Elmiller

Looking for trip ideas. The kids are 16, 13 and 11. Always looking for new and interesting but like old standards too! Have done Disney, cruises, grand canyon/utah, williamsburg and DC, florida beaches and Michigan. Tell me about some of your awesome trips! We love scenic beauty and privacy! Not terribly adventuresome but like something special for accomodations>>>>>> THANKS!

Patrick

Without knowing where you live, when you're talking about going, and whether you want to drive or fly, this is kind of difficult.
But I think the Canadian Rockies (oops, guess it isn't quite in the US) is the perfect place for what you describe. The coast of Maine could be another.

bennnie

In addition to the trips you have already done, we had a family trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls. My girls were 6 and 9 at the time. They loved it. Saw a baseball game at the SkyDome, went to Canada's Wonderland (a large amusement park), Centre Islands for bike riding, CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum - natural history. Rode the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls. Also went up north of Toronto to Georgian Bay. There was tons of stuff we didn't get to. All in all it was a great trip and reasonable cost also due to the exchange rate and a great hotel deal.

Also have done parts of the coast of Maine, lighthouses, lobstering cruises, rockclimbing and minor league baseball.

Still have on the agenda to see California - would love to drive from SF to SD and see all the sights in between. Also not done yet but on the agenda is to rent a house on the Outer Banks.

Retired_teacher

One of our all time favorite family vacations was spent at Snow Mountain Ranch, a YMCA facility in Colorado. With the ages of your kids, you might prefer the Estes Park Center which is a larger facility and would probably have more activities for preteens and teenagers. For more information, take a look at their website: www.ymcarockies.org

jd

Cancun gets my vote. My kids were 13 and 16, and 21 when we went and it was their favorite trip. Stay at an all-inclusive so they can eat whenever they want. They also have awesome beaches and pools, and if you tire of those you can take side trips to the Mayan ruins, snorkling ect. We stayed at the cancun palace and loved it.

cmeyer54

Greenbrier, Tides Inn, Inn at Grove Park are good; colorado ski village in summer is fun - mountain biking, hiking, rafting, horseback riding, great scenery; europe?? we took our teens on 2-two week trips first to Munich and Rome; second one to Paris and Normandy.

Kwoo

Do you like amusement parks? My daughters loved Busch Gardens and Hershey Park. We also love beach vacations, such as Cape Cod, Chincoteague and Assateague in Virginia, Maine coast, Martha's Vineyard. California is another great place, such as San Francisco or LA. I've heard great things about San Diego.
Are you interested in the U.S. only or you willing to travel overseas?

Kwoo

Also want to add that I second the idea of Toronto and Niagra Falls. We did a similar trip as the other poster and my daughters loved it. The Maid of the Mist boat ride was so much fun! And there is a lot to do in Toronto.

utahtea

When our son turned 16, he told us that if we wanted him to go with us on vacation that year, it would have to be something really special.

We drove the Alaska Highway! So Alaska might be an idea.

When he was 19 and already out of the house he wanted to go with us to Jasper and Banff National Parks in Canada.

It's one of the most beautiful mountain ares in my opinion. We camped, but there are many nice hotels in the parks. If you want something special check out the Fairmount at Lake Louise in Banff.

http://www.fairmont.com/FA/en/CDA/Ho...100105,00.html

Utahtea

GBelle

Over the years with our two boys, we have done:
Disney Florida + California
California - from San Diego to San Francisco by car
Alaska on a cruise ship and in an RV
New England
Canada - Montreal to Ottawa to Toronto and returned via Niagara Falls
London - and a day trip by car to Warwick Castle, Windsor Castle and Bath.
My kids are now 12 and 16.

Tess

New York City! Our trip there ranks second on my kids' all time favorite vacation spots (#1 going to an all-inclusive in Negril, Jamaica--the poster suggesting Cancun is right on target with what teens and tweens want). They will have an absolute blast and so will you.

utahtea

I just realized that Yellowstone wasn't on your list of places you have been.

Now here is a scenic wonderland that my son's loved. There is a lot more to Yellowstone than just Old Faithful. There are many other geysers areas, Yellowstone Lake, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, waterfall, mud pots, hot springs, and a so much wildlife. Plan on at least a week in Yellowstone and a few days at the Grand Tetons. If you want to stay in the park you will need to make your reservations NOW for next summer.

Utahtea

jamierin

Elmiller - if you are at all interetsed in Toronto and Niagara, there are a lot of very nice resorts in the lake country north of Toronto (Muskoka, Haliburton, etc.). I would be able to give you the names of some of them if you are considering this type of vacation. Post back if you would like further info!

girlwilltravel

It may sound cliche, but if haven't spent a family vacation in Yellowstone National Park you haven't had a vacation. I've spent a May vacation and an October vacation there and each were different because of the seasons. Granted, this isn't your amusement park vacation but if you really want to see some fantastic country this is where to go. Stay in the Yellowstone lodge, catch Old Faithful, and load your camera and WALK all over the place! A stop in Jackson Hole is fun, too. My daugher has travel from coast to coast and we still talk about Yellowstone and wolves and bears. Hand your kids camera, film and let them go! Enjoy!

karens

My boys are younger than yours, but they really liked Atlantis on Paradise Island. The water slides were really fun, and the beach is right there, too. Colorado is beautiful in the summer - there's hiking, mountain biking, alpine slides, hot spring pools, and 4-wheeling. My favorite areas in Colorado are Ouray/Telluride and Crested Butte. My boys also liked San Diego, there's a lot of family things there, too. Your kids are good age for San Francisco. You can drive some of Big Sur and take in Yosemite. Let us know what you decide!

sludick

We went to the Banff area this past fall, and talk about scenic beauty!! We stayed at Deer Lodge (www.crmr.com); it's very picturesque and historic, and overall quite charming (with a hot tub on the roof that has a great view of a glacier). We'd like to return and try staying at some of the other places we saw, like Baker Creek (log cabins), there is a great restaurant there, tons of wildlife (esp. elk). Go up to see the Icefields -- the glaciers are all melting away, and the kids might not have them to visit when they grow up. Lots of hiking; we enjoyed a number of day hikes to spectacular areas. Also, we went down to Waterton Park (Canadian park on border of Glacier Nat'l Park in U.S.) -- well worth a night or so. Lots of deer, and we laughed ourselves sick watching a deer standing on its hind legs in the front yard of the post office, eating leaves from the tree. Watched a movie in the old antique movie theater in town and again enjoyed eyepopping natural beauty. Another thing -- overall, Canadians in that area tend to be quite friendly, easygoing, and environmentally aware.

Jocelyn_P

I third Yellowstone. At times you feel like you're walking on another planet with all the bizzare things you get to see. It can make learning about science fun! Growing up we took a family vacation every summer and this was by far the most memorable trip for me.

California's always great too, with a mixture of theme parks, big cities, and natural wonders.

NatalieM

Probably budget is the biggest consideration. For lower price, I would second yellowstone, just for the classic experience of it. If Canada is close enough, the Canadian Rockies are incredible..lots of "easy" adventuring (walking on glaciers)...and the Canadian dollar is a bonus. If cost is not a huge concern, our favorite family trip was Alaska. We have gone twice...once as a road trip (3 weeks and I forget how many miles, but you have to really get along) and once as a ferry trip on the inside passage. Both were incredible!

Little_Man

If you haven't been to Yellowstone, you haven't been on a family trip!!! Your kids are also the perfect age for a driving trip through Europe, although unfortunately the $ is so low these days it's out of my budget...
This is your last chance to infuse some culture into these kids, so choose wisely!

Little_Man

sorry, girlwilltravel, I reread all the posts and basically plagiarized you!!! But what you said bears repeating !!!