Weekend Summer Rhode Trips

Summer is here! School is out, and the busy schedule of the year may have lightened up, leaving the perfect opportunity to head out for a little vacation without the stress of rearranging a jam-packed schedule.

Where to go, though?! And what to do? Let’s dive into a handful of summer road trip destinations from our little corner of the Northeast.

Depending on traffic, Cape Cod is less than 2 hours away. Hotel pricing typically starts at $125 to $200 a night or a nice selection of campgrounds for less. Between the beaches, rail trail bike path,  children’s museum,  Sandwich Boardwalk, nature preserves, the Cape Cod National Seashore, and whale-watching tours, there’s more than enough to do! If you’re looking for the typical tourist/kid-geared activities, the Cape has a water park, an inflatable park, mini golf,  batting cages, and bumper boats.  Discounts for these activities can be found on Groupon or Living Social. A more comprehensive list of activities is available here.

Just over a 4-hour drive away, this can be another fun place to check out. Lodging typically starts at around $175+ for a hotel room. If you are the adventurous camping type, tent sites start around $40. There is a fun array of factory tours available from chocolate, teddy bears, cheese, or ice cream. Burlington boasts several breweries for the parents to hit up (don’t worry, there are easy ways to keep the kids entertained!), farms to check out on your drive up or down, hiking, bike trails, state parks to explore, a rock climbing center, kayak and boat tours on Lake Champlain, and so many other things!

Depending on where you stay, Philadelphia is about a 5 to 6 hour drive from Providence. Hotels start at about $150+ a night. Consider staying in a town just outside of Philadelphia at a hotel that offers free parking. Be adventurous and take the commuter rail into the city. Take the kids on a tour of our nation’s history by checking out the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, then grab lunch at Reading Terminal. Young children will love the Please Touch Museum and Franklin Square; older kids will have a blast at The Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Check out a full list of ideas here.

Approximately a four-hour drive from Providence, the White Mountains of New Hampshire has so much to offer families! Hotels are about $100+ a night and there is always camping!  Amusement parks like Story Land and Santa’s Village are sure to delight children. If you’re looking to head into nature, explore the Lost River Gorge and Caves, check out Franconia Notch State Park with the flume gorge and the iconic Old Man on the Mountain, or go hiking through Mount Washington State Park. Looking for another way to explore the mountain without hiking? Make a reservation for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, head to the Cranmore Mountain Resort, or check out Clark’s Trading Post.