toppy

How about a dude ranch vacation...where you actually live and work on the ranch??? Some also have a talent night where the girls can show off their theatre related interests. There is one in New York called Pinegrove, in the Catskills I think, (and you might be able to end in Manhatten and take in a show. Also there is an all-inclusive one in Georgia that a friend went to and loved all the activities plus lots of time to relax too..

monpetit

As parents of 2 daughters, now 19 and 13
years old, we have experienced a lot of sort of vacation...
What to avoid : too long mileage, too hot temperatures, too cultural destinations...
It's holidays for everyone and after a school year, they need a break.
So,a great possibility is effectively
SW South Dakota :
Badlands are 1h from rapid City and
it's worth the mileage.
In a perimeter of 1h/1h30 you have :
-Mount Rushmore and who, as children have not dreamed to see it(+ Crazy Horse with at CH memorial an exposition of
indian artifact which is one of the most interesting we've seen )
-Custer park with a varied wild life and
easy hikes, lakes, forests,...There is
even a playhouse with some musicals in summer...
-Spearfish Canyon and Deadwood with the goldrush,
-Near, in Wyoming, Devil's Tower...
-Wind or Jewel caves
-Mammoth site in Hot springs
-the Journey Museum in rapid City, certainly one of the nicest to interest some young children...
So, no too miles to drive, some nice western towns...
Some moovies to see before going there(Dance with wolves and you can visit some spots where the moovie has
been shooted; close encounters of the 3rd kind of St.Spielberg for Devil's
Tower; North by northwest of A.Hitchcock
for Mt Rushmore,...).
NB : avoid the sturgis ralllye weeks in August.
The last week of July, in Deadwood, there are the '76 days and there is a middle rodeo which has been voted the best of the west 6 times the last 10 years...
-a week around Durango in SW Colrado is also feasable, with navajo nation and
SW natural wonders : Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, Natural Bridges NMt, Canyon de Chelley : 2-3 days in Durango,
2 days in Bluff(Utah) and 2 days in
canyon de Chelley means not too much mileage and in this part, T° is not si high than rest of SW...

-finally, a week around Albuquerque/Santa Fe is also an idea...
(Gallup, taos, El Malpais, El Morro, Acoma city, Bandelier Nat'l park,..) :
2 days in Albuquerque, 1-2 days in Gallup-with drive to petrified forest and canyon de Chelley, 2-3 days in santa Fe : ther is an opera saison in santa Fe...
Erik and Anny.

lisettemac

If you *know* they'd like an active vacation -- hiking, biking, etc -- I'd go with a national park. My suggestions would be Yellowstone or Acadia.

Otherwise, I'd go with either NYC or San Fran. NYC has more to do and will be closer/easier for you to get to. It will be a fabulous time for them. Lots of sightseeing, good food, shopping, people watching, theater. San Fran is also fun and may be somewhere they won't get to as easily due to its location.

My only advice is to try not to make this vacation the bestest, superest, humdinger of a vacation ever. Kids at that age can spot someone who is trying too hard from 100 paces. They will think you are way uncool. Show them some stuff they've never seen before, listen to their opinion, ask them what they want to do -- you'll be the coolest uncle ever.

missypie

We did a trip to Olympic National Park - Victoria, BC - Seattle that I think the nieces would like. At ONP, you can hike in the mountains, see wildlife, see the sea creatures in the tidepools, and eat great seafood; then the ferry over to BC is fun. At Victoria, there are a few musuems (my then 7 year old LOVED the Bug Zoo!), Butchart Gardens and English Tea. Seattle has the Pike Street market, a cool underground tour, etc. If you are ambitious, Mt. Ranier is nearby to be climbed. It's a great combination of nature, musuems, shopping, sights, etc.

KathyK

I agree with others who has suggested NYC. One poster suggested then heading to Niagara Falls, "a little north". If you are considering this, be aware that it's about an 8 hour drive from NYC to Niagara Falls.

monpetit

NYC is an excellent suggestion with children and the 2 times we were there with our daughters were wonderful for
them and for us to see their happyness:
musicals, Central park,musuems,Brooklyn bridge, Base ball...but in summer...
I'm not sure they will be comfortable...
June or September , OK;
July or August can be difficult...
We were with them in NYC on late April/beginnning of may...
But in France we have 2 weeks of spring break...Easier to visit...
Erik

enzian

For an active vacation in a scenic area without guest ranch prices or national park crowds, I would suggest Sunriver resort near Bend, Oregon.
http://sunriver-resort.com/

You can rent a home or a condo for 3-4 days or a week. The resort offers swimming pools, tennis courts, golf, miles and miles of biking and walking paths, river rafting, horseback riding, etc. Nearby you will find wonderful hiking in the Oregon Cascades (Mt. Bachelor area), and lovely mountain lakes for canoeing or fishing. The High Desert Museum has great exhibits on natural history and pioneer life. And the area has a lot of interesting volcanic features to explore, including Lava Butte (hike around the rim of the crater) and a mile-long lava tube/cave.

This could be very relaxing for you and your wife, because you need not be "on call" to provide activities all day long, and wouldn't be driving from place to place every day, or stuck in traffic at a popular national park scenic stop.

If you wanted to include a "cultural" component in your vacation, you could spend part of the week in Portland, which has wonderful museums (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and the art museum).

JJ5

I wouldn't give them final choice, but I would ask the girls for some input. Mention a big city, a great national park, a resort etc. and see what the feedback is first. Then you pick.

Many of the USA areas mentioned are high density tourism spots, and that would be a big consideration for me. Do you want to be in crowds or not with the girls. Think about that factor and your experience with kids and crowds.
Being in crowds with two adults is quite different than when you have children.

What have they NOT seen, feedback again. Mine would love a Western drive trip because they've seen much more big city already. They would love the AZ/Grand Canyon combo.

MikeBuckley

Thanks to everyone for your wonderful ideas. Lots of things to do and avoid. Lots of why's and why not's. Cities vs national parks vs a little of both. We're already discussing the ideas.

Fortunately, we have plenty of time to decide and, better yet, the kids seem to like most anything. That combined with your great advice makes me think it'll be difficult to make a wrong choice.

Thanks again!

Stephanie

mike:

if they are more intellectually stimulated I am all for the D.C. idea. I'm going there myself October 6-8 this year. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn @ Key Bridge in Rosslyn. Stayed there a while back and enjoyed it - so close to the subway. If you want the beach I'd highly recommend Rehoboth which isn't too far from D.C. and the countryside drive there is so scenic especially the MD/DE landscape. You could head on down for 2 days to Busch Gardens in the Williamsburg area and then take a look at the historical sights to keep their minds going.

cybor

How about renting a cabin on a lake in Maine or similar. You could go white water rafting, hiking, climbing, trail bike riding etc.

The girls could swim or kayak around the cabin on down times, help cook camp style meals and just chill with auntie and uncle rather than being religated to a car for long periods. These were the kinds of things my neices and newphews used to do with us. All good memories, as they're now in their 20's and away at school.

These activities were not overstimulating, horribly expensive and would give us a chance to catch up in a relaxed enviroment while still offering a bit of adrenalin. We'd play games or just fool around and enjoy each other most eves. around a fire or go into town to a resturant/movie/play on occasion.

Lucky kids, to have such wonderful and thoughtful relatives such as you.
Good luck!

cheryllj

I know it's been suggested to death, but another hearty vote for NYC. You say the girls are into singing and dancing, and if you take them to their first Broadway musical, they will remember it forever.

I was a bookworm and "artsy" type at that age, and I was constantly getting dragged on camping trips, only to be yelled every time to "get your nose out of that book!" Ugh. If anyone had taken me to NYC at that age (not affordable for my family), I would have remembered it forever. I didn't make it to NYC and my first Broadway show until I was 22 and it was the best weekend of my life (up to that point, anyway).

bardo1

Yeah, I gotta go with NYC also.

If you have any flexibility, then I would go earlier in the summer rather than later. Stay AT LEAST seven nights. Try to highlight a different neighborhood each day.

Saraho

I agree with Cheryl- my best , most memorable trip as a teenager was to NYC with my aunt to see my first Broadway musicals, etc. I also went on lots of outdoor trips- fun, too, but I often took a book with me to read when I got bored with the outdoor activities.

sunbum1944

You did specify the US- but how about Quebec City or Montreal where they can experience a different culture and language. Would be something different

gg3

How 'bout Estes Park, Colorado. We took our 12 year old grandson and his family there (all are really active), and stayed at Glacier Lodge. A river runs right outside your cabin. You can hear the river at night if you raise the windows. It is a really great place with a stables and horses to ride up a mountain (not for the faint of heart) to take in a grand view of the Rockies. Also, they have an ice cream parlor and general store and other activities. One of the neatest things we participated in was their cowboy breakfast. You are at the entrance to Rocky Mt. National Park and just a few minutes to the most beautiful meadows where elk are everywhere early and late in the day, beautiful streams to fish in, etc. And of course lots of hiking, lakes, etc. So much of nature's beauty to take in. A great place to build lasting memories.

MikeBuckley

About your many votes for NYC ...

We live in the Washington DC area and occasionally take the kids to museums and musicals. The musicals are the same ones with the same actors that appear on Broadway, the only difference being that in DC they are at the Kennedy Center. So, I'm a little less inclined to take them to NYC, especially for a week, considering that it would be relatively easy to take them there for a few days.

Besides, my wife really doesn't like NYC, which is a whole other story.

Lexma90

Mike -

Sounds like you're on your way to narrowing things down. It also sounds like somewhere in the western part of the U.S. might provide you and the girls with more that's new and different. Offhand, I'd suggest Yellowstone and the Tetons; or San Francisco, the coast and maybe Yosemite; or areas in New Mexico. (All areas our kids have enjoyed.)

Also part of your decision-making should be the time of year that you'll be going. August in Yellowstone can be crowded; June in Yellowstone can be great; August in New Mexico can be very hot. You get the idea.

Do start asking them questions - while still leaving the final decision-making in their hands.

What have their previous vacations been like? What did they like and not like? Do they like to stay put in one place, or move around a lot? How about travel time - how do they feel about lots of time in a car or on a plane?

Have fun planning!

jamaltay

I have to throw in Los Angeles:

*Disneyland
*Universal Studios
*Hollywood
*Many museums
*Magic Mountain
*Queen Mary
*La Brea Tarpits
*Beverly Hills
*Knott's Berry Farm
*Kodak Theater
*Many bicycling & hiking trails very close at hand
*etc, etc, etc

lisettemac

Well, Mike, now I'm having a hard time helping you out since you say your wife doesn't like NYC. ;=)

I just wanted to point out that while the Kennedy Center does get many of the same shows as are on Broadway, they are not the same actors. You are getting the "road show" or the Broadway Theater Series. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the sets are very similar (but may not be identical due to issues with moving the set over and over), costumes the same, words and music the same, but they aren't usually the same actors. They hire a whole new cast to tour. You won't get Patti LuPone in Sweeney Todd, for example. Just sayin'.