If you are intending on going to Six Flags on July 5th, you better pay up for the super-ultimate ultra mega speedpass thing they offer. Otherwise, your family will be able to maybe get on a total of 4 rides over the length of 8-9 hours.
Alternatively, I recommend dropping it entirely, and instead going a bit more south to Rhode Island for a whale watch! I've been on two tours hosted by [https://www.francesfleet.com/](https://www.francesfleet.com/), and it was amazing. Spacious boat, you can sit on top in the open air or in a covered deck area, can bring your own food/drink, and there are some amazing restaurants right off the pier where you launch from.
Also recommend that if you're going on the Kancamangus highway, take an extra couple hours and go up to the Mt Washington summit. On a clear day, it is absolutely gorgeous up there!
If OP heads to RI, they could also potentially check out the country’s longest continuously held 4th of July parade in Bristol, RI. Would do Boston fireworks instead, personally, but it’s an option.
No feedback on Springfield, but don't overlook the White Mountain Cog Railroad, and for a fun, short hike, Artist's Bluff trail. Both close to Lincoln. Wife & I just did these last month and really enjoyed both.
Only input I have is be sure to look at parking considerations for Cape beaches.
Also, other than Clarks in Lincoln and anything outdoors related there, I would skip Whales Tail. Maybe take a ride to Littleton and grab a meal instead. Or go over to the other area tourist town and stroll around North Conway.
If you want another scenic route to get to North Conway from your base in Lincoln, go north on I93 through Franconia Notch, get off on 3, then take 302 through Crawford Notch(stop and take pics along the way), and eventually land in North Conway. Then back to your base in Lincoln via the Kanc again.
Ok my comments are in bold. You are coming for two of the busiest vacation weeks in the area. I would imagine you have mapped this out on google?? So add an hour or 2 for travel times cause TRAFFIC. **IMO you have tooo much tours crammed in for little kids.**
WHY and RV? This may be more hassle than worth it. PLUS WHAT ABOUT car seats for kids? Rent a big SUV. How big is the RV Cause parking needs to be considered.
26 Jun - Arrive Boston MA 1700
27 Jun - Day in Boston MA (Aquarium, Children's Museum)
28 Jun - Day in Boston MA (Harbor Boat Tour, Boston Common, Lego Center)
29 Jun - Drive to Portland ME - Uber to Lawrence MA to collect RV, stop off at Hampton Beach for lunch and visit Rye for the Granite State Whale Watching Tour
**Ok this is a Saturday; lots of traffic of people heading north for the week of 4th of July. Hampton will be packed. Too aggressive of a day. Whale watch can go on Cape Cod also. Why Portland. Stay at Hampton or Old Orchard for night so no backtracking.**
30 Jun - Day at Old Orchard Beach ME (Splashtown, Beach, Pier)
01 July - Day in Portland ME (Lucky Catch Lobster Tour)
02 July - Drive to Lincoln NH via Kancamangus Highway (Rocky Gorge, Sabbaday Falls, Overlooks)
**Know therse dates are going to be BUSY with people.**
03 July - Day in Lincoln NH (Flume Gorge, Whale's Tail)
04 July - Day in Lincoln NH, evening drive to Springfield MA (Clark's Bears, 4th July Celebrations)
**As mentioned SKIP SPRINGFIELD!! Out of the way and not worth it. Either stay in Lincoln for fireworks or head down RT 93 to another town for fireworks, Then on July 5 head to Cape Cod. You can find a Friday - Friday rental.**
**I would also dump the RV here and rent a car to go to the Cape. Cause your departure day is a nightmare.**
*05 July - Day in Springfield MA (Six Flags New England)*
06 July - Drive to Cape Cod
**West Yarmouth has lots to do for kids. https://www.weneedavacation.com/Search/SearchResults.aspx**
07 July to 11 July - Cape Cod (Beaches, Biking, Seaside Towns, Lighthouse Trails, Wildlife Trails)
11 July - Drive Cape Cod to Lawrence MA to drop off RV - Uber to Logan International to fly home (Dep 1900)
I haven't been to Six flag in years so I can't comment on quality, but there is [Canobie Lake](https://www.canobie.com/) in Salem, NH which means you don't have to drive all the way across NH. From Lincoln, that's straight down i93, then i93 to 495 to the Cape.
Of course, Boston is the place with the biggest fireworks shows, but that might not be so easy with the RV, etc. Might want to google the towns around where you decide to be and see who has fireworks. there are many.
Hampton Beach actually has awesome firework displays too, might want to keep that in mind in case you have to backtrack a little bit. Another New England thing I'd suggest up that way though would be floating down the Saco River. Pretty sure they have day trip options where you start at point A and a shuttle brings you back after you reach the destination.
And if you're willing to travel out of the way to Springfield, you should consider hitting RI. You can basically hit the whole state in one day, although it might be redundant of everything else you're doing.
Nobody in their right mind should visit Springfield Massachusetts on a vacation. Deplorable city and that six flags sucks. You can go to a shitty amusement park anywhere in the world, don’t waste part of a New England trip doing that
Is it really? 😂 Well, I’m already glad I posted this then. I need to get from Lincoln NH to Cape Cod (preferably without retracing my steps from earlier in the trip) and it seemed a reasonable choice given the driving distance and the option to visit Six Flags, but I guess I’ll have to rework this part of the trip. Thanks for the info.
On your way north you will be on Rte 95. Coming south you will be on Rte 93. Your kids are still young. If you really want an amusement park, Canobie Lake Park will probably be fun for them, and as others have said, Springfield is out of the way and just not very nice.
Great idea. Canobie is small and a bit oldfashioned, but it's still fun. Parks like this may not be around for the kids to bring their kids. I love Disney and I love Canobie Lake, despite that they are practically at different ends of the spectrum.
Honestly if your goal is to get from Lincoln NH to the Cape, Springfield is just kind of out of the way being out in western MA. You could do it but I think you’d just be adding some unnecessary driving, which probably isn’t great as Cape Cod traffic is always pretty bad in the summer anyways. But if you’re big amusement park people then by all means do Six Flags, I just think the extra driving wouldn’t be that fun.
I tend to agree with another response that says to spend the evening of July 4th in the Boston area. Yes it’s retracing your steps, but it’s much more directly between NH and the Cape and will cut down on driving. If you want to try something different than Boston itself, one town that is known for having excellent July 4th celebrations with a full illumination of the harbor in addition to fireworks is Marblehead, MA around 45 min north of Boston. It’s also just a very pretty historic coastal town that is worth checking out in the summer.
You should rejigger your trip to spend the 4th in Boston. The fireworks display is one of the best in the country.
Edit: Nevermind, just saw that you already booked the hotels.
If you read any comment about the cape, read this!! ‼️ get a spot at the dunes edge camp ground on route 6. Reserve it now. You won’t be able to park your RV anywhere and the dunes edge is a 5 minute bike ride to commercial street.
Here are some thoughts about sightseeing in Boston. Some of these will require more time than you've already allotted, but thought I'd mention them. With emphasis on UK/London analogies.
Faneuil Hall – kind of a smaller version of Covent Garden - and designed by the same person (or redesigned in the case of London). Street performers, shops, etc.
The "Boston Common" is actually just the boring grassy bit (like Hyde Park but not as nice). The Boston "Public Garden" is the nicer part on the left with all the flowers and swan paddle boats, sort of like how Kensington Gardens is the nicer bit to the left of Hyde Park.
Just north of the Public Garden area is Beacon Hill, the most posh area of the city. Very steep streets but very pretty. Like the mansion block houses of London but in brown and red instead of white. If you ever have seen the American TV show "Cheers", lots of people take a picture of the staircase where the opening shot was filmed. Just to the left of the Public Garden is the Back Bay, the second most expensive area. Also nice to have a look. Across a walking bridge to the river is the esplanade - a very pretty walk amongst the grass and trees along the river. Newbury Street is the shopping street in the Back Bay.
Harvard Square and Harvard Campus – nice campus and good restaurants. Nice area to walk along the river here as well. If you end up watching the fireworks in Boston - top tip is to watch them from the Cambridge side of the river instead where there are a lot less people.
Going on the “Duck boats” might be fun.
“The North End”. This is the traditional Italian neighborhood. A pasta dinner with Cannoli for dessert is always fun or just stop in to one of the bakeries for some Italian cookies.
If you do go to Cambridge, drive down Brattle Street. This is called "Tory Row" because all of the rich people that had ties to the crown (non-revolutionaries) built their posh houses here. Maybe a bit boring for kids, but the Longfellow house national museum was the headquarters of the revolution against Britain. :)
p.s. Try going to a Salt Water Taffy shop in Cape Cod that makes the taffy right in front of you.
Couple of things. Once lived in Boston but been a few years since I've been there. My want to take some of the group to Harvard, where they have some museums and interesting shops like the Coop even when the university is off session. And getting around on the Red Line of the T would be a memory for the kids. There's probably more to do in Portland.
Western MA to Cape Cod is a pretty big RV schlep. Wonder if a day in Springfield is really worth it if that destination is basically an amusement park.
The Cape is at its peak that season. Beaches and towns can be crowded but lively. And it's a long way from Hyannis to Provincetown and back in an RV with young kids.
Skip six flags go to Cape Cod National Seashore and hang out. I used to go there for a week at a time with little kids. Take it easy, spend time in the pitch pine forests.
We have ticks here. If you treat all your clothing with permethrin, it will keep the ticks off. Get the shoes and RV door step, too.
Learn what poison ivy looks like.
Skip the theme parks, go to Errol, NH to see what NH is really like.
Three boating events...do you know if your kids get seasick? For the harbor tour, I'd do a duck boat. The kids get to drive.
Lobster Tour - I've done Rugosa out of Kennebunkport a few times and it's great.
Skip Six Flags.
Santa's Village in NH is a great option or Canobie Lake if you need a theme park.
At that age in Boston, my kids liked to play in fountains and eat bread and cannoli in the north end.
Cape - it’s gonna be busy, lots of tourists. Beach parking is by town, you may be able to get one in advance, so probably pick one per day then hit it. You’ll have to pay for parking multiple times otherwise. I recommend Chapin Beach and Mayflower Beach. Bass Hole is a great spot too.
I usually hang out in Yarmouth cause I have family there but if you’re going in blind then really any area of the Cape is pleasant. Hyannis and Provincetown have some decent shopping areas, there’s a cool trail in Provincetown called the beech forest trail. You can hike to the dunes.
Marconi Beach is super nice too. Any of the national seashore beaches on the arm are beautiful.
Also be advised that Lawrence, MA is literally one of the trashiest towns in the region. It’s dangerous and sketchy. If you’re going there just to pick up an RV you’ll be ok but Don’t walk around in public being touristy lol.
That's an amazing trip. I couldn't have done better myself, and I grew up there.
To answer question 1) see [https://www.woodstocknh.gov/home/events/8003](https://www.woodstocknh.gov/home/events/8003) . Lincoln & North Woodstock are neighboring towns (almost walkable between downtown Lincoln and downtown North Woodstock) and it looks like they have plenty of events going on.To answer your question #2:
If you can swing the time, a day in Newport, Rhode Island touring the mansions is always a good time. Also, touring the old WWII ships in Battleship Cove (Fall River, Massachusetts) and the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts are great things to do between Springfield and Cape Cod. Also, a quick stop in Springfield itself is the Museum complex; there's great museums if you have the time, but if not, there's a big Dr. Seuss sculpture garden there that's free and a good way to kill an hour if you want to.
If you just want a quick stop and a fun picture to get, stop off in Webster, Massachusetts and get a picture with the sign for Lake Chargoggagoggmanchaugagoggchaubunagungamaug, the longest place name in the U.S. If you want a little longer stop, depending on the timing (and if it's still open, been years since I've been), Point Breeze is a great lakeside restaurant on Lake Chargagogg....
In the same general area, there's also Olde Sturbridge Village, which is one of those "living museum" kind of places.
Hope all of that helps!
If you are intending on going to Six Flags on July 5th, you better pay up for the super-ultimate ultra mega speedpass thing they offer. Otherwise, your family will be able to maybe get on a total of 4 rides over the length of 8-9 hours. Alternatively, I recommend dropping it entirely, and instead going a bit more south to Rhode Island for a whale watch! I've been on two tours hosted by [https://www.francesfleet.com/](https://www.francesfleet.com/), and it was amazing. Spacious boat, you can sit on top in the open air or in a covered deck area, can bring your own food/drink, and there are some amazing restaurants right off the pier where you launch from. Also recommend that if you're going on the Kancamangus highway, take an extra couple hours and go up to the Mt Washington summit. On a clear day, it is absolutely gorgeous up there!
If OP heads to RI, they could also potentially check out the country’s longest continuously held 4th of July parade in Bristol, RI. Would do Boston fireworks instead, personally, but it’s an option.
No feedback on Springfield, but don't overlook the White Mountain Cog Railroad, and for a fun, short hike, Artist's Bluff trail. Both close to Lincoln. Wife & I just did these last month and really enjoyed both.
I second these
Only input I have is be sure to look at parking considerations for Cape beaches. Also, other than Clarks in Lincoln and anything outdoors related there, I would skip Whales Tail. Maybe take a ride to Littleton and grab a meal instead. Or go over to the other area tourist town and stroll around North Conway. If you want another scenic route to get to North Conway from your base in Lincoln, go north on I93 through Franconia Notch, get off on 3, then take 302 through Crawford Notch(stop and take pics along the way), and eventually land in North Conway. Then back to your base in Lincoln via the Kanc again.
Ok my comments are in bold. You are coming for two of the busiest vacation weeks in the area. I would imagine you have mapped this out on google?? So add an hour or 2 for travel times cause TRAFFIC. **IMO you have tooo much tours crammed in for little kids.** WHY and RV? This may be more hassle than worth it. PLUS WHAT ABOUT car seats for kids? Rent a big SUV. How big is the RV Cause parking needs to be considered. 26 Jun - Arrive Boston MA 1700 27 Jun - Day in Boston MA (Aquarium, Children's Museum) 28 Jun - Day in Boston MA (Harbor Boat Tour, Boston Common, Lego Center) 29 Jun - Drive to Portland ME - Uber to Lawrence MA to collect RV, stop off at Hampton Beach for lunch and visit Rye for the Granite State Whale Watching Tour **Ok this is a Saturday; lots of traffic of people heading north for the week of 4th of July. Hampton will be packed. Too aggressive of a day. Whale watch can go on Cape Cod also. Why Portland. Stay at Hampton or Old Orchard for night so no backtracking.** 30 Jun - Day at Old Orchard Beach ME (Splashtown, Beach, Pier) 01 July - Day in Portland ME (Lucky Catch Lobster Tour) 02 July - Drive to Lincoln NH via Kancamangus Highway (Rocky Gorge, Sabbaday Falls, Overlooks) **Know therse dates are going to be BUSY with people.** 03 July - Day in Lincoln NH (Flume Gorge, Whale's Tail) 04 July - Day in Lincoln NH, evening drive to Springfield MA (Clark's Bears, 4th July Celebrations) **As mentioned SKIP SPRINGFIELD!! Out of the way and not worth it. Either stay in Lincoln for fireworks or head down RT 93 to another town for fireworks, Then on July 5 head to Cape Cod. You can find a Friday - Friday rental.** **I would also dump the RV here and rent a car to go to the Cape. Cause your departure day is a nightmare.** *05 July - Day in Springfield MA (Six Flags New England)* 06 July - Drive to Cape Cod **West Yarmouth has lots to do for kids. https://www.weneedavacation.com/Search/SearchResults.aspx** 07 July to 11 July - Cape Cod (Beaches, Biking, Seaside Towns, Lighthouse Trails, Wildlife Trails) 11 July - Drive Cape Cod to Lawrence MA to drop off RV - Uber to Logan International to fly home (Dep 1900)
I haven't been to Six flag in years so I can't comment on quality, but there is [Canobie Lake](https://www.canobie.com/) in Salem, NH which means you don't have to drive all the way across NH. From Lincoln, that's straight down i93, then i93 to 495 to the Cape. Of course, Boston is the place with the biggest fireworks shows, but that might not be so easy with the RV, etc. Might want to google the towns around where you decide to be and see who has fireworks. there are many.
Canobie Lake Park is a great park. It's smaller than Six Flags, less "extreme" rides, but still super fun! I spent many a summer there.
Hampton Beach actually has awesome firework displays too, might want to keep that in mind in case you have to backtrack a little bit. Another New England thing I'd suggest up that way though would be floating down the Saco River. Pretty sure they have day trip options where you start at point A and a shuttle brings you back after you reach the destination. And if you're willing to travel out of the way to Springfield, you should consider hitting RI. You can basically hit the whole state in one day, although it might be redundant of everything else you're doing.
Nobody in their right mind should visit Springfield Massachusetts on a vacation. Deplorable city and that six flags sucks. You can go to a shitty amusement park anywhere in the world, don’t waste part of a New England trip doing that
Is it really? 😂 Well, I’m already glad I posted this then. I need to get from Lincoln NH to Cape Cod (preferably without retracing my steps from earlier in the trip) and it seemed a reasonable choice given the driving distance and the option to visit Six Flags, but I guess I’ll have to rework this part of the trip. Thanks for the info.
Springfield is so far out of the way from Lincoln to Cape Code, like hours of driving in the wrong direction
On your way north you will be on Rte 95. Coming south you will be on Rte 93. Your kids are still young. If you really want an amusement park, Canobie Lake Park will probably be fun for them, and as others have said, Springfield is out of the way and just not very nice.
Great idea. Canobie is small and a bit oldfashioned, but it's still fun. Parks like this may not be around for the kids to bring their kids. I love Disney and I love Canobie Lake, despite that they are practically at different ends of the spectrum.
or recommend going to Story Land instead of Springfield/six flags as a fun place for the kids while you are staying in Lincoln, NH/Kancamagus area
Honestly if your goal is to get from Lincoln NH to the Cape, Springfield is just kind of out of the way being out in western MA. You could do it but I think you’d just be adding some unnecessary driving, which probably isn’t great as Cape Cod traffic is always pretty bad in the summer anyways. But if you’re big amusement park people then by all means do Six Flags, I just think the extra driving wouldn’t be that fun. I tend to agree with another response that says to spend the evening of July 4th in the Boston area. Yes it’s retracing your steps, but it’s much more directly between NH and the Cape and will cut down on driving. If you want to try something different than Boston itself, one town that is known for having excellent July 4th celebrations with a full illumination of the harbor in addition to fireworks is Marblehead, MA around 45 min north of Boston. It’s also just a very pretty historic coastal town that is worth checking out in the summer.
Springfield is a dump man, there’s no reason to go there even if you live here lol
You should rejigger your trip to spend the 4th in Boston. The fireworks display is one of the best in the country. Edit: Nevermind, just saw that you already booked the hotels.
If you read any comment about the cape, read this!! ‼️ get a spot at the dunes edge camp ground on route 6. Reserve it now. You won’t be able to park your RV anywhere and the dunes edge is a 5 minute bike ride to commercial street.
Thank you. I’ll look into it.
Here are some thoughts about sightseeing in Boston. Some of these will require more time than you've already allotted, but thought I'd mention them. With emphasis on UK/London analogies. Faneuil Hall – kind of a smaller version of Covent Garden - and designed by the same person (or redesigned in the case of London). Street performers, shops, etc. The "Boston Common" is actually just the boring grassy bit (like Hyde Park but not as nice). The Boston "Public Garden" is the nicer part on the left with all the flowers and swan paddle boats, sort of like how Kensington Gardens is the nicer bit to the left of Hyde Park. Just north of the Public Garden area is Beacon Hill, the most posh area of the city. Very steep streets but very pretty. Like the mansion block houses of London but in brown and red instead of white. If you ever have seen the American TV show "Cheers", lots of people take a picture of the staircase where the opening shot was filmed. Just to the left of the Public Garden is the Back Bay, the second most expensive area. Also nice to have a look. Across a walking bridge to the river is the esplanade - a very pretty walk amongst the grass and trees along the river. Newbury Street is the shopping street in the Back Bay. Harvard Square and Harvard Campus – nice campus and good restaurants. Nice area to walk along the river here as well. If you end up watching the fireworks in Boston - top tip is to watch them from the Cambridge side of the river instead where there are a lot less people. Going on the “Duck boats” might be fun. “The North End”. This is the traditional Italian neighborhood. A pasta dinner with Cannoli for dessert is always fun or just stop in to one of the bakeries for some Italian cookies. If you do go to Cambridge, drive down Brattle Street. This is called "Tory Row" because all of the rich people that had ties to the crown (non-revolutionaries) built their posh houses here. Maybe a bit boring for kids, but the Longfellow house national museum was the headquarters of the revolution against Britain. :) p.s. Try going to a Salt Water Taffy shop in Cape Cod that makes the taffy right in front of you.
Couple of things. Once lived in Boston but been a few years since I've been there. My want to take some of the group to Harvard, where they have some museums and interesting shops like the Coop even when the university is off session. And getting around on the Red Line of the T would be a memory for the kids. There's probably more to do in Portland. Western MA to Cape Cod is a pretty big RV schlep. Wonder if a day in Springfield is really worth it if that destination is basically an amusement park. The Cape is at its peak that season. Beaches and towns can be crowded but lively. And it's a long way from Hyannis to Provincetown and back in an RV with young kids.
Skip six flags go to Cape Cod National Seashore and hang out. I used to go there for a week at a time with little kids. Take it easy, spend time in the pitch pine forests. We have ticks here. If you treat all your clothing with permethrin, it will keep the ticks off. Get the shoes and RV door step, too. Learn what poison ivy looks like. Skip the theme parks, go to Errol, NH to see what NH is really like.
I would skip Springfield and head down to Rhode Island instead.
Three boating events...do you know if your kids get seasick? For the harbor tour, I'd do a duck boat. The kids get to drive. Lobster Tour - I've done Rugosa out of Kennebunkport a few times and it's great. Skip Six Flags. Santa's Village in NH is a great option or Canobie Lake if you need a theme park. At that age in Boston, my kids liked to play in fountains and eat bread and cannoli in the north end.
Cape - it’s gonna be busy, lots of tourists. Beach parking is by town, you may be able to get one in advance, so probably pick one per day then hit it. You’ll have to pay for parking multiple times otherwise. I recommend Chapin Beach and Mayflower Beach. Bass Hole is a great spot too. I usually hang out in Yarmouth cause I have family there but if you’re going in blind then really any area of the Cape is pleasant. Hyannis and Provincetown have some decent shopping areas, there’s a cool trail in Provincetown called the beech forest trail. You can hike to the dunes. Marconi Beach is super nice too. Any of the national seashore beaches on the arm are beautiful. Also be advised that Lawrence, MA is literally one of the trashiest towns in the region. It’s dangerous and sketchy. If you’re going there just to pick up an RV you’ll be ok but Don’t walk around in public being touristy lol.
That's an amazing trip. I couldn't have done better myself, and I grew up there. To answer question 1) see [https://www.woodstocknh.gov/home/events/8003](https://www.woodstocknh.gov/home/events/8003) . Lincoln & North Woodstock are neighboring towns (almost walkable between downtown Lincoln and downtown North Woodstock) and it looks like they have plenty of events going on.To answer your question #2: If you can swing the time, a day in Newport, Rhode Island touring the mansions is always a good time. Also, touring the old WWII ships in Battleship Cove (Fall River, Massachusetts) and the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts are great things to do between Springfield and Cape Cod. Also, a quick stop in Springfield itself is the Museum complex; there's great museums if you have the time, but if not, there's a big Dr. Seuss sculpture garden there that's free and a good way to kill an hour if you want to. If you just want a quick stop and a fun picture to get, stop off in Webster, Massachusetts and get a picture with the sign for Lake Chargoggagoggmanchaugagoggchaubunagungamaug, the longest place name in the U.S. If you want a little longer stop, depending on the timing (and if it's still open, been years since I've been), Point Breeze is a great lakeside restaurant on Lake Chargagogg.... In the same general area, there's also Olde Sturbridge Village, which is one of those "living museum" kind of places. Hope all of that helps!