Day trips from Lake Sebago

My family and I will be attending a family reunion at Lake Sebago in July. I am sure we will need a little ';away'; time and plan on taking a few day trips to see the surrounding scenery. I would appreciate any advice on good trips in the area. We have two daughters, ages 7 and 4, and they are good in the car. We live in Arizona and don%26#39;t know when we might be in Maine again....want to make sure we see some of the highlights. Thanks in advance for advice!

Day trips from Lake Sebago

You%26#39;ll be in a great spot for a day trip up into the White Mountains of NH. Depending on what part of Sebago you will be about an hour from the North Conway, NH area. This area is my favorite for scenery and one of my wife%26#39;s favorite for shopping. Also is it a great area for younger kids. There are several small amusement parks for younger kids in the area. Note I have not been to any of them in a few years but as far as I know they are still the same. There is Santa%26#39;s Village, Story Land, and Six Gun City and Splash park, there is another one to I think but cant recall the name. All three of the above a great for the youngsters. Dont expect a Disney like park but at your kids age they should love them. Maybe a whole group of kids from the family could go up to one or two of them for a day.

A few other things in that area the whole family might enjoy is a drive up Mount Washington, or a ride up it on the cog railway, the train ride out of Conway has good scenery and kids like riding on the train, there is also a ride up a mountain on one of the trams. You can check the NH forum for lots of info on this. There is lots more to do in that area mostly related to nature, like hiking and waterfalls. That whole area is just wonderful and very scenic.

Of course being from Arizona with your lack of oceanfront property you may enjoy some time at the ocean as well. For this there are many beaches in Southern Maine for some time along the water, Old Orchard Beach being one of them. The water will still be a bit cold then and the beaches should not be as crowded as they will be in late July and August. I will let others make the suggestions for the Southern coast as I myself prefer the mountains so that is what I always reccomend.

Day trips from Lake Sebago

I would agree that a day trip to NH would be a lot of fun. However, if opt to head east, instead of west, I%26#39;d suggest a day in Portland. Maine%26#39;s largest city is filled with fun things to do.

Casco Bay lines runs ferry service to several of the bigger (inhabited) islands that dot the bay. For less than $10/each, you%26#39;ll get a round trip ticket to Peaks Island (30-minute ride) and the Captain points out interesting sights along the way. Most likely, you%26#39;ll see some harbor seals, too. If you%26#39;re feeling more adventurous, you can take a whale watch boat out of Portland harbor. I don%26#39;t know the cost of these excursions, but they last for the better part of the day. There%26#39;s also Duck Boat tours of the city, but again these are more expensive and require a more serious time commitment.

Once back in town, there%26#39;s great shopping and restaurants in the Old Port. (And yes, kids, lots of ice cream shops.) It%26#39;s fun meandering around the cobble stone streets. On the weekends, The Portland Lobster Company (at the foot of DiMillo%26#39;s Wharf) has a jazz band playing in their outdoor seating area. It%26#39;s a kick.

One final thought. If your family is into baseball, the Portland Sea Dogs play at Haddlock (not Haddock ; ) ). This AA team is affiliated with the Red Sox--and they pack a lot of family entertainment into every game. General admission tickets are usually available on game day for $6. Of course, you can also reserve them online.

Have fun!

Thanks so much for the good suggestions! Portland sounds like a closeby and interesting place to spend a day. The girls would love the ferry and I would enjoy the historical aspects. I also like the idea of taking a trip toward the mountains and will definitely do some research on the North Conway area. We like the idea of daytrips that don%26#39;t require an entire day of driving so both options sound good.

Thanks again!

Cape Elizabeth is a nice afternoon trip. The lobster shack at Two Lights Park has terrific maine seafood sandwiches (go for the crab!) and the kids will love a walk on the rocky shore looking for starfish etc.