Launch From the SouthCoast to 10 Great Summer Daycation Spots

The high cost of planes, trains, and even automobiles make traveling far from home fairly prohibitive this summer, so many folks are looking for fun destinations closer to home.

Here are a few suggestions.

My wife and I try to get up to Quechee Gorge at least once each summer season. The gorge is at Quechee State Park in Southern Vermont, a wonderful place to relax and unwind.

You can spend the day or spend a few nights, as there is a campground at the park. The gorge and the rapids are a sight to behold.

There is even an alpaca farm nearby.

The Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, Massachusetts, is right on the historic Mohawk Trail in Western Massachusetts.

There are trails to hike, mountains to see, and a river runs through it.

The Horse Hill Nature Preserve in Merrimack, New Hampshire is another favorite. A four-and-a-half-mile loop trail runs through the preserve, and there is gorgeous scenery all along the way. The Merrimack Premium Outlets are only minutes away for great shopping and a quick bite to eat before hitting the trails.

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Whether it's nature you crave or the lure of the big city, there are plenty of daycations to be had. Boston, Providence, Newport, Provincetown, the Berkshires, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are all short drives from Greater New Bedford.

I like to take the Red Line into Boston from Quincy Adams Station and spend the day absorbing the history. A three-hour schooner ride off Provincetown in Massachusetts Bay brings you up close to the many seals that thrive in the area.

Below find links to some of my favorite daycation spots, and maybe they will become your favorites as well. Before you travel be sure to check destination websites for information about hours and any fees that might apply so that you are not caught off-guard.