Welcome to Moms Talk!

The Tewksbury Patch Moms Council is made of of moms throughout the community from all different walks of life. Each week, the moms tackle a different question posed by readers of Tewksbury Patch on issues of life, family and motherhood. This week's topic is summer vacation spots.

Dear Moms Council,

I have three children under age 6. Where would be a good, kid-friendly place in New England to go for summer vacation?

The Answers:

Sue Panilaitis -- Besides the beloved Santa’s Village and Story Land in the White Mountains of NH, consider a trip to Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard as an easy way to entertain children at the ocean.  Acadia National Park is a favorite destination in Maine since it includes many options: hiking and biking trails, a beach, and children’s programs.  East Hill Farm in Troy NH allows you to vacation on an authentic farm filled with activities for kids.  Other options include “Day out with Thomas” at the Edaville USA in Carver MA and a trip up the Mount Washington on the Cog Railway.  For other day trips, think about York’s Wild Kingdom (ME), Ruggles Mine (NH), Mystic Aquarium (CT), The Butterfly Place (MA), or the Prudential Sky Walk in Boston.

Maureen Castiglione -- We generally don't do traditional summer vacations, but do a series of day trips instead.  For day trips the ideas are endless.  Spend a day at the beach; go into Boston for the day and explore - the Freedom Trail, the Boston Garden, the Boston Common, Faneuil Hall.  If you want to visit museums, there are a ton, and a lot of them offer free days (Tewksbury LIbrary's Museum Pass Program is outstanding!).  You can check out Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, ME.  You can visit Salem, MA and tour historical sites there.  If you enjoy nature, you can spend a day at Harold Parker Forrest (Andover); Walden Pond (Concord); Breakheart Reservation (Lynn); or DeCordova Sculpture Park (Lincoln).

Michelle Sorrentino -- I have two kids, both under 6 and one of the things that we love to do is to go to Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH. You can ride the gondola to the top and walk around. There are caves that you can explore and are lots of fun. We bring a picnic lunch and find a spot along the trails to sit and have lunch or you can sit at the picnic tables up at the top. If you choose not to bring a lunch, they have a small cafe style eatery where you can purchase snacks or sandwiches. You only have to pay for the tickets to ride the gondola. You can also take the regular ski lift (but that depends on the wind). There is a new eatery at the bottom of the mountain as well as a new mini zip line, bungee trampoline and a rock wall.

The other places that you can visit are: The Polar Caves in Rumney, NH; Wales Tale Waterpark, Lincoln, NH; Attitash, Bartlet, NH. If you are interested in doing Storyland, you can turn this into a 3-4 day trip since these place are within an hour from each other.

Do you have a question you would like our Moms Council to answer? Send your question to jen.momscouncil@gmail.com