New England Babymoon Ideas.

Last week I shared a little recap of our babymoon getaway weekend. Before we decided to spend a weekend on Nantucket for some R&R pre-baby arrival (and the madness of the holiday season), I was doing some research on babymoon destinations and felt like there weren’t many resources out there for this type of a trip. The babymoon concept has gained more popularity in the last few years, and up until recently most people I knew that took one ended up going somewhere warm and tropical. It wasn’t really an option for us to pick a destination that required plane tickets or tons of time off (and sadly, with the spread of the Zika virus, my doctor cautioned us against traveling anywhere too far south). Those factors kept us in the New England travel radius, and helped me narrow down a few key places to consider going. We ended up picking Nantucket because it was just at the edge of the off-season and neither of us had been there for more than a day trip before.

In my research though, and past few years of our fun weekend adventures, I accumulated a shortlist of a few other fun places around New England that would make ideal babymoon spots! I thought I’d share a few of my ideas below, and if you have others share them in the comments. I’d love to hear where you went if you got the chance to take a babymoon or New England weekend getaway!

The Maine Coast. We’ve had many fun weekends and day trips up to Maine and I couldn’t think of a better getaway idea than taking a trip up the Maine Coast. I’d make a one night stop in Portland and explore all of the quaint little side streets and shops – Blanche and Mimi and Folly 101 were two I loved during out last visit. The food in Portland is also amazing, have a lobster roll at Eventide and wake up early to get a big box of donuts from the Holy Donut. When we were last in Maine we made two brewery stops that I enjoyed while pregnant – the first was in Portland at Shipyard Brewing where I had a flight of artisan sodas while my husband sipped on a tasting of their beers. We headed up to Freeport next where we visited the Maine Beer Company, which also had some tasty local root beers and amazing soft pretzels with mustard dipping sauce – I snacked while my better half enjoyed  their awesome beer. You can’t stop in Freeport without a visit to the L.L. Bean flagship store; I make it my mission to get a fresh monogrammed tote on most visits. That area is also full of great outlet shopping, so walk around and check out the deals! Heading north, I’d recommend continuing your lobster roll crawl and grab a famous version of the Maine specialty at Red’s Eats in Wiscasset (and if you’re in the neighborhood, walk up the street to Rock Paper Scissor for darling paper goods and gifts!). Another amazing spot we’ve enjoyed heading North through Maine is Waterman’s Beach Lobster – it’s off the beaten path but has a great lobster roll (served on a hamburger bun!), breathtaking waterfront views, is BYOB, and has the BEST pie I’ve ever eaten in my life. I promise you it’s worth the drive! One of the best little Maine towns to head to after that is Camden, which has all the quintessential charm of a coastal New England destination without the overly touristy buzz you get in other places. If you’ve made it this far, take a night to enjoy a stay at White Hall – you can play corn hole on the front lawn, enjoy a city-quality cocktail (or mocktail!) from their lobby bar, and indulge in some dining at the Pig and Poet.

Newport, RI. I’ve had quite a few wild weekends in Newport, including my bachelorette party, so I’d love the chance to go back and experience the city again – maybe this time with a slightly less paralyzing hangover! One of the best parts of Newport is the amazing variety of places to stay. For my bachelorette party we were with a large group, so we rented a house for the weekend that was a close walk to town. I’ve been back twice since for an overnight and have stayed at the Gilded Hotel, which is a feast for the eyes – if you’re a design lover you would adore this hotel! It’s a bright, jewel-tone infused nod to the Golden Age and you’ll feel like a guest at modern-day Gatsby fete if you stay here. The other property I’ve stayed at is The Attwater, and there is plenty more color and design-details here too, but this hotel has a much more nautical twist to it. It’s in a great location close to the Tennis Hall of Fame and the Newport Mansions. If you head to Newport, I absolutely recommend touring some of the mansions, and weather-permitting try the Cliff Walk. I had the opportunity to explore the Breakers during one of my trips to Newport, and it was breathtakingly beautiful, and so interesting to learn about the history of the families and stories behind the homes. It’s a bit of Downton Abbey meets Americana – if you’re into that kind of stuff! Taking in the waterfront views is another great activity if you’re Newport – I recommend hopping on one of the many sailing tours in the area and exploring Newport from the water. Another great way to take in the waterfront views is with a happy hour snack and sip on the lawn at Castle Hill – even if you’re not staying the night you can enjoy a little pre-dinner snack and sip from the picturesque Adirondack chairs that are scattered across the property’s front lawn. Of course you’re on a babymoon so you’ll need to eat, I’ve had a great meal at the Midtown Oyster Bar that satisfies all of your New England seafood cravings.

Stowe, VT. Stowe was high on our babymoon list and I think will be in our plans to visit after we have the baby! I have a close friend that had her babymoon weekend in Stowe and she stayed at Field Guide – I’ve been hoping to go ever since she shared her experience! If you happen to get Field Guide before I do, make sure you stop at Picnic Social for a bite to eat; I’ve had their chicken potpie and s’mores on my “to-eat” list and can’t wait to try them some day. Having visited nearby Burlington, VT with another friend that’s a native of the area, I know that there is so much to do and see (and eat!). This is a babymoon guys, so it’s totally acceptable to go to the Cabot Cheese tasting room AND the Ben and Jerry’s factory in the same afternoon, In fact you should probably stop for a cider donut at one of the many darling farms you’ll pass to make it a well-rounded meal! If you’re driving to Stowe from the south, I’d make a little excursion to visit the Plymouth Artisan Cheese Company, grab a few of their amazing artisan cheeses (that you can see being made on site!) to snack on during your drive up.

Nantucket. I can’t wrap up my post without a nod to our own babymoon destination! For some reason, I always feel like a ferry ride makes a long weekend away feel like so much more of an escape than just a regular car-ride adventure. Nantucket ended up being a perfect choice for us, because what we really wanted was a little bit of quiet time. We live a very busy life, and it can be so hard to shut-off during our nights and weekends, so we were lucky to find our Nantucket getaway as the solution to that challenge. The cell phone service is a little spotty, the people around you operate on “island time” and everyone seems to be enjoying their own bit of respite from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. You can read my full recap of the babymoon here, but a few of the highlights of our trip were an amazing meal at Ventuno, an afternoon of enjoying live music and food (and beers for him!) at Cisco Brewery, window shopping and strolling, and our stay at 21 Broad – which was a very large contributor to our ability to fully relax here!

There is no shortage of great destinations to choose from for your New England babymoon, I had lots more to consider on my list! I’ve had a great time staying in and exploring Portsmouth, NH – which can be coupled in with your trip to Portland, ME. If you’re into the island-getaway idea, take the ferry over to Block Island in the summer for a overnight, or spend some time exploring Martha’s Vineyard which has a lot of the perks of Nantucket but is bigger so makes a better destination for a longer trip. I’ve also had a long weekend in Salem on my list, it’s a big tourist destination for out-of-state residents but I’ve never spent much time there; with the opening of The Merchant – a stylish new boutique hotel – I’ve been pushing it farther up my list to visit! And one of my favorite hidden gems for beachy getaways in New England is Narragansett. It’s off the radar, but has great beaches, fun little spots to stay, and is close to activities in Newport to explore.

Once you pick your destination, be sure to check out my blog post with tips for planning an awesome vacation – I follow these each time we head out on our newest getaway adventures!

Please note: I’ve previously received complimentary stays at some of the Lark Hotels noted in this post. All opinions, images, and content are my own.