My family and myself are looking for somewhere good to go on vacation so if you have any ideas please pass them along. I have a 12 and 15 yr old so it would need to have a little fun involved but also relaxing for me and my husband although he is a big kid himself. We have been alot of places but I know there are alot of remote places we haven't or even if its the city somewhere. I really have no clue so the family has left it up to me to decide. Help!!!!
Thanks
Faye

Hawaii. It has something for everyone.

Fort Walton Beach, Florida is awesom for a beach vacation.

I vote for Hawaii! I know I'd love to go there!

Texas has a lot to offer, but I don't recommend it during the summer months!

have you ever been to the smoky mountains? There is so much to do and see .. the museums, the shows, Dollywood, the mountains, the trails, the views, the shops, there's just so much to do, but yet, you don't have to do anything at all to enjoy being there!!!

I absolutely second that!!! You would LOVE the great Smoky Mountains.
We live in Virginia and we vacation in the Seiverville, Pigeon Forge area of Tenessee each and every year. There is so much to do that each year we do something different and there are still places that we want to go to, so once again this year we will be going back. It is just so laid back there and the people are great and the air is clean. All the shows are family type shows which is so rare these days. I really do highly recommend going there.......

I love the smokey mountains. I don't think I have been there since I was a kid. I am going to check it out and possibly pitch that idea to my husband. Believe it or not I don't have a lot of desire to go to hawaii, I know that is weird but thats me. Now I would love to go to Alaska. We loved the grand canyon but its so hot out there during the summer. I do love the mountains. I think I would like to travel and visit all the national parks even though I am not a camper at all. Being from Florida I have been to tons of beaches and (I am sure my husband would love to go check out the beautful women) I would like to experience something different. I went to Cherokee North Carolina when I was younger and I will never forget that trip. I guess I am a mountain kind of girl.
I appreciate all the suggestions so far from everyone. If you have any more I would love to hear them.
Faye

One of my favorite places to visit is Ely, Minnesota. It is right along the boundary waters and it is absolutely beautiful up there any time of year. If you want some more information about this let me know. but you can just do a google search and you will come up with a lot of information too.

If you want to see the national parks you don't have to camp (trust me!) We went to yellowstone this past fall and we rented a "cabin" (it was a house, it used to be a residence that someone rents out now) it was 5 miles out side of the park and we spent 3 days driving around Yellowstone (hitting a different part each day) we had planned on driving down to the Grand Tetons (day trip), but decided to head back home and hit some other sites along the way.

if you want to do national parks or any area one of my favorite places to check first is www.vrbo.com it stands for vacation rentals by owner. Homes all over the places and lots around national parks too!

If you love the mountains check out Banff / Lake Louise, Alberta Canada. IMHO it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. There are hiking trails, white water rafting, and lakes⦠They have the most amazing lakes that are these vibrant shades of blue and green. The skiing is great there too, and if you go early enough in the summer (June) you can probably still ski at some of the higher resorts (Sunshine). And if you donât like to camp, you can stay in a haunted castle in Banff or a massive âlog cabinâ in Lake Louise. It is really a great place.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. We are still in the deciding stage so keep the ideas coming.
Thanks
Faye

There are so many fun places to go in the USA. My DH and I lived in a motorhome for 2 years and travelled all over the country, including Alaska. I've been to all 50 states and our favorite places were the ones that weren't as commercial or well-known.

We absolutely loved Maine! In Bar Harbor, you can go whale watching, and shopping. We also want to go back to Mackinaw Island in Michigan. If you've ever seen the movie "Somewhere In Time" with Christopher Reeves, the hotel in the movie is on Mackinaw Island. There's quite a bit to do around there. Also, in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas area, Branson, MO and Eureka Springs, AR are alot of fun. They are about 30 miles apart in the Ozark mountains. Lots of shows, shopping and gorgeous scenery. There is also Tablerock Lake to head to. Between the 2 is a place called Big Cedar Lodge that is awesome! You can stay in the hotel or get a cabin. It is a true resort.

I'll stop now. I'm not sure where you are and when you are going, but if you would like to pm me, I can give you some other ideas. Lots of fun places in the west and Alaska is awesome! But, you really need a minimum of 2 weeks to go to Alaska. People don't realize how far apart everything is there. We spent 2 months there and I really wanted more time.

Have fun whereever you go!

Tracy

I do agree that mackinaw is a nice place to visit, we go there every year. There are no cars allowed on the island, everything is done either by horse and carriage, bicycling, or good old walking! There's also a few other towns nearby that offer some nice activities, but to be honest, you only need about two or three days to see and do everything up in mackinaw. In the summer they have their lilac festival and in the fall they do color tours on trolleys.

I am getting alot of good ideas from all of you. Maybe by next week we will able to decide what we will be doing. Thank you to everyone!
Faye

Awww, now you've got me wanting to get away on vacation for a while. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I absolutely love Tennessee but maybe it's time to check out something new. Please let us know where you decide to go. Don't you just love planning vacations??

I certainly will. I do love planning vacations. It would help if I was independently wealthy and I wouldn't have to worry about the bills when I return. I am really leaning towrd the mountains. It is just so peaceful. I love to fish but my husband hates it. We are so totally opposite I have no clue how we hooked up but that would be for another thread. .
Anyhow I will keepyou posted but hey if anyone else has some ideas don't hesitate to throw them ny way!
Faye

Two places we love vacationing; Kiawah Island, South Carolina and the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Kiawah Island is near Charleston and is absolutely gorgeous. You can ride your bicycle on the beach down to where the river flows into the ocean and watch dolphins playing. If you like golf, there are 5 or 6 golf courses. And though it wasn't very smart, my kids(ages 17 and 22)loved teasing and then running from the 'gators and also catching Blue crabs. Very relaxing(except for the 'gators. They almost gave mom a heart attack) and scenic place.
The U.P. is also beautiful and relaxing. We love crossing the Bridge and then heading west on route 2. It travels along the northern coast of Lake Michigan and people just park their cars along the road and take time to swim in the Lake. More great places to go, Taquamenon Falls, Oswalds Bear Ranch in Newberry(he sometimes has cubs that he will actually let you go in with to play), Seney Wildlife Refuge, and then when you get to Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks in Munising are well worth hiking around, several waterfalls back in the woods, but the trails are well maintained. The water in Lake Superior is so clear that when you are at the top of Pictured Rocks, you can actually see stones in the lake. The Glass bottom boat tours in Munising are worth taking. Marquette also has some beautiful areas. Presque Isle Park is very nice and you can either drive your car through it or hike. The Black Rocks there are amazing, you'd think you were at the Pacific Ocean the terrain there is so wild and primitive, but you go just a little farther into the park and there is a perfect swimming beach with very calm water. There is also a very large population of deer on the island. The downtown area is fun, a lot of activity at night, probably because of Northern Michigan University being right there. West and north of Marquette, lots of little towns that all seem to have unique things to see, several ghost towns, waterfalls, lots of lakes, rivers, wildlife, mountains, great fishing and lighthouses. And Copper Harbor is also gorgeous. If you go to the U.P. spend a week or two and take your time seeing the sights and relaxing. Camping is available almost everywhere, also hotels and cabins to rent. One more thing, if you go to Marquette check out The Landmark Inn, it's right downtown, has views of Lake Superior from almost every room, all the rooms are decorated in different styles, the rates are reasonable. One of our favorite places to stay. Can you tell I love the U.P.? And I'm not even a native. Have fun where ever you end up going.

Come on up to Pennsylvanie, to the Poconos. It's beautiful, plus you're close enough that you could go to New York City for a day trip, the Jersey shore, or Amish country. Or even Philadelphia, and the Liberty Bell, if they will let you see it (terror watch last time I was there). Lots to do!

We have been looking into the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area too for vacation. I think this is a great choice! There are really nice cabins you can rent for decent prices. Some even have indoor pools and game rooms. So even when you are staying in to relax and enjoy the scenery the kids have things to do.

I am really getting alot of great ideas from everyone. I can't wait to sit down with my husband so we can try to agree on a place but hey he did say it was up to me. I think I will hit the internet tomorrow and look up some of the se suggestions before I make my pitch to him. Thanks again for all the great responses and ideas. Kepp the mcoming!!
Faye

I am from Michigan so it is nice to actually have people recommend coming here! Yay! Mackinac Island is a very cute and unique place to visit. It is super beautiful if you come around Memorial Day when all of the lilacs are in bloom. But don't come to Michigan before late spring, otherwise it just really isnt that warm!!

A place that I really enjoyed was Virginia Beach VA. I think it was much more family friendly than I imagined. Most of the accomodations were suites, which is nice with a family!

maryjsgirl, we are going to pigeon forge/gatlinburg in just a few weeks! We are going back for our five year anniversary. I don't know if you have ever been there before but when we went on our honeymoon, we rented a cabin over the internet. When we got up to the cabin it was raining, but the cabin was gorgeous!! We dropped off the bags and headed into town for dinner. Unfortunately, the way the rain was coming down we couldn't make it back up to the cabin .... FOR THREE DAYS!! They had the roads closed due to mudslides and we had to do with the clothes on our back until we found someone who knew a back way up to the cabin so we could get our bags. We found a great hotel and stayed there for the entire week. This time we knew the hotel route was the best way to go, not only because you can't count on the weather and we didn't want to be stuck in the same scenario again, but because staying on the strip made it very easy for us to leave our car parked all week and we were able to either walk or take the trolley everywhere and not have to worry about parking. Also, we lost $1000.00 because of the rain. The cabin company would not refund our money and had no sympathy for "acts of God" I know there are other cabin companies out there, but I don't see many of them willing to refund money. Also, my uncles favorite place in the U.P. was called Lake in the Clouds. He loved that place and went vacationing there with his wife and daughter for many years. Merissa, it never dawned on me where you were from!! It's nice to meet another michigander!! Sorry to hijack the thread!!

I am just so happy, I have talked my husband into going to the mountains. Its a town called Blue Ridge Georgia. Its at the top of Georgia and we are staying in a beautiful cabin. I think I'm going to cry with excitement. From what I hear there are alot of things to do in the area so I just can't wait for June to get here. I plan on going on another vacation before the end of summer hopefully to Pigeon Forge. Yay!!!!
I want to thank everyone for all of their great ideas. I will let you know how it was.
Faye

I hope you guys have a great time!!!