bry's-gal Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Hubby says we can take a vacation this year!!!! Now to figure out where to go! We don't mind driving or flying (if the price wasn't to unreasonable) but would like to stay in the US/Canada. We love the beach and we enjoy hiking. The girls are younger so not a ton of museums. An amusement park one day might be nice but tend to enjoy more nature type things. We love zoos and aquariums. I do not want to camp but don't mind renting something with a kitchen for cooking meals. What are some of your favourite family trips that we might enjoy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Sandbridge Beach, VA It's right next to Virginia Beach, but a lot less crowded and more family friendly, IMO. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park are right there for hiking. The Virginia Aquarium is nearby in VA Beach (20 minute ride or so), and easy to get to. My brother and SIL own a condo there and we spent the most incredible week there last year. I wish we could afford to go back this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I took a cruise for the first time and I LOVED it! The price includes food, entertainment, transportation to some pretty cool places, and of course the place to sleep. When you break it down like that the price is better than most vacations. We took a 7 day cruise out of Tampa on the Carnival Legend and had 4 port stops where we could lay on the beach at Roatan, swim with Stingrays and snorkel, Grand Caymans, see ruins, Belize, and another fabulous beach day in Cozumel. Another huge selling point for me was Camp Carnival which my kids enjoyed. They have kids programs running from 10am to 10pm and the kids were able to pick and choose what they wanted to do, while DH and I had some alone grown up time, and Camp was included so there isn't any extra fees unless the kids want to go to one of the late night parties. If you look you can find pretty decent deals, and since we homeschool you don't have to go when school is out and the prices get jacked up based on demand. Our cruise price was 559 per person for a cabin with a balcony, and as I mentioned if you break it down the cost of a week long trip somewhere else it a lot more than that. Of course the extras like alcohol and pictures can add up so anyone looking at cruising needs to have a budget and stick to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lainey Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 We love the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We usually stay at a hotel near Nags Head. There are sand dunes that you can climb and a nature trail. Kids love the sand dunes because you can climb all over them. The beach is nice there. There is an aquarium close by. You can climb the lighthouses at Hatteras and take the free ferry over to Ocracoke Island. It's really quaint and fun with lots of things to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 We love the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We usually stay at a hotel near Nags Head. There are sand dunes that you can climb and a nature trail. Kids love the sand dunes because you can climb all over them. The beach is nice there. There is an aquarium close by. You can climb the lighthouses at Hatteras and take the free ferry over to Ocracoke Island. It's really quaint and fun with lots of things to do! Is Ocracoke the place with the wild horses? We went to Sandridge, VA a couple years ago and LOVED it- that is definitely on the table! A cruise sounds like fun too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I took a couple of my kids and rented a house on Anna Maria Island, FL last summer. It was AMAZING!!!! White sand beaches. Quiet. Absolutely gorgeous. Really. And, Tampa is close if you want an amusement park. Orlando is close if you want Disney. We also cruise as a family. Check into it! It tends to be a pretty inexpensive vacation! (But, we always drive to save money on transportation!) We've only cruised Disney as a family. (Doin' the Mexican Riviera in September!) Dh and I loved Royal Caribbean on our Honeymoon. My boys are itching to try their big ships - Oasis and Allure of the Seas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Where are you? I am in Oregon, and it is nice here. Very outdoorsy. Lots of place to hike, bike, etc... I love that fact that from Portland I can drive under 2 hours and be skiing, or drive another direction for under 2 hours and be at the beach. Have you thought of picking a state to explore and maybe renting an RV? That way you could see more, have the kitchen and not have to keep packing and unpacking. The whole Northwest is amazing. I also spent a week with my mom driving around Wyoming which I loved. This year I am flying into New York and my mom and I are driving a U-Haul back to Oregon. We are going to take the northern route and drive across Canada. A fly to place that is great is San Diego. We always have so much fun there. Sea World is pretty cheap at the moment, especially if you want to go for more than one day. The San Diego zoo is amazing. They have great beaches, and old town San Diego is really cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lainey Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Is Ocracoke the place with the wild horses? We went to Sandridge' date=' VA a couple years ago and LOVED it- that is definitely on the table! A cruise sounds like fun too![/quote'] Corolla has the horses and you can take tours to see them. I've never done it, but I would love to one time! I'm not sure if Ocracoke has horses or not? We were going to take the ferry across last time we were there, but didn't get a chance to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Depending on where you are, west Michigan, esp. the Holland/Grand Haven area might work for you. Beautiful beaches, sand dunes to climb, nature areas to hike, Grand Rapids as a zoo, botanical gardens that is wonderful, there is Michigan Adventure Amusement park in Muskegon, etc. Prices are not too bad in this area either. If this is an area you would like, I can link you up with all sorts of things that are local to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Depending on where you are, west Michigan, esp. the Holland/Grand Haven area might work for you. Beautiful beaches, sand dunes to climb, nature areas to hike, Grand Rapids as a zoo, botanical gardens that is wonderful, there is Michigan Adventure Amusement park in Muskegon, etc. Prices are not too bad in this area either. If this is an area you would like, I can link you up with all sorts of things that are local to us. Oh yes!!! It is a beautiful area. Also, Mackinac Island in MI is wonderful! It's an island where they don't allow cars. You get around on foot, bike or horses. It's a very fun vacation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Where do you live? San Diego is nice. My ILs have a timeshare in a condo that's right on the beach. (There seem to be a lot of condo rentals along the boardwalk there.) You can drive to the zoo, the wildlife park, and Sea World. We ended up in Ottawa by accident last spring (waiting for the airspace over Paris to clear) and I was surprised at how enjoyable it was. Some beautiful parks, kid-friendly museums, and a wildlife park less than an hour away where you can feed the wildlife carrots from the window of your car. (Watch out for the ibexes. They dented our car when we didn't keep the carrots coming at a fast enough clip.) And you can eat lots of beaver tails (fried dough spread with yummy toppings like maple butter and chocolate). Arches National Park has lots of hikes that are doable with young kids, but it is a bit in the middle of nowhere. We usually camp, but there are lots of motels and cabins around. The Finger Lakes area of New York is beautiful, with lots of hikes in the area. Visit the glass museum at Corning. They have a great workshop where kids can etch glass plates, glasses, etc. We stayed for a couple of days in the Finger Lakes and then went down to Hershey for the amusement park and a side trip to Gettysburg. We go to Oregon to visit my parents, and we always run out of time before we run out of things to do. Beaches, mountains, tons of hiking, a good zoo, a fun aquarium, children's museums and science museums, the world's best bookstore, and a cute and funky amusement park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 My favorite vacation this past year was Niagara Falls, Canada side.... it was SO beautiful and SO much fun. Just enough to do but not enough to overwhelm us, which was very relaxing. My favorite from 2009 was to Williamsburg & Virginia Beach! We did the beach a few days and Williamsburg/Jamestown a few days. We stayed in Norfolk, so it was pretty cheap. There was LOTS to do! Beach, Boardwalk, mini-golf, small amusement park on the boardwalk, aquarium. Then we did Jamestown, W-burg, did some shopping, etc. There is a Busch Gardens and Water Country USA there as well, we'll be doing that this year when we go :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GypsieFamily Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 How about a houseboat? We are on one at the moment, and it is fun and reasonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 So many great ideas! We are close to Michigan so that is also doable! I would love links to look at! Mackinac (sp?) Island sounds wonderful too! It's so fun to dream right now- hubby hasn't given us a budget yet so I'm going to enjoy dreaming about all the potential places! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I've never been to Maine, but I think it would be beautiful to visit. And, since you have young dds, all of you might enjoy visiting Mackworth Island and Monhegain Island to see fairy houses: http://www.fairyhouses.com/news/mackworth-island-permanent-fairy-houses-village/ http://www.spokaneoutdoors.com/fairy.htm http://raisingmaine.mainetoday.com/newsfeatures/0409mackworth.html There's also a fairy house festival this summer in Maine: http://www.fairyhouses.com/events/kennebunkport-fairy-houses-festival/ I also agree w/ some of the previous posters who have recommended the Pacific NW &/or San Diego. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 http://www.mackinacisland.org/ Check out that link for Mackinac Island. They have such fun activities. Horseback riding, carriage rides, bike rides, hiking, butterfly house etc. The things my kids remember the most? Throwing rocks into the lake! We stay at the Grand Hotel and LOVE IT!!! They'll bend over backwards to help you have a great time!!! Their rates include breakfast and dinner. If you're in the UP of MI - go up to Sault Ste. Marie. We did the lock tour there and loved it. Also, there's a place near the Mackinac bridge called the Mystery Spot (I think it's just north of the bridge). GO!!!! They have some amazing optical illusions. My kids still talk about it. This fall we're going to do the Painted Rock State Park and Taquemenon Falls in the UP of MI. Can't wait!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Maine and houseboat are both fun ideas! So many places- so little time and money! :D Jennifer- Is there a beach on the island? What time of year is the best to go? We don't mind going off season if the weather tends to be nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Maine and houseboat are both fun ideas! So many places- so little time and money! :D Jennifer- Is there a beach on the island? What time of year is the best to go? We don't mind going off season if the weather tends to be nice! You know - there must be! We threw rocks into the lake from a beach - but it was rocky. There must be a swimming beach though! Summer is the best time of year weather wise. But, we always go the first weekend in October with a group (the rates are AWESOME!!!). The weather has been great (mid-60s - 70s) three of the times. One time it was chilly and rainy (50s - 60s). We had fun anyway!!! I was just looking at the Grand Hotel website and for a date in June for four, the rate is $780/night! OUCH! We paid $150/night for 6!! And, that was in a HUGE room with a lake and bridge view! And, breakfast and dinner for 6! (Dinner includes live music and dancing!) So, the rates are definitely cheaper if you're willing to take a gamble on the weather! Your other option is to stay at a cheaper resort on the island. OR stay on the mainland and take the boat in each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Is Ocracoke the place with the wild horses? We went to Sandridge' date=' VA a couple years ago and LOVED it- that is definitely on the table! A cruise sounds like fun too![/quote'] Chincoteague Island is the where the wild horses are... ;) Our family just returned from a 5 night cruise and LOVED it. It was (obviously) different than when just DH & I went, yet equally lovely. There was such a variety of activities onboard, plus various ports of call (somewhere different every day). Really neat ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Maine and houseboat are both fun ideas! So many places- so little time and money! :D Jennifer- Is there a beach on the island? What time of year is the best to go? We don't mind going off season if the weather tends to be nice! I would not count on a beautiful swimming beach on Mackinac Island. There is so much to do though that I dont' know if you would miss it. There are tons of hotels in Mackinaw City that have beaches (again, not the nicest compared to say Traverse City) but they have pools, etc. I think your kids would love the carriage rides, seeing the horses, riding the ferry, etc. Then if you wanted a nice beach you could go just an hour or so south to Traverse City area for great beaches, etc. My husband is part owner of http://www.grandtraverseresort.com and that is a nice place with an indoor water park, private beaches, nice hotel, even a kids care area if you wanted. In season though it can be pricey. Do you want ONE destination where you fly in and stay in one spot for 1-2 weeks or would you like to travel a bit---say drive to Mackinaw for 2-3 days and then down to Traverse City and then hit Sleeping Bear dunes or Silver Lake dunes area and then hit Grand Rapids for the Meijer Gardens and zoo, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 It doesn't have a beach but we really like St. Louis, especially on a budget. There is a lot to do in the city, some of which is free including the zoo and the science center. We go at least once a year for my daughter's doctor appointments and my kids love going. I believe there is also a Six Flags there although we have never been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I took a cruise for the first time and I LOVED it! The price includes food, entertainment, transportation to some pretty cool places, and of course the place to sleep. When you break it down like that the price is better than most vacations. We took a 7 day cruise out of Tampa on the Carnival Legend and had 4 port stops where we could lay on the beach at Roatan, swim with Stingrays and snorkel, Grand Caymans, see ruins, Belize, and another fabulous beach day in Cozumel. Another huge selling point for me was Camp Carnival which my kids enjoyed. They have kids programs running from 10am to 10pm and the kids were able to pick and choose what they wanted to do, while DH and I had some alone grown up time, and Camp was included so there isn't any extra fees unless the kids want to go to one of the late night parties. If you look you can find pretty decent deals, and since we homeschool you don't have to go when school is out and the prices get jacked up based on demand. Our cruise price was 559 per person for a cabin with a balcony, and as I mentioned if you break it down the cost of a week long trip somewhere else it a lot more than that. Of course the extras like alcohol and pictures can add up so anyone looking at cruising needs to have a budget and stick to it. We love to cruise! In fact, we are leaving on one on February 19 - just 9 more days!!!!!!!!!! In September, we flew from the East Coast to Seattle and spent a week going from Seattle to San Francisco. We had a wonderful time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) Hubby says we can take a vacation this year!!!! Now to figure out where to go! We don't mind driving or flying (if the price wasn't to unreasonable) but would like to stay in the US/Canada. We love the beach and we enjoy hiking. The girls are younger so not a ton of museums. An amusement park one day might be nice but tend to enjoy more nature type things. We love zoos and aquariums. I do not want to camp but don't mind renting something with a kitchen for cooking meals. What are some of your favourite family trips that we might enjoy? Ooh, ooh, ooh, I know this one!! Acadia National Park in Maine. It has everything you want: beaches, incredible hiking (something for every age/skill level), lots of nature :) RE: the post about Monhegan Island...it is a beautiful place, but tiny, tiny (2 hotels). No cars are allowed on the island and there is NOTHING to do except walk around. DH and I didn't mind a couple of days there, but that was about all we could handle. Maybe a day trip would be fun. There is a wonderful campground we go to called Mt. Desert Campground, which is on Somesville Sound. The sites are very private and many of them are waterfront to the sound. Several have decks w/picnic tables over the water. When the kids were really little, we did rent houses (found thru Cyberrental type sites) and there are many to be found. Edited February 10, 2011 by whitestavern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Mount Rushmore was fun! www.nps.gov/moru Cruising along Route 66 enroute to Ozark Outdoor Campgrounds www.ozarkoutdoors.net was fun! Camping in the Lake of the Ozarks was hot but fun! www.crosscreekrvpark.com :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I don't know if you've considered it, but our absolute favorite vacation was Hawaii... beaches, hiking, snorkeling, Volcanoes NP (Big Island), and gorgeous views all around (esp Kauai). If in the winter months, there are plenty of whales to see too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 So many places and they all sound wonderful!!!! We don't mind driving and spending a few days here and there- so that is another option to consider! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 How far is it from Traverse City, MI to Mackinac Island? If we were to fly into Acadia National Park, what airport would you recommend? It's about a 20 hr drive- doable but long! I'm sure I could places along the way to stop and explore though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zusjames Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 We love the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We usually stay at a hotel near Nags Head. There are sand dunes that you can climb and a nature trail. Kids love the sand dunes because you can climb all over them. The beach is nice there. There is an aquarium close by. You can climb the lighthouses at Hatteras and take the free ferry over to Ocracoke Island. It's really quaint and fun with lots of things to do! We too love this area. It's a great place to go and TONS of history! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zusjames Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I so want to plan a vaca now! where to go... where to go... Thanks for inspiration! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 How far is it from Traverse City' date=' MI to Mackinac Island? ....[/quote'] It is 2 hours and 12 minutes according map quest. It is a beautiful drive along the lake though. To Acme where the Grand Traverse Resort is, it is about 2 hours. Then from Traverse City to Grand Haven is about 3 hours or so with many nice places you could stop along the way---Sleeping Bear Dunes, Platte River, a fish hatchery, Silver Lake Dunes, Country Dairy (a really neat dairy farm where you can take tours, watch them bottle milk, make cheese and icecream, play on a playground and then eat at their cute little diner), etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinannie Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I don't know where you live, but I agree that Virginia Beach might be a great idea. The aquarium there is amazing. There is also a small zoo nearby that I haven't been to yet. Busch Gardens and Water Country USA are nearby in Williamsburg. If you would rather have a condo, I would stay in Williamsburg because Virginia Beach is almost all hotels. Plus, you could visit historic Williamsburg or Jamestown (much cheaper and really neat). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeFe Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 NYC, Seabrook Island,SC (know of a great rental. pm me if you're interested) and Williamsburg, VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 How far is it from Traverse City' date=' MI to Mackinac Island? If we were to fly into Acadia National Park, what airport would you recommend? It's about a 20 hr drive- doable but long! I'm sure I could places along the way to stop and explore though....[/quote'] I would guess you'd want to fly into Bangor; which is about an hour's drive from Acadia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 It sounds like hubby likes the idea of Mackinac Island! On our way up there, we are going to stop and spend a couple days at Cedar Point and then drive up to the island! All you Michigan people, I need your best websites/recommendations for the area! Where do you recomend staying on the island? Anything we MUST do while there? Any restaurants/stores you LOVED? Also, any place we need to stop and visit on the drive up there or home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Do you want to stay on the Island or in the city and just go to the Island for the day? Do you want a pool? mini water park? On the water? There are TONS of hotels/motels in Mackinaw City and then the ones on the Island. You pay a lot more to stay on the Island but it might be fun. We have never done it though. Will you be going up the east side of Michigan then? If so, I don't have many ideas. On the west side though I have lots of ideas. On the Island I think the kids would enjoy the butterfly house, like the carriage ride around the Island, maybe a pony ride if that is a big thing for them. The fudge is awesome. There are tons of little shops on the Island but honestly, I rarely go in them as I don't like touristy type stuff. Old Mill Creek can be a lot of fun if you like historical stuff/nature walks, etc. That is just south of town a bit. If you go north of the bridge there is a little Garland zoo, a bear ranch, the Soo Locks, etc. My girls also really enjoyed White Fish Point to see the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald museum. What types of things are you interested in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bry's-gal Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 Change of plans! We are going to do a family mission trip to Trinidad as our family vacation! I've been wanting to go for about a year but hubby had been hesitant to agree due to money. He just decided that we could go and use our vacation money to help and raise the rest of the money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 You know - there must be! We threw rocks into the lake from a beach - but it was rocky. There must be a swimming beach though! Summer is the best time of year weather wise. But, we always go the first weekend in October with a group (the rates are AWESOME!!!). The weather has been great (mid-60s - 70s) three of the times. One time it was chilly and rainy (50s - 60s). We had fun anyway!!! I was just looking at the Grand Hotel website and for a date in June for four, the rate is $780/night! OUCH! We paid $150/night for 6!! And, that was in a HUGE room with a lake and bridge view! And, breakfast and dinner for 6! (Dinner includes live music and dancing!) So, the rates are definitely cheaper if you're willing to take a gamble on the weather! Your other option is to stay at a cheaper resort on the island. OR stay on the mainland and take the boat in each day. We stay at the Grand as well - so much fun! We go at the beginning of the season & it's a good deal then, to. We ride bikes around the island & stop periodically to wade in the lake & explore. We've never stopped at the Mystery spot - we'll have to check that out - thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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