Quick answer: We drove a blended family of six from Wisconsin to Maine and back over 10 days, hitting Niagara Falls, Vermont, Lake George, Lake Luzerne (NY), the Maine coast, Acadia National Park, Salem, New York City, and Hersheypark, plus one unplanned $1,500 breakdown on the Ohio Turnpike in Cleveland.
We did not take a perfect vacation.
We took a real one.
Six people. One Honda Pilot. Ten days. Niagara Falls to Vermont to Maine to Salem to New York City to Hersheypark, and then, unplanned, a breakdown on I-76 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Niagara Falls: Where the Trip Begins and Everything Goes Quiet
Some places don’t just impress you. They stop you.
We hit Niagara Falls State Park on the US side first, arriving around 11 AM in nearly 97-degree heat. It was packed. It was loud. A sun hat changed hands four times in the first hour.
And standing at the edge of that much moving water, none of that mattered.
The sound alone cuts through everything. There is no room for the noise inside your head when the falls are in front of you. Everyone around us, hundreds of people from everywhere, was looking at the same thing and nobody was saying much.
Connection moment: that shared speechlessness, hundreds of strangers all quiet at once, looking at the same thing. It is its own kind of connection, and you cannot get it anywhere but somewhere this big.
We walked the whole path and skipped the trolley entirely. Flat, paved, one viewpoint flowing naturally into the next. Two hours was the right amount of time. We left before it became too much.
The memory we kept was not the mist or the overlook photo. It was the kids running toward us, the hat askew on the wrong head, everyone laughing too hard to care about the heat.
You cannot plan those moments. You just have to show up.
We wrote a full guide to Niagara Falls with kids: crowds, tips, what to skip, and what to bring.
There were moments of pure magic on this trip. A granddaughter pedaling a boat across a glassy lake at dawn. Kids earning junior ranger badges at Acadia. Wine by the water after the children were asleep.
There were also cold lobster bisque, a seasick husband, two failed seafood restaurant attempts, and a tow truck that cost more than our first hotel.
This is that trip. All of it.
The Stop We Skipped: Watkins Glen
We had Watkins Glen State Park on the route. Nineteen waterfalls in under two miles. It is exactly the kind of stop we would normally make without hesitation.
We drove past it.
Everyone was tired. The kids needed a break. The adults needed a break. Sometimes reading the room is better trip planning than any itinerary, and the room said keep driving.
We will go back for Watkins Glen on its own trip. It deserves that.
Vermont: A Day Trip Worth the Detour
Vermont does something to you. The mountains soften the noise inside your head before you even realize how loud it was.
We have a weak spot for waterfalls, so when we spotted one from the road, we pulled into the park and got out. Everyone but our teenager, who’s in her angsty, not-really-into-adventure phase right now and stayed in the car. The rest of us hiked back and climbed over to reach it. Zo fell crossing the rocks and skinned her leg. We stayed anyway, playing and taking in the beauty for about an hour, halfway up a mountain in Vermont.
We stopped at Lake Champlain Chocolates and it was worth every minute of the detour. The hot cocoa alone could have turned the whole trip around on a bad day. We didn’t have a bad day. We had a great one.
Lake George: The Stop Along the Way
We reached Lake George right at sunset. It was gorgeous: mountains on every side, the tourist shops still closed for the season, which gave the whole place a quiet, just-for-us feel. We walked along the coast, took some pictures, drove on, and stopped to take a few more. It was the perfect place to stretch our legs and just sit with the beauty for a while.
Lake Luzerne, New York: Where It Starts to Feel Real
Our motel had a broken sign and a Bates Motel energy from the parking lot at night. We almost kept driving.
We didn’t. And we were glad.
The room was beautiful and spacious. The lake outside was calm and wide. There were boats available to use, life vests, a firepit, a grill, a full kitchen. The kind of place that looks like nothing and is actually everything.
One morning, before the rest of the family stirred, one of the kids and I took a canoe out alone. The water was still. Nobody needed anything. We just paddled.
That is the moment I will remember longest from this stretch of the trip.
When another child woke up, she joined us for a pedal boat ride. John and I ended the day with wine by the lake in the quiet after everyone was down.
Connection moment: a quiet canoe at dawn with one kid, nobody needing anything, just the paddle and the water. Some of the best connection happens when nothing is scheduled.
If you are looking for a couples getaway that does not feel like a couples getaway, Lake Luzerne deserves its own article. We’re working on it.
We would go back. We would stay longer.
Note: It was early season, June 11th. Lake Luzerne had not fully opened yet and the school across the street was still in session. Keep that in mind if you want full amenities.
Maine: Rockport, Camden, and the Coast That Gets Inside You
We stayed at a country inn in Rockport, just outside Camden, and it reset us completely.
Camden is a coastal city that feels like it was designed for the exact moment you need it. The dock is enchanting. The food is good. The lemonade is homemade.
A local we met, the kind of colorful character you only find when you slow down enough to talk to strangers, gave us better recommendations in ten minutes than any travel site had in an hour of searching. He told us to climb Mt. Battie, visit the Owl and Turtle bookshop and coffee on Bay View Street, and that only drunk fishermen are out on the town after 7:30.
He was not wrong about any of it.
The kids explored the waterfront and found a small waterfall. They spent a long time looking for crabs and sea creatures, watching boats move in and out of the harbor. There is a specific kind of quiet focus children get near water. It is one of the best things travel gives them.
Shaw’s, by the way, is a better grocery store than Hannaford’s. Important local intel.
The Whale Watch: When the Ocean Has Other Plans
This was a Christmas gift. Fourteen miles out. 450 feet deep. A proper whale watching adventure out of Kennebunkport.
No whales. No seals. No dolphins. A few jellyfish. Some seagulls.
Two members of our crew were seasick and, fairly, hate boats. The disappointment was real and well handled. The tour company offered a free return trip, which was a generous gesture that some of us will take and others absolutely will not.
The kids who loved it climbed above deck and chased the spray the whole way. They were not even slightly bothered by the empty ocean. They were just out there living in it.
The port at Kennebunkport is properly adorable. Worth the drive even without the whales.
Seafood dinner, take three: We tried twice before we got it right. Taste of Maine, then Claws. Both misses, no kid-friendly seafood in sight. Third try was a waterfront spot in Camden: the lobster bisque came out cold, but there was lobster, there was fish the kids would actually eat, and for the first time in hours, nobody at the table was hangry.
Lesson learned: preview the children’s menu online before you commit, especially for seafood on the Maine coast.
Acadia: The Trip Inside the Trip
Acadia National Park is magnificent.
Rocky coastlines. Pine forests. Tidal pools. Lighthouse bells in the fog. Rocks to climb and rocks to skip. Misty air that smells like something ancient.
The kids earned junior ranger badges. That program is worth seeking out at every national park you visit. It gives children a mission, and children with a mission are a different species entirely.
One of our crew sat this day out by choice, taking a rest and a long swim in the hotel pool until her fingers and toes went wrinkly. That was the right call for her and we honored it.
The rest of us came back changed a little. Acadia does that.
Salem: Spooky, Touristy, and Surprisingly Romantic
Salem surprised us.
It was more tourist-forward than expected. Many of the genuinely occult shops were closed, likely due to a pride event happening in town. The tourist shops were open and doing well.
Blackcraft Coffee was the standout stop. A large, full gothic coffee shop with excellent coffee and a real point of view. Worth finding.
There is a large collectibles shop downtown the kids loved, full of games and trading cards.
We had a real conversation on the streets of Salem about language, identity, and history. The kind of conversation that happens when you travel somewhere with intention and pay attention to what is around you.
Connection moment: a real conversation about language, identity, and history, right there on the sidewalk. Those conversations are the whole point of traveling with intention.
Salem also has quiet romantic potential hiding underneath the tourist layer. We’re working on a separate piece just for that.
New York City: Half a Day and Fully Worth It
We stayed in White Plains. Our room was upgraded. Having a bedroom with a door felt like a luxury at that point in the trip.
We took the train into the city. FAO Schwarz. Nintendo. Times Square. The Lego Store. New York pizza.
They saw Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building from the street. We did not make it to Brooklyn. Half a day in New York City with kids is still a New York City day and we will take it.
Everyone picked up a souvenir. Nobody melted down. That counts as a win.
Hersheypark: Chaotic, Delicious, and Completely Necessary
The hotel smelled of mold. The park was excellent.
Hersheypark is well laid out. Some of the big rides were closed due to wind, and since not all were closed no rain dates were offered, which stings a little at that price point. But what was open delivered.
The rides earned their reputation. Reese’s Cupfusion turned into an all-out family duel. You need to know about this ride before you go. The monorail and the train worked as genuine rest breaks between coasters, which mattered more than we expected. And the big roller coasters delivered.
But the best moment wasn’t a ride at all. Making a custom candy bar sounds like a gift shop gimmick until you watch one of your kids light up over choosing their own mix-ins. It was one of the most genuinely joyful moments of the whole trip. The Chocolate World tour backed it up, cooler than it has any right to sound.
The Philly steaks were the size of a small child. Portions designed for a different appetite than ours. The hot dogs were a foot long and eleven dollars. We are not complaining exactly. Just noting.
The Wild Mouse was a mistake for tall adults with knee concerns. File that away.
Cleveland: The Breakdown
We did not plan to spend time in Cleveland.
The car went down on the Ohio Turnpike. When you break down on a turnpike, you use their tow company. That is not negotiable and it is not cheap.
In one hour: we arranged the tow, booked an Uber (20 minutes away, $60), canceled our next hotel, rebooked a closer one, and had all the kids in bed by 9:30.
The replacement hotel smelled of smoke. The breakfast the next morning was yogurt, muffins, one orange, and instant coffee. It was clear people were living there long-term. We were grateful for a safe room and bug-free beds and we moved on.
The car was ready by 3pm. We were on the road by 4. $1,500 later.
This is why you keep a travel emergency fund that you do not touch for anything else. We had it. We used it. We went home.
The kids handled it better than expected. That matters more than the money.
Connection moment: nobody panicked and nobody blamed anybody. We each grabbed a piece of the problem, kids included, and solved it together. That is what actually holding it together looks like.
What We Learned
Snack boxes repacked every night cut the “I’m hungry” complaints significantly. By day four, sandwiches had lost their appeal. Next time we add soft shell tacos, fried chicken, or something warm to break up the routine.
Preview children’s menus before you commit to a restaurant, especially for specialized cuisine. Seafood restaurants on the Maine coast do not always serve child-friendly seafood. Know before you go.
Early June is shoulder season on the East Coast. Some things are not open yet. Locals are friendlier. Prices are lower. Crowds are thin. We would do it again.
The moments that mattered most were not the planned ones. They were the canoe at dawn. The stranger with good advice. The quiet wine by the lake. The junior ranger badges. The candy bar a kid made with their own hands.
Travel does not make families perfect. It makes them real.
That is the whole point.
Adventure is the vehicle. Connection is the destination.
Get out there.
Quick Facts: Our 10-Day Blended Family Road Trip
- Route: Wisconsin to Niagara Falls, NY, to Vermont and Lake George, to Lake Luzerne, NY, to Rockport and Camden, ME, to Acadia National Park, ME, to Salem, MA, to New York City (via White Plains, NY), to Hersheypark, PA, to Cleveland, OH, and home
- Trip length: 10 days
- Who went: 6 people, one Honda Pilot
- Best time to go: Early June, shoulder season, thinner crowds and lower prices, though not everything is open yet
- Unplanned cost: $1,500 for a tow and emergency hotel switch after a breakdown on the Ohio Turnpike
- Standout kid moment: Earning junior ranger badges at Acadia National Park
- Standout connection moment: A quiet canoe at dawn on the lake in Lake Luzerne, NY
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this East Coast road trip take? Ten days start to finish, Wisconsin to Maine and back, with stops at Niagara Falls, Vermont, the Maine coast, Acadia, Salem, New York City, and Hersheypark. You could stretch it to two weeks for less driving per day, especially with young kids.
Is early June a good time for an East Coast family road trip? Yes, with a caveat. Early June is shoulder season: thinner crowds, lower prices, friendlier locals. Some things will not be fully open yet, like Lake Luzerne’s full amenities, so check hours before you go.
What should you do if your car breaks down on a road trip? Use the highway’s approved tow service. It is not optional and it is not cheap. Keep a dedicated travel emergency fund you never touch for anything else. Ours covered a $1,500 tow and hotel switch in Cleveland without derailing the rest of the trip.
Is Hersheypark worth it for a family with kids? Yes. The rides deliver, the custom candy bar station is a genuine highlight, and the monorail doubles as a built-in rest break. Skip the Wild Mouse if anyone in your group is tall with knee issues, and budget extra for food.
Can you actually see New York City in half a day with kids? Enough of it to be worth the trip. We saw FAO Schwarz, Times Square, the Lego Store, and the skyline from the street in an afternoon. You will not get to everything, but half a day is still a real New York City day.
John’s take coming soon. His notes from this trip land a little differently. Stay tuned.
More from this trip:
- Niagara Falls with Kids: Hot, Crowded, and Completely Worth It (already up, read it now)
- When Your Car Breaks Down on Vacation: The Practical Guide (coming soon)
Where We Stayed
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
- Camden/Rockport, Maine: Country Inn at Camden/Rockport
- Lake Luzerne, New York: Lake Luzerne Motel
- White Plains, New York: Comfort Inn & Suites
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