Please help...I'm having a hard time coming up with ideas for a trip with DH for my birthday.

I have a little over a week off of work....don't think our budget will allow flying across country or out of the country unfortunately. Starting point will be the Detroit area where I live.

Likes: history, cultural tours, hussel and bustle but a down day or two with an opportunity to get in touch with nature and take pictures is fine...just can't do an entire trip of relaxing on a beach, that would stress me out..lol. also like shopping, and eating where the locals eat.

places that are out: Chicago, DC and Boston as I've been to all of them in the last couple of years.

The big event is in June.

TY.

Vegas, baby! You can head out to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon to hike when nature calls and vegetate by the hotel pool when you return. Cultural tours: Hoover Dam. Vegas! Do the zipline; it's a blast.

Or...Mackinac Island! http://www.mackinacisland.org/lodging/resorts/

How about a several days in the Twin Cities, and another few up on the North Shore? Lots of art, shopping, food in St. Paul and Minneapolis, theater, too; and hiking and natural beauty up on the Big Lake, as they say. You can rent a cabin and chill.

Agree with Emily!!

If you want to get farther away, how about Charleston or Savannah?

Or you could sign up for airfarewatchdog.com alerts on fares from Detroit, see where the good deals are for fares, and choose from there.

When you say you can't go out of the country, does that include Toronto, Montreal, or Quebec City? All are worth considering.

With only a week I would spend it in the Niagara falls-Toronto area.Paul

Orlando...is the best picnic spot................So go for it

Wow...great suggestions! Thank you all.

Ten - thanks for the heads up on the web page. Honestly, I would love to go to Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver but the airline tickets are a bit too high.

Cranachin - I always forget that Canada is another country, having grown up 30 minutes from the boarder. Canada is definitely in. I was considering Toronto (which I've been to a few times) then heading on to Montreal and Quebec City. I believe that the Thousand Islands is some where in between and would be a nice break from the city for a day. I know nothing about Montreal or Quebec City except that they are in Canada so it might be fun to explore a new area!

Quebec City is lovely.........

Montreal is great!

Would New Orleans be too hot?

Bennie...I'm not sure if it would be and I don't know why but I really dint have a big desire to visit NO.

Ten and New...why do you like those cities? What's your favorite thing to do in them?

Quebec City has a more "Old World" feel to it. Montreal is very much a modern, bustling city.

Quebec City has lots of history and "European charm". From Quebec City you could spend a day on the Île d'Orléans enjoying the pastoral landscape and local food. I think you could rent bikes and circle the island. You could also drive down the St. Lawrence River and explore, and there's also Montmorency Falls just outside the city.

Montreal has museums, galleries, shopping, food (including two great farmers' markets), arts and culture. You can hike Mont Royal or visit Île Ste-Hélène for a nice ramble. Ottawa makes for a good day trip, too.

There are also national parks within a reasonable distance of each city if you really want to get away for a day.

http://www.quebecregion.com/en

http://www.tourisme-montreal.org

http://www.ottawatourism.ca/en/

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/index.aspx

Old Quebec, the walled city, is wonderful. It's like a trip to Europe without the jet lag. Food is wonderful, the pink beer is better, and the whole place feels relaxed. Stay at the Frontenac for a special treat or in one of the charming Auberge.

Montreal has a young, hip population; it's a compact city with a European feel; great, sophisticated food and drink culture; art, museums, churches, and fun, funky shopping for crafts, food, clothes, you name it. It's just a fun city in which to hang out and practice a little French! I guess I also like the way it combines a modern approach with an old world setting--very cool.

Thank you all for the info on Montreal and Quebec City. I'm thinking I may have solved the big birthday dilemma!

I loved QC for the same reasons Cranachin and Emily did. It's very charming, and in June, the boardwalk would be beautiful. I went at the end of March, and although the winter splendor was gone, spring hadn't yet arrived, and it was bitterly cold, I found it simply lovely. I loved all of the charming little shops, the cobblestone streets within the walled city, and the European feel. The French food and pastries were also part of the charm.

If you like fireworks, you have several opportunities in late June in Montreal.

June 22 and 28 are displays (by Australia and England, respectively) in the Internationale des Feux (Montreal International Fireworks Competition). It is one of the world's premier fireworks competitions, with displays set to music.

http://www.internationaldesfeuxloto-...alendrier.aspx

Locals can tell you where they are visible without tickets if you don't want to pay the price for a seat at the site. (Wikipedia says "Although the fireworks are shot at La Ronde on Île Sainte-Hélène, they can easily be seen from many points in the Montreal area: Longueuil; on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, which is closed to traffic from around 8 p.m. until the end of the show; the Old Port of Montreal; or locations along the side or on a boat on the Saint Lawrence River.")

NOTE THAT JUNE 24 IS LA FÊTE NATIONALE (THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY) IN QUEBEC PROVINCE!

That means lots of activities (including fireworks) in Montreal and Quebec City, but also lots of crowds. If you plan to be traveling on that weekend (June 22-24), you probably should make arrangements as soon as possible.

There are also numerous festivals (art, music, food, etc.) in both cities during the month of June.

Philadelphia is lovely in June.

There's art (Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rodin, Barnes), culture (music, museums, and ethnic enclaves), nature (Fairmount Park, gardens, lovely public squares), and food, glorious food!

I haven't updated for a while, but here are some words and pictures to get you started: http://missalg.tumblr.com/