Travel ideas with teen please

[ChisJo]

We are looking at ideas for travel next year with my 15 year old step-son (he will be 16 when we travel).

We have done the disney and universal trips and he is "disney'ed" out, so that is out of the question. He lives in BC, and we have considered a week in Tofino, but the cost is ridiculous! We also considered driving down to California and doing the Redwood Forest, but he lives in that environment pretty much right now, so that would be pointless. We considered an all inclusive, but his mom takes her once a year to something like that (he has been in Jamaica twice, Cuba, Mexico, Dominican). He says he doesn't care, but I want to make sure that he has a great holiday since we only get him twice a year.

We want an affordable holiday, one that we could possible drive to (from BC), and something that he'll like. He's adventurous, outdoorsy (so are we), and active. I hate camping - this is the one thing I will not do (I like cleanliness). Any ideas please? I am completely at a loss - believe me when I say that planning a trip to Disney and Universal was less painful than this.

 

[RadioMom]

We are looking at ideas for travel next year with my 15 year old step-son (he will be 16 when we travel).

We have done the disney and universal trips and he is "disney'ed" out, so that is out of the question. He lives in BC, and we have considered a week in Tofino, but the cost is ridiculous! We also considered driving down to California and doing the Redwood Forest, but he lives in that environment pretty much right now, so that would be pointless. We considered an all inclusive, but his mom takes her once a year to something like that (he has been in Jamaica twice, Cuba, Mexico, Dominican). He says he doesn't care, but I want to make sure that he has a great holiday since we only get him twice a year.

We want an affordable holiday, one that we could possible drive to (from BC), and something that he'll like. He's adventurous, outdoorsy (so are we), and active. I hate camping - this is the one thing I will not do (I like cleanliness). Any ideas please? I am completely at a loss - believe me when I say that planning a trip to Disney and Universal was less painful than this.

It sounds like he's well travelled! Why not stick with Canada? You can catch some pretty cheap flights to Ontario - see Toronto (Canada's Wonderland, CN Tower, catch a Jays game) and then rent a car and drive the 45 minutes or so to Niagara Falls. There's lots to do in Ontario that don't have to cost you a ton of $$$. WestJet often has seat sales (weekly) where you could snag a bargain. Or I've heard good things about Porter as well.
If you only get him twice a year, maybe he'd just like to hang with you and his Dad and not be travelling anywhere?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

How about a cruise? Lots of activities to keep you entertained, all your food is included so its easy to budget for, and your vacation can be as busy or as relaxing as you want it to be.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Another idea (but further away).....Wisconsin Dells is lots of fun for the teen set, and has some great attractions for those who love the outdoors. Its the "Waterpark Capital of the World" if indoor waterpark resorts are appealling (good for weather-protecting your vacation!) and there's TONS of stuff to do in this tiny town (in addition to the indoor waterparks, check out Devils Lake State Park, Noah's Ark Waterpark [the largest outdoor waterpark in North America, even larger than the Disney waterparks], the Wisconsin Ducks, the jet boats, the Tommy Bartlett Show, Wizard Quest, the many go-kart and mini-golf options, the unique downtown, the Tanger Outlet Mall, Mount Olympus Water and Theme Park, etc.). Some pretty unique dining options as well (we will never forget the Hot Fudge Banana Split waffle at Mr. Pancake, Paul Bunyan's, Moosejaw Pizza and Brewing Factory, and the odd & quirky Rail Dog).

We took our 13 year old DS and his friend in summer 2010, and it was a fabulous family vacation.

Niagara Falls is a great choice as well, as the PP has suggested. Soooo much to do there, and with such easy access to NY state and Toronto, you could easily spend a week or two in the general area and never be bored.

 

[alohamom]

Have you asked him yet? Maybe if you said something like what is your idea of your next amazing vacation, his answer could be what you plan around. I know my 14 year old would LOVE if I planned a trip around a concert for one of her favorite bands so maybe you could see if there is a close out of town city that you are are all willing to visit the sights of and see a concert together there tor if he is into sports perhaps a special game somewhere so you can all experience a different stadium or areana.Good luck!

 

[endy]

DS14 (almost 15) went to Catalina Island this past July. Talk about beautiful.
Lots to do but on a quiet, relaxed scale. Golfing, scuba, snorkel, segway, bike rental, kayak, lots of island tours.
We spent 5 nights there then finished off wiith a couple in Anaheim.

 

[ChisJo]

Thank you all so much for the good ideas.

We have asked him what he wanted to do, and he hasn't come back with anything yet. He would love to spend that time with his dad, but his dads a workaholic, and if he is at home, he works, so the reason we take holidays is literally for us to spend time together without a cell phone attached to his ear. I know that seems unfair, especially to his son, but he's been like that his whole life and I don't see it changing anytime soon. He does relax and doesn't even think about work when we are away, and honestly, when I see how much fun those two have when they are together, it makes going away worth it.

We have time to decide, but we are planning our time away around Canada Day/Independence Day, so if we are wanting to rent a house/condo, we have to decide pretty much within the next couple of months to secure a decent rental.

We'll have to look into everything...Thanks again!

 

[Susan2771]

You know the Yukon is emerging as the new up and coming "exotic" destination for travel. They have a number of fun and interesting excursions, history, wildlife and adventures for all ages. That would be a unique trip and really lovely in the summer. And it's exotic!

 

[FrenchSnowWhite]

I was also going to say A CRUISE
My teenagers love to cruise, so much to do for them

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

I agree with a cruise.... and since you are in BC why not a cruise to ALASKA.

We did that 2 or 3 years ago to Alaska and my boys - I believe 9yrs old and 14yrs old had a blast - they still to this day say it's one of the best vacations they've ever done. Plenty of shore excursions you can do that are more active and really.... just seeing the glaciers and everything else is amazing!

 

[c&m]

The Alaska cruise is a great idea. My DD16 actually asked us to combine our WDW March 2012 trip with a cruise to make the trip more interesting for her. So we're going on the Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.

Do make sure the ship is age appropriate for your step-son. There are cruise ships that are more for the older crowd (Holland) or young families (Disney), versus ones that cater more to the teenage crowd (Royal Caribbean, Princess). I think it'll be great fun for everyone, considering you can get some family time in there, and some couples time when your step-son meets new friends on the cruise.

 

[M&Mmum]

Check out Moab, Utah. We took our 14 year there this summer and it is all he talks about. We rented a wonderful condo and did tons of mountain biking and hiking. You can rent bikes there or bring your own.