Our Favorite Family-Friendly Destinations in the Northeast
There’s something special about summer in the Northeast. Within just a few hours, you can trade city streets for sandy beaches, mountain trails, charming small towns, or lakeside sunsets. Whether your family loves building sandcastles, hiking scenic trails, strolling through quaint downtowns, or simply slowing down by the water, there’s no shortage of incredible destinations to explore. Much of our team is on the East Coast, so we thought it would be fun to put a summer travel blog together! We pulled our favorites together here, with each of us sharing a destination we love and the details that make it work with kids in tow. Some are a short drive from the New York area, others are worth the longer haul, and every one has earned its place on our list.
Our Northeast picks at a glance
Newport, Rhode Island
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Boston, Massachusetts
Lake George, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Rocking Horse Ranch, New York
Coastal and island escapes
Newport, Rhode Island
Meg’s pick, Founder & Lead Certified Sleep Consultant
Newport is one of our family’s favorite spots, and at about a three hour drive from New York, so it feels like a true escape without the long haul. I grew up vacationing in Rhode Island, my husband and I were married there, and it has become a real tradition for our family of six. Our home base is usually the Wyndham Long Wharf downtown, where a two or three bedroom suite gives everyone room to rest, plus a full kitchen and indoor and outdoor pools.
Our days stay simple: mornings at Second Beach for its gentle surf, afternoon downtime while the youngest naps, and dinner out followed by waffle cones at Sprinkles. Family favorites include Bar ’Cino, Pasta Beach, and The Mooring. When we need a break from the sand, the Cliff Walk suits the older kids, Ryan Family Amusements is a rainy-day rescue, and Mystic Aquarium makes an easy day trip on the way home. Our full Newport post covers our packing system and daily rhythm in more detail.
Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Emily’s pick, Brand & Marketing Lead
Martha’s Vineyard packs a wide range of activities into a low-key setting, with calm beaches, walkable towns, farms, and wildlife trails. Our favorite beach is Lamberts Cove near Vineyard Haven, small and calm and perfect for young kids to explore. In Oak Bluffs, the nation’s oldest carousel is a must: I grew up riding it with my cousins, and now I get to watch my daughter light up on it, and if she catches the brass ring she earns a free ride. Edgartown is our other favorite, a walkable town full of shops and cafes where we like to sit on the dock and watch the Chappy ferry go back and forth.
For treats, Mad Martha's Ice Cream is the best on the island and a must-stop at least once every trip. And it wouldn't be a trip to Martha's Vineyard without a lobster roll! The Seafood Shanty in Edgartown is always our first choice, best enjoyed dockside. We also grab steamed lobsters from The Net Result to enjoy at the house one night. We stay at a family home, but if you are renting, look for something within walking distance of Oak Bluffs or Edgartown, where the most is going on, and the Winnetu Oceanside Resort has a great reputation with families. One logistical note: you reach the Vineyard by small plane or ferry, and with kids we prefer the car ferry for the storage and the convenience of our own vehicle. If you travel in summer, reserve the car ferry months ahead, since spaces fill quickly.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Caroline’s pick, Certified Sleep Consultant
Rehoboth has been our family beach town since our daughter was a baby! It is a perfect family spot that strikes the perfect middle ground – calmer than a big, busy boardwalk town but has a walkable downtown full of shops, ice cream, and restaurants, a small boardwalk, and plenty of tucked-away playgrounds.
The beach is the heart of it, with lifeguards for peace of mind and easy access. For a rainy day, Funland is a covered amusement park with rides sized for younger kids, and there are outlets and a Build-A-Bear nearby. We hit Rise Up Coffee and a playground most mornings to burn off early energy before the beach. We love staying in the Pines neighborhood for its easy walkability. We usually cook at our rental home though Bethany Beach, under twenty minutes away, has a scenic, kid-friendly meal at Ropewalk.
City adventures
Boston, Massachusetts
Jessica’s pick, Certified Sleep Consultant
Boston is a wonderful city for families, especially once kids are old enough to take in some history. We toured the USS Constitution, one of the oldest warships still afloat, which is fascinating to walk through. A Boston Harbor boat tour gave us the city from a different angle along with plenty of history, and the Freedom Trail is perfect if your family likes to walk, winding past historic landmarks, old churches, and parks where the kids can stop and play.
For the sports fans among us, touring Fenway Park was a highlight. It is the oldest Major League ballpark still in play, and a must if that is your family’s thing. How much you pack in depends on your children’s ages and interests, but a full city day runs long, so we lean on an earlier bedtime to help everyone recover.
Lakes and mountains
Lake George, New York
Meg’s pick, Founder & Lead Certified Sleep Consultant
If Newport is our lively trip, Lake George is our reset button. For three summers running we have stayed in the village of Bolton Landing at the Sagamore Resort, and the slower pace is the whole point: swimming, boating, s’mores, and simple joys the kids remember.The Sagamore is a historic spot that keeps kids busy while parents can actually relax. My kids usually start and end their days at the recreation center having a blast rock climbing and playing mini golf. Our days are usually a combination of swimming in the pools, , 3 p.m. ice cream socials, and evening bonfires with music. We stayed in the main hotel when the kids were small and needed Pack ’n Plays, and now book a family lodge for the extra space and kitchenette. Off-resort, the “Ridin’ with Rich” private boat tour has been our must-do three years running, and Saratoga Race Track, about 45 minutes away, is a great rainy-day option. Our full Lake George post has our lodge breakdown and a sample daily itinerary.
Lake Placid, New York
Molly’s pick, Certified Sleep Consultant
We head to Lake Placid every summer, and it has become one of our favorite trips. It is a go-at-your-own-pace kind of place. We rent a cabin with bunk rooms and a fire pit, an easy home base for our girls, ages seven and four. The outdoors is the main draw. Our days are spent on gentle river walks near the old covered bridge, where the kids climb the rocks and swim in the clear water, and at Mirror Lake, where you can grab a day pass and rent kayaks or paddleboards right off Main Street.The Olympic jumping complex is a must: you ride a glass elevator to the top of the 120-meter tower, learn about the athletes who train there year round, and often catch a jumper in action. This year, we are adding the mountain coaster, the wheeled bobsled, and a ropes course through Experience Outdoors. On Sundays, we visit the Keene Valley farmers market at Marcy Field for food trucks and live music. Mornings start at Origin Coffee across from the speed skating oval, and most nights we grill at the cabin and finish with s’mores. A few packing notes: sturdy water shoes with real grip, a life vest and goggles for the youngest, and my own sound machine and blackout curtains, since you never know how dark or quiet a rental will be.
All-inclusive resort
Rocking Horse Ranch, Highland, New York
Sara’s pick, Certified Sleep Consultant
If you are in southern New York or close to the Hudson Valley and want everything in one manageable spot, Rocking Horse Ranch is a wonderful couple-of-nights getaway.Once you arrive, everything is within walking distance rather than spread across a sprawling property. The activities are the real draw, horseback riding is even included in your stay!There are playgrounds, an indoor pool with an obstacle course, indoor and outdoor water slides, and a splash area for the little ones.
Summer brings dry tubing down the mountain, and winter adds skiing and lessons. A daily activity list keeps things going with bingo, mini bowling, an arcade, mini golf, boating, and laser tag. It is all-inclusive, which we find easy with kids because meals are covered right down to the day you leave, there is a self-serve sundae station, and they were very accomodating to our gluten and dairy free dietary needs. The rooms have an Adirondack feel, with family suites offering two rooms and two bathrooms plus bunk options, so kids can have their own sleep space rather than everyone sharing.
Keeping sleep on track while traveling
A new place does not have to mean a lost night. The families who travel best are usually the ones with a solid routine at home, because that consistency is exactly what earns you flexibility on the road. A few simple habits carry over to any destination.
Protect the routine even in an unfamiliar space, bring familiar sleep cues like a sound machine and a lovey, and if your child is still in a crib, use a Pack ’n Play so your child has a safe, independent sleep space. When a nap runs short or gets skipped, move bedtime a little earlier to keep overtiredness from snowballing. If you are fitting several kids into one room, a little planning about who sleeps where goes a long way, and we walk through that in our room sharing post. For more on packing and pacing a trip, our family travel tips cover the essentials, and if sleep slips while you are away, our schedule reset post helps you find your footing once you are home.
Final Thoughts
Family trips like these are worth taking. The long car rides, the sandy floors, and the slightly-off nap days are all part of it, and the memories your kids carry from a week at the lake or a morning at the beach far outlast one imperfect night of sleep.
The good news is that your family’s sleep can travel with you. With a strong foundation at home and a few familiar comforts in the bag, you have the freedom to say yes to the trip and still protect the rest everyone needs. If your child’s sleep needs a reset before a big trip or after you get home, book a complimentary consultation with A Restful Night. We will look at the full picture and build a plan that fits your family’s real life.
Meg O'Leary is an Infant and Child Sleep Expert and the founder of A Restful Night. Based in Westchester County, NY, she leads a team of certified sleep coaches to provide virtual support to families across the US and around the world.
