Where Else Do You Vacation?

[PatriciaH]

I want to visit Europe next year probably London, Paris and Rome. I would also like to go back to Las Veags to see all the newer Cirque shows. Maybe a short Disney cruise (3-4 nights) in January. We are going to Playa del Carmen, Mexico on Wednesday for 6 nights. This will be our 5th trip to Mexico. We have been to California, Las Veags, Turks and Caicos, Punta Cana (DR), Canada, Miami and the Keys(FL), Baltimore (MD), St Martin, Ireland, Spain, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Nassau (Bahamas) and cruising. We went to NY a lot when my parents were still there. Some places we have been a few times so we have to go some new places instead of old favorites!

 

[Fionasmommy]

For a cabin/lake vacation I highly recommend Grand Lake, Colorado. It's stunning, there's lots to do and all types of accomodations are available.

We go camping there every summer, to this wonderful place that has a horse ranch on site with rides for all ages, chuckwagon dinners, hayrides, a petting zoo, etc. It's so much fun! Grand Lake is right by the west entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, so you can also see the park, do the Ranger program with your kids, etc.

There are also some wonderful hotels, like the Grand Lake Lodge, and tons of cabin rentals. It's only a couple of hours from Denver, and the drive through the foothills and Winter park is beautiful.

http://www.grandlakechamber.com/

 

[dixipixi]

We usually go to the Smoky Mountains (we have a cabin outside of Townsend, TN). We do weekend trips to places like Nashville, Atlanta, and the Florida Panhandle beaches (mostly around Destin). We also visit a lot of historical sites, state parks, that sort of thing.

 

[aunt kelly]

Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake in the Missouri Ozarks is a great place for a "cabin" type vacation. I know lots of families who have gone there and none have been disappointed.

Our family has also enjoyed vacationing in Santa Fe. It has lots of historical sites, great restaurants, beautiful mountains, a really fun children's museum, hiking, skiing (in the winter), pueblos and lots of shopping.

San Antonio is a great place for a family vacation. The Hill Country Hyatt is one of the best family oriented hotels we have ever stayed at.

Our kids also love to go anywhere there is a beach.

Have fun deciding!

 

[katymae]

 

[robinb]

Our other "regular" holiday destination is Hawaii with a layover in LA for a 2-3 dat Disneyland trip. Our DD is 7 and we visited Hawaii at 6, 4, and 3. Each was a great trip. We visited the Big Island each trip, Oahu (Honolulu) twice and Kauai once. Maui is next in 2008.

BTW: Pinne, thanks for coming to Madison!

ETA: We have also been to NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, Tampa, France (Paris, Lyon), Geneva, London, Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto) with my DD. I love Europe with kids, but make sure to go on the "off season". We toured London in February. It was cold and rainy but everything was open with NO tourists except for us!

 

[GIOny]

We usually go to Cape Cod for our summer vacation but if you are looking for wilderness then you could try upstate New York in the Adirondacks. We are not campers but we have visited up in that area and it really is beautiful.

http://www.adirondacks.com/

 

[Eric95403]

Living in CA, we like going to Lake Tahoe. We also try and go somewhere different each year...Wash DC, NYC, Arizona, Seattle, British Columbia, Niagara Falls, Pennsylvania, and other areas around CA to name a few spots.

 

[munchkin bunchkin]

We usually head for the beaches in Rhode Island every summer but are thinking about heading to Cape Cod this up coming summer - so we have decided to go out there this weekend and check it out-leaving 5 am Friday morning ...can't wait!

 

[Briarmom]

We have a 4yo and a 6yo. We've done Hawaii and the Caribbean. We live in CA so we've been all over here. This summer we are doing Italy, Austria, Germany, and France. We plan on doing what we call the "American History" tour (DC, and all the surrounding all the way through to NY) when our oldest is going into 3rd grade and starts focusing on that in school. We plan on doing Yellowstone and Wyoming, when the kids are old enough for more outdoor sports. Also on our list Costa Rica, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest (up through Oregon, Washington) and Banff area in Canada.

How are you doing Italy, Austria, Germany, and France? Are you renting a car? Using Eurail? We are going soon and I have no idea how we are going to get around. (children are 3 and 7)
Alaska is wonderful. I hope to move back there someday.
When are you going to Kenya? DD3 is too young for the malaria meds so we are unable to go. We were supposed to be there this week.
We have lived in Egypt for one month now, so we've been doing a bit of sightseeing here and will continue throughout the year.

 

[sk8ingmom]

Aside from Disney, our kid's tri-annual vacations is a (military induced) move across the country. Last time, DSs were 4&6. Two + years later, they still talk about 4 days in Yellowstone. I doubt they will remember anything else about that trip besides Cedar Point (that's 'home' to DH & I) & Yellowstone.

Of course we live in a great place for kids to visit - Alaska. On the Outside, you usually hear about retirees traveling up here, but it is an incredible place, especially for active families. There are many things you won't see from the deck of a cruise ship. Try a ride on a dog sled to create memories! If you are adventurous, hop on the ferry in Bellingham, WA, and cruise the Inside Passage native style!

Our first non-Disney, non-moving, vacation EVER will be next March's trip to Maui & Oahu. The boys (6&8) are really excited. Of course they will be looking for Stitch the whole time. You can take the boys out of Disney...but you can't take Disney out of the boys. . .

 

[Bending Branch]

Sorry, I TOTALLY disagree. I thought Colonial Williamsburg was the lamest place I've ever been. It is way over priced and the food felt like it was fresh from the freezer to the microwave.

I like Las Vegas, Key West (I know you said, not Fl, but it is not like the rest of Fl in my opinion), Myrtle Beach and in the summer, Nantucket, MA.

Well that's fine that you have you're opinion but we did not go there for the food but for the historical aspect of Williamsburg. My daughters were involved in quite a few hands on activities and dramatazations and really enjoyed learning about the history of our country. The people that work there were wonderfull to the chioldren, not just ours, and I would compare them to the best of the CM's at Disney.

 

[perdidobay]

My girls loved animals growing up so we made lots of trips to National Parks.
Our very favorite is Yellowstone, and then Rocky Mountain NP.
Denver is a great place to visit and RMNP is close to it. We also like the Durango-Silverton area of Colorado.

 

[Chattyaholic]

We do a lot of vacationing in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

No cruise for us this year, but I'm researching a cabin rental in the Pigeon Forge area of the Smoky Mts. We're thinking of the last week in March, to rent the cabin and enjoy sightseeing around the area, then spend a couple nights in a hotel so we can go to Dollywood when it opens. There are just oodles of cabin rental companies (and vacation rentals by owner too) and so many gorgeous log cabins that it's difficult to choose just one!! My one priority is that it must be secluded. I don't want neighbors that I can see and hear. I want complete quiet and privacy!!

 

[mickeyboat]

Check out this place.

www.canoeislandlodge.com

It is in Lake George, NY. We went there last year, upon the recommendation of canwegosoon, and had a wonderful time. We are going back this summer.

Denae

 

[luvwinnie]

I'm probably in the minority here because we haven't been to WDW since 1999!! We no longer go anywhere that would require boarding our "baby"...Winnie, our bulldog. We bought at RV 2 years ago and we are working our way around the East Coast. We especially love Maine. In March we are going to Hilton Head and Savannah. Cape May is a fav. of mine too.

 

[momtolandm]

We love to travel, but can't always manage to fit it into the budget. Since we've been married we've gone on a road trip out west, traveled to Charleston, SC, Hilton Head and Savannah (beautiful), driven up the Great River Road from New Orleans to Minnesota, and toured New England. Those were all before or without kids. When our first was a baby we took the train to Glacier National Park with my parents (such a fun way to travel) and went to Wisconsin Dells. We just got back from our first family Disney trip. (with two now). I think our next adventure will be just the two of us going to Arches National Park in Utah for six days. Hopefully in June. I think the White Mountains of New Hamphire would be a great place to take a six and seven year old.

 

[golfgal]

Your kids are the PERFECT age for the Black Hills. There is a TON of stuff to do with kids that age there. There are a lot of cabins and cabin style resort type places in and around the Black Hills area.

Northern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin would also be good choices for your "On Golden Pond" type vacation. There are a lot of great mom and pop small resorts, 3-12 cabin type places that are on lakes, etc.

 

[Bunchkin]

We also love going to Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, MO!!!
In fact we are heading back there the day after Christmas.
They have wonderful cabins and resorts, excellent restaurants, lots of outdoor activities for families, and a wonderful kids program!!!!
Big Cedar Lodge

And it's only a 45-60 minute drive south of Branson, so there is lots of other entertainment to be found for families.

We also like to go to Amish country in Indiana. Stay in a B&B, do lots of shopping, soak in the local cultures.

Upcoming trips in the works are to South Dakota-Mt. Rushmore and to Yellowstone!

And when the kids are a little older we are planning to go to Italy and Australia!!

And we actually take weekend vacations here in Chicago! We live in the burbs but totally LOVE to go to the big city!! We stay in a suite at the Omni and shop/eat/museums/Navy Pier/theatre....everything!! And it's only an hour drive home!!!

 

[lindakmonty]

I love to travel and I've taken ds5 to wdw 4 or 5 x's..he loves it but we've done the disney cruise 4 x's and I personally like it better. Last year we went to Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore for something different. It was incredible . Niagara Falls isn't bad. Disneyland is very cool but just not near as awesome as wdw. Depends on your childrens interests too...
I've got some incredible pix from Yellowstone if you'd want to see what it's really like.