Budget vacation....non-Disney next summer...HELP!

[marcyinPA]

We can't do Disney next summer, due to finances, but would still like a fun family getaway. We have to drive, and are looking for spending no more than 7 or 8 hours in the car each way. We live in eastern PA. We are leaning towards either Niagra Falls (Canadian side...we have passports) or Colonial Williamsburg. We've been to neither. We'll probably go for 2 or 3 days, with 2 days for driving.

Any suggestions on either? Where to stay, what to do, staying in a budget?

Thanks!

 

[Disneys#1fan]

In 2008 my family took a nice vacation to Pigeon Forge Tennessee. We went to Dollywood and then crossed the mountains into Cherokee North Carolina. It was beautiful. In Cherokee we went to the Oconaluffee Indian Village. It was both a relaxing vacation and very educational; not to mention affordable. We also live in PA but more South Central.

Hope this helps.

 

[robsmom]

How old are your kids and which part of Eastern Pa are you in. If you are in the Philadelphia area I think that Williamsburg is a much more doable drive for a short get away. We went 2 summers ago with my son 9 at the time and my neice who was 13. Both kids had a blast at Busch Gardens and at the water park. Great Rollercoasters. My neice loved the colonial area, my son tolerated it and had moment's that he found interesting. In general there is alot to do in this space and plenty of hotel choices. I thought it was a fun getaway. I have been to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. They are obviously beautiful and a really interesting thing to see. I know kids who have gone at thought it was great. I personally am not sure that there would be enough to keep us interested for more than a day. I want to tie it into a trip with some other stops some day.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We did the Williamsburg/Busch Gardens/Water Country USA trip a few years ago. We are in Central Jersey and it was about a 7 or 8 hour trip, not bad at all. If you go on their website we found really cheap 7 day passes that were good at all three attractions. It was cheaper than buying three of four one day passes to eah attraction. We stayed at Kings Mill Resorts but there are lots and lots of hotels in the area. Have fun!

 

[marcyinPA]

Thanks for the ideas! We are in the Allentown area, so about an hour and a bit north of Philly.

My kids are really into history and science and sightseeing of that nature, so I think they'd get into both places. I was worried, though, that Niagra Falls might not have enough to keep us occupied for 3 days.

My kids are not huge amusement park fans (except for Disney of course) but I still think they'd find value in Busch Gardens. They do like water parks, so that's an option there too I think.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

ETA: my kids will be 15 and 11 when we take our summer vacation...both boys!

 

[akcire]

Okay so I have been to all 3 of the suggested places.

Here is my take...Niagra Falls (either side) is VERY touristy. I will admit to liking the maiden in the mist boat ride, but one 30 minute boat ride does not a vacation make. There are other interesting things to do, but most of it is over hyped--unless you have never seen water or more specifically water fall. I have the same opinion of Mt. Rushmore, watch a movie to get the feel, if you happen to be within a 30 minute drive for any other reason it is worth the hour in the car.

Williamsburg has more to do, and more intellectual curiosity can be stimulated than just looking at falling water. The key would be to have some sort of an authentic experience. Stay in an inn or eat at one of the restaurants in the square--if you get sick of the Williamsburg & surrounding history you can swing by a theme park. If I was going there with kids that have your kids ages, I would give them the internet and let them plan the trip--of course you could have veto power, but it would engage them and bring history alive as they say. (Plus your kids would probably look really cool in tri-corner hats).

TN/NC area. This is the Pigeon Forge area that a previous posted mention. First it is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which I found to be an excellent National Park. You are near enough to Ashville, NC that you could visit the Biltmore estate (if you want to see "America's Castle"). Pigeon Forge itself is full of touristy stuff including Dollywood (have never been, but shamefully admit curiosity) and tons of other ripley's type places.
There are tons of outside things hiking, water rafting, and your only 1.5 hours from Knoxville.

If it were me I would skip the big waterfall and let the kids decide between the two (Williamsburg more intellectual/Smoky Mountains more outdoor sport). Make sure you check out the National Parks websites before you decide.

Flame away waterfall lovers

 

[Planogirl]

No flaming from me.

I just want to add that we absolutely loved the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the whole surrounding area in fact. We had no problems finding plenty to do.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

My kids are younger than yours, OP ( mine are 10 and 6), but we have done Niagara Falls and Williamsburg. They didn't love Williamsburg, but they were younger then (it was about two years ago). We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, which they loved, and they enjoyed Jamestown Settlement much more than Williamsburg.

We went to NYC and Niagara Falls this summer. We stayed at the Embassy Suites on the Canadian side, which had a great view of the falls. We only spent one night, and we would have had plenty more to do if we had more time. We enjoyed the National Park on the American side very much and did the Maid of the Mist. We didn't do any of the touristy things on the Canadian side - Ripley's, the Skywheel, etc. We walked along the waterfront and took pictures, and we went geocaching (always fun in another country). We drove up to Niagara on the Lake and dipped our toes in Lake Ontario.

The kids had a GREAT time in NYC! We could have spent a whole week there easily. We did many of the touristy things, but the kids had never been there before. You've probably taken your kids to NYC since you live in PA, but my kids really enjoyed it.

 

[rdevine10]

Ill vote Myrtle Beach. You can get a condo on the beach for a decent price (thats nice) if you look hard enough.

 

[DizneeCM]

I've been to both places, first as a young teen with my parents and then with my DH and young kids. I think both places are fun, but I wouldn't make a special trip just to go to Niagara Falls (stopped there as a teen on the way home from Toronto, and then again with DH and kids while we were visiting DH's parents - they live 1/2 hr. from the Falls). Maid of the Mist is fun, and there is a pretty area on the Canadian side, but a day was enough time for us to look around.

On the other hand, I've been to the Williamsburg area a number of times, and I think there is more to see and do there. The historic area is really interesting, and as someone already mentioned, it is fun to eat in one of the restored taverns. Also, your kids might like Jamestown. Our kids were 8 and 10 when we went, and we spent three nights - didn't do any amusement/water parks and they had lots of fun. If you do go to Williamsburg, try to stay within walking distance of the historic area - it makes it easier to get around (but be careful - some of the roads are pretty busy outside of the historic district).

 

[estherhead]

I've been to all three places too and think Niagra Falls would be at the bottom of the list. I also wanted to just throw Washington D.C./Baltimore into the mix. It's very close to you and our family (now 7 & 9) loves it. I've been multiple times and have loved it at all ages. If you stay outside Washington but on a subway line it is hassle free and you don't have to pay for parking. You can find very cheap hotels that are nice on Priceline/Hotwire.

And the Smithsonean is free and HUGE and very enjoyable (in our opinion). Plus Baltimore harbor has a super cool aquarium and an ESPN Zone, etc. We drove down embassy row this year in D.C. and even that was enjoyable. Oh, and we did Arlington cemetary which I had never done & it was really interesting.

We did Williamsburg this year and as others said Busch Gardens & Water Country are very fun. And Williamsburg is also delightful and you can buy a package ticket that makes it all affordable (with free parking!) We would do Williamsburg in the a.m. and then go to one of the parks. It made it so we didn't get history overload.

And we did one of the evening shows (Dance: Our greatest diversion.) It was very fun and unique. We all got to dance country line dances with live violins playing and formally dressed Williamsburg people showing us the ropes. I was unsure before hand, but it was a wonderful experience that kids & grownups of all ages would love. It really helped me to fully understand Jane Austin parties with the candlelight, etc.

If you choose the beach, I vote for Duck, N.C. and get a place from www.vrbo.com. Love that site.

I LOVE family vacations. And I like to do cheap ones so I can do them more often.

 

[marcyinPA]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. We've been to Washington DC and my kids loved it. If we go to Williamsburg, our plan of action will be to head to my in-laws in Annapolis for two or three days, take the train into DC one day, and hit the Spy Museum. My youngest son has been wanting to go there for years! We'll see what else we can do while we are there for the day. Then we'll head down to Williamsburg for a couple of days, and then drive back home.

Not really looking to do a beach for this vacation. We usually do a long weekend in Ocean City MD in the spring.

Niagara Falls is "falling" closer to the bottom of my list...thanks for the honest input on that one!

 

[eliza61]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. We've been to Washington DC and my kids loved it. If we go to Williamsburg, our plan of action will be to head to my in-laws in Annapolis for two or three days, take the train into DC one day, and hit the Spy Museum. My youngest son has been wanting to go there for years! We'll see what else we can do while we are there for the day. Then we'll head down to Williamsburg for a couple of days, and then drive back home.

Not really looking to do a beach for this vacation. We usually do a long weekend in Ocean City MD in the spring.

Niagara Falls is "falling" closer to the bottom of my list...thanks for the honest input on that one!

One caveat with DC. Remember the spy museum and the crime and punishment museum (which my 2 sons loved) are not free. We just returned from DC 11/5-8. Each will run ~80 bucks for a family of 4. Also remember eating in Washington DC can get pricey. We stayed in Georgetown at the Westin Grand hotel which was gorgeous. We got a great deal on travelocity but the 2 budget busters were $20 bucks/night parking at the hotel and restuarants.

How about the Poconos? My kids love the water and the Poconos are close enough to you. There are tons of river rafting trips, horse back riding and swimming during the summer. Also we find the restuarants are way less than DC.

 

[maleficentmom]

Ill vote Myrtle Beach. You can get a condo on the beach for a decent price (thats nice) if you look hard enough.

My kids picked here over Disneythis fall..although we had went to Dis over last spring break. We stay at Monterey Bay Suites and have found it to be as tremendous value since a hot breakfast is included daily, and it has indoor pool/lazy river/hottub areas,stayed 7 nights in oct. for 460, breakfast is inc plus you have a kitchen so you could do lunch in and dinner out. Coupon books abound in front of Food Lion and other grocery stores.Kids love Magiquest,Alligator Adv.,movie theatres,shows etc. Wonderful outlets shopping.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

If you'd like to come into Canada, maybe you could drive an extra hour or two and come to Toronto. The Ontario Science Centre is really an amazing place for kids with an interest in Science - everything is very interactive and you can easily spend a day or two there exploring. If they like history, the Royal Ontario Museum has just been redone and also has quite a bit of interaction to involve kids. There's also plenty to do that is just fun: rides and waterplay in Ontario Place, the Zoo, etc.

Teresa

 

[akcire]

take the train into DC one day, and hit the Spy Museum.

My husband and I just visited DC this past April. He, like your son, wanted to the Spy museum. As previous posters have stated it was not cheap $20 a person, but he really enjoyed the museum. Right across the street is one of the lesser visited Smithsonian buildings, the portrait gallery. I must tell you not only did I like walking around the gallery, but we visited the very small cafe for an inexpensive light lunch.

Another thing to note about the Spy Museum, is that they do some evening programs. You may see if there are any age appropriate activities after hours while you will be in town. My husband did a thing where he got to pretend he was a spy for 4 hours with a bunch of other folks (I had to take an international conference call....so no spy role playing for me). I am sure if I called him today and asked if he wanted to go back he'd book a flight back to DC.

 

[Tinkerbell3014]

I live about 45 minutes from Niagara Falls and have spent lots of time there. We took our kids to Williamsburg/Virginia Beach a couple of years ago and I have been to Myrtle Beach in the past and am looking forward to taking my children there as well. If you are only going for a couple of days and it is a budget vacation then I would recommend Niagara Falls. Theres a lot to do but not so much that you can't take it easy and you won't have to spend a fortune. Also, on the American side they just opened a new park called Snow Park. You can ice skate and go sledding year round. My friend took her kids there and they had a great time.

 

[Darcy03231]

Your kids might be a bit old for this, but we've had several great trips here:

http://www.rhranch.com/

We have big age ranges in our family (the oldest is almost ten years older than the youngest) and we found they really have something for everyone.

 

[Mom_Rides]

I'd suggest Cedar Point in Sandusky OH. It sits on Lake Erie, approximately between Cleveland and Toledo. It's home to 17 roller coasters, 60 rides, fabulous shows, an outdoor and indoor waterpark and several resort hotels. You would be able to get all the rides in within a 2-3 day period. The first couple weeks in June are a wonderful time to go, as is the last weeks in August, once school starts for Ohio students.

We've also been to the Pigeon Forge area as well as Williamsburg. We, as adults, loved both. I think my 13 YO DSS would like Pigeon Forge but not so much Williamsburg (except Busch Gardens).

 

[czycropper]

Please no flames - but my DDs right now at 10 & 12 would rather go to DC, Baltimore, Boston, Colorado, and, of course, the Caribbean than Disney-I guess it's because they love to travel to different places and they learned that from us. In the summer months you can really get some great deals down to the Caribbean, so we go every other year.

For DC/Baltimore area, you can get some great deals on hotels in No. Virginia but I would caution you that depending on when you go in the summer it can be unbarely hot & humid (yep, worse than Florida because it doesn't rain-remember that DC was built in a swampy area). My DH & I met & got married in DC and I love everything about the area, the museums, the history, the restaurants, etc. We're lucky that we live in Central Jersey so we sometimes just go for a long weekend (it's less than a 3-hour drive).

We're planning on going to Sandusky because of Cedar Point amusement park - yep, we're a family of thrill rides lovers - it's actually one of the places we're thinking of going next year after our trip down to the Galapagos & South America-we're there in March. I've heard that Cedar Point is great to go even if you don't like thrill rides. The hotels around the area seem pretty reasonable from my research and it's not too bad of a drive from PA/NJ.

Another place you may consider from PA is going to all the lighthouses in NJ - we did that this past summer and it was a great time, pretty reasonable and very educational. We, of couse, put in exploring some of the beaches as well since we go to Barnegat Light, LBI every year and my DDs hadn't really been to any other place at the Jersey Shore.

Have fun planning!