Short trip to the U.S. ... ideas where to go?

[HunterBoo]

Hello ... we want to go to the States for a few days this coming week, but don't know where to go! We go to Frankenmuth in Michigan every year in August - kids want to go there again, but I'd like something different (plus I can't get a room on the dates I want anyways). We will likely go there in August again. Thought about Erie, but I'm not totally sold on that area ... it is ok, but maybe something different.

Would like an area that has decent shopping - outlets ok, but like JCPEnney, Target, Kohls, etc ... anywhere about six hours or so from Toronto is ok with me. Does anyone have any ideas? If there are interesting things for the kids to do for a bit that would be nice too ... I am just stuck on where to go. I dont' want some big, fancy trip, just a little getaway for myself, my mom and the girls. A bit of shopping, some eating, and relaxing ...

Any good ideas or spots to go?

 

[smitch425]

Hello ... we want to go to the States for a few days this coming week, but don't know where to go! We go to Frankenmuth in Michigan every year in August - kids want to go there again, but I'd like something different (plus I can't get a room on the dates I want anyways). We will likely go there in August again. Thought about Erie, but I'm not totally sold on that area ... it is ok, but maybe something different.

Would like an area that has decent shopping - outlets ok, but like JCPEnney, Target, Kohls, etc ... anywhere about six hours or so from Toronto is ok with me. Does anyone have any ideas? If there are interesting things for the kids to do for a bit that would be nice too ... I am just stuck on where to go. I dont' want some big, fancy trip, just a little getaway for myself, my mom and the girls. A bit of shopping, some eating, and relaxing ...

Any good ideas or spots to go?

What about The Mall of America? Not sure if that is more than 6 hours or not, though.

 

[HunterBoo]

What about The Mall of America? Not sure if that is more than 6 hours or not, though.

Would be nice to see but it is about a 17 hour drive from home for us! We are about two hours north of Toronto. Someday maybe ... but not this time around

 

[smitch425]

Would be nice to see but it is about a 17 hour drive from home for us! We are about two hours north of Toronto. Someday maybe ... but not this time around

Oops...sorry! Guess I should have checked a map first.

 

[smitch425]

What about Pittsburgh? Looks like it is 5 hours and 21 minutes from Toronto.

I'm getting closer, at least.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Have you ever been to Alexandria Bay? It's a very nice place with much to do, or little to do as you please. We went there often when I lived in the north east.

I love the St. Lawrence, so it would be a "natural" for me.

 

[scherbee]

Birch run Michigan,you have the outlets there and Frankenmuth is like 10 min from there with the Christmas store and a good chicken resturant.If you cross at Port huron,Mi you have your target wlmart, Koles and meijer's there.Also the mall at port huron has JC penny. There is also great Lakes crossing in Ann Arbor its like Vaughan Mills shopping center. Both are about 5 hours from toronto.

 

[HunterBoo]

Oops...sorry! Guess I should have checked a map first.

I had to check a map too! I had no idea how far it was ... so I mapquested it ... someday maybe!

 

[dsneygirl]

How old are your kids? Have you ever been to the Museum of Play in Rochester? http://www.museumofplay.org/ There are outlets nearby and lots of good shopping. This part of NY State is very picturesque.

Erie is great too. Tonnes of places to shop, no sales tax on shoes and clothes and lots of eating/hotel options reasonably priced.

 

[MedicGoofy]

Hershey Park...Pennsylvania. LOVE it there. Don't know what your kids ages are but there is so much stuff for everyone to do. Plus, the area is great.

Not a bad drive from home either.

OR

Cedar Pointe Ohio. Not sure if your looking for more shopping/beach stuff or amusement. Cedar Point is fantastic!! Plus sits on a great beach.

 

[HunterBoo]

How old are your kids? Have you ever been to the Museum of Play in Rochester? http://www.museumofplay.org/ There are outlets nearby and lots of good shopping. This part of NY State is very picturesque.

Erie is great too. Tonnes of places to shop, no sales tax on shoes and clothes and lots of eating/hotel options reasonably priced.

We have actually been to the Museum of Play in Rochester and we LOVED it! We went two years ago when the girls were 9 and 6, so they are now 11 and 8. I worry a bit if the 11 year old would be ok, but I think she would. We are hoping to go back in a few weeks if we get down to GWL. We will have to play that by ear.

We were in Erie awhile back for a hockey tournament and we did like it, but I wasn't overly thrilled with it We may go there for back to school shopping, but haven't decided yet.

We have ended up booking into Flint for a night and moving on to Frankenmuth as I was able to get the one hotel we wanted for two of the three nights we were going away. The girls are excited as they love a good meal at Zehnders and want to go to the Christmas store again. We will plan ahead a little bit more for our trip in August

 

[krazy4crusing]

I know you already booked but if anyone else was lurking...


Another gorgeous area not too far away is the Finger Lakes in NY State. There are a variety of State Parks Keuka lake, Robert H Treman, Watkins Glen... with many awesome waterfalls , natural pools for swimming, great hiking etc (for the nature lover)

There are also outlets nearby and it's just south of Rochester for the Museum of Play.

 

[canadian_mouse]

I second the finger lakes region of NY. The hiking at Robert H. Treman is beautiful beyond words. And the shopping at Waterloo Premium outlets is fund.

 

[pigletto]

How old are your kids? Have you ever been to the Museum of Play in Rochester? http://www.museumofplay.org/ There are outlets nearby and lots of good shopping. This part of NY State is very picturesque.

Erie is great too. Tonnes of places to shop, no sales tax on shoes and clothes and lots of eating/hotel options reasonably priced.

This gets my vote!!
This is about a 2-3 hour trip each way for us and we try to go at least once a summer just for the day. You can spend an entire day at the museum with young children and never ever see it all. It's a blast! Even my 14 year old liked it. It was not geared for her age but she still thought it was neat and spent half the day taking pictures of herself with the exhibits for her Facebook

It really has something to interest everyone. We just love it!

ETA) Sorry I didn't read all the way through to see you were already booked . I might steal the ideas for the Finger Lakes though. We want to do this kind of trip next summer but weren't exactly sure where to go and what to do in the area.

 

[encinc]

Somewhat OT, but what hotel do you like near Frankenmuth? We're looking at a few nights in MI in late Aug. I thought we'd stay in Dearborn and visit The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village. but I'm also interested in a night or two near Burch Run/ Frankenmuth. I'd love for my boys to be occupied at a watermark or the like while I do some last minute back to school shopping.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Somewhat OT, but what hotel do you like near Frankenmuth? We're looking at a few nights in MI in late Aug. I thought we'd stay in Dearborn and visit The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village. but I'm also interested in a night or two near Burch Run/ Frankenmuth. I'd love for my boys to be occupied at a watermark or the like while I do some last minute back to school shopping.

My mom drags my kids there every summer...they hate it but she thinks she's doing something nice for them Anyway, she stays at either Zehnder's or the Drury Inn.

 

[HunterBoo]

Somewhat OT, but what hotel do you like near Frankenmuth? We're looking at a few nights in MI in late Aug. I thought we'd stay in Dearborn and visit The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village. but I'm also interested in a night or two near Burch Run/ Frankenmuth. I'd love for my boys to be occupied at a watermark or the like while I do some last minute back to school shopping.

We stay at Springhill Suites in Frankenmuth. I like that it is downtown in Frankenmuth and we are able to walk on the street and see the little shops and walk to Zehnders for dinner. There is also a Fairfield Inn next door.

There is a Zehnders hotel right next door to Bronners and it has a Splash Village with a big water slide. We debated staying there, but didnt' want to spend the day in the water park for this trip.

We used to stay in Birch Run at the HOliday Inn Express, but I found it started to get a bit old and such, same for Country Inn and Suites - but they are very close to the outlets in BR if that is where you want to shop

 

[tgropp]

While in Frankenmuth, We always stay at the Bavarian Inn Lodge. It is a great hotel in a great location. It is across the river about a 5 minute walk to downtown. It has indoor pools/activity center etc.. Love this place!

 

[who's ur daddy?]

I've heard a lot of great things about the waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio. Kalahari Waterpark - apparently huge. But it's 6ish hour drive for us...