New England On A Budget - Eating Out

Eating out was our second most expensive part of our trip. The price of food in New England is overpriced.  I don't know how the average person affords to eat out in this region of the United States. 

Note about saving money at restaurants: 

1. Get a junk email account and join every restaurant club you can.  Go on the Internet and find your favorite restaurant's website and sign up for their club. If you travel the same time each year, make that time of year your "birthday" in the club.  I did this and get all kinds of FREE food from my favorite restaurants for my "birthday".  This really helps cut the cost on our trip.
2. Eat breakfast at your hotel. Try to stay at a hotel that offers FREE breakfast. At the FREE breakfast grab a banana or apple to take with you for a snack during the day. If they do not offer breakfast then buy Nutri-Grain bars and pop tarts and keep them in your room.  Grab a milk from a convenience store and you have a cheap breakfast.

As I had done for hotels, rental cars, and airplanes I researched the best restaurants for each area we visited.  I read reviews and looked at menus and was still concerned about being able to stay in budget on this trip. I even tried to find church benefit suppers we could attend thinking the price of the benefit would not be as expensive as the restaurants. Sadly I was unable to successfully find a church supper during the time we were visiting.  It's worth looking into that for future travels though.  Think about it, have you ever been to a church benefit with bad food?  The answer is no because the church ladies are going to bring their best dish for everyone to eat.

So where did we eat?  I must preface the rest of my blog with giving you a bit of knowledge about me - I don't really like seafood.  There I said it... I know it is hard to believe but it is true! I will eat it but it is not my favorite.  However, if you do like seafood then you will love New England.  I, on the other hand, really wanted a good steak by the end of our trip.  They must get their beef shipped from Texas up there based on the prices they charged for beef!

Regina Pizzaria North Boston, Massachusetts

Boston: We spent a total of 2.5 days in Boston.  It was the most expensive place we ate with mediocre food.  Maybe it was because we did not shell out $50+ per plate for food. Remember I am budget conscious and $50+ times 3 is NOT in my budget!  The restaurants we ate at in Boston included:

• Regina Pizzaria North End: One of the top rated restaurants in Boston - for a reason. We ordered a large pizza that was WONDERFUL. The cost was "reasonable" considering where we were.  The pizza and 3 drinks cost $30.  There were no free refills. I found this to be true all over New England. You get a souvenir Regina Pizzaria cup to take home.  I still have mine.. makes me want some more of that pizza even today! Cost: $30 Recommend it? Yes!
• North End Mike's Pastry:  According to Trip Advisor, Mike's Pastry's claim to fame is the "best cannolis in all of Boston".  I ordered a cannoli, my husband ordered the Boston Cream Pie (when in Boston you must  try it right?) and my son ordered gelato. The staff was incredibly rude. I tried asking questions about which item I should select and the woman seemed less than happy to answer my questions. The Boston Cream Pie was pretty good.  The gelato was mediocre.  The cannoli was not very tasty. Cost: $12 for only the pastries, no drinks. Recommend it? I don't think so...
• Mccormick and Schmick's: This is a chain restaurant that specializes in Irish cuisine.  The food was average and prices were too high. Cost: $48 for 2 adult meals, 1 kids meal, and 3 waters. Recommend it? I don't think so...



Flour Bakery Cambridge, Massachusetts

• Flour Bakery Cambridge: Flour is one of the top rated restaurants in all of Boston - not sure why... The reviews were spectacular and there was a line out the door at 11:30 A.M. when we arrived.  This SHOULD have been a sign I had made the right choice for lunch. It was not... My son ordered the kids meal pizza (the strangest pizza we have ever experienced), my husband ordered the honey mustard roast beef sandwich, and I ordered the horseradish roast beef sandwich. None was tasty in the least. My sandwich had so much horseradish on it that it burnt my nose when I was eating it.  I can still taste it today, nearly a year later... Cost:$30 for 2 sandwiches, a kids meal, and 3 waters (very small cups of water) Recommend it? Nope.

Maine: We spent 6 days in Maine and tried some food we had never tried before. The restaurants we visited included:

Libby's Market Brunswick, Maine

• Libby's Market Brunswick, Maine: After reading the rave reviews on Trip Advisor, we decided we would have our first ever lobster roll at Libby's. Don't let the exterior looking like a gas station or having to leave the main highway to find it stop you from going. Some of the nicest people you will ever meet own Libby's Market.  We spent time visiting with the owner who gets the lobsters each day from the lobster traps and brings it fresh to the store. She took the time to show my son how the lobsters are cleaned. While we waited on our sandwiches we waited outside at the picnic table on a lovely summer day.  The owner brought us a game to play and even took the time to explain how to play it. If you happen to be near Brunswick, Maine you must stop in at Libby's Market! Cost: $30 for 3 lobster rolls, we brought our own drinks. Recommend it? Yes!

• Denny's Rockland, Maine: There are not a lot of restaurant choices in Rockland, so we chose Denny's.  I would not normally bother to review it but it was the best Denny's we have ever visited.  The food AND service was good.  In Texas I don't think I have ever been to a Denny's where the food AND service was good.  To top it off it was well within our budget. Cost: $30 for 2 meals and 1 kids meal and drinks. Recommend it? Yes - good food and decent prices.



Harbor Gawker Vinalhaven, Maine

• Harbor Gawker Vinalhaven, Maine: Vinalhaven is a small lobster village located on one of Maine's thousands of islands. You get there by ferry service that only runs twice per day.  There are less than 5 restaurants or lobster pounds to choose from In Vinalhaven. We chose the Harbor Gawker. I had the BEST clam chowder ever at this restaurant.  The rest of the food was fried seafood and was pretty good.  If you find yourself in Vinalhaven you will not be disappointed eating at the Harbor Gawker. Cost: $30 for 3 meals with drinks. Recommend it? Yes - especially the clam chowder.

• Thirsty Whale Bar Habor, Maine: Bar Harbor is a tourist town.  There are plenty of restaurants from which to choose. The price of these restaurants rival Boston.  After looking at several menus the Thirsty Whale was one that fit within my budget. It is a tavern that serves typical tavern food.  I had the clam chowder and thought it was okay.  My husband had the haddock sandwich and my son had fried shrimp. The portions were not overly large and the quality of food was good but not great. I would not eat here again because I found a better restaurant in Bar Harbor, West Street Cafe.Cost: $35 for our meals. Recommend it? Probably not.
• Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound Trenton, Maine: Prior to visiting this lobster pound I researched online and decided this lobster pound would be the one we would try. It had the best reviews so I thought it would be worth a visit. I was WRONG. We got to the pound around 4 PM to avoid the rush. When we arrived there were a couple of people ahead of us. We had never visited a lobster pound and were curious about the offerings and how to order. I found the staff to be rude and not very helpful. They seemed annoyed that we did not know what we were doing. The Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound is located on the outskirts of Acadia National Park, I am quite sure there have been other tourists who were just as confused as we were so this could not be the first time they encountered this... When we were about to order I stated to my husband that we should share a lobster since we did not know if we liked it or not. The next thing I know the guy grabs a BIG lobster and says it will take about 25 minutes for it to cook. So we pay $38.65 for this lobster before I know what happened. Get this... BUTTER costs 80 cents. REALLY?? Butter does not come WITH the lobster. We had a HUGE lobster and literally 2 tablespoons of melted butter to dip it in. Had the people been nicer to us we would have paid (begrudgingly) for more butter, but did not because of the staff. I also ordered clam chowder. It was literally milk, melted butter, and WHOLE clams. I felt like I was eating grub worms and the flavor was awful! The HUGE lobster finally came and guess what? It was tough. I have a feeling that lobster was probably dying of old age when he landed in the lobster trap. Had we had more time when we were ordering we would have thought of that possibility and ordered 2 small lobsters instead of 1 HUGE one. Overall this was the WORST place we ate during our 11 day vacation.Cost: $55 for the tough lobster and a bowl of clam? chowder. Recommend it? Never..
• Take your own lunch: We spent 4 days in Acadia National Park.  Each day for lunch we would have lunchables and summer sausage with crackers that we had purchased at Walmart in Ellsworth, ME that morning. I also purchased an inexpensive lunch kit at Walmart and used ice (from the hotel vending machine) in a Ziploc baggie to keep the food cold while we were in the park.  We did this for lunch in New Hampshire when we hiked the White Mountain National Forest. This a great way to save money and works well when you are not near a restaurant.
• West Street Cafe Bar Harbor, Maine: The food was wonderful! The service was top notch. Do not miss out on the blueberry pie ala mode. I had the tarragon chicken and my husband had the crab cakes, both were excellent. My son had the kid's shrimp basket. We were very surprised at the quantity of shrimp on the kids meal! This was the BEST meal we had during our travels throughout New England. Cost: $45 for all our meals and drinks. Recommend it? Yes!!! I wish I had some of the blueberry pie today - yum.

West St. Cafe Bar Harbor, Maine

West St. Cafe's Yummy Blueberry Pie!

New Hampshire: We spent 3 days in New Hampshire and ate at the following restaurants:

• Dairy Queen Grill & Chill: We chose to eat at Dairy Queen because it is one of our favorites in Texas. In New Hampshire the menu is slightly different but the food was just as good.  The prices were somewhat higher than in Texas but not terribly high.Cost: $20 for three meals, blizzards, and drinks. Recommend it? Yes.



May Kelly's Irish Pub
North Conway, New Hampshire

• May Kelly's North Conway, New Hampshire:  North Conway has lots of choices of restaurants because it is a tourist town. There are many fast food restaurants.  The sit down restaurants tend to be pricey.  After reading reviews I chose May Kelly's, an Irish pub. I had Gaelic Chicken, my husband had the Ploughman's Dinner, and my son had the kids meal fish 'n chips.  The food and service was really good. We especially liked the Irish potato cake.  Can't get that in Texas! Cost: $55 for our meals and drinks (my husband had a Guinness - you have to at an Irish pub right?) Recommend it? Yes!!

New England On A Budget - Things To Do In Maine

On our 11 day trip to New England we saw many sites both historical and 21st century.  We visited one of the most populated areas in the United States and some of the least populated areas. We visited Maine for 5 days during our trip. Listed below are some of the sites we saw on our trip.

We rented a car in Boston and drove up the coast of Maine on Highway 1. We really expected to have more ocean views as we drove but there were trees that obstructed our view. The towns we drove through were quaint. The speed limit was 45 MPH on most of Highway 1 so be prepared to take it slow. One of our favorite towns was Kennebunkport..

Kennebunkport, Maine

Kennebunkport, ME - A short 1 1/2 hour drive from Boston will lead you to this quaint seaside village. We had limited time to spend, but found it to be very beautiful.  We stopped in at the library and purchased a book about coastal Maine from the Friends of the Library.  It was a real bargain and we had a great story associated with the book. You should find Saint Ann's Church for a beautiful, serene Maine setting. You can also view the Walker Compound where President George H.W. Bush vacations. After our brief time in Kennebunkport we headed north to Portland.

Portland, Maine - 

• Portland is a beautiful city on the coast of Maine.  We visited the Portland Head Lighthouse.  Of all the light houses we saw while in Maine, this was by far the most beautiful.  The white tower glistens next to the blue ocean.  I would recommend getting a picnic and take it to the park on the grounds of Portland Head..



Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine

• International Cryptozoology Museum - I must preface this post with a disclaimer.  I do not believe in big foot, yetis, the Loch Ness monster, or aliens.  However, my 10 year old son has spent the better part of 2 years in search of a big foot. He has watched every documentary and searched every wooded area we visited for the mythical creature.  When we discovered Portland, Maine is home to the world's ONLY cryptozoology museum we had to visit it. The museum is located in downtown Portland in what could be considered the "shady" side of town.  There were lots of homeless people and graffiti everywhere. I do not believe we would have stopped if it were not the middle of the day. The museum is located in a back alley for lack of a better description. You have to park on the street and pay a meter. Once we entered the museum there was lots to see.  My son had a blast taking photos of actual "big foot poo" and life sized replicas of the creature.  For the big foot enthusiast this is must see museum.  Would I go if my son did not have the interest in big foot? Probably not.  Cost: $7 adults $5 Children up to 12 years of age 

After spending a few hours in Portland we headed north. I read many reviews searching for the best lobster roll in all of Maine, I selected Libby's Market in Brunswick, Maine.  Libby's Market is located 30 minutes north of Portland.  You can find my review for Libby's on my blog titled New England on a Budget - Eating Out.  Libby's has some of the nicest people who own it and a very tasty lobster roll too. 

Freeport, ME LL Bean Flagship Store - As an avid fan of LL Bean products our trip to Maine would have been disappointing if we did not visit this iconic store. The store is massive in size.  While the prices are the same as online and the catalog, I liked being able to see the item and try it on.  This luxury is not available in Texas. The area around LL Bean is comprised of "outlet" stores.  Freeport, Maine seems to cater to those who want to shop.  We were not interested in shopping so after visiting the LL Bean store we headed out to our next destination where we would spend the night, Rockport, Maine.

Rockport, Maine - This seaside village is located between Rockland and Camden. We stayed in Rockport at the Ledges by the Bay. See my review at my blog New England on a Budget - Lodging.  . We only stayed one night in Rockport and wish we had spent at least 3 days. At the time of our visit the Owl's Head Lighthouse in Rockland allowed visitors to go inside the lighthouse and tour it on Wednesday afternoons. We tried to make it in time for the tour, but the tours closed before we could get there.  I am most disappointed I did not get to go up inside the lighthouse.. maybe on my next trip to Maine. In addition to Owl's Head Lighthouse Rockland also has the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.  This lighthouse is located at the end of a 1/2 mile granite breakwater. The reviews I read said the granite was slippery and unstable - we did not visit the lighthouse due to my husband's injured foot. Rockland also has ferry service that runs out to Matinicus, North Haven, & Vinalhaven. See my blog titled New England on a Budget - Getting Around Maine for information about the ferry service. We spent the night in Rockport because lodging was less expensive than Camden or Rockport.  The next day we headed to Vinalhaven via ferry service. 

Vinalhaven, Maine

Vinalhaven, Maine -  Do you seek to truly "get away from it all"? If so, Vinalhaven is for you! It is one of the many islands off the coast of Maine and is a true lobster village.  You will need to ride the ferry from Rockland for 1 1/2 hour to get to this small lobster village. From the ferry terminal you can easily walk to the town for a nice lunch.  After lunch you can spend time perusing the shops.  If shopping is not what you seek head down to the harbor and watch for sea life and lobster fishermen. Take in the sea air and appreciate the beauty you are surrounded by.  But don't get too lost in the moment because you will need to catch the ferry out or risk not having anywhere to sleep that night. Accommodations are limited in Vinalhaven and reservations need to be made in advance. We spent a memorable 4 hours in this quaint village.  If you have the time, get away from the tourist spots and head out to one of Maine's many islands.

Ellsworth, Maine - After a disastrous one night stay in Bar Harbor we switched hotels to one 20 minutes away in Ellsworth.  Ellsworth has several hotels/motels from which to choose.  See my blog New England on a Budget - Lodging for my stellar reviews of my hotel. Ellsworth also has many restaurants to choose from including chain restaurants as well as locally owned establishments.  Ellsworth has a movie theater and several stores, including Walmart.  We utilized Walmart daily to get our lunch for Acadia National Park each day.  Budget tip: Go to Walmart and purchase a lunch bag and Lunchables or summer sausage packs to carry a picnic lunch to Acadia.  Just throw some cold bottles of water in the lunch kit to keep your food cold during the day. This will save you time and money.

Bar Harbor, Maine - Bar Harbor is a tourist town. There are many shops and restaurants that line the streets of this picturesque seaside town. This small town is often overrun with tourists coming by land and sea - cruise ships dock in Bar Harbor several days a week bringing an influx of visitors.  Visit the Bar Harbor Maine website to see the scheduled dates for cruise ships to dock. This should help you plan accordingly.  Bar Harbor frequently has entertainment in the downtown area.  Check the town website for a calendar of events.  Our primary purpose in visiting Bar Harbor was to visit Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park - In a word - beautiful. Acadia is one of the most visited national parks in the United States.The land was originally owned by the Rockefeller's but was given to the U.S. to preserve as a national park. The park is spread out over Mount Dessert Island.  The most popular portion of the park is nearest to Bar Harbor and Cadillac Mountain on the eastern side of the island. If you want to get away from the crowds, visit the west side of the island. During June it rains frequently, make sure to take a parka.  We visited the second week in June to avoid the crowds.  From what I have been told, the crowds start to get bad from the third week in June through the second week in August (more than 2 million visitors visit Acadia each year, most of them during the summer).  Cost: $20 per vehicle for 7 days OR $5 per person for bicycle for 7 days OR $5 for motorcycles for 7 days, Military personnel are admitted for FREE with valid documentation, Senior Citizens can get a lifetime pass for $10, & permanently disabled persons get a lifetime pass for FREE.

Things to do in Acadia include:

• Visitor Center - at the visitor center you can get your pass for the week.  There is also a video about the history of the park that will make your visit more informative. This is also a great place to get information about trail closures etc. 
• Island Explorer Shuttle Bus - Starting the third week in June running through Columbus Day you can ride the Island Explorer shuttle around Acadia.  The shuttle runs from several hotels and inns in Bar Harbor into Acadia.  There are 8 routes from which to choose. Cost: Free!
• Family fun in Acadia National Park - As with most national parks, Acadia has many activities to keep the whole family having fun while visiting. Click the link to find out more. In April you can register your family for the Friends of Acadia Quest that is a scavenger hunt.  To participate in the scavenger hunt you create a team that is comprised of at least 1 person under the age of 18 and 1 person over the age of 18.  The team works together to complete activities to win prizes. The best part about the Friends of Acadia Quest is that it is FREE. They even mail you a map and a quest card prior to your arrival. This is a fun activity - make sure to sign up and play!

View from Great Head hiking trail

• Hiking/Biking - John D. Rockefeller Jr. created 57 miles of carriage roads that are utilized today for hiking and biking. If you decide to bike the carriage roads make sure to ask which are most suitable for biking safely.  The rocks can be very slippery when you are headed downhill. We did not bike but did see others doing so. You can also bike on the park roads. In addition to the carriage roads, there are over 120 miles of hiking trails in Acadia. To find out more about some of the trails at Acadia visit Everytrail Website for reviews by people who have hiked the trails.  I will say from our hikes that Mount Dessert is covered in granite rock making the hikes on rocky terrain VERY slippery.  (I almost slid off a cliff when we were hiking - be careful.)

• Ranger-led programs - Depending on the time of year you visit, there are ranger led programs.  When we visited we took two ranger led hikes - Rockefeller's Bridges and Cadillac Mountain.  Both park rangers were very informative and we thoroughly enjoyed our hike. There is no additional fee for ranger led programs. 
•  Cadillac Mountain - is the tallest mountain on the eastern seaboard. Another claim to fame of Cadillac Mountain is that it is the eastern most part of the United States.  If you get up early you can drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain and be the first in the U.S. to see the sun that day. The drive up Cadillac Mountain has several beautiful scenic overlooks - take it slow and enjoy the views. 



Sand Beach

• Sand Beach - You don't find too many sandy beaches in New England.  You really don't want to miss this one. It is gorgeous!  We were lucky and got there before anyone the day we visited and had the whole beach to ourselves. The water temperature was around 50 degrees and there were kids swimming in it! It literally took my breath away when I got into the water up to mid calf. I highly recommend hiking the sand beach trail that gives great scenic overlooks of the beach below. 

Jordan Pond Loop Trail

• Jordan Pond - There is a restaurant located at Jordan Pond that is famous for popovers. We did not partake of the popovers, but many websites highly recommend them.  We did hike around Jordan Pond and it was quite the adventure. The hike started out as any other would.  Then we came to the wooden planks. This trail has about 1/4 -1/2 mile of the trail that requires you to walk on wooden planks that are about 14" wide.  You will find the planks at the soggy portion of the trail. We had never seen plank hiking trails before, making it an adventure! Jordan Pond is crystal clear making the hike all the more beautiful.

• Horse back riding & carriage rides - We did not go horse back riding our go on a carriage ride, however you do have the opportunity.. 

  

New England On A Budget - Things To Do in Boston

On our 11 day trip to New England we saw many sites both historical and 21st century.  We visited one of the most populated areas in the United States and some of the least populated areas. Listed below are some of the sites we saw on our trip.

Boston/Cambridge: We did not see a fraction of the sites that can be seen in the Boston area.  I would think if you were a history buff you could spend weeks and not see it all. We were limited on the number of days we had in Boston, mainly due to the cost of hotel rooms. 

Faneuil Hall located on
Freedom Trail Boston, MA

• Freedom Trail: The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile path that is marked by a red-line. There are 16 historical sites along the path that are related to the Revolutionary War. You can follow the path and be your own tour guide or you can pay to have a guided tour.  Being budget conscious, we were our own tour guides using the maps available in Boston.  I found a Junior Ranger Scavenger Hunt on the National Parks Service web page and we completed it with my 10 year old son as we walked the trail.  We followed the path from the USS Constitution to Boston Common because parking was less expensive at the Nautica Parking garage than near Faneuil Hall. We liked the North End of the Freedom Trail best - with great restaurants and things to see. Once we finished touring the Freedom Trail, we then took the inner harbor ferry from the Aquarium back to the Charleston Naval Yard.  This was a lot of fun as you can ride up top and have great views of the harbor and Boston.  I just wished it had not been raining... One of the sites on the Freedom Trail was Bunker Hill monument.  When we visited it was required that all visitors go to the Bunker Hill visitor center at the bottom of the hill to get a pass to climb to the top of the monument. To save yourself a trip back down the hill and up again, you might want to check at the visitor center before you go up to the monument if you want to climb up the monument.  The Bunker Hill monument has 294 steps that are numbered.  The steps are STEEP.  If you have health problems you should probably skip climbing to the top, it is quite the workout.  At the very least you should stretch before climbing the steps. The monument is very narrow and in the June heat it feels as though oxygen is limited. My husband made it to the top of Bunker Hill Monument but then was sore for the next 3 days to the point where he could barely walk. Did I mention Bunker Hill Monument was the 2nd thing we saw upon arrival in Boston? You will need a minimum of 3 hours to tour the Freedom Trail. If you visit the USS Constitution you will need even more time.  We visited the USS Constitution and there were tours being offered by current Naval members.  The tours were very informative. The cost for the USS Constitution was donations with a suggested amount of $20-$25 for families. 

MIT Building 10 & The Great Dome

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, MA: The Boston area is home to some of the world's finest universities.  We decided we could not pass up an opportunity to "go to MIT".  I love to tell my students in Texas that I "went to MIT". Of course I have to follow that with, one day while I was on vacation... MIT gives FREE campus tours Monday - Friday at 11 AM & 3 PM. On the tour we were able to gain knowledge about the history of MIT while touring the campus.  The tour lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes.  It was an interesting tour, if you have a couple of hours to spare. One thing I noticed was how little MIT looks like a traditional college campus. If you prefer there are self-guide maps available in the information office at MIT. Cost: FREE!
• MIT Museum 265 Massachusetts Ave.Cambridge, MA:  My 10 year old son loved this museum.  There are many hands-on exhibits developed by MIT students. We have been to several science museums and this one was the most unique. We spent several hours exploring the hands on exhibits. Cost: $10 for adults and $5 for kids. 

Statue of John Harvard? @ Harvard University

• Harvard University Cambridge, MA: We felt as though we should visit Harvard since we were right there.  I mean when in Cambridge one must simply visit Harvard right? We did not take a formal campus tour but did meander through the courtyard.  We even wandered into one of the buildings and found the Dean of Students office.  I still wonder if we were supposed to be in that building... We took a picture with the John Harvard statue and rubbed his toe for good luck. (Kind of reminds me of the Sully Statue at Texas A&M)  I wonder who had the idea first? I thought Harvard looked more like a traditional college.  I guess now I can tell my students that I "went to Harvard".  Yes, I will still follow it with "one time on vacation". I recommend seeing Harvard just so you can say you have. Cost: FREE! The tour is the only thing at Harvard that fits that description. 

• Boston Common: Boston Common is a 50 acre public park in downtown Boston.  It is the oldest public park in the United States. We ended our tour of the Freedom Trail at Boston Common.  However, most people start the trail in this location. I was not a fan of Boston Common.  There were too many homeless people and what appeared to be drug dealers for my taste. That's too bad because it could be a nice place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I could not relax because I kept thinking I was about to be mugged, or worse...  

New England On A Budget - Things To Do In New Hampshire

On our 11 day trip to New England we saw many sites both historical and 21st century.  We visited one of the most populated areas in the United States and some of the least populated areas. We visited New Hampshire for only 2 days during our trip. Listed below are some of the sites we saw on our trip.

White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire : Click the link for White Mountain National Forest to find the variety of activities you can see while visiting this region of New Hampshire.  Make sure you stop by the National Forest Service Station at 33 Kancamagus Hwy, Conway, NH 03818  (603) 447-5448 and get your kids sworn in as Junior Rangers. This is a fun and FREE activity your kids can do. Our time was limited and our budget was important so there were several attractions we did not see. 

Glen Ellis Falls White
Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire

Hiking: Hiking is a wonderful activity to do for the budget conscious family.  It is a great way to see the world, be fit, and at the same time disconnect from the digital world. Oh, and did I mention it costs little to nothing?  In the White Mountain National Forest you have to pay to park.  It is a little confusing but once you read the parking card you get when you pay, it makes sense.  Basically you pay a few dollars (I seem to remember $5) to park your car at the different hiking trails and you can use that same pass all day long at other hiking trails. We did enjoy hiking to see several waterfalls in the national forest.  However, what the websites I researched prior to going on my trip failed to mention were the massive number of black flies (buffalo gnats) prevalent in New Hampshire during June. One nice gentleman at the tourist visitor center in Conway, NH told me the black flies are worse from Mother's Day through June.  We visited the 2nd week in June. The black flies were so bad the Off brand bug repellent we sprayed on was merely an appetizer for the main course - US!! Thankfully we had on long sleeves and pants.  We even covered our faces with handkerchiefs and were still being bitten! We finally just gave up on hiking.  I think it would be fantastic to hike during the season when there are no black flies. 

Kancamagus Highway White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire: This 32 mile stretch of highway between Conway, NH and Lincoln, NH is beautiful.  You have covered bridges, hiking trails, and water falls to enjoy with short walks from the highway.  The Albany Covered Bridge is definitely worth stopping to see. Lower Falls & Sabaday Falls are beautiful as well. I can't believe how clear the water in the Swift River is! This drive has been voted the best scenic drive in all of New England.  Our only complaint, other than the black flies, was that we were there during motorcycle week and you could not enjoy the serenity due to loud motorcycles at every turn.  In Lincoln we visited the famous Clark's Trading Post.  I am not sure why it is famous as it just had high priced tourist trap junk in my opinion. 

The Weather Discovery Center North Conway, NH: The Weather Discovery Center was FREE! ( they accept donations) We found it to be very interesting. They had a film you could watch and then you explored the musuem.  One of our favorite things in the museum was the wind room. This is a great way to spend an hour or two.  i highly recommend visiting this attraction if you enjoy museums or learning about different weather types. 

North Conway Outlet Mall: North Conway, NH is home to hundreds of outlet stores in the Settler's Green Outlet Village.  We spent an afternoon shopping the stores of the outlet since we gave up hiking due to the black flies. Among other purchases we were able to find some real deals at the Brookstone Outlet. Example: leather iPad cover that was regularly $59 I got for $5.  Talk about a bargain! Also, did I mention New Hampshire has NO SALES TAX?  This is a bargain hunter's dream!

More Information About Visiting North Conway, NH Village There are many more things to see and do in this area.  I am certain a family could easily spend 4-5 days and not get bored in this area.  However, our time was limited and our budget was tight so we had to forego some of the pricey "touristy" things such as paying $28+ to drive up Mount Washington - in your own car.  Yeah you read that right $28 for a car with 2 adults, everyone extra you pay more for.  Or how about the $68 per person charge to ride the cog railroad up Mount Washington? Neither of these options were something we were willing to pay those rates to do. There are other attractions similar in this area - choose wisely where you spend your money.  You do want to have the money to vacation next year too right? 

New England on a Budget - Getting Around Boston

As of 2013, Boston, Massachusetts has a population of 636,000 people in 90 square miles. The Greater Boston Area is estimated to have a population of 4.5 million people, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the United States.  Due to how densely populated the area is, driving and parking in Boston is insanely difficult...

If you are traveling to Boston and do not plan to visit any region outside of the Boston area you do not need to rent a car. Not renting a car will save you money and keep you on a budget. Boston is a great city to use the MBTA or T train (subway).  Children under the age of 12 ride the subway FREE of charge. You can get a weekly card for $19 that gives you unlimited usage of the T train (subway) and the inner harbor ferry service. There is a harbor ferry service that runs from Logan Airport to Downtown Aquarium to the Charlestown Shipyard. We took the Harbor Ferry and enjoyed getting to see Boston from the water.  My son really enjoyed riding up top of the ferry, even though it was raining! The T train runs from Downtown Boston to outlying areas such as Cambridge.

Boston is very compact so you can walk the city easily. We walked the Freedom Trail the afternoon we landed in Boston.  It is very simple, just follow the colored pathway.  The Freedom Trail is 2.5 miles long and has 16 historic sites along the trail. There are maps all around town or you can download an app for the Boston Freedom trail. We just used a map. We prefer the north end of the Freedom Trail. The north Boston neighborhoods are very quaint and historic. 

If you have a rental car, as we did the day we flew in to Boston you will have to deal with parking in Boston.  Parking is VERY expensive!  Parking near downtown Boston in June 2014 was $35. Remember I am a budget conscious traveler?  No way I am going to pay $35 to park.  I found the Nautica Parking Garage near the USS Constitution museum (five minute walk) for $12 for 4 hours. If you take your parking ticket to the museum they will validate it and save you some money. 

Driving in Boston is insane as well.  We found the streets to be in disrepair. Drivers drive wherever they desire. Frequently drivers would be driving along the shoulder of the road. Our GPS redirected us through the warehouse district and we found potholes as big as the hood of our car! If you rent your car from Logan Airport you will have to pay a toll to go through the Ted Williams Tunnel ($3.50 in June 2014) or you will have to go the long way to get to Boston which in traffic could take you 45 minutes - 1 hour.

New England On A Budget - Getting Around Maine, Massachusetts, & New Hampshire

We spent 11 days in June 2014 in beautiful New England.  During our vacation we traveled by planes, trains, automobiles, and boats. I did a lot of research on methods of transportation in New England. Listed below is what I found:

• Cruises - Several cruise companies offer cruises that depart from Boston and go to Canada making stops along the coast of New England.  After doing research, I decided this would not be a good option for my family to stay within a budget.

• Amtrak - Amtrak leaves the Boston North station  and will take you to several stations between Boston and Brunswick, Maine. I opted not to take the train because I wanted to be able to see more of the area than the train would have allowed.  You can visit the Amtrak website to see fares but they were comparable to renting a car for a week. If you opt to take the train instead of renting a car, from Logan Airport you will take the Blue Line to the Orange Line and then to the North Station.  

• Ferries - There are over 3,000 islands off the coast of Maine. With so many islands, a ferry service is offered by the State of Maine. The Explore Maine by Ferry website gives information about service to some of the islands of Maine. We chose to travel to a lobster village on the island of Vinalhaven. During the winter months this island has less than 100 residents who stay through the brutal winter. The cost to ride the ferry was reasonable at $17.50 for adults and $9.50 for children. The ferry also transports cars but it is my understanding you have to book that months in advance. The ferry ride took 1 hour and 15 minutes each way.  We traveled past 2 lighthouses on our journey and tried to spot whales. In June the temperature was a bit cold for this Texas girl but I stayed on the outside dock of the ferry for the entire trip.  My husband and son went inside for a while during our trip due to the cold wind. Once we arrived in Vinalhaven we walked around town.  We then walked a short distance out of town to a reserve.  However, it was about to rain so we had to walk back but there were trails to explore.  We ate at the Harbor Gawker (see my blog on the food of New England) and then caught the ferry back to Rockland.  It was a great day full of adventure!

My Rental Car

• Renting a car - A good rule to remember when you rent a car is that it costs more money to rent from an airport rental agency than an agency outside of the airport. This rule works for any airport, not just Boston.  With that in mind I set out to find a car to rent for our 11 days in New England but NOT at the airport. I researched the car rental agencies and tried to find the best reviewed agency.  Car rental agencies are known to be a bit... crooked. I decided I would go with Enterprise after reading the reviews. Now the next task was to find one outside the airport yet still close enough that I don't spend too much money on subway, cab, or Uber fare. There are several Enterprise agencies in the Boston area.  I looked at the cost and logistics of renting a car for each one. I settled on the Enterprise near the Wonderland Station in Revere, Massachusetts. 

Note: When driving up the Maine Turnpike (I-95) you will encounter toll roads. Pay with cash instead of electronic payment so that you are not charged a fee by the rental car company on top of the toll amount. The tolls were about $6 each way. 

The plan was to get our luggage from the airport and ride the Blue Line subway up to the Wonderland Station.  Enterprise would pick us up and we would rent the car from that location that is approximately 1.5 miles from Wonderland Station. We would then drive back to Wonderland Station and leave our car and luggage and head into Boston for the day.  (Note: Driving and parking in Boston is crazy! We were going to try to avoid that if at all possible.) I booked on Enterprise website for the days I needed about 6 months prior to my arrival in Boston saving about $300 over renting at the airport.  (Note: If you rent a car for a week or more you get a MUCH better rate than just renting it for a couple of days.)  When you decide to rent a car check to see what insurance you have on your policy, it probably covers rental too.  My credit card I used even had insurance for rental cars. You do not have to purchase the insurance the rental car agency tries to sell you. Just remember to have the agent who is helping you make note of every dent and scratch BEFORE you leave the lot. I used my camera and took pictures and video of every dent and scratch. Remember how I said rental companies are known to be crooks? 

The good thing about renting a car from Enterprise is that you can cancel relatively easily without paying a penalty.  This worked to my advantage. After researching rental cars I discovered that prices change frequently based on the number of cars rented out.  Car rental companies do not like to have cars not rented - they lose money. With that knowledge I frequently checked to see if prices would drop at a different rental company in the Boston area or maybe I could get a luxury car for the price of an economy. This just required me to check the website every couple of weeks. Did you know that within 30 days of your scheduled rental, the company looks at upcoming reservations and determines what they have a surplus of and adjusts prices accordingly?  It's true! 29 days before I was scheduled to pick up my rental car, the price dropped at the airport location for Enterprise. I was able to get a higher grade car for the same price I was going to pay for an economy car in Revere, MA. I no longer had to worry about carrying all of my luggage on the subway and then waiting for some random Enterprise guy to come pick me up.  I could just take the airport shuttle to the rental agency and get my car! I was glad I kept checking prices because it turned out this was a great time saver. However, now I had a new problem...

Remember how I said parking and driving in Boston was crazy? See my blog on getting around Boston for the details.