Jun 132013
 

Everyone loves a day at the beach, but, very few people enjoy sitting in traffic for hours to get there.  Summer weekends in Boston find many families waiting in traffic on their way to the sunny beaches of Cape Cod or the North Shore – a fun day can quickly turn into an ordeal.  Families on vacation or college tours in Boston often miss out on seeing the Cape because of worries about how long the trip will take.

Veterans Beach in Hyannis, Cape Cod

Veterans Beach in Hyannis, Cape Cod

For many years, the only public transportation options from Boston to the Cape have been buses (which also get stuck in traffic) or boats.  This year, however, families that want to visit Cape Cod without a car have a new choice: the Cape Cod Flyer train service from Boston to Hyannis, the gateway to Cape Cod.  After a 25 year absence, it is great to have train service available to the Cape from downtown Boston.

The Cape Cod Flyer runs from Boston’s South Station to Hyannis on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings with return trips available Friday, Saturday and Sunday  evenings between Memorial Day and September 2nd.  Trains to Hyannis will also run the evening of Wednesday July 3.  The roundtrip fare is $35.  Kids age 5 and under and pets travel for free.   Free Wi-Fi is available on board.  Bikes can also come along for no charge.  The schedule allows for weekend getaways or day trips.  Intermediate stops are also made at Braintree, Middleborough and Buzzard’s Bay.

The ride lasts about two hours and 15 minutes, which is probably less time that it would take to drive on a Friday night or in Saturday morning beach traffic.  Upon arrival at Hyannis, free shuttles will make connections to the HyLine Cruises dock for ferries to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, as well as fishing boats and Harbor Cruises.  Connections to other ferries can also be made from the Buzzard’s Bay stop.   Bus service to most of the rest of the Cape originates at the Hyannis Transportation Center where the train arrives.

Hyannis Channel Point

Hyannis Channel Point

If you are making a daytrip or a quick weekend getaway, plan to stay in Hyannis where there is lots to do with kids, teens and tweens.  We recommend bringing bikes or taking advantage of the free Main Street Shuttle .  It is less than a 2 mile bike ride from the Transportation Center to the Hyannis Veterans Beach or the Kalmus Park Beach.   The Shuttle makes connections to hotels and shopping easy.   Daily and weekly bike rentals are available at the Bike Zone.  And of course, taxi  cabs are always available.

Besides the beach, Hyannis is a hub for all sorts of activities and family fun.  Whale watches depart from Barnstable with   Hyannis Whale Watch Cruises. For pirate fans, the Sea Gypsy takes kids ages 3-10 on a swashbuckling treasure hunting voyage around Hyannis Harbor.   Helen H Deep Sea Tours in Hyannis caters to families with a range of custom charter fishing operations as well as its Kids Sea-Fari tour led by marine naturalists.  Cape Code Duckmobile tours leave from Hyannis as well.

Afterwards, walk and shop in the Hyannis Main Street area which boasts more than a half dozen ice cream and candy shops.  The Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory tour is another must do! The teens love those chips.   There are plenty of family friendly hotels in and around downtown Hyannis so it makes a great base camp for exploring the Cape for a day or weekend without a car.  If you take the Cape Cod Flyer, let us know what you think!

 Photos courtesy Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism


Jun 062013
 
Smugglers' Notch Resort Adds New Summer Adventures for Teens and Tweens

Vermont’s Smugglers’ Notch Resort is one our favorite four season family getaway destinations with a wide range of on site lodging options, pools, restaurants and many opportunities to explore Vermont’s Green Mountains.  This is one resort where there really is something for everyone from the youngest kids to  teens and tweens to mom and dad looking for a little adult time. Year round, including summer, the resort offers a range of age appropriate kids camps and programs.  Summer options feature a number of special interest camps for teens and tweens including: A 2-day/2-night hiking exploration on Vermont’s Long Trail which runs across the spines of the resort’s Sterling and Madonna Mountains.  The 4,000 foot elevations provide quite a view!  Nights are spent in wooden shelters on the trail. A 4-day Survival Camp for 12-17 [...]

Cape Cod Family Fun by Land and By Sea

 Posted by on May 27, 2013  Comments Off
May 272013
 
Cape Cod Family Fun by Land and By Sea

For families with teens and tweens that want to combine a beach vacation with lots of active outdoor  fun, Cape Cod   in Massachusetts is hard to beat.  With more than 550 miles of coastline, including dozens of ocean and bayside beaches, active families will find unlimited opportunities to hike, bike, canoe, kayak, fish and explore – and don’t forget the beautiful beaches too! For starters, the Cape Cod National Seashore spans 40 miles along the Outer Cape from Eastham to Provincetown including six swimming beaches with lifeguards.  The Salt Pond Visitor Center near Eastham has exhibits and films on the Cape’s geology, history, and landscape and is a good place to pick up maps and information about hiking, biking and other activities. Hiking is one of our favorite things to [...]

May 212013
 
DoubleTree by Hilton’s DTour of a Lifetime Contest Takes Travel Social Media to a New Level

DoubleTree by Hilton is one our favorite family friendly full-service hotel brands. From our recent getaway at the Boston North Shore property that features the CoCo Key water resort, to stays during family vacations and college tours in Washington DC, the Jersey Shore, and the New York City, DoubleTree by Hilton delivers a quality experience for the whole family—and don’t forget the cookies! Starting this month, DoubleTree by Hilton is introducing a new way to plan and share trip ideas with the launch of DTour, a YouTube channel for the hotel industry created in collaboration with Google. DTour is an online destination for travelers eager to ‘take a DTour’ – and share their experiences with like-minded adventure-seekers around the world. The website integrates all the major social media networks in [...]

UK Entertainment Ideas for Family Summer Holidays

 Posted by on May 20, 2013  Comments Off
May 202013
 
UK Entertainment Ideas for Family Summer Holidays

Whether you are natives of Europe or visiting the United Kingdom from other regions, summer is a great time for family holidays.  The summer holidays give parents the opportunity to spend much more time with their children, but the long time off requires a lot more planning and imagination than a quick weekend or even mid-school break.  Whether you are looking for a weekend in the city, time at the beach, or a world class theme park, our UK travel partners tell us that families visiting the UK will never run out of ideas for entertaining the kids on summer holiday.  Here are some of their top recommendations: See a Show in London’s West End London’s West End is world famous and is currently hosting a number of child-friendly shows [...]

Apr 302013
 
A Spring Regatta Weekend in Saratoga Springs, NY

This recent Spring weekend found us in Saratoga Springs, NY cheering on the Princess as she participated in the Saratoga Invitational Crew races at Fish Creek on Lake Saratoga.  Our one night adventure included a quick tour of some of the city’s most famous landmarks, as well as an adults dinner and evening stroll around the thriving downtown.   Saratoga Springs is a college town, home to Skidmore College and SUNY Empire State College.  It is also a great base camp for exploring other nearby schools including Union College, RPI and Williams College. Whether you visit for a college tour, rowing, or as part of a family vacation, make time to check out the many historic landmarks.  This Victorian era town is dripping with history, as it has long been a destination for travelers [...]

Apr 182013
 
Family Travel Ideas: A Short Stay in The Historic City Of Exeter

Our travel friends and partners around the world continue to send us great ideas for all types of family getaways.  One of the most recent recommendations we’ve received is the historic city of Exeter in South West England.  The city itself dates back over two thousand years and the surrounding area can be traced back as far as the Jurassic period. Exeter has had a tumultuous past: over thrown and invaded several times since its founding; it tells a fascinating tale for the inquisitive visitor. Exeter’s Rougemont Castle is an essential attraction. Although limited areas of the castle remain, it paints an intriguing picture of the city’s history. Originally started in the 11th century, after Exeter rebelled against William the Conqueror, it was built into the Roman city walls. It [...]