moosemom
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Post by moosemom on Jul 2, 2019 11:57:40 GMT -6
We weren’t sure about some things this year and ended up not planning a vacation. H has a week off in August and so we can go but just don’t know where. Usually I have summer vacation planned before we go on spring break. So where would you go?
2nd week in August, not Disney (we went in September and are not every year to Disney people), we really aren’t beach people although if we were at a nice resort where I could easily wash sand off I might be ok with it. Kids do not have passports. I live in the Chicago area so flights aren’t a problem and budget isn’t a big issue either. We do like outdoorsy stuff. Oh and I like hotels not house rentals.
Where should we go?
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Post by calendula on Jul 2, 2019 12:06:44 GMT -6
Acadia National Park / Bar Harbor, Maine? You could rent bikes and do the park carriage trails, hike?
Mackinac Island, Michigan? I've never been but my SIL's pics are always lovely
Quebec City is beautiful that time of year too--the fort and Plains of Abraham are great for kids, plus Montmorency Falls outside the city if you rent a car. I know the kids don't have passports but the expedited processing fee wouldn't be terrible especially if you consider the favorable exchange rate.
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emma
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Post by emma on Jul 2, 2019 12:12:05 GMT -6
are you activity people, city people, kick back on a sun lounger people...?
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brux
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Post by brux on Jul 2, 2019 12:34:06 GMT -6
I would go to Maine. You can fly into Boston and then drive 1.5 hours to some cute beach towns. Drive further to more beach towns.
You can hike, beach, eat lobster, breathe sea air, day drink, whatever.
We stayed in York Beach last summer and spent a lot of time in Ogunquit too. Kennebunk is further north and Portland is even more north than that.
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moosemom
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Post by moosemom on Jul 2, 2019 12:39:47 GMT -6
I am open to all suggestions. I need stuff to do. Days on end with no plans leave me bored. Also, not hugely excited to visit cities. H and I are going to Boston later this month so that will be enough city for me.
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moosemom
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Post by moosemom on Jul 2, 2019 12:44:11 GMT -6
Acadia National Park / Bar Harbor, Maine? You could rent bikes and do the park carriage trails, hike? Mackinac Island, Michigan? I've never been but my SIL's pics are always lovely Quebec City is beautiful that time of year too--the fort and Plains of Abraham are great for kids, plus Montmorency Falls outside the city if you rent a car. I know the kids don't have passports but the expedited processing fee wouldn't be terrible especially if you consider the favorable exchange rate. Maine sounds tempting. Probably not Michigan. We were just in Michigan this weekend on the lake plus I want to go someplace further away. |
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Post by Uncaripswife on Jul 2, 2019 12:45:36 GMT -6
I would go to Maine. You can fly into Boston and then drive 1.5 hours to some cute beach towns. Drive further to more beach towns. You can hike, beach, eat lobster, breathe sea air, day drink, whatever. We stayed in York Beach last summer and spent a lot of time in Ogunquit too. Kennebunk is further north and Portland is even more north than that. I love York so much. /helpful |
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Post by sweptaway on Jul 2, 2019 12:46:12 GMT -6
If budget/flights weren't an issue I'd do a National Park. Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion?
Or maybe Colorado
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Post by sweptaway on Jul 2, 2019 12:46:28 GMT -6
Lately mountains are really calling to me
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Post by Uncaripswife on Jul 2, 2019 12:51:59 GMT -6
Williamsburg, Virginia. Amusement park, colonial stuff, short drive to Virginia Beach, short drive to a zoo, short drive to children's museum (in Portsmouth), lots of hotels.
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Post by sudokufan on Jul 2, 2019 12:53:58 GMT -6
If budget/flights weren't an issue I'd do a National Park. Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion? Or maybe Colorado OOOh, we went to the Grand Canyon when I was a kid and I'd go back in a heart beat. We did a trail ride out to the rim that was amazing. |
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Post by spicysalmonroll on Jul 2, 2019 12:57:31 GMT -6
Lately mountains are really calling to me I have been dying to go to Glacier National Park in Montana. And Banff, but that would require passports. |
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jaidit
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Post by jaidit on Jul 2, 2019 12:59:30 GMT -6
Alaska? I think that could be really cool for what you’re looking for.
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brux
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Post by brux on Jul 2, 2019 13:04:01 GMT -6
I would go to Maine. You can fly into Boston and then drive 1.5 hours to some cute beach towns. Drive further to more beach towns. You can hike, beach, eat lobster, breathe sea air, day drink, whatever. We stayed in York Beach last summer and spent a lot of time in Ogunquit too. Kennebunk is further north and Portland is even more north than that. I love York so much. /helpful same. I had such a nice time there last summer. I want to get back ASAP. |
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sullivan
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Post by sullivan on Jul 2, 2019 13:05:38 GMT -6
Colorado, Oregon, Northern California, Alaska, Lake Tahoe, Glacier National Park
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Post by donnameagle on Jul 2, 2019 13:08:34 GMT -6
Blue Ridge mountains. Rent a fabulous house, not a dinky cabin. We stay at Kleinhaus every.single.year and have done all seasons. Christmas, Spring Break, Fall and Summer. There is lots to do. Love tubing/rafting. Hiking. Helen GA is so fun for a day trip and we also went into Tennessee for more water/spring activities. If you do go, visit Clayton GA for food and cute shopping. We do this vacation with six kids aged 4-15. It is a perfect vacation. It is not a hotel, but the house is badass. www.airbnb.com/rooms/10728440?source_impression_id=p3_1562094451_upRZqPcTeIt7pX%2FP |
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ktg
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Post by ktg on Jul 2, 2019 13:08:52 GMT -6
Alaska? I think that could be really cool for what you’re looking for. Mid-August is already getting chilly in Alaska (highs in the 50s around Anchorage), but you could legit fish for the huge salmon and the foliage would be lovely. Lots of great hiking basically everywhere. Lakes, ocean, mountains, city if you want and secluded nature if you don't. Ooh and if it's state fair week you can see truly enormous vegetables. 😆 |
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Post by donnameagle on Jul 2, 2019 13:16:00 GMT -6
donnameagle we love the Blue Ridge mountains. I will have to hit you up for more details because that’s definitely on our list for a family trip. It’s quite close to us. It is about 8-9 hours from us and we always drive LOL But such a good family vacation. Mixture of relaxing and exploring. I live at the beach though, so I usually don't vacation at one! |
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piratecat
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Post by piratecat on Jul 2, 2019 13:19:34 GMT -6
Acadia National Park / Bar Harbor, Maine? You could rent bikes and do the park carriage trails, hike? Mackinac Island, Michigan? I've never been but my SIL's pics are always lovely Quebec City is beautiful that time of year too--the fort and Plains of Abraham are great for kids, plus Montmorency Falls outside the city if you rent a car. I know the kids don't have passports but the expedited processing fee wouldn't be terrible especially if you consider the favorable exchange rate. Maine sounds tempting. Probably not Michigan. We were just in Michigan this weekend on the lake plus I want to go someplace further away. Acadia NP area is great for outdoorsy stuff with kids - a lot of easy hikes and bike rides, etc. You probably won't see any moose though.  |
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Post by calendula on Jul 2, 2019 13:29:09 GMT -6
Acadia National Park / Bar Harbor, Maine? You could rent bikes and do the park carriage trails, hike? Mackinac Island, Michigan? I've never been but my SIL's pics are always lovely Quebec City is beautiful that time of year too--the fort and Plains of Abraham are great for kids, plus Montmorency Falls outside the city if you rent a car. I know the kids don't have passports but the expedited processing fee wouldn't be terrible especially if you consider the favorable exchange rate. Maine sounds tempting. Probably not Michigan. We were just in Michigan this weekend on the lake plus I want to go someplace further away. OK, you can fly into either Portland or Bangor depending on what's available from Chicago. Rent a car. Stay in either Bar Harbor for more of an intown feel (walk to shops, restaurants, etc) or Southwest Harbor for a quieter feel (the Claremont is so pretty and its still a reasonable drive to most of Acadia). There are hotel options all over the island. You can drive to Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise, eat at a lobster pound (I like Thurstons), eat popovers over tea at the Jordan Pond house. Whale watching or windjammer cruises. Great hiking and biking ranging from easy with kids to more challenging. Plenty of craft beer and good restaurants on the island. August is peak season so there may be crowds in Bar Harbor itself but they IME they thin pretty easily as soon as you adventure around different parts of the island. Lots of beautiful coastline for kids to explore...I have wonderful memories of clam digging as a kid. Its beautiful there. |
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Post by Uncaripswife on Jul 2, 2019 13:30:53 GMT -6
I love York so much. /helpful same. I had such a nice time there last summer. I want to get back ASAP. When I was a kid our annual family vacation was always in that area. Such fond memories. And when I've gone back as an adult it's still fun. |
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Minerva
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Post by Minerva on Jul 2, 2019 13:39:47 GMT -6
Maine sounds tempting. Probably not Michigan. We were just in Michigan this weekend on the lake plus I want to go someplace further away. OK, you can fly into either Portland or Bangor depending on what's available from Chicago. Rent a car. Stay in either Bar Harbor for more of an intown feel (walk to shops, restaurants, etc) or Southwest Harbor for a quieter feel (the Claremont is so pretty and its still a reasonable drive to most of Acadia). There are hotel options all over the island. You can drive to Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise, eat at a lobster pound (I like Thurstons), eat popovers over tea at the Jordan Pond house. Whale watching or windjammer cruises. Great hiking and biking ranging from easy with kids to more challenging. Plenty of craft beer and good restaurants on the island. August is peak season so there may be crowds in Bar Harbor itself but they IME they thin pretty easily as soon as you adventure around different parts of the island. Lots of beautiful coastline for kids to explore...I have wonderful memories of clam digging as a kid. Its beautiful there. If you fly into Portland, you could spend a day or two exploring Casco Bay and the Portland food scene. Then road trip to Acadia NP midweek when traffic isn’t so crazy. Ride bikes around the island, check out the tide pools, go on a whale watch, eat lobster. I loooove ME, especially in August. |
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moosemom
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Post by moosemom on Jul 2, 2019 13:40:40 GMT -6
Lately mountains are really calling to me I have been dying to go to Glacier National Park in Montana. And Banff, but that would require passports. This is probably next summers vacation. It requires too much time to plan last minute and I think I would need at least 10 days. |
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shadows
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Post by shadows on Jul 2, 2019 13:48:09 GMT -6
Maine sounds tempting. Probably not Michigan. We were just in Michigan this weekend on the lake plus I want to go someplace further away. OK, you can fly into either Portland or Bangor depending on what's available from Chicago. Rent a car. Stay in either Bar Harbor for more of an intown feel (walk to shops, restaurants, etc) or Southwest Harbor for a quieter feel (the Claremont is so pretty and its still a reasonable drive to most of Acadia). There are hotel options all over the island. You can drive to Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise, eat at a lobster pound (I like Thurstons), eat popovers over tea at the Jordan Pond house. Whale watching or windjammer cruises. Great hiking and biking ranging from easy with kids to more challenging. Plenty of craft beer and good restaurants on the island. August is peak season so there may be crowds in Bar Harbor itself but they IME they thin pretty easily as soon as you adventure around different parts of the island. Lots of beautiful coastline for kids to explore...I have wonderful memories of clam digging as a kid. Its beautiful there. I loved visiting Acadia National Park as a kid, but it is crazy to me how much Bar Harbor has grown. My brother's lung collapsed hiking, and he had to spend the night in the tiny hospital there, and the town literally shut down at 8 PM. As in, we got the last pizza from the pizza place and there was no where else open. Of course, this was nearly 30 years ago. H and I went a few years ago, and it is definitely no longer like that. |
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shadows
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Post by shadows on Jul 2, 2019 13:54:03 GMT -6
It is about 8-9 hours from us and we always drive LOL But such a good family vacation. Mixture of relaxing and exploring. I live at the beach though, so I usually don't vacation at one! DH and I went rafting on the Nantahala and loved it but haven’t been back since kids. We are actually going up to the Gatlinburg area tomorrow for several days. From all my research I think my youngest (4) is probably still too young for actual rafting so I think we will still wait at least another year or so for that part. MH loves the mountains and prefers it to the beach so we are always looking for things to do up there. Your post just prompted me to look up the age to raft the Nantahala because my family used to do that, and it was so much fun, and it looks like the minimum age is 7 at NOC. I haven't done the Nantahala since I was a kid, but H and I have done the Upper Chattahoochee a few times, and we flip the canoe every single time (so embarrassing), so we probably need a guided raft trip before attempting anything with kids. |
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Post by calendula on Jul 2, 2019 14:16:53 GMT -6
OK, you can fly into either Portland or Bangor depending on what's available from Chicago. Rent a car. Stay in either Bar Harbor for more of an intown feel (walk to shops, restaurants, etc) or Southwest Harbor for a quieter feel (the Claremont is so pretty and its still a reasonable drive to most of Acadia). There are hotel options all over the island. You can drive to Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise, eat at a lobster pound (I like Thurstons), eat popovers over tea at the Jordan Pond house. Whale watching or windjammer cruises. Great hiking and biking ranging from easy with kids to more challenging. Plenty of craft beer and good restaurants on the island. August is peak season so there may be crowds in Bar Harbor itself but they IME they thin pretty easily as soon as you adventure around different parts of the island. Lots of beautiful coastline for kids to explore...I have wonderful memories of clam digging as a kid. Its beautiful there. I loved visiting Acadia National Park as a kid, but it is crazy to me how much Bar Harbor has grown. My brother's lung collapsed hiking, and he had to spend the night in the tiny hospital there, and the town literally shut down at 8 PM. As in, we got the last pizza from the pizza place and there was no where else open. Of course, this was nearly 30 years ago. H and I went a few years ago, and it is definitely no longer like that. Yes, it has changed a lot for sure. We stay in Southwest Harbor for the most part now--much quieter. Which is perfect because I am an old woman lol. To ditto Minerva, if you road trip from Portland, make sure to leave time for little stops on the way and do it on a weekday to avoid trafic. Moody's Diner in Waldoboro, roadside blueberry stands, Camden is a favorite--drive up to the top of Mt. Battie for the view. There is a place in Freeport on the water that sells the best whoopie pies I have ever eaten in my life. The LL Bean factory store. There's a funky store just before you hit Rockland that sells handmade stuff produced by inmates in the state prison that always makes our road trip stop list. |
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Post by sweptaway on Jul 2, 2019 14:23:00 GMT -6
Lately mountains are really calling to me I have been dying to go to Glacier National Park in Montana. And Banff, but that would require passports. Yes, Banff is on my short list! |
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willow
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Post by willow on Jul 2, 2019 14:31:12 GMT -6
I have been dying to go to Glacier National Park in Montana. And Banff, but that would require passports. This is probably next summers vacation. It requires too much time to plan last minute and I think I would need at least 10 days. Yes. Glacier requires a lot of planning months in advance. It wouldn’t be worth the last minute trip unless you’re a seasoned visitor. |
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Cher
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Post by Cher on Jul 2, 2019 14:40:08 GMT -6
There’s a direct flight to Hawaii from Chicago. But I’m a Hawaii always person.
We had one of our best family trips to San Diego. It was so laid back and so much to do for families.
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klondike
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Post by klondike on Jul 2, 2019 16:44:57 GMT -6
I vote for Maine. We stayed in a cottage at Inn by the Sea resort. They have suites & rooms too. It's 10 mins from Portland and by a state park. The property is on a bunch of acreage and beautiful. It's very laid back and was one of our more relaxing trips. The kids went kayaking. We fished. S'mores around the fire pit at night:) We ferried to the islands in Casco Bay.
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