Johanna Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We have the opportunity to take a vacation for the first time in years, as a family. There are 5kids ages 2-12. But, we aren't sure where??? I'd love to hear about your favorite vacations under 5k, that were memorable and fun....anywhere in the US!! Thank u! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RachelFM Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We live in the Pacific Northwest, and we LOVE it. Mountains, ocean, high desert, farms, islands...all within about 2 hours of home in Seattle (which is very kid-friendly.) It's really easy to do some tidepooling and a hike and then then next day hit museums/zoo/science center type stuff. We do lots of short weekend trips around here. Here are some local faves that are pretty unique. http://www.guemesislandresort.com/ (slow island pace, bikeable island, super relaxing) http://www.smallwoodsharvest.com/ (kid heaven, spacious, great price, near great hiking) http://www.sylviabeachhotel.com/ (depends on your kids if this type of setting is awesome or crazy-making) Regardless of where you go, seriously consider getting a VRBO http://www.vrbo.com/ so that you've got something cheaper than a hotel and enough space for you and the kids as well as meal-making situations. If you're more adventurous, I can't say enough good things about http://www.recreation.gov/ We've scored some awesome cabins and fire lookouts in the Cascades. For like $70 a huge cabin that sleeps 9? In the national forest? Built by the WPA? YES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We have the opportunity to take a vacation for the first time in years, as a family. There are 5kids ages 2-12. But, we aren't sure where??? I'd love to hear about your favorite vacations under 5k, that were memorable and fun....anywhere in the US!! Thank u! National Parks! We love to road trip and tour the parks. Camping is cheap. My boys enjoy doing the Junior Ranger programs, so lots of education going on as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We have a wide age range too. It's really hard to find things for everyone. We've found our most fun vacations were at Disney. Our most relaxing vacations were on a Disney cruise! There is something for everyone - including mom and dad. We also had a great vacation renting a beach house. But, it was stressful having to constantly watch the kids around the water. Have fun planning! Vacation planning is a hobby of mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Destin, FL. If you're into camping there is a state part in the middle of all the tourist stuff. I think it's called Henderson State Park. It's right on the beach, across the street from a Comfort Inn if that's more your thing. The water is drop dead gorgeous, there is every tourist thing to do in a short trip. It's truly spectacular. Arches National Park in Utah is awesome. I might be a little hesitant with a two year because there is a lot of nature trails, but it is also gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Williamsburg area. In addition to Williamsburg, there's also Jamestown (our favorite) and Yorktown. I think we could spend 2 weeks there. There's also a Great Wolf Lodge and Busch Gardens. So much to do. Off season condo rentals and timeshares are really cheap and great for larger families. My kids loved going back to our timeshare every night--it had putt-putt, basketball, indoor/outdoor pool, tennis, etc. I think it cost $80/night for 2 bedroom/2 bath. They loved the whirlpool tub! You might be able to get a homeschool discount at Wmsburg. I ran into a Wmbsburg rep at the Cincy convention a couple of years ago--right after we returned from Wmsburg. I told I wished we had waited til homeschool days (in May) to go as it was fairly expensive otherwise. She said I should have just popped in to see her and she would have taken care of us. Not sure what that means... Great Wolf also has homeschool days in May. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Our favorite trips are to Disney World! We rent a condo (you can also rent houses with their own pools, for less than $200 a night) in Orlando so we can do other stuff too, like Sea World. Check out http://www.floridasunvacationhomes.com, the Windsor Hills community. You don't have to go to Disney, there is TONS to do in Orlando, plus the community has a pool and playground. Our 2nd favorite vacation was to Niagara Falls (Canada side, NOT US side). We stayed at the Embassy Suites with a room overlooking the Falls, and ate a big free breakfast every morning- overlooking the Falls. It was a GREAT trip! The kids really enjoyed it. We had beautiful weather. Wasn't too crowded. Canadians are really friendly :) Seriously. I was surprised at just how much we enjoyed our time there. We did these Jetboats down the Niagara river that did 360 turns, it was awesome!! We toured a winery (yes, with the kids, they were very accommodating and the kids actually learned something!) We ate at great restaurants. We just had a GREAT time. I am from New Orleans and we visit there every so often and have a good time.... swamp tours, French Quarter, Audabon zoo, etc. We had a good time in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg, VA. Lots to do in that area as well. The Beach, Busch Gardens, Water Country, Colonial Williamsburg, playgrounds, etc. We lived in Hawaii... but that wouldn't stay under budget. We just got back from California. Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Francisco. Lots of hiking, beaches, scenery, etc. Those are our favorites, so far :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workingmom Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 DC Great Wolves Lodge (we did the Cinci one) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlaura Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We just went to Mammoth Cave with our 2yo & 5yo, and we all loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I'm all about beach houses. We rent at St. George Island, FL. It is heaven on earth. You fly into Talahassee and then drive from there (75 miles). Or, you can drive there if you are close enough, as we do. We rent a luxury house for a month in the fall for < $5k. Usually around 4k. (Same house is more than that for one week in July when it is 100 degrees and crowded . . . or go in the fall for a month for same price when it is 80 degrees and you have the beach to yourself!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Disney for sure. Your kids are great ages for that! It's a really fun family trip. For a truly relaxing vacation, I do love the beach. A lot of it depends on you/your kids enjoy. I just don't think you can go wrong with Disney and kids; SO much to do!! If you book a trip for September right now, you are eligible for free dining. That would be a pretty big savings with a large family - all meals paid for the length of your stay! I think you could easily do it for under 5k. My son and I are going for right at $1000 in September for 5 nights. That's room, tickets, and meals. You could book 2 value rooms for your crew and with tickets, you'd probably be looking at around $3000, and the meals would be free! That gives you $2000 leeway for travel, souvenirs and extras! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We did Zion and Bryce a few years ago and it was incredible. But also seconding Williamsburg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I'm no help.....I agree with Disney, Disney cruises, Mammoth Cave, national parks, Williamsburg, *and* Destin! :tongue_smilie: If you were willing to go just outside of the US, the provincial parks in Canada are amazing. We particularly loved Jacques Cartier and Lake Superior provincial parks. We also loved Montreal and Quebec city. We also enjoyed our trip out west. The Grand Canyon and Zion national park are breathtaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Disney or a beach.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Disney is great. My brother and SIL just did a 10 Caribbean cruise, all inclusive for $500 a person. They had a blast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtoamiracle Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 we take our travel trailer and pull it to Grayton Beach Florida. It's a national park way out past Destin. Wilderness. Not many people and lovely. We love the beach. We have to stay close to home for vacations. We won't fly and we won't have enough time to travel far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 we take our travel trailer and pull it to Grayton Beach Florida. It's a national park way out past Destin. Wilderness. Not many people and lovely. We love the beach. We have to stay close to home for vacations. We won't fly and we won't have enough time to travel far. We have camped a lot of places, but Grayton Beach is my favorite. We take bikes and go to Seaside. We love Disney, too, and try to go at least every other year. We also love to cruise. I just asked the kids what their favorite vacation was so far, and they say cruising. I was surprised. I was sure it was Disney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Williamsburg area. In addition to Williamsburg, there's also Jamestown (our favorite) and Yorktown. I think we could spend 2 weeks there. There's also a Great Wolf Lodge and Busch Gardens. So much to do. Off season condo rentals and timeshares are really cheap and great for larger families. My kids loved going back to our timeshare every night--it had putt-putt, basketball, indoor/outdoor pool, tennis, etc. I think it cost $80/night for 2 bedroom/2 bath. They loved the whirlpool tub! Laura :iagree: We love going on vacation and doing things. We love the beach, but we wouldn't spend our whole vacation there. DC, Boston/Plimoth, and Philly are some of our favorite destinations. Plus, all of these are within a one day drive to the beach if you wanted to end a vacation in the sand. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I think it really depends on what your interests are. While I know many think Disney is wonderful, I can't think of anything less appealing as a family vacation. We were offered free housing/tickets and food to Disney, we only had to get ourselves there. We turned it down. Just thinking about being somewhere with all those people just makes me twitch. I was there several times as a teenager and I didn't enjoy it then either. On the other hand, my best family vacation memories are the ones where we got a cabin on a lake and spent the week fishing, lounging, reading books, swimming, taking boat roads and making smores over the fire. We also enjoyed touring old civil war battlefields and some of the old plantations. We much prefer quiet vacations where each day is wide open to do whatever suits our whims for the day. So are you looking for busy things to see and do each day or places to sit back and put your feet up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbb119 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 One of our favorite vacation was Amelia Island. The beaches are very nice, clean, easily accessible, and not crowded at all. It made being out there with a 6 mos old, 4 and 6 yr old fairly easy. We were able to find a nice condo across the street from the beach on vrbo for I think $70 something a night. The town is quaint and quiet, and the downtown area is nice to walk around. Wherever you end up, ENJOY!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMama Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We have a few favorites Gatlinburg, TN - This is our family favorite. It's breathtaking. There's guided hikes in the smokies, ziplining through the treetops, iceskating, a Cirque de Soleil knock-off, a fabulous aquarium, a titanic museum, Dollywood amusement park, laser tag and laser mazes, theaters and comedy shows, murder mystery dinners, cheezy Ripley stuff, and we even got to see a black bear at a safe distance. In the summer, there's also rafting and zorbing (like a human hamster ball they roll down hill with you in it). We stayed at the Holiday Inn there - it's a time share, but you can book it like a hotel. One bedroom plus mini kitchen so you can make some oatmeal before you head out for like $120/night - and it's less than a mile walk to most things :001_smile:. DC/Williamsburg was super fun and a lot of educational opportunities. In DC, in addition to all the Smithsonians/Capitol/White House, The Spy Museum and DC Duck cruises were ridiculously fun. Williamsburg was really relaxing. Their nighttime programs such as ghost stories, dance lessons and story tellers cost a bit extra, but were the highlights for us. Disney - Pure fun. In addition to the 4 parks, renting boats and bikes over at the boardwalk is off the beaten path and fab. Harry Potter over at Universal for big kids was fabulous, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Our two best vacations have been Grand Canyon and Laguna Beach Christian Retreat. For our GC tour we rented an RV and camped in the park for a few days then took another week to tour around--Mesa Verde, Durango (took the train to Silverton) and Arches National Park, ending at the North Rim before heading home. It was kind of a whirlwind with lots of driving but we had such a great time. The only down was dd got very sick at the end and we decided to cut our trip by a day so we could get home and rest. ;) Laguna Beach is in Panama City Beach and is right across the street from the beach. There are a number of cabins; there are also a couple of pools. You have to bring all your stuff--except pots, pans, and dishes, trash bags and tp. There wasn't even a spare salt shaker in the cabinets. But Winn-Dixie and Publix are a short drive away. Anyway it was very relaxing as we could just walk over to the beach whenever we felt like--early morning to see the red crabs and avoid the heat of the day, late at night to catch sand crabs. We didn't have to load everyone up to get to the beach and deal with all the mess that goes with that. Have fun planning your vacation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I think it really depends on what your interests are. So are you looking for busy things to see and do each day or places to sit back and put your feet up? I TOTALLY agree here. We have done 2 Make A Wish trips to Disney and they were AWESOME but NOT a relaxing family vacation. Do you want something busy and lots of fun or something low key where you can just sit and do nothing or just what you want, when you want, and only IF you want:) Do you want to do some traveling and see different things or stay in one place for the whole time? Are you big beach/water people? Nature lovers? Museum people? Amusement park/big attraction type family? We vacationed for a week each summer at Mackinaw City MI when we were kids. We would go to the Island (all horse drawn vehicles and bikes, no cars), go to the forts, do a bit of touristy shopping and lots of sitting at the pool/beach, walking around, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 We love southern California! We usually stay in Encinitas. The beaches are beautiful, and there are tide pools to check out at low tide. You can rent surfboards. Legoland is nearby, as is San Diego, which has its amazing zoo and other attractions like Sea World. La Jolla Cove is lovely for kayaking and snorkeling. You will see harbor seals and sea lions, as well as other marine life. If you want to go to Disneyland, I think it's a couple hours drive. We love the Encinitas area, and go there every other summer. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5 Hikers Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Mine are 4-11. We are going to Disney next week! :D One year I took the kids to the Outer Banks. I loved it much more than Florida Beaches. You can rent a house on the Ocean for 1 week for less than $1000. We also Love Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. There is tons to do, but it does add up cost wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Our favorite vacations have been National Parks or beach houses ... Destin, St. Petersburg or Galveston for the beaches (well, not right IN those areas, we usually find rentals in quiet residential areas nearby). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I just got back from Disneyland & California Adventure yesterday - it was a blast! Best trip ever. I think it would be great for your ages of kids, but so much of it depends on the time of year you visit. I would NOT go during the summer or on weekends. If you can go during the week in one of the off-seasons, you will get to experience so much more, otherwise you will be spending the majority of time waiting in lines. There are lots of other fun things to do in SoCal too, if you have the time and inclination. Other ideas: Williamsburg - echoing the others here - I have not been there with my kids, but I went there as a kid and thought it was cool. Washington D.C. was a lot of fun, too - lots of great sights to see, although I don't know if your youger one(s) would enjoy it as much. Mesa Verde, CO, and the Four Corners area. Seattle - lots of cool museums, ferry trips, beautiful scenery. San Francisco, and the central coast of CA - millions of things to do, gorgeous scenery - this would be fairly expensive, though, but sooo much fun. Museums, missions, beaches, tide pools, aquariums, famous landmarks. Cool stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johanna Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Wow!!!! You all are quite the travelers! Lol! I knew I coud post here for great ideas!! Thank u so much! We are not vacation pros cause we don't usually financially ave the ability to swing it....so we're not quite sure if we want relaxing, or adventure/fun!! To be honest, with a 2 yo and 6 yo in the mix, nothing's real relaxing!;) I love the idea of California!sea world! Disney...but summer probably isn't the best time to go. We really don't want to wait in lines forever the whole vaca. I'd love to o to Hawaii!! Lol:D Again, thank u or your help!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 If west coast in summer appeals to you, I'd probably opt for a few days in Seattle for some adventure and maybe a couple of days in the San Juan Islands where you could spend some time relaxing, exploring tide pools, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 (edited) If you plan to fly, 7 r/t flights could take a huge, or the entire, chunk of your 5k. I need more info to help! Edited April 28, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 You might be able to get a homeschool discount at Wmsburg. I ran into a Wmbsburg rep at the Cincy convention a couple of years ago--right after we returned from Wmsburg. I told I wished we had waited til homeschool days (in May) to go as it was fairly expensive otherwise. She said I should have just popped in to see her and she would have taken care of us. Not sure what that means... Laura When you go to Williamsburg, rather than going to the regular ticket sales at the visitor center, stop in at the group admission center. It's on the right by the 13 flags before you go down the stairs to the visitor center. There's a sign in front of the building. Let them know you are homeschoolers and they will give you a discounted rate. We were just there last week and got a single day pass ($30 for age 13 and up, $15 for kids under 13). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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