Need a vacation. Where too?

[alph]

Alright, some of you guys probably have taken some excellent vacations with the family, and could probably help me out with this problem.

We need a vacation.  Other than going to Washington DC last summer for a week, we haven’t had a fun, enjoyable vacation for over 5 years.  Two of the last five have been spent going to visit my father before he passed away, and then again for his funeral, and before that we went to Yellow Stone were the wife didn’t believe me when I said it was going to be cold, she didn’t pack a single jacket, or sweatshirt.  Man, were the kids ticked off about that one!!  not to mention the bear that was in the back of my pick up truck that one night, or when it was sniffing at my daughters head while we were in the pop up camper!!  Or, when my son opened up the $600 camera and exposed the film, then stuck his finger through the shutter!!!  Oh the joy……

Anyway, the Disney cruises are booked for the year, don’t care to sit at an amusement park waiting 45 minutes to ride a 3 minute ride, and I don’t know if my son would enjoy a 7 day cruise to Cancun. 

Summer is quickly approaching, and I need to do something ASAP (oh, I have three kids two girls 17 and 14, and a son 10, so sticking ‘em on the Valkyrie and bringing them to INZANE is not an option….)

Any idea’s??

[Kymbo]

Come to Australia .No bears down here 

[Jabba]

Rent a house on edisto island south Carolina. Beach, golf, fishing, proximity to charleston, history. Very cool.  That's our spring break this year.

Jabba

[alph]

Rent a house on edisto island south Carolina. Beach, golf, fishing, proximity to charleston, history. Very cool.  That's our spring break this year.

Jabba

that's a good idea, never considered that.  (heck, if that's your plan, maybe i'll crash your party!!)

[Jabba]

Rent a house on edisto island south Carolina. Beach, golf, fishing, proximity to charleston, history. Very cool.  That's our spring break this year.

Jabba

that's a good idea, never considered that.  (heck, if that's your plan, maybe i'll crash your party!!)

The theory works most anywhere... I just think that Edisto is VERY quiet.  Not a lot of traffic.  Also not a lot of dining out opportunities... or grocery store options.  There is 1 Piggly Wiggly on the island.

You could go to somewhere on the gulf like that too I'll bet.  They are probably scrambling for tourist dollars.  Somewhere on coastal Louisiana would probably be very affordable still.

Just spitballing.

I am going the week of March 25 thru April 1.

Jabba

[eric in md]

my vote a cruise ... i luvem lots of things for kids to do and you dont have to watch them .. i vote cruise... pack your bags do a last minute cruise

[Jess from VA]

My folks spent 15 years driving around the US in a fifth wheel using RV parks, every Winter, usually settling down in AZ or FL after traveling all over.

I learned that most big RV parks have "park models".... permanent trailers that are fully furnished, hooked up to utilities (cable TV and internet), and for rent by the week or month or year.  They are much cheaper than motel rooms, and allow you to buy groceries and eat in, rather than taking all meals in a restaurant.   Many RV parks are located in beautiful parts of the country, well away from urban blight; and they have laundry, pools, hot tubs, and other communal facilities.  Food and lodging being the expensive part of a vacation, an RV park park-model in a beautiful area is not a bad choice.  Then you drive out and sight see the surrounding region for entertainment.

Pick an area you'd like to visit, then search for RV park models for rent.  

My folks finally got too old to be on the road hauling a giant trailer.... so they bought a 15yo park model in Mesa AZ; a 60 foot single-wide, fully furnished, with deck, carport, separate shed with wired/piped laundry, for $5K.  It needed a little TLC, and my brother the master carpenter/plumber and his wife went out there and did a bunch of repairs for them, on their vacation from frozen MI.  There is a monthly park fee that is very low.  

[sandy]

You could rent this place on the island of St John in the US Virgin Islands. http://www.presidiodelmar.com/

Too much? Go to www.pinkpapaya.com  There's a 2 bdrm rental on the website and lots of snorkeling/diving on the island.

[sugerbear]

this is where we went last year. qo either quiet if you want, wild if you want. just a short run to either.

nice pool, atlantic side.

http://www.cocoplum.com/index.html

and not a bad price either.

[Tropic traveler]

Savannah is a great place & we have vacationed up in the Smokies in Smokin' Joe territory several times with kids. No kids in Savannah put we had 2 with us in Tenn. Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg had enough kid stuff to keep them happy.

[Dave Weaver]

Go west, young man.  Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Custer National Park, Yellowstone, Teton National Park, Rocky Mtn. National Park. We made that loop a few years ago with our then 9th grade daughter. Plenty of wildlife, activities, scenery, hiking, etc. for all to enjoy. It was by far our most memorable and enjoyable vacation. When we go to the beach, after a couple days, we just start sitting around.

[BIG COUNTRY 23321]

I will tell you where not to go.... Do not go to Virginia Beach Va. You will not enjoy it at all... and No I am not being sarcastic like Please dont throw me into the Briar Patch. North and South Carolinas are a great place to visit. Ocracoke Island is very Peacful and Relaxing with Nags Head not being that far and Jabba's Suggestion is a great place also. Just stay away from the Common " Wealth "  of Virginia.

[Varmintmist]

Rent a house on edisto island south Carolina. Beach, golf, fishing, proximity to charleston, history. Very cool.  That's our spring break this year.

Jabba

that's a good idea, never considered that.  (heck, if that's your plan, maybe i'll crash your party!!)

I was going to say Nags Head.
I hate the beach, (redhead, I just turn deeper shades of burn) but if I must go, renting a house is THE way to do it. You can go to Kitty Hawk and it is pretty cool. The grocery stores sell clams so you can bring them back to the house and steam them yourself. There are a few restaurants so you and the wife can get away for a evening and let the kids make rootbeer floats and watch tv.
Stayed here once;
http://secure.instantsoftwareonline.com/stayusa/Property.aspx?coid=0666&propid=763

Off the beach but has access 200 yards away.

You have to watch that. People OWN the beachfront properties, there are public access points but you don't trespass across. You WILL be fined.

[scoot]

my vote a cruise ... i luvem lots of things for kids to do and you dont have to watch them .. i vote cruise... pack your bags do a last minute cruise

#1 
 Its a great way to see several cultures in a small span of time. Get up in the morning, and your in at a different Island. The evenings are as entertaining as you want.
 We are off for a 8 night cruise the end of March. This will be our 4th, and we are so looking forward to it.

[JimC]

Here ya go ALPH,

http://www.vrbo.com/37092

Plus, the owner advertises on this board so he helps offset the cost.
When I first saw that cottage I thought it would be a great familyy get a way, and if you pull the Valk behind the car you could sneak away for a while.

I know, I know, you  don't trailer a valk, but sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do! How else could he get the family down there and the bike?

Jim

[eric in md]

my vote a cruise ... i luvem lots of things for kids to do and you dont have to watch them .. i vote cruise... pack your bags do a last minute cruise

#1 
 Its a great way to see several cultures in a small span of time. Get up in the morning, and your in at a different Island. The evenings are as entertaining as you want.
 We are off for a 8 night cruise the end of March. This will be our 4th, and we are so looking forward to it.

  me to leaving march 31 9 nights from nj

[scoot]

my vote a cruise ... i luvem lots of things for kids to do and you dont have to watch them .. i vote cruise... pack your bags do a last minute cruise

#1 
 Its a great way to see several cultures in a small span of time. Get up in the morning, and your in at a different Island. The evenings are as entertaining as you want.
 We are off for a 8 night cruise the end of March. This will be our 4th, and we are so looking forward to it.

  me to leaving march 31 9 nights from nj

Outa Ft. Lauderdale on Carnival

[Chattanooga Mark]

Our favorite vacation is a 5 day, 4 night cruise on a Royal Caribean ship The Sovereign of the Seas. It leaves Mondays from Miami and goes to Key West, Coco Cay, Naussau and then returns to Miami Friday morning. We've taken that cruise 3 times and will likely go again late this year.

All the best,

Mark

[Sodbuster]

Have you considered going to the Ozark Mtn's area in Arkansas / Missouri / Oklahoma ??

[Dubsvalk]

The Blue Ridge Parkway calls me there every year.  I never tire of visiting all the historical stops along the way.  It is a laid back leisurely trip thru beautiful mountains, valleys, small towns with cultures diverse as the mountain folk that settled along its route.
Dubs

[fudgie]

No kids and no nonvalk vacations in 10 yrs but did some while a kid.

Gatlinburg TN is pretty neat with some kid attractions but its very touristly.

I agree with Dave Weaver tho. Go to Rapid City SD. ALOT of kid friendly attrations and hotels. Bear Country USA, Reptile Gardens, water parks, etc. Plus all the National Monuments he spoke of. But if you stay to the west side of RC you will find them all. Plus you could rent a bike if time permited.
If you do go there are a few rallies in the B'Hills during the summer. Of coarse there is Sturgis in early Aug but there is another little bike week I believe its early July or late June. Sturgis riders rally or something like that. This one wont bother you in RC but maybe in the Hills. Sturgis of coarse will. Then again I dont advice any additional cages in Aug. There is to much already. There is a 3 State poker run one weekend but you should be good from that.

[Sharkey]

We use VRBO a lot

http://www.vrbo.com/

Last year with the oil spill in the gulf, we rented in the Corolla NC Outer Banks  area. It was absolutly beautiful.The kids all loved it. Twiddy reality also has a bunch of rentals

http://www.twiddy.com/

This year we will be doing Gulf Shores Al area, along with our second trip to Mexico. I love to Scuba and the waters in the Cozumel and Isla Mujeres area are some of the best. Isla Mujeres is very safe and small. It is just a few miles off the coast of Cancun, but is worlds away. You fly into Cancun airport, then a 30 minute boat ride to the Isla.

http://www.isla-mujeres.net/home.htm

[Oss]

gonna be in Boca, Fl right across the street from the beautiful state park and beach in April for Bonnie's birthday  Our 3rd time at this particular place.   NO CONSTRUCTION noise, no micky mouse, no hustle or bustle  lots of walking on the beach and down the A1A to dinner in Deerfield or Pompano

yearly cost is the maintenance fee about 600 plus another hundred for the trade fee for the week for the 2 bedroom condo as I bought my timeshare week over 24 years ago  wireless internet and I dont care if there is a tv but there is a few in the unit  I will be reading books anyways not watchin the tube


travel with one carryon bag apiece as we are fortunate enough to have friends who live in the area and they hold our beach chairs and umbrella for us in their attic after we leave

Its what I want to do now But memorable fun vacations with the family for me are always camping vacations or ones where we do lots of hiking and outdoor activities to wear out the kids

[NITRO]

Fly them down to Maggie Valley. You can ride down with me and we'll meet them there. They'll love it!

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,23234.0.html

[musclehead]

Rent a house on edisto island south Carolina. Beach, golf, fishing, proximity to charleston, history. Very cool.  That's our spring break this year.

Jabba

that's a good idea, never considered that.  (heck, if that's your plan, maybe i'll crash your party!!)

The theory works most anywhere... I just think that Edisto is VERY quiet.  Not a lot of traffic.  Also not a lot of dining out opportunities... or grocery store options.  There is 1 Piggly Wiggly on the island.

You could go to somewhere on the gulf like that too I'll bet.  They are probably scrambling for tourist dollars.  Somewhere on coastal Louisiana would probably be very affordable still.

Just spitballing.

I am going the week of March 25 thru April 1.

Jabba

I'd say florida we need the tourist dollars too, but I think we'll be fine. the best vacation I had as a teen was in Louisiana. the people are awesome, they adopted us and treated us like family. we were in north central LA but the people are great all over the state.

[MP]

Fly them down to Maggie Valley. You can ride down with me and we'll meet them there. They'll love it!

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,23234.0.html

Looks like a great time!

MP

[John Schmidt]

Wife can't now due to health....but, we would get 2-3 pamphlets from the various bus tour companies. Most had a tour that was in the general area we wanted to visit and their material was full of information. They always used good hotels and the names and locations were listed, phone numbers, everything. They would tell of highlights to visit along the way, it always had the routes traveled, etc., and we used that info to plan our trip. Those companies had already toured the areas and had researched them as well. We didn't follow their routes exactly, but their pamphlets gave us all the local info needed for a great trip. Plus, when passing through an area, we always liked to check out some "rabbit trails" of our own. We've done that for every trip we've taken and never been sorry.

If you want a great scenic trip, the Rockies up through Montana, include the Glacier Nat'l. Park, then on up into Canada. Follow the Canadian Rockies up one side and down the other. Visit some glaciers, actually take a ride out onto one but have a heavy jacket, even in summer. The scenery going up the east side of the Canadian Rockies is mind boggling.

[3fan4life]

WOW I can't believe that you're actually asking us to "tell you where to go". 

Most of our vacations usually boil down to a choice between mountains or beach.

Several years ago we toured both the Johnson and the Kennedy Space centers.

That proved to be very interesting, there is more to see and do at the Kennedy Space Center and the beach is nearby as well.

If you or your kids are into aircraft The Air Force has an excellent museum at Wright-Patterson AFB just outside of Dayton, OH and the admission is free. Several major amusement parks are nearby as well.

Gatlinburg, TN is like going to the beach without the ocean. But there are plenty of activities and if your kids are the outdoor type the Smokies Nat'l Park has lots of things to do. I would reccommend renting a cabin if you went to the smokies.

Whatever you decide get out and enjoy some time with your kids.

Believe it or not they do grow up way too fast. My son is 23 now and sometimes it seems like he was just born yesterday.   

[Fishstick]

North Rim of the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone Nat'l Park. Depending on when the kids are out of school can make the difference. Sping/early Summer for the Canyons, fly into Vegas and drive to several parks (Grand Canyon, Zions, Bryce) or Yellowstone in the fall. Flew into SLC, UT and drove up through the Tetons, Elk where in rut. We stayed outside the park and made day trips. My girls are southern bells and had no clue as to the expanse and wildlife of the West.