Vacation Ideas

[ndcowboy]

My wife and I both turn 40 this year. Seems like a great reason to take a good week long family vacation. We have two kids who are not in their teens yet. We've only taken trips in Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming and want to do something further from home.
What do you guys got that would be great for the family?

 

[ndcowboy]

One more thing - we are not interested in a Disney Land/World type vacation. None of that standing in line for hours for a cheap 30 second thrill.

 

[Fox Mike]

Washington DC has many things to do and see. Also nearby in Fairfax, Virginia is the NRA museum. Just down the road from DC is Annapolis MD with oldest State House still in use where George Washington resigned his Commission. There is also the US Naval Academy and lots of old historic buildings

 

[bobski]

what time of the year?

 

[bobski]

fly or drive?

 

[Selena]

There is always the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Or my personal favorite the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest.

 

[MADDOG 521]

UTAH
There is a lot to see in Utah.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Washington , DC DOES have the Smithsonian Museums which are ALWAYS worth visiting; also if you are driving, LOOK for various small parks along the way with historic sites, there was the park with the "Shot Tower" where they made round musket balls at one point in time I forget if it was in West Virginia or Virginia along the highway going south.

 

[Kevin]

Camping around Colorado Springs, you can go to Cripple Creek and Pikes Peak and take an historic train ride from Canon City up through the Royal Gorge with lunch on the train.

 

[Kevin]

Or, how about an Alaskan cruise leaving from Seattle?

 

[Pistolero]

Live entertainment in Branson, Mo. and Silver Dollar City near Branson. Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium and Wilson Creek Civil War Battlefield in nearby Springfield. Good, clean family fun in the beautiful Ozarks.

 

[Bob Wright]

I'd have to go with my beloved Texas vacations. The Dallas/Ft. Worth area isa rich in Western history. The Gulf Coast area around Corpus Christi is interesting. So also is the Big Bend area. You can spend a full week touring and never leave the state.

Good food can be found in most areas, steaks the usual fare except along the Gulf Coast where mesquite grilled salmon or shrimp is the main fare. Texas has both Southern cooking as well as Tex/Mex cooking. And don't snub Tex/Mex, it's not Mexican, but so what?, its good food!

While there check out the Gage Motel/Hotel (the motel has private baths) in /Marathon, Texas. Just staying there is a treat; no TV or phones in the rooms.

Bob Wright

 

[ndcowboy]

what time of the year?

Good questions: Late July or Early August are when we can best get away. And I'm open to flying or driving, even though I haven't flown in 18 years.

 

[bobski]

cruise. +1.
stay away from hurricane prone destinations.
try a New England cruise. visit some nice old fishing ports, lobster crabbing historical stuff.
heck...go to Groton Ct visit the whaling town of mystic seaport. bring shotguns. plenty of clubs around.

 

[bobski]

don't forget va..
Williamsburg/Yorktown.

 

[bobski]

branson is a tourist trap. I don't think coming from way up north to branson would be wise.
even though I live within a hour of the place....its just strip malls full of souveners and taffy with wacky attractions. sorry 'pistol'.

 

[Fox Mike]

Now that I know the timeframe I would use caution going to DC. In July the only place hotter than DC is Hades. Cape Cod is quaint and lots of nice places to see but again July/August is tourist season and it too has many tourist traps.

 

[Pistolero]

branson is a tourist trap. I don't think coming from way up north to branson would be wise.
even though I live within a hour of the place....its just strip malls full of souveners and taffy with wacky attractions. sorry 'pistol'.

No need to be sorry, bobski. That is just your own opinion. Branson has not become a major tourist destination because of the strip malls full of souvenirs, taffy, and wacky attractions. I am sure there many, many visitors who would disagree with you. You are fortunate to live in a beautiful area of this great country.

 

[Rook]

We're older than dirt now. We've been together since right after the big flood and the best vacations we ever took were the ones we didn't plan. We loaded up the kids and drove down to the highway, flipped a coin and took off in that direction which ever one it may have been. We've driven across every state at one time or the other and we did it on the back roads. You can't see this country from the Interstate.

We did it before there were any GPS's. It's hard to get lost when you don't know where you're going to in the first place.

 

[arfmel]

Maybe an Alaska Cruise?

 

[Fox Mike]

Maybe an Alaska Cruise?

My grandson and his family just got back a couple months ago from one of those cruises. He was very happy about the trip. He did say that he found out that the State bird of Alaska is the mosquito.
Another thought. If you consider Cape Cod try to fly into Providence RI. That is about 1.5 hrs of driving without battling Boston traffic.

 

[protoolman]

Well you are just north of me as I recall. We flew allegiant out of Bismarck on super cheap fares to Sanford airport in Florida. While there for a week we went on an airboat ride, saw alligators. Went hot air ballooning and saw an exotic car show, go an autographed picture of Eddie Munster as well as touring Epcot but not Disneyworld. Actually a cheap vacation overall. Otherwise a summer vacation to my old home near Glacier Park has plenty to do also and is within driving distance from you.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Or, how about an Alaskan cruise leaving from Seattle?

How can you beat that. Never heard of anyone that didn't enjoy this trip.

 

[Taterman]

Since you are in ND, it might be better to vacation during the winter (if possible) to get somewhere warm for a bit. The Alaska cruise sound nice in July/August.
Florida, not so much.

 

[Mega Twin]

If you do decide on Branson,or Eureka Springs,south of there is the Buffalo River,that has some pretty scenic floats.
Best to do that in early summer,as spring rains can be very dangerous on the river.
They also have a lot of hiking trails,and primitive camp sites if you like the outdoors.
The Kings river is just a few miles from Eureka,and also has some nice floats.

 

[ndcowboy]

Thanks for all the ideas fellas. Lots to think about.

Taterman - that would be nice but we can't get away from the ranch in the winter. I feed cattle twice a day and don't want to saddle a neighbor with that burden when we are gone - especially if bad weather should pop up.

Protoolman - I looked up some of those flights out of Bismarck and you are right. They are quite reasonable. Might be a great option.

 

[rugerguy211]

New Hampshire is nice in July.
Plenty of beaches, mountains for hiking, etc.
A hike up Mt Washington might be fun for the kids.
It's not a particularly difficult hike, nor is it too long (maybe 6-7 hours round trip depending on trail choice).
The views are spectacular, especially if you hit one of the roughly 65 days a year when it is perfectly clear at the summit. You can see into Canada on those days.

 

[Sturgis270]

The area of D.C. and surrounding area is great. Inner harbor of Baltimore, D.C. has history around every corner, everyone should stop at Arlington, head down to Washington's home , Mount Vernon. I like Norfolk and the boat tour of the harbor as well as touring the USS Wisconsin, until you have seen one of these Iowa class battleships it is hard to get a feel of how big they are.
Regardless of where you decide to go you will be making family memories for life. Good job!

 

[Achigan]

Paddle boat ride up/down the Mississippi, cruise the inner passage, fishing in Canada, dodge bullets in Chicago/Baltimore/LA

 

[Kevin]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned South Eastern TN:

It would be quite a drive from North Dakota, but Eastern TN and the Smoky Mountain National Park, right there near Seville and Gatlinburg TN. It’s a very part of the country and sure is different from North Dakota.