What is your favorite (and affordable (*cough, cough* Not Disney *cough*) Vacation destination?
3I have been informed that having over 300 leave hours on the books is a bit excessive and that I must use my vacation time. Problem is we're still paying for Disney over a year later. If we have a stay-cation the wife will only put me to work so not an option. What would be a good vacation destination, away from home, not too expensive, family friendly (teenager, male, 1 each), and most of all interesting. Camping is ON the table but you really should include a destination. Extra credit for pictures.
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Pack; get in car; flip coin; drive.
Best vacation I ever had with the family I packed all the camping gear and we flipped a coin, went wherever chance led us - wonderful time, great memories. Started in KC, through western Kansas (not much there but they are good people and make fine pie), going through Colorado (Vail and Aspen in Spring), then down to White Sands / Roswell, then a haul over to Galveston, then on to New Orleans, and back up towards home through Arkansas and the wonderful hot springs with a quick stop in Jay, Oklahoma (a very nice town I highly recommend). Two weeks and never ONCE did I hear an "are we there yet".
Of course, there's always Disney.
@Pavlov A gypsy holiday! Great idea.
Lake O'Hara, Banff NP in Canada.
It is one of the most amazing and gorgeous places, and usually not crowded. Lake Louise is nearby, and it's often packed. Plan on camping, and it's pretty affordable.
Correction: This is Yoho National Park. Banff is the nearby town.
Teenage boys? Maybe go someplace they might like for college.
Smoky mountains were nice. We rented a cabin in Tennessee that slept 14 people for 5 days for under a grand.
Where are you?
(And we always wondered how families could afford Disney, the park in Anaheim is pretty much always busy and we just couldn't figure out how these people could afford it. (We have the second to cheapest annual passes on the easy payment plan-passes that can be renewed, but are no longer available for sale.))
@lisaviolet Florida. Had a resident discount. And tax refund. And annual bonus. And savings. And credit cards. Celebrating wife's cancer freedom so I couldn't say no to the $750 spa day for her while the son and I bonded at the arcade.
@Mehrocco_Mole Great that your wife is cancer free, wonderful feeling, I bet.
Okay, here is a link for Florida Staycations (not stay at home cations, though).
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1GTPM_enUS592US592&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=florida%20stay%20cations
@lisaviolet And forgot to mention that was Disney World.
@lisaviolet Different strokes for different folks, but I've always found Disney World very reasonably priced compared to other vacations. Mind you, it's no bargain, but for long enough stays and off-property hotels with a rental car... not so terrible.
@JerseyFrank "Different strokes"? I don't understand why you said this, I wasn't dissing Disney. Not at all. Anaheim. Disneyland. Not as much land for hotels, so they can get spendy. We've had annual passports for twenty-five years and seen the prices rise accordingly. We try to drive up on Sunday mornings and leave when the park starts to get busy (which is usually before noon). All year round, they're incredibly busy with families and I don't know how they do it.
@lisaviolet 2 adults 2 children. 5 day pass @ WDW = $1300. @DL = $1070.
@lisaviolet I said it because you said you wondered how families could afford a vacation at Disneyland. If you commit to vacation in your family budget, Disney World (and I presume Disneyland, based on ticket prices) are competitively priced for what I've always considered when budgeting for a vacation.
@lisaviolet I wasn't recommending going Disney. I was just saying that it doesn't have to be the money pit it's often made out to be.
@JerseyFrank I guess it's just because my memories of vacations are traveling to stay with my dad's family or going camping. Neither of which is very spendy. And I'm an only child, so it wasn't like it would have cost an arm and a leg to hit a theme park or something fun. We did get to go to Disneyland for a day when my dad transferred to Edwards Air Force Base from Athens Greece back in 68. But the park was nothing then like it is now.
@Mehrocco_Mole Maybe head down to Key Largo or Key West? It'll be a bit crazy for spring break soon but after that you should find some good deals.
Have you visited the Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota?
Personally, I like the Everglades in the Winter but I wouldn't go in the Summer when the skeeters are practicing carrier landings. The Keys and Gulf Coast are nice year round. I have family in Florida, so those are cheap and easy family vacation add-ons.
Some day when I have the time and money, I want to do more National Park hopping. I have no particular interest in visiting NYC, DC, LA or LV ever again, but YMMV.
@nadroj I'm from Northern Michigan where we had mosquitos that could mount a turkey flat-footed so that's not an issue. The twine ball is just the type of thing that would make for family talk for years, "Remember Dad and that big ball of string?", he said with a roll of his eyes. We live on the Gulf Coast (Pensacola) so I know you're right about that. The Navy took me to some big city but I never felt at home. National Parks sounds interesting. Anyone know how the camping is in them?
@Mehrocco_Mole Most national park camping is $15-26 a night with showers and toilets a varying possibility. With a rental car it always possible to hop campsites to see a lot of the park/parks. The cost comes from getting there.
In Missouri/Illinois hopping the State Parks to camp or stay in cabins/lodges is great.
@MSticklefeather I basically grew up in Michigan's state parks but really never considered Illinois or Missouri... 'till now. Hmmmm.
The National Parks. Take advantage, unless you suck at being an American.
Do a baseball stadium road trip
Baltimore Inner Harbor. Stay near BWI airport, take light rail into town. Science Center with Imax. Orioles game(s). Eat crabs and you're expected to hit your dinner with a hammer, no better fun for young'uns. Museums, boat tours, fantastic restaurants. Magic show at Illusions. Little Italy for great food. Water taxi to Ft McHenry (home of Star-Spangled Banner). Take a day trip (or two) into DC, see White House, Capitol, Smithsonian. Almost everything can be reached by public transport (rail) so rental car not required. Baltimore is a secret gem on the Eastern Seaboard.
@Sarahsda No thanks. I watched The Wire.
Are you near an ocean? Carnival cruises is super cheap and the kids won't notice how kind of crappy it is. Once you get past the outdated decor and the tiny cabins, you will discover the pool, waterside and pizza 24 hours a day.
We're going for the Easter break because they had a sale where it was $300 per person for 4 days out of galveston. Don't let them talk you into an Oceanview room, it costs more and all it does is let unwanted light in your cabin when you're trying to sleep in for the first time in a yeat.
there is only disney.
Get a map. Draw a circle about 75 miles around where you live. Plan a bunch of day trips, google towns, see what's there.
What is your son interested in? might be all sorts of out of the way museums and things.
Let each person pick for and rotate, always go home at night.
My brother's family included 3 boys, now grown. they loved van camping road trips. In cities they did motels. On the road they loved state parks for tge privacy and quiet, tho did national parks lots also. Carried a tent, inflatable beds, coolers, etc. Once e-books hit they carried local history and culture books on the sony e-reader or kindle and had "fun local fact" contests in the car. Used google a lot to find cool stuff to do wherever. Saw the USA in that Chevrolet (thx Dinah Shore), also parts of Canada & Mexico. Kids now all married and plan do to similar w their own children.
Go to Tampa Bay area, Bush Gardens, Ringling Museum, Thomas Edison Museum, Fantasy of Flight, Don Garlits museum. Beach, Captians kitchen on havendale blvd. Jungle Larrys, Cypress knee museum, Roll your car up spook hill. or not
What's with all the coughing? IS THERE A NEW DISEASE OUTBREAK AT DISNEY?
@matthew Yeah, it's named "entitlement" - cousin to "affluenza".
Arrived home from Yosemite not two hours ago. March is a great time of year to go. Some years it's like winter but this year it's like spring. It's not completely overrun like it is in summer. The waterfalls are all gushing and the weather is in the 70s. You can walk to the bottom of Yosemite falls at 8:30 in the morning and be the only person there.
@SSteve ...sigh...As pleasant as it might have been, you and I both know that is not how Yosemite should look in March. It is a scary portent of yet another drought-stricken year that lies ahead.