One great way to enjoy New England family vacations is - in the fall - by train. Gliding across the countryside you can see the full variety of colorful foliage on display.

American Orient Express is known for their wonderful theme train tours and one of their best is Autumn in New England and Quebec. This wonderful vacation idea will start you off in Montreal then take you down through Quebec City, upstate New York, the Berkshires, Green Mountains and Shelburne, Vermont.

Along the way you will have a chance to learn about Canadian history, why the leaves turn colors, browse quaint shops, boutiques and art galleries, explore small homey towns. All under the setting of a red and gold leaf tapestry. This is a luxury trip and you will travel in style.

Another top vacation idea for your New England family vacations is Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut. This scenic 17-acre museum is a tribute to the labors, trials and joys of generations of sea-going folk. Experience what life was like for whalers, fishermen and other sea-going people. Besides the sea-faring exhibits you can take in a movie on whaling or see a show at the planetarium. Nearby is Mystic Marinelife Aquarium.

Actually the whole town is a museum where you can walk the streets and interact with the residents. Many of them regularly role-play by dressing in period clothing and giving demonstrations of life in Mystic a hundred years ago. There are over 60 authentic buildings related to 19th century shipbuilding. Mystic is an excellent educational and fun family vacation idea.

Plymouth Plantation, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is another example of New England family vacations where you can travel back in time. Plymouth calls itself “America’s Hometown” because it is the location of Plymouth Rock, the spot where the first pilgrims are said to have come ashore seeking a new life.

Plymouth has a number of authentically restored buildings as well as several museums of early life on these shores. The Mayflower II is a reproduction of the ship that brought the pilgrims across the ocean. This is a great way to learn more about Thanksgiving, our country’s beginnings and the people who started it all.

Continuing with vacation ideas that involve our nation’s past, your New England family vacations should include a stop at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge Mass.

This is a living museum set on 200 acres where you can walk through the “town” of some 40 buildings and encounter historical interpreters of history. These costumed town "inhabitants" depict life as it was over hundred years ago. You can see actual demonstrations of blacksmithing, cheese making, candle making, grinding corn or the making of a split rail fence.