Where is the best place you have ever been for vacation in the continental US?

[butterfly 17]

Hi guys, just trying to get vacation ideas for this summer. We have no idea where we want to go with the girls this year....

So, where is the bestest place you have ever been to within the US and why was it so great?

 

[Skippy123]

Yay, a vacation thread; I love vacation threads.

During the spring/summer I love Santa Barbara, Pacific Gove, San Diego, San Fran and Seattle. They are warm and beautiful and the flowers are blooming. I have been to San Fran during the winter too and it was fun but I love the warmer weather. It never gets too cold in SF.

I love Washington DC during the spring because of the cherry blossoms; the Smithsonian is free and you can tour the capital the national library and their is endless things to do and good food.

Close to home is Santa Fe, NM. I love visiting and just spending the night on the plaza. It is like nothing you have seen before; the city has strict covenants that buildings cannot be a certain height; usually 2 stories and pueblo style. There is lots of fun shopping, artists, good food and the Georgia O'keefe museums and spas are wonderful!

I also love Savannah, GA. The trees have Spanish moss growing on them; cobblestone roads and historic old homes and b&b's. It is so romantic and the food and shoping are wonderful! Tybee Island and Hilton Head are close by if you want the beach.

What kind of things do you like to do?

 

[sumbride]

hmm.... good question with lots of answers!! Here''s a few... I could literally go on forever, but I''ll stop with 3.


Bar Harbor, Maine... It''s just really special. DH and I drove up to the top of the mountain in Acadia National Park, or as high as we could get before the fog enveloped us. We stopped along the way for pictures and to look out at the ocean. It was awesome. We were supposed to go on a lobster boat but it was stormy that day so we couldn''t, but the lobster we had at a few other places was amazing. We shopped in the little boutiques, had a good dinner and a rolicking good time at a bar with some "locals" (I think they were college kids so not actually locals...) I''d go back in a second! I was also there as a kid and remembered liking it then too.

Madison, Wisconsin - Great Farmers Market on the weekend, Great town, Great Cheese, and I loved visiting Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright''s home and studio. Plus there''s a big shoe store outside of town. It was fun. I just wouldn''t go in the winter.

Monterrey, Carmel, San Francisco, Napa, California - I had a blast here as a kid and also as an adult. So much to see and do, it''s very easy to make this a memorable trip.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hmmmm well. A lot of my trips growing up weren''t your standard family vacations (i.e., I''ve never been to Disney or spent summers on The Cape). We did things like camping in Maine, driving cross country, weekend trips into Boston (I grew up in NH) or Montreal, CA, driving to Nova Scotia, CA, going to Washington DC and Williamsburg VA. I would say that out of all of that, Washington DC was the most fun and interesting. There''s so much to do and see for people of all ages and it''s fun while educational at the same time. You didn''t say how old your kids were, but other options are camping in any of the National Parks (like Yosemite or Yellowstone), going to the Grand Canyon, going to LA, San Diego, San Francisco, the Florida Keys, white water rafting, and of course, Disney.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I don''t know where you are or what you are looking for, but here are my favorites:
Colorado: Really anything in the central or western half of the state. The most amazing places are in the mountains like monument pass. In the south there are the ruins of mesa verde and a number of other anasazi sites which are truely amazing. There are also the sand dunes which are the biggest sand dunes in the US, I truely love them, especially on moonlit nights.

Montana: flathead lake in the summer is heaven. The tempurate is just right, the leaves are green and the lake has a mystical feeling. The lake itself is bigger than lake tahoe, but not as touristy and much cheaper. It is hard to explian why it is so nice, just look up pictures.

San Fransisco: It is really self explanatory, but it is beautiful, there is so much to do and it just has a really nice vibe for a city.

Florida: The keys are such a nice place if you go when the weather isn''t bad. The water is warm and turqoiuse and there are white sand beaches. There are tropical birds and great old mansions. It is also lot of fun like sea kayaking or the big pirate museum in key west.

I can give you more detail on any of the places, but these are my favorites.

 

[decodelighted]

For vacations I generally like to go someplace kind of opposite of where I''m living. When I lived in NYC, I headed to Vermont or beachy places etc. That''s changed a bit since I''ve moved to NY''s Hudson Valley ... because i like the woodsy, charming town environs generally. I still vaca in Vermont & the Adirondacks & the mountains of VA even though the terrain is quite similar to my everyday scenery. Anyhoo:

OVERALL VACA FAVES (Continental U.S. edition):

1. San Francisco & surrounding area
2. Vermont (Stowe, Woodstock, mid to upper prolly)
3. Brimfield, MA for their thrice annual giganto antique show
4. Timberlock Family Resort in the Adirondacks (no electricity! but no sleeping on the ground either)
5. Austin, TX (great food, nightlife, vibe)
6. Santa Fe, NM (spas & way diff. terrain)

FWIW -- I hate Florida. Every bit that I''ve been too. (Never been to The Keys). Pastel colors & daily rains & a certain aesthetic that I find

.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We've gone on many road trips with the kids and have had fun times, BUT, last summer was by far the best. We took the boys to California and hung out all over the place, and the kids especially loved the beach, Sea World, San Diego Zoo, and Disneyland! It was an absolute BLAST and we plan to go again next summer. (I'm up in Seattle, BTW, and the entire month of July rained NON-STOP, so we desperately needed the California Sun.)

FWIW, we flew into LAX and rented a car and from there stayed in Anaheim & went to Disneyland and then we drove down to San Diego, spent time there and then flew out from the SAN airport. The trip was a bit longer than we should have planned for - it was EIGHT days, but making it a bit of a "road trip" added to the adventure! lol

Oh, and the great thing about all the CA excursions is that there are stroller rentals for kids of all ages. My older son was 6 at the time and many kids his age were in strollers just to make things easier for the families. We'd never have been able to spend 9 hours at Disneyland otherwise! lol

 

[mrssalvo]

we love Rosemary beach, FL (near seaside and destin), Hilton Head, SC (short drive for a day in savannah, ga which is fun and totally worth it.)



also, have you done disney yet with your girls? we are planning to do it next year. the girls can spend a morning at the disnely salon where they get hair/make-up-/princess costume of choice as well as pics with the princess''s. you can also plan a breakfast with the princess''s. my aunt has taken her kids on the disney cruise 3 years in a row and LOVES it, so if you all like to cruise, you might look into something like that as well.

 

[777_LDY]

I don''t know how old your girls are but we love going to Smuggler''s Notch, Vermont. I have three boys, ages 9 1/2, 7, & 3 1/2, and we always have a blast. My husband brought us there when our youngest was only a few months old and I still wasn''t feeling "myself." He promised that we would have a great time and that the boys would have plenty to do and was he ever right.

Basically the resort has everything that you could possibly want to do with your family; nature, swimming, tennis, mini golf, adult golf, many different pools with water slides and hot tubs...I could go on and on. They also have different lakes that you can hike up to for boating and simming. But my favorite part is the caregiving. In the summer the children have the option to go to different types of camps that interest them and the couselors are amazing, very great with all age children. They even have a daycare for younger tots and will take them out for walks and things so they aren''t stuck inside. The daycare also offers babysitters for night time that are wonderful. We have had med. students, school teachers, program directors, and farmer''s wives taking care of our children and have never been dissapointed. They all come with books to read or games to play.

I feel like everytime we have gone we have had the best family memories, and at the same time I have had my break from the children when I needed it as well. We loved it so much that first time we went we went back the following week and bought a condo! I believe the website is www.smuggs.com if you want to check it out.

 

[door knob solitaire]

San Diego.§

 

[777_LDY]

Just wanted to add that if you click on the link make sure to click on the summer icon on the upper right corner. We do go up in the winter too but there summer programs are by far the greatest IMHO!

 

[Clio]

New Orleans - It''s my favorite place on earth. Fabulous food, lots to see. The streetcar is even running again. Plus, there''s lots to do nearby. About 30 minutes from downtown is a wonderful park with a boardwalk through the swamp/marsh, plus the River Road plantations. Admittedly, summer is not the best time to go, but that''s when we go because that''s when the kids are out of school.
Really, you can spend forever in New Orleans and never have to deal with the tacky/trashy Bourbon Street stuff. That''s not at all what New Orleans is to me.

The Southern Appalachians - One of the things we''re hoping to do this summer is rent a cabin out in the mountains in Virginia/West Virginia/Tennessee. I grew up in that area, and it''s just such an incredibly beautiful part of the country. The mountains are not as big and impressive as the mountains in the western part of the country, but they''re so heartbreakingly beautiful. I''m looking into renting a cabin on a fair amount of land so we have quiet and privacy and just spend the time relaxing with the family. Washington, DC wouldn''t be too far either.

 

[fansynancy]

Our favorite are Montana/Wyoming
Southern California
Nantucket

 

[TravelingGal]

I love -

Boston, MA
Santa Barbara, CA and the surrounding wine country
Seattle, WA
Park City, UT (for skiing, but liked it before it became the more chi-chi place it is now)
Carmel, CA
Napa, CA

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/6/2007 5:12:13 PM
Author: TravelingGal
I love -

Boston, MA
Santa Barbara, CA and the surrounding wine country
Seattle, WA
Park City, UT (for skiing, but liked it before it became the more chi-chi place it is now)
Carmel, CA
Napa, CA

T-Gal.......COME TO BOSTON for a visit!

I''ll pick you up, and we''ll get into a little trouble together! LOL

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/6/2007 5:12:13 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Seattle, WA

Ugh, WHY Seattle? I cannot wait to escape from here for the following weekend and get some sun down south. We had massive flooding a few days ago and a state of emergency was declared

They closed down the hwy by my house and I was stuck in one spot on the freeway for 2.5 hours w/only two decent C.D.s to listen to. TG, your avatar really applied well to my life that day!!!

(Of course during the summer the weather is amazing! It''s also great if you love the mountains.

)

Butterfly - I know you asked about the US, but we''ve taken the kids up to B.C. a bunch of times and there are SO many things to do up there! Another option if you''re looking for something a bit different.

 

[TravelingGal]

Al, I''d love to - although my traveling days are getting more and more limited! For many years I went to Boston a couple times a year and enjoyed the visits so much. I never get tired of walking around Boston and everything is gorgeous...even with the eternal construction! I think as far as metropolitan cities, it ranks #1 for me...I much prefer it over NYC. Sacrilege, I know.

MC, I love Seattle...to visit. I could never live there precisely because of the sunshine factor (or non-abundance thereof). But I have a very dear friend there and we always have the most marvelous time. Plus I LOVE markets (they remind me of Europe) so I just like to hang out at Pike Place. People watching at markets is so much fun.

 

[iheartscience]

For a city vacation, I love NYC the best, followed by Seattle and Boston. L.A. seems like it would be hard for kids, but I like L.A., too. San Diego''s great and probably good for kids, too.

For an outdoorsy vacation, I like the Outer Banks in NC (beachy stuff, kayaking, etc.), Shenendoah National Park in VA (camping, hiking, horseback riding, etc. Yosemite would be amazing, too-I''ve never been but it''s on the list!

Seattle would be good for a mixed vacation because you can do city stuff like Pike Place market and also go to the Puget Sound, Discovery Park, Mount Rainier, etc.

 

[KimberlyH]

Chicago, IL and NYC (in that order). If there are kids the order remains the same. Both for the same reason, there is so much to see and do.

 

[Rhea]

City - NYC
Absolute favorite - Ocracoke, NC

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/6/2007 5:49:56 PM
Author: TravelingGal

MC, I love Seattle...to visit. I could never live there precisely because of the sunshine factor (or non-abundance thereof). But I have a very dear friend there and we always have the most marvelous time. Plus I LOVE markets (they remind me of Europe) so I just like to hang out at Pike Place. People watching at markets is so much fun.

Pike Place is wonderful. Its 100th year anniversary was last summer and I regret not going to it (and it''s been years since I''ve been there. I''ve been nervous about taking the kids there, but they''re a bit older now and would love to check it out. I have fond memories of going there all the time w/my parents and eating hombows!

)

Butterfly - If you do pick Seattle and you or your husband love baseball, you HAVE TO check out a Mariner''s game. They''re loads of fun and if you get seats far enough back, the kids can climb around and not block the view for anyone behind.

 

[zoebartlett]

I love Boston also! I grew up and still live near the city and I go there whenever I can. There''s so much to see and do, and I love its history. I also love the rugged coast of Maine and the smooth sands of the beaches in CA (I love San Diego, Montecito, and Santa Barbara). Martha''s Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Cape (Cape Cod) are really great, although touristy in the summer. Hmmm, what else? I''ve never been but I''ve always wanted to visit Carmel, CA and wine country (although I don''t really drink). I''ve heard Vancouver is great and from what Surfgirl has said about the Orcas Islands, I''m sure I''d love it there too.

 

[Jaders731]

Date: 12/6/2007 3:23:51 PM
Author: mrssalvo
we love Rosemary beach, FL (near seaside and destin), Hilton Head, SC (short drive for a day in savannah, ga which is fun and totally worth it.)

Awww yay Mrssalvo!!!! I loooooove that area... in fact, my vote is definitely for Seaside Florida... its soo amazing.. although, I may be a bit biased... hehe.. I got married there last March!!! Rosemary Beach is beautiful as well.. My hubby loves it there too.

 

[musey]

Key West, FL: The closest thing to Hawaii without leaving the continent!

Savannah, GA: So much beauty and history, lots to see and do, but a little sleepier than most vacation "spots."

Ithaca, NY: I''ll defend this one to the grave--I can''t wait to go back here! I haven''t been since I was 12, but it was seriously magical. The waterfalls and swimming holes are nonstop fun.

 

[monarch64]

Another vote for the Destin, FL area, and Hilton Head. And a couple summers ago we vacationed in northern WI (Manitowish Waters) and it was simply gorgeous, sooo peaceful, and very relaxing. I''d go back in a heartbeat even though I thought I only loved beach vacations.

 

[butterfly 17]

Hey everyone!

Okay, it seems like a bunch of people posted about San Franscisco and although I have been there as a child, my husband hasn''t, so I think that is the first choice!!!

My kids are 2 and 7 and I am 18

and my husband is 21

, so I think that we would enjoy going there and really enjoy the warm weather. We are from NY and we have been to Boston alot, at least 5 or 6 times since we have family there.

We love Boston actually! We also love Washington DC as well, but again, been there, done that, so we need something new.

We did go to LA and Las Vegas two years ago, so we have been to Disney, although we have yet to go to the one in Fl.

How far away is Seattle, WA from SF? Is it an unrealistic drive with two kids, or doable? I have a cousin that just moved there last year and bought a house and she has told me to come over a couple of times, so I was thinking maybe I could stay a bit long on vacation and do both trips.

Hmmmmm....

 

[777_LDY]

If your from NY then I just totally have to recomend www.smuggs.com again! We are from CT and it''s just great being able to drive there! Most of the "homes" that you stay in at Smuggs are owned by other families that rent them out to guests so they range from 1 bedroom studios to 4 bedroom townhouses with kitchens and laundry rooms. If fact many of the homeowners are from NY. Everyday there is something new to do there, which I never expected since it''s VT and I''m not an outdoor person, but there are so many different activities for children, families, or just adults. I just can''t say enough about it, but ever since we have been going I have never enjoyed any other family vacation more! We will be headed up again the day after x-mas but my favorite time is the 4th of July. I also spend two weeks in August there with just my children and they never get bored so I get some r''n''r and quality time with them. My husband is always telling me "we can go somewhere else if you want" but I just love Smuggs!

 

[butterfly 17]

777_LADY, thanks! I will go check it out right now!

 

[musey]

Date: 12/12/2007 1:15:55 PM
Author: butterfly 17

How far away is Seattle, WA from SF? Is it an unrealistic drive with two kids, or doable?

Umm, no. Well, it depends how much you like road tripping. If you're doing it with two kids, you would really have to take two days.

Googlemaps tells me it's 808 miles and a little under 13 hours of driving. If you made it a 2+ day journey of mostly driving, interjecting some nice stops, you could swing it.

It's definitely not something I would try!

 

[aljdewey]

BFly, SF is an excellent choice...it''s my fave vacation spot too. However, you mentioned how nice it will be to go someplace warm, so I just want to warn you.....

SF is not necessarily *warm*. In the summer, it''s often foggy in the early morning/evening, and it can get cool. You''ll want to plan on bringing some sweatshirts and jeans as well as possible lighter clothing in case it''s really nice. I typically dress in layers when I go.

There are a TON of things to do/see; most are outdoors and don''t cost anything or very little (i.e. walking the bridge, Cliff house, Sutro Baths, GG park, etc. Others have minimal cost (Coit tower observation, etc.)

If your kids are younger, they''ll likely enjoy the SF Zoo and the aquarium at Fisherman''s wharf.

It''s a shade over 800 miles from Seattle to SF (about 13 hours by car if you went straight through, which isn''t likely with kids in the car). However, Southwest usually has a round-trip fare from Oakland (just over the Bay Bridge from SF) to Seattle for $89 round-trip. That might be a better option if you want to incorporate a visit in.