that hug I sent her. :icare:

Well.... from what I've heard... :lol:

Not at all, sir! But I can't from way out west here. So, LS, consider yourself kissed, and I wish you both all the happiness in the world.

Awww, youre so sweet SL! Eventually I am sure Pan will have his way and we will go a visiting out west.

Mystic, CT is another place you might want to visit....
Then there's Harbor Place in Baltimore...
If you want the ocean and NJ, Cape May would be it. There's whale watching boats...Wildwood is great, but they're tearing down the old Doo-wop hotels (insert sob).
New Hope, PA has gotten very touristy, but, like Mal said, there's some good shopping, specially if you have time to drive around a bit-there's Lambertville, NJ right across the river, known for its quirkiness and antiques and the scenery around the river is very pretty.

There is much to see and do, and if you can manage it in springtime you can:

See the desert in bloom
Hike Havasupai falls, up by the canyon
Pitch a tent at the Moggollon Rim

And a million other things....

Inner harbor is beautiful - and mid may in washington dc might just be prime cherry blossom festival time...

though the jersey girl inm e says if you want to see cherry blossoms -branch brook park in newark has more cherry blossoms than the tidal basin does - it's a really beautiful park -a nd newark has some awesome portuguese food - if you like lobster -it's wortht he trip

and i thought i was the only person here who had ever been to the horned dorset...

Less than 3 months left before the big trip! :D

Are there any other ideas for stops along the way? Road construction we should know about?

Ooo, a TF get together in TO or the falls?

I loved Canada, if we didnt need passports I would go back again in a heartbeat!

Ahh yes, I had forgotten about that. What a pita!

Believe me I know. :( A more beautiful place I have yet to visit.

It was back in 1995 that I went to Toronto. Saw Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages, ate at the Organ Grinder, went to the huge glass mall and ate at a fabulous chinese place.

I shall remember always and fondly.

Let's see, Long Island has some very nice areas and so does Connecticut. The ferry is a nice way to get from Long Island to Connecticut, I used to take it all the time. I grew up in a small town in Connecticut called Madison which is nice but Mystic is always a nice place to visit. The movie Mystic Pizza was filmed in a pizza place there and there is a shipyard which is interesting as well as the Aquarium. If you are in New Haven there are some really good restaurants there but the city is not very pretty. Newport, Rhode Island is a nice getaway spot as well.

Personally I wouldn't avoid New York City all together since it is kinda an interesting place but since you are driving you will definately sit in traffic, upstate New York is nice as is Vermont. Vermont is a very nice honeymoon type place.

Mystic sounds fabulous! I will have to look it up and see how to get there. :D

NYC we wanted to avoid all together. As you said traffic is a bear!

Hey, I'm in Arizona. It's nice at that time of year too but better right now depending on where you are. We spent three days driving from the east coast here. I think if you haven't seen the North East it would be more eventful for you to do that rather than drive cross country.

Mystic is a good place, very east coast-like.

Wow... just a few short weeks away before we head out!

Those that offered coffee... are we still on? :D

A week away!!!!

Last chance to set up those coffee times or give those last minute suggestions!

Anyone????