Summer vacation 2011...where or where???

[momx2]

Maybe we will do the Nothern Coast of California. My brother lives in LA and we have been there a few times. My girls were much younger and do not remember much about it though, but we don't particularly like it in LA. Do you guys really think 2 weeks is enough time to do the entire coast of California, seems like alot of ground to cover???

 

[Ilivetogo]

How about an Alaskan cruise? My kids loved our cruise to Alaska last year. For them, it was much more interesting than the Caribbean cruises we have taken previously.

DITTO. My kids (around the same ages) LOVED our Alaskan cruise last summer. There was SO much to do and (shhhh) they actually learned a lot, also!! Lots of adventure!! Another nice thing is that the cruise is all-inclusive. Your food is there, your room is there, your entertainment is there ... AND the ports!! Way fun.

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[momx2]

DITTO. My kids (around the same ages) LOVED our Alaskan cruise last summer. There was SO much to do and (shhhh) they actually learned a lot, also!! Lots of adventure!! Another nice thing is that the cruise is all-inclusive. Your food is there, your room is there, your entertainment is there ... AND the ports!! Way fun.

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We have been mulling an Alaskan cruise around also. I'd love to see it myself. There are several roundtrip from Seattle. I guess we could do the cruise and see a bit of Washington also. I think I'm going to look into that as well.

 

[loveadobie]

We went on an Alaskan Cruise last summer. Roundtrip from Seattle. Stopped in ports of Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Glacier Bay. Awesome, and Majestic.

Would highly recommend this.

 

[sasywtch]

I know you said you didn't like LA but what about flying into LA for 3 nights, going to DL and DCA, and then head north, maybe stopping for the next night in Pismo Beach. Do the Solvang thing, 7 mile Drive, Carmel/Monterey, a few nights in San Francisco (ride the cable car, go down Lombard, across the Golden Gate). I honestly don't know if Napa Valley is good for kids? It's pretty but more for the wine tasting. I'd drive over to Tahoe, spend the night in Tahoe (taking the cruise around Emerald Bay) and then maybe head down through the desert a little, come back into CA and go to Yosemite for 2 nights. Then again, I have adult ADHD so I don't do well in one place for long : )

 

[ksjayhawks]

The western coast--San Diego to Seattle or the reverse

Glacier Park in Montana--can go into Canada as well, then Yellowstone

Rocky Mountains--Estes Park, Denver, Colorado Springs, Royal Gorge

South Dakota, Badlands and Rapid City area, Grand Tetons

Toronto, Niagra Falls, New York City

San Diego and Mexican Cruise out of San Diego

Seattle and Alaskan Cruise with trip into Denali

San Francisco (Wharf, china town, alcatraz, boat tour, city tour, etc), wine tours, and Los Angeles (Hollywood, DL, DCA, Crystal Cathedral, Museums, Long Beach Aquarium and Boat Ride, Water Park in Irvine, Dana Point, Brea Tar Pits, Studio Tours, Planetarium, Tour of the stars homes, beach, beach, beach, Knotts Berry Farms, Pirate Dinner, etc)

 

[binny]

We have been mulling an Alaskan cruise around also. I'd love to see it myself. There are several roundtrip from Seattle. I guess we could do the cruise and see a bit of Washington also. I think I'm going to look into that as well.

there are also cruises that would allow to do one way and then take your time traveling around Alaska or the Yukon for a week. I worked for HAL up as tour guide for 2 years, they have a cruise tour that goes from Anchorage up through Tok Ak, then to Dawson, down to Skagway. That can get pretty expensive with kids but you could rent a car or an RV and do it yourself.

Next year we are thinking about doing the Alaska Ferry, you can buy a See Alaska pass http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/specials_summer.shtml

So basically fly into Seattle, rent an RV or comfortable car, drive to Prince Rupert and get on the Ferry. You have to go in one continious direction so get on there and depart in Skagway. Getting off in Skagway would allow you easy access to the Yukon if you wanted to do that. OR you could get off in Haines and head up to the Alaska interior. Those are the easiest ways to do each of those trips if you go Northbound. We are going to do the See pass and do the Yukon route as that was my normal tour and I want to show the kids all of that. I think we will then head up the road to Tok then down through Fairbanks and on to Anchorage.

At least thats the plan of as right now.