Where to go on a getaway from central NJ with a baby
April 3, 2017 2:20 PM   Subscribe

Where to go on a getaway from central NJ with a baby?

My wife and I have a three month old and I was thinking it'd be a good time to get away for a little bit and was looking for advice on where to go.

Details:

It doesn't have to be this weekend, or even soon, so suggestions about specific events in the future are very welcome. Nothing is planned at all yet so it could be just for a weekend or a little longer.

We're totally comfortable exploring with the baby in a stroller or wrap, so I'm thinking that outdoorsy, walking places would be good but nothing too strenuous or rough terrain. It doesn't have to be outdoors, it could be places with a cool museum or other attractions.

We live in central NJ so anywhere within 3-4 hours or maybe more (5-6 tops) would probably be about where we'd be willing to drive.

We've never really been north. We have friends in Connecticut that we visit from time to time, but haven't really explored anywhere further and I'd kind of like to, especially if the weather is nice.

We've lived in Philadelphia and NYC so not really looking for anything there.

We're not really looking to break the bank. An admission fee or a few is fine, but probably want to spend money mostly just on food, gas and hotels.

I won't threadsit, but I'm happy to answer any questions about anything I might have omitted.

Thank you!
posted by cali59 to Travel & Transportation (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
You could do Mystic. You can bring the baby to the aquarium, visit Mystic seaport (if you enjoy history or the sea), and pop by one of the nearby beaches with the baby. You could stay at the Whaler's Inn right in town so there's no strapping into a car seat if you want to stroll to town to get dinner or a drink.

It's not a huge town but probably just enough to do.
posted by ReluctantViking at 2:41 PM on April 3, 2017


Woodloch Resort in the Poconos is a quick drive and well set-up for a weekend with a baby. There's a little splash pool area and a petting zoo and all your meals are included. There are also activities for the adults to steal away and enjoy: go-karts, skeet shooting, lots of waterfront stuff in the summer, snow tubing in the winter. Feels a bit like the resort from Dirty Dancing. It's not the most glamorous or amazing place, but is an easy no-brainer quickie from central NJ.

There's also Mohonk Mountain House, which is spendier and more upscale, but the same general idea.


One last thought: at three months old, your child won't much care what activities you do, so long as the established daily schedule isn't upset too much. So you can probably squeak in a last gallery-hopping weekend or visit house museums in Newport or have whatever grown-up vacation you had before, with Jr bundled along in a carrier. Next year there will be opinions and the need to touch everything in sight, so you won't be quite so free!
posted by apparently at 2:44 PM on April 3, 2017 [2 favorites]


We were super impressed with the Baltimore Museum of Art, and found lodgings in the Inner Harbor pleasant & inexpensive.

To the north, Storm King Art Center is one of my favorite places on earth. If you feel like continuing north up the Thruway, another outdoor art ... thing, Opus 40, is an hour past Storm King. The two places are very different, but strike me as counter points to one another.
posted by willpie at 3:32 PM on April 3, 2017 [1 favorite]


Mohonk
posted by bq at 4:30 PM on April 3, 2017


Mohonk is a wonderful area and preserve, but I'll even go as far as saying it's a waste of lots of money to stay at the actual Mohonk Mtn House. There are many great smaller inns and B&Bs nearby, from which you can access the area.
posted by Dashy at 5:23 PM on April 3, 2017


Seconding Baltimore.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 6:20 PM on April 3, 2017


Nthing Baltimore. Here's some more ideas you can look into if interested:

- Saratoga Springs, NY - you can walk around a cute town, and drink from all the natural springs. It's a fun place to spend a weekend.
- Rhode Island - there's Block Island, Narragansett, Newport (which has some pretty cool mansions to explore, and a beautiful Cliff Walk along the coast)
- If you feel up to driving a bit further, about 6 hours away-ish is Cape Cod, which is just awesome. Beaches, ponds, bogs, good seafood, Provincetown is really fun, lighthouses, etc.
- Chincoteague and Asateague (islands, Virginia) about 3-4 hours south. They have wild ponies and they are just the cutest.
posted by FireFountain at 10:31 PM on April 3, 2017


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