So, if you’re like some of us, you have a few days off coming and no plans.
Fortunately, there are some great places you can go with little or no planning, and without emptying your bank account.
Head north:
Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a great harbor town and only a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the Hartford area. Portsmouth offers great shopping and restaurants and is close to Maine and New Hampshire beaches. Like LL Bean? Portsmouth’s not far from Freeport, Maine, http://www.freeportmaine.com/ home of LL Bean and outlet shopping.
Two reasonable places to stay are the Sise Inn, which charges $179 per night and the Sheraton, which charges $249 per night.
You could also head east to Providence.
Rhode Island’s capital city offers great dining in historic Federal Hill, which has many Italian restaurants. Do some shoppingat Providence Place enjoy WaterFire, which is a big event in the city and includes bonfires on the river, gondola rides, water and outdoor vendors.
Local
If you want to stay in the heart of what happens downtown, the Westin is a good option for $159 per night.
Cruises:
There are few better ways to celebrate the end of summer than a boat ride, especially on a big boat with lots of entertainment and great food.
Take off on Carnival Cruises Glory, from Sept. 2 to Sept. 6. It departs New York and heads to St. John New Brunswick in Atlantic, Canada. Starting rates are $429 per person.
If you’re schedule is flexible, and you can get away after Labor Day, there are still some great specials available.
Bermuda: Take a five-night Royal Caribbean Cruise to Bermuda for $509 per person.
Cancun, Mexico: There are four-night all-inclusive packages to Riu, Cancun Mexico from Sept. 6 to Sept. 10 for $680 per person, including airfare from Hartford.
