If I wanted to travel to a homeschool convention...

[ktgrok]

This is the weekend I normally go to the FPEA convention in Orlando, but for various reasons I will not be going, nor giving them my money. Mostly due to an incident at graduation last year that I didn't find appropriate, at all. (Turning graduation into an opportunity to decry gay marriage and all the ways the godless are ruining the country.)

 

I'm okay with a mostly Christian conference, but I'm not okay with turning a celebratory event into a political rant. And that's leaving aside that ALERT Academy is always there, etc. 

 

Anyway, I think I could swing traveling to a conference next year, maybe as a little family vacation. Any suggestions  on where to go? My oldest will be graduating to if we could make it into a special trip for him, that would be even better (either a grad ceremony as part of it, or just a cool place for him to visit as a graduation trip). 

 

Thoughts? East coast is probably cheaper for flights and easier to drive to if we drove (I'm coming from Orlando area). 

Edited May 27, 2017 by ktgrok

[kroe1]

Lol. When I read your title, I was going to suggest the FPEA so you could go to Disney. I did not remember that you live in Orlando.

[PeterPan]

The GHC (great homeschool convention) conventions are always in big cities. Cincy's is large and you can probably get tickets from Orlando on the cheap. However, I'll just say that the tickets are SO cheap ($69 to Columbus, probably similar to Cincy) that you might prefer to do it yourself, girls trip, and then take a real family vacation. You could bring your dd, who would then be 8, put her in the children's program if you wanted, and leave your 4 yo for guy time with dad and brother.

 

It sounds like your state convention does graduation. Ours does, but they want you to have been a member for x amount of time, blah blah. GHC isn't part of any of that, so I don't think they do commencements. 

 

GHC does one in TN at a resort. But me, I wouldn't spend the money, yuck. I'd go on a cruise or something I actually wanted to do, lol. 

 

Have you thought about driving the west coast? It would be totally different from what you're used to maybe, very memorable. It would work well with those ages. We got astonishingly cheap tickets one year to fly to Portland and drove the coast. If it really must connect to homeschooling, you could find the Timberdoodle people. :)

Edited May 27, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[Carrie12345]

I'm really hoping SEA's conference in WV goes well so I have the chance to get there next year!  But it's probably fair to assume it might also feel somewhat political, just on the opposite end!

 

 

[sassenach]

Great homeschool conventions are really well done. I think they pull together the best variety of quality speakers. You'd also have some options of location and dates.

 

Another option would be a bravewriter retreat. Even if you don't use BW, those retreats seem to encompass so much more.

[itsheresomewhere]

I'm really hoping SEA's conference in WV goes well so I have the chance to get there next year! But it's probably fair to assume it might also feel somewhat political, just on the opposite end!

I hope so too.

[Guest]

What about attending Circe's conference? Much more reflective and thoughtful.

[tdbates78]

I went to the GHC in Greenville SC this year and was pleasantly surprised. And Greenville itself is really nice, with a gorgeous park right in the center of town. One of our favorite daytrips from Charlotte. If you are looking for a driving trip, it isn't terribly far away.

[ScoutTN]

GHC does not come to TN anymore. It used to be in Memphis. Teach Them Diligently does come to the Opryland Hotel. 

TTD is not the OP's sort of convention, I suspect  (Or mine either.)  ;)

 

GHC does SC, OH, Texas, California and Missouri.

[foxbridgeacademy]

We'd have loved to go to the SEA convention this year, sadly no $$ but I think I can swing it and maybe an excursion next year so fingers crossed it goes well.