dwhitley77

My mom has traveled all over the USA so I can’t think of anywhere she hasn’t been but I’m sure there’s things she hasn’t done in some states. My sister and I want to do a nice trip so I’m asking for any great ideas that would be fun and easy. We were thinking Las Vegas, Nashville, St. Augustine, Savannah, Key West or Asheville. (I know that’s a lot of options). Mom is originally from Florida so we’ve done Disney enough so that we crossed off. Mom loves Elvis and of course The Rat Pack, so any suggestions of good family fun for late October is welcomed!
Thank you!

Jean

"Mom loves Elvis..."

Graceland! Memphis! BBQ, music, Peabody ducks, museums...

https://travel.usnews.com/Memphis_TN/Things_To_Do/

Sassafrass

How many days for the trip?
Where are you coming from?
Just you, your Mom and Sister, or other family and friends?
Which airport are you near?
Any unique interests besides Elvis?
Have you already been to:
New Orleans?
Austin?
It might be too chilly already, but
Boston?
Kansas City?
A short flight to:
Puerto Rico?
Mexico City?
Bahamas?
It would be longer than a weekend, but have you considered a cruise?
If you have time, my first choice would be a cruise. If you need to stay in the US, New Orleans would be a top choice.

PrairieHikerI

Santa Fe might be fun. It's an ancient Spanish Colonial town with a historic plaza containing the Palace of the Governors (1610) and nearby De Vargas Street House (1646), one of the oldest houses in America and San Miguel Chapel (1610), the oldest church in the continental US. The narrow streets are lined with sleepy adobe homes squatting behind hand-carved wooden gates. It has many cultures including that of those descended from the original Spanish colonists and Native Americans.There is lovely but expensive Southwestern artwork and jewelry in the many galleries on Canyon Road. You can eat delicious traditional New Mexican food which differs from Tex-Mex. Other places to see are the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Meow Wolf Museum, Tuseque IndianPueblo, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Museum of International Folk Art.

suze

I like the cruise idea for this situation. There are ones as short as only 3-4 days.

janisj

Sorry - but IMO/IME with elderly relatives - Santa Fe would NOT be a good idea. Terrible in fact It stands at 7000 feet and the altitude could greatly affect an 80 yo (or not - but you won't know until you were already there and it'd be too late) . We have a place at Lake Tahoe and my Mom and most of her siblings had to give up going there after ages 70 to 80 (depending on the person). And it is almost 1000 feet lower elevation.

I think a short cruise or Jean's suggestion of Memphis would be great ideas.

Madam397

Palm Springs is another possibility that I would suggest. Lovely hotels and fine dining plus lots to see and do.

TDudette

I vote for Nashville with a side of Memphis.

MichelleY

Hurricane season, so keep that in mind.

janisj

How about a Mississippi River short cruise that includes Memphis?

PrairieHikerI

I think taking the Delta Queen (100-year-old paddle boat) from Memphis to Natchez would be really fun but not sure if they do that voyage.

Sassafrass

There are some fun 3-4 night cruises to the Bahamas from Ft Lauderdale and Miami.
There are short cruises to Cozumel and other islands from New Orleans and Texas.
There are short cruises along the coast in California.
so, lots of options, depending on what works for you logistically.
Look at Vacationstogo and put in your dates and number of days to see what is available. It is an easy to navigate website just in case you have not cruised before.

dwhitley77

Thank you! This looks great!

dwhitley77

We were think 5 days.my sister gets sea sick so a cruise isn’t really an option. New Orleans she has been to and didn’t care to go back. There will be 6 adults all together. Mom also is not a fan of flying but has driven all over the US so going anywhere isn’t hard.

suze

Do people get seasick even on a river boat cruise? Just wondering (I'm very sensitive to motion sickness but have been OK on ferries, etc.)

Would people be interested in a cabin(s) on a lake somewhere? A fall 'leaf peaking' tour in New England?

Sassafrass

[QUOTE=suze;17550389]Do people get seasick even on a river boat cruise? Just wondering (I'm very sensitive to motion sickness but have been OK on ferries, etc.)

Interesting because I have seen people get very sick on ferries. I don’t know about river boats. My GD experiences great discomfort in cars, but never on an ocean cruise. I bet if you were OK on a ferry, you would probably be OK on a river or sea cruise, but it might also depend on the boat or ship.

The OP’s Sister could take some preventative medicine. There are several and they seem to work well.

suze

Guess it depends on the ferry I'd think the same for ocean cruises... both the size of the ship (stability) and the ocean conditions (stormy or calm).

Was just thinking river cruise, since there are no waves, seemed possible.

mlgb

I am not so sure that a very short cruise is a great idea. Has the OP and family cruised before? It can be good for family groups especially on a longer cruise (say 7-day), when there are multiple port stops and many of the passengers disembark. But short cruises are not wonderful. The first day normally you board midday or later, and it's typically a zoo and a scramble to get a meal after boarding with the restaurants all packed to the gills. Then you have one or two days when everyone is trying to get into any shows or dining venues, or hog a lounge chair by the pool. Then you get to deal with disembarkation. Also are you able to drive to any cruise ports? Flying to Florida for a short cruise would not be worthwhile IMO, especially in October with a non-zero chance of a hurricane or tropical storm.

I've only done a 5-day cruise once, but it was at the end of the pandemic and I had a balcony cabin and a large ship (Bliss) that was virtually empty.

Maybe Bermuda although it isn't a warm weather location.

If you were thinking of Savannah, have you also thought of Charleston, SC? (Both also in the hurricane belt and more likely in the Atlantic, if the ENSO does shift to La Niña).

People who get seasick can react to very slight motions of the wrong type (side to side, usually). Modern cruise ships are equipped with stabilizers that minimize that type of motion. Plus there are preventive meds and those who have issues try to book lower mid ship cabins.

davidgomez3118

take her to Montreal,canada, So that she can see french culture without travelling to europe!!!

Madam397

I love the idea of Montreal. It's a great place to visit and the weather that time of year should be lovely. There is much to see and do in Montreal and does offer a lot, as would Quebec City which is more European in feeling than Montreal and much more compact for walking around.