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Post by Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar on Oct 29, 2007 14:00:08 GMT -5
We are planning our first ever family vacation for next spring, once tax refunds come through. Does anyone have any ideas about a good place to go that's family oriented and good for a budget? I have thought of Gatlinburg, but kinda want to go where no one else in my family has been, LOL Anyone know much about Vegas from the standpoint of a non-gambling family?
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Post by I Five on Oct 29, 2007 15:09:51 GMT -5
We are planning our first ever family vacation for next spring, once tax refunds come through. Does anyone have any ideas about a good place to go that's family oriented and good for a budget? I have thought of Gatlinburg, but kinda want to go where no one else in my family has been, LOL Anyone know much about Vegas from the standpoint of a non-gambling family? I've been to Vegas 20+ times....not the best for kids, mainly gambeling. Orlando...good for kids! Williamburg, VA...great for kids and very educational at the same time. Black Hills, SD & Southern Utah Nat'l parks.......never been there, but heard there great for kids. Just some ideas!!! |
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Post by acalsohei on Oct 29, 2007 16:18:16 GMT -5
Yellowstone and/or Grand Canyon both have less expensive options, especially if you camp or stay a ways away from the parks. Both are awesome, and should be on the lifetime list of "things to see".
Most big cities have something to recommend for them. Look for science museums, parks, historical sites, etc. Probably not so much for kids in Vegas, though!
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Post by Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar on Oct 29, 2007 17:50:35 GMT -5
We were thinking Vegas because of its proximity to other areas -- Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Four Corners, Hoover Dam, SLC -- as well as its shows and arcades and themes
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Post by acalsohei on Oct 30, 2007 0:01:54 GMT -5
Cool. Other than Hoover Dam, what about Phoenix? Easy drive to the Grand Canyon, and good air/bus/highway access. Also, cool stuff to do in the area. Casa Grande for the ancient history buffs is not to be missed. If you do the Canyon, try to drive Route 66. I drove from the Canyon to the CA border last year. Lots of restored 40s-50s era filling stations, hotels, museums, etc., and a very scenic drive up the switchbacks in the mountains. Bring the Nat King Cole CD of the song "Route 66" to sing in the car. Only way it would have been cooler would have been if I was driving a '58 Vette convertible, but not on my budget!!
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Post by Cara Drume on Oct 30, 2007 9:36:35 GMT -5
Why not just go camping? Can't get more family-oriented than that!
Some of my best memories as a child are driving up into the mountians for a week of capming, hiking, and fishing.
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Post by Granny-Wan on Oct 30, 2007 11:46:20 GMT -5
Cool. Other than Hoover Dam, what about Phoenix? Easy drive to the Grand Canyon, and good air/bus/highway access. Also, cool stuff to do in the area. Casa Grande for the ancient history buffs is not to be missed. If you do the Canyon, try to drive Route 66. I drove from the Canyon to the CA border last year. Lots of restored 40s-50s era filling stations, hotels, museums, etc., and a very scenic drive up the switchbacks in the mountains. Bring the Nat King Cole CD of the song "Route 66" to sing in the car. Only way it would have been cooler would have been if I was driving a '58 Vette convertible, but not on my budget!! And the weather is great in the early spring... really feels good if you're coming off a cold winter... take the train from Williams to the Grand Canyon... there're two zoos and the Desert Botanical Garden... I suppose it depends on what your kids like to do... if you come early enough in the spring, before it gets too hot there's hiking... but it's still warm enough to swim. I think Vegas is overrated... |
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Oct 30, 2007 12:59:05 GMT -5
This year I'm planning our family vacation to Quebec. We'll start in Montreal and drive up to Quebec City. Montreal has a church I want to visit again, and the city itself is very nice, and the old section of Quebec City is really great... kinda has that European flair to it. There is great hiking nearby and the native culture... the Inuits, I think. I wanted to do something different than the beach. We always go to the beach, and I've been to these parts of Canada a few before, so I know where I am going... sort of. I wanted to share it with the family since they have never been there.  |
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Oct 30, 2007 13:08:08 GMT -5
Niagra Falls is fun too... but if you go to Canada you need a passport now. We went about 7 years ago as a family. The kids were thrilled to go to a different country. Going through the border was a experience, and having to use different currency... that really interested them!
When we went, we were just in the process of moving--- buying and selling our home, so it was cost effective as well. We stayed at a campsite in Ontario for about 20 dollars a night.
The Falls are spectacular! Out of all the vacations we've taken so far, they'll remeber that one most I think.
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Post by Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar on Oct 30, 2007 13:41:54 GMT -5
It stinks now that you need a passport to go into Canada. When we lived in Michigan, we'd got ot Canada all the time. Toronoto, and over to Niagra Falls, etc. We had a nice Sunday ride that would take us up the Detroit River and by Harrison Lake all the way the thumb and around back through Canada we'd do a lot
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Oct 30, 2007 13:53:36 GMT -5
I know... it stinks. Oli has a passport because he travels for work... I'll have to get mine renewed.
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Post by acalsohei on Oct 30, 2007 14:46:09 GMT -5
In August, I teach at a string music camp in Rainier, MN. It borders w/Fort Francis, Canada. We have about 50% US citizens and 50% Canadians in camp. With 2 rehearsals a day, next year's camp is going to be very, very interesting. Our only saving grace is that it is a small, not very much used border crossing, however, many people live and shop on "the other side", so local traffic can be a mess! What a hassle!
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Post by Leda EmBorr on Oct 31, 2007 0:44:36 GMT -5
I have to find a string camp for my son... he would just LOVE that! I can't imagine they would make everyone get passports, they are around 100 dollars! That will be interesting to see how borders communities fare.  |
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Post by acalsohei on Oct 31, 2007 11:42:32 GMT -5
I'll let you know what I find out but the rumor last summer was that everyone (man, woman, child, dog, Canadian, American) had to have proper, government-issued ID to cross. I can imagine an interesting ambulance run to one of the two hospitals: "Halt! Does that bleeding patient have his passport?" "Uh, no, we didn't check, we just want to save his life." "Drive to the end of that line. We will have to verify that he is not a terrorist." Ugh!
String camps are great. You should be able to locate something close to you. There are probably 20 or 25 in Minnesota alone. We do middle of the road classical and light pops, but some camps specialize in fiddle music or jazz, too. I bet your son would have a blast.
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Post by Xana on Nov 3, 2007 12:57:38 GMT -5
Why not just go camping? Can't get more family-oriented than that! Some of my best memories as a child are driving up into the mountians for a week of capming, hiking, and fishing. I can second that. Mom to me to Disney three times and all over Italy. Italy was cool, though, no complaints. However, now that I can choose for myself, I want to go camping all the time. ;D Will Mark go crazy with his parents all weekend in the woods? If he will, go someplace where all will be sane. |
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