Kristinesonja

My husband and son will be off to SC for Old Indian Boy Scut camp for 10 days in the end of June/beginnning of July. Ironiclly, I'm the family member that loves to travel and dreams about the destnations. Now, DH is joining ds on his 1st Boy Scout Summer Camp and all my summer plans got cancelled.

Its my DH 50th bday and our 15 anniversary so I think my DD and will have to venture off on our own for a few days. But.......where to go. It would be DD and I alone, not afraid. to fly and explore a new place. She and I love to travel so maybe this is a chance for my soon to be 10yr daughter and I to share a trip. (We were planned to take family to Yellowstone but I wouldn't want to do that trip without DH and DS as I still want to share that one.)

We aren't Disney people, like nature and outdoors. I can't blow th budget as I'm saving for a 2014 family trip to Alaska for my 50th.

We have hiked in GSMNP TN, falls in No GA, snorkeled ini the Keys. SUggestions? As much as I'd love to go to NYC or BOston, that isn't a trip I want DH and DS to miss so would save it. I guess I'm' not thinking 'city' for this one. Ideas?

FL is so long, I don't like the 8hour drive to get to another state, so I could swing a reasonable airfare & rental car.

Thanks. Kristine

qwovadis

innatloretto.com Santa Fe and/or visitsedona.com and/or Grand Canyon was awesome for us in the past would make a great trip for you guys. southwest.com usually cheap flights for us into ABQ or PHX Sky Harbor. carrentals.com cheap rental works well.
Great hiking nature shopping spa etc. beautiful scenic country.

Happy Trails!

tovarich

Visit Williamsburg.Great place to visit with a 9 year old. Paul

emalloy

Have you been to Chincoteague? Get the book, Misty of Chincoteague and spend a few days on the beach. You could then head down over the Bay Bridge and up to Williamsburg as tovarich suggested.

tomfuller

Virginia sounds good to me as well. You can take 1 of the two Silver Service Amtrak trains from Florida to Richmond (Staples Mall) for less than $200 for both of you. Rent a car there for a trip to the beach or to the mountains. Fly home if time gets short.

longhorn55

Williamsburg is a great idea for a 9-year-old. Start out by reading the American Girls series of books by Valerie Tripp about Felicity, a young girl living in Williamsburg in the 1700's.

In addition to Colonial Williamsburg, you could go to the National Park, Historic Jamestowne, and Jamestown Settlement, the hands-on, interactive outdoor museum which I hear is great for kids.

www.nps.gov/jame
http://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement.htm

And for some non-history fun, there's Busch Gardens, Water Country USA and Virginia Beach.

CajunPrincess

It might sound cheesy, but I'm going to suggest Dollywood. They have the amusement park, water park, very nice cabins with great views, lots of nature trails, etc, etc. I think it's a good place for both kids and adults. You could stay busy or relax...or both.

ElendilPickle

Albuquerque/Santa Fe/northern NM would be nice that time of year. Or how about San Francisco and a little of the California coast? Or maybe Denver and Rocky Mountain National Park?

Lee Ann

spirobulldog

I might consider some place a bit off the radar to avoid 4th of July crowds. Maybe some lesser known National Park. Frankly, some of those are the very best. Some place like Lassen Volcano, Isle Royale, Great Basin. The Utah parks are all fantastic, but it would be warm there by the end of June. Elendipickle has a good idea of San Francisco and then heading North or South along the coast. A trip to Yosemite would be awesome from San Fran for 3 days or so, but I wouldn't do it on 4th of July weekend.

Kristinesonja

LOts of great ideas. Thank you.
We live in South Florida, so unfortunately an airline ticket to anywhere is costly since we can rarely fly direct from WPB.
I'd love to go out west but 2 airfares + rental car + plus lodging make it cost prohibitive.
Personally, I love National Parks but wondered if I need to consider a location that allows us to be without rental car (ex: a city we can do on foot/with mass transit). Onthe other hand, I don't want to run around a big city with a child and without my husband.
Maybe it's a road trip to SC, NC, TN, KY. (Can you see my mind is racing with pros and cons.)
Thanks for your input. I"m still thinking.

BetsyinKY

I am from KY, so of course, i would love to push my home state! There is lots to do, whether it's hiking, zip lining, and exploring the mountains of the eastern part of the state or visiting the Bluegrass country and seeing the horse farms, or heading to Mammoth Cave.

However, when I saw that your husband and son were going to be in SC, my immediate thought was, "Charleston!" I would go to the Charleston area. You have beaches, a fun, but not intimidating, city to explore, lots of cultural/historical sites to investigate....it's one of my favorite places. We go there at the end of June every summer and have been there on the 4th of July, and while the beaches get crowded on the 4th, it's not a mad house. I

suewoo

Isn't Old Indian at Traveler's Rest? It might be fun to drive up to Flat Rock or Asheville. As much as I love Charleston, and I DO, it will be cooler up there in summer than down here.

Ackislander

Check JetBlue to Richmond. They often have wonderful specials.

Williamsburg is great for kids as is Jamestown. They have costumes you can rent for the day at WBurg, and the little girls I have seen love them. Busch Gardens is nearby, and if you click on my name, you will see a report on a visit to a nearby water park with my granddaughters.

Alternatively, the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway is a gorgeous if slow drive for people with your interests and is easy to get to from Greenville, Charlotte, or Asheville, depending on where they are flying for Travelers Rest.

Lots of wildlife, day hikes, etc. Downtown Greenville, SC, is a great place to spend the night. Lots of good places to eat and fun shopping -- for a nine year old.

Kristinesonja

Thank you, it looks like I found a cute place on vrbo.com for my daughter and I to rent in Landrum, off Hyw 11 only 9 miles from Old Indian.
I'm going to research the are Greenville, Sliding Rock, falls hikes, National Forest, etc.

Anything I shouldn't miss?

I did go to the SC tourism site and request the area info.