Hypothetical vacation with stimulus check :)

[Calizzy]

*Regardless of whether I think the stimulus bill should be passed or not*

Let’s dream spend the stimulus checks on a vacation! I’m not saying that I will- there are always medical bills and responsible choices. But let’s just dream. 

 

With 4 kids, I would be getting $8,400 on the House’s plan. I am so wanting an all inclusive resort. Maybe Hawaii? Or the Caribbean? I really don’t even care because in my dream vacation I am laying by the pool all day and not even sight seeing 👙☀️⛱

Edited March 2, 2021 by Calizzy

[katilac]

Well, it is a stimulus check, meant to stimulate the economy! So here's a list The 10 Best All Inclusive Resorts in the USA so you can feel patriotic about it. 

But if you mostly want to relax, it might be cheaper-but-still-easy to pick a hotel with nice pools and amenities and more than one eating choice, and just load up a prepaid card so you're not stressing about it. Depending on the age of your kids, you can even give them their own card to buy lunch and snacks and so on on their own. 

[J-rap]

I agree about using it to stimulate the economy in the US.  Would you consider a national park, like Yellowstone?  If you stay at one of their lodges, you can get plans that include meals, offer various tours and activities, etc.  (Glacier would be great, too!)

I guess that's not exactly beach time though...

[Terabith]

Hawaii's the US

[katilac]

1 minute ago, Terabith said:

Hawaii's the US

We didn't say it wasn't, lol. My list includes Hawaii. 

10 minutes ago, J-rap said:

I agree about using it to stimulate the economy in the US.  Would you consider a national park, like Yellowstone?  

I think it's still really hard to book the national parks, or am I behind the times? 

[J-rap]

Just now, katilac said:

We didn't say it wasn't, lol. My list includes Hawaii. 

I think it's still really hard to book the national parks, or am I behind the times? 

Due to Covid, or just general popularity of national parks?  I haven't kept up with how national parks are handling Covid these days, so I'm not sure about that.  I do remember that the last time we went to a national park (maybe 6 years ago?), we booked in February and early March.  After that, it was difficult to find room in the major lodges. 

[hjffkj]

I would simply rent a house at a great beach location and just eat out for every meal. While an all inclusive sounds great, if all I wanted to do was relax at a pool or beach I wouldn't waste money travelling too far.

[Serenade]

49 minutes ago, katilac said:

Well, it is a stimulus check, meant to stimulate the economy! So here's a list The 10 Best All Inclusive Resorts in the USA so you can feel patriotic about it. 

But if you mostly want to relax, it might be cheaper-but-still-easy to pick a hotel with nice pools and amenities and more than one eating choice, and just load up a prepaid card so you're not stressing about it. Depending on the age of your kids, you can even give them their own card to buy lunch and snacks and so on on their own. 

I've been to the Club Med in Port St. Lucie!  It's great for families with kids.  I only had a 2 year old with me when we went, and I was pregnant with my second, but it was great fun.  While my 2 year old was in one of the kiddie clubs, my husband and I tried rollerblading (lol, first time rollerblading as a pregnant woman!), and we also were able to check out sailboats to take out on the river.  The food was good, although that pregnancy nausea was just starting to hit so I didn't enjoy the food as much as I would have liked.  They were well known at the time for their trapeze classes -- they had a large outdoor trapeze thingy with nets and everything.  I did not try that, but it sure was popular with the kids.  That was just about 19 years ago now, so things might be very different.   My two year old is now 21, and his little brother is 18! 

Edited March 2, 2021 by Serenade

[Murphy101]

Curacao. Everything you could ever want in a vacation.

I want to go back so bad. 

[katilac]

40 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Due to Covid, or just general popularity of national parks?  I haven't kept up with how national parks are handling Covid these days, so I'm not sure about that.  I do remember that the last time we went to a national park (maybe 6 years ago?), we booked in February and early March.  After that, it was difficult to find room in the major lodges. 

Their general popularity being multiplied by Covid! I just poked around a bit, and it looks like you have to be hovering over your computer with the booking site open when the 6-month window opens, like you're trying to book a Disney character meal with Cinderella, if you want to have a chance. 

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Calizzy said:

in my dream vacation I am laying by the pool all day and not even sight seeing

Technically you can get this staying at a condo in Florida, and your $8400 should go a long way, lol. 

Were you wanting to take the kids on this? It seems like the all inclusives are not so child friendly, so that would be a challenge. Maybe something in the dominican republic? But with the travel restrictions and possibility/probability of having your party separated if someone gets sick, it makes no sense. So again, you're back to Florida, lol.

https://www.carouselbeachinn.com  Shhh, but we stayed here and it was about as beautiful as you could dream of. Not the hotel; it's pretty low key, lol. But the beach, the shells, the whole thing was just dreamy. And there's a farmer's market with international foods, so you don't have to cook. I would go back in a heartbeat.

[Carrie12345]

I’ve definitely thought about it a little, which is weird because I’m not much of a traveler. I wouldn’t give two hoots about the specific location - just a warm beach where everything is provided to me. 
 

We’re not likely to do it, but the thought is still there.

[mmasc]

If I’m only dreaming, then Hawaii. Definitely Hawaii. I’ve wanted to go there for such a long time, and now it sounds even better in my dream world. I’d like to spend time relaxing on a beach, but I also want to sightsee and hike and do all the other things Hawaii has to offer as well. It just sounds lovely. 

[SKL]

I won't get a stimulus check and I don't plan on any air travel until there are no mask requirements.

But I was thinking maybe renting an RV.  Not really sure where we'd go.  I'd love to go to a yoga spa type place, but my kids would probably not like that much ....

To be honest, for me, the most relaxing vacation would be if I could just chill at home, provided nobody talked to me about anything controversial.  No politics, no business stress, nothing about how poorly my kids eat, sleep, or behave, and no sass from my kids either.  😛

[J-rap]

8 hours ago, katilac said:

Their general popularity being multiplied by Covid! I just poked around a bit, and it looks like you have to be hovering over your computer with the booking site open when the 6-month window opens, like you're trying to book a Disney character meal with Cinderella, if you want to have a chance. 

Yeah, I guess should have anticipated that this year!  In the past, relatives of mine have been able to find vacancies in towns 30 miles or so outside of national parks on shorter notice, but those are probably filling up earlier this year as well.

[Sherry in OH]

6 minutes ago, SKL said:

I won't get a stimulus check and I don't plan on any air travel until there are no mask requirements.

But I was thinking maybe renting an RV.  Not really sure where we'd go.  I'd love to go to a yoga spa type place, but my kids would probably not like that much ....

To be honest, for me, the most relaxing vacation would be if I could just chill at home, provided nobody talked to me about anything controversial.  No politics, no business stress, nothing about how poorly my kids eat, sleep, or behave, and no sass from my kids either.  😛

Send your children to camp and book a vacation for the other adults in your household?

I want to go somewhere.  But I do not like crowds.  I would love a secluded hut at a beach resort.  A few days in a hammock under the trees with a view of the ocean sounds lovely.  The resort must have activities for Dh and children that I do not need to plan.  I also want someone else to feed them.   Hawaii sounds lovely, other than the flying part.   

More realistically, my vacation goal for this year is to drive east to visit family. 

[MEmama]

IRL we'll be spending the money in our community. No travel until we are vaccinated and probably not for a long time after that.

But if we are dreaming about travel in general...the first place I’d go is the city where DS will be going to university. Sending him away to a school overseas sight unseen is little nerve wracking!

After that...oh man, bring on the cities! 3 months of city touring in Europe sounds heavenly—great sightseeing, good food, lots of activity and people watching and feeling immersed in *life*. I’m sick of quiet, I’m sick of sitting around...I want places to go and things to do and to be surrounded by people who do interesting things. I want to take photos of something other than my cats and the trees outside, to try new things and be active, to feel inspired and to feel *free*. 

[kokotg]

We're planning to use ours as a downpayment on a new travel trailer, so it's like LOTS of vacations rolled into one! This summer we're hoping to be able to get to New England to finally see my in-laws, but my dream RV trip (summer 2022????) is Newfoundland.