tlangenbach

Looking for a family vacation for a travel weary group - 2 teens age 18 , 15 and husband. Want to stay in the U.S. - love Hawaii but thought maybe someplace closer (we live on east coast). what about U.S. V.I.? Have never been - too much like Florida beaches (where I am from )Open to any and all suggestions for a beautiful place we can relax as a family to celebrate high school graduation. No night life needed, but we love staying active and exploring. Welcome all fodor ideas - thanks!

DebitNM

St John is a million miles away from Florida, in every way.

St John is wonderful vacation spot. Look for more info on the Carribean board here.

mumpsimus

Have you excluded Hawai'i? If you haven't, you may want to consider a unique resort on the Big Island. I'm a very partisan spokesman, so much so that I did a website in the form of a photo essay on Kona Village Resort. Go to www.davidskvr.net. With 298 pictures and 16 videos it will give you a complete picture of the only almost-inclusive resort in the State.
David

tlangenbach

Thanks for the input. We have been to the Big Island and loved it. Maui was next on the list - but family was hoping we could find someplace with the charm of Hawaii (which we have been to twice and love) that is closer to home (virginia). I did look at some photos and was leaning towards St. John - but want to make sure that there is more to do than just beach activity. Also, did not notice any 5 star hotels on St. John - only 4 star. Had hoped for either a nice hotel/resort or a villa with walking distance to beach. Thanks again!

coryandcarissa

My husband and I were married on Hawksnest Beach in St. John almost 7 years ago, and have been to Hawaii (Maui especially) probably more times than we can count. We love both, but for very different reasons.

I would put my vote in for St. John... there is no place quite like it! You can rent a condo/house for the week with plenty of room for the family, and cut down on food costs by fixing many of your meals in. We went back to St. John in July a few years ago while being pregnant with our 1st child and had an awesome week exploring the island, and relaxing on a different beach each day. Bring your snorkels, and dive right in from whatever beach you happen to be at for some amazing underwater sightseeing! Being on the east coast already, you've practically got one foot in the white sand beaches already! Enjoy your time together as a family!

DebitNM

No, there may not be a 5 star hotel/resort in St. John because really, it's not that kind of 5 star island. It IS a 5 star island when it comes to beaches, relaxation, beauty etc.

Caneel is the "most" upscale hotel/resort and it is right on some beautiful beaches, but even it's rooms are pretty stark compared to what one typically thinks of in a 5 star room.

Staying in a villa is a great way to go and there are many that are pretty luxe.

2/3 of the island is a national park, so it is "au natural" in it's beauty.

There are good restaurants, sailing, underwater actitivies, old ruins to explore.

We love it and since you are on the east coast, you can save hours of travel and be on the beach way sooner than heading to HI. We think the water and beaches and lack of huge number of tourists [compared to HI] make St John ideal.

tlangenbach

Thanks so much for the input on St. Johns...you have sold us on our idea of trying something new! The family is excited to rent a villa, rent a car, and explore.

Does anyone recommend a specific area to rent a villa? or a specific villa? we are getting excited, and I appreciate the support of fodorites! Will begin looking on VRBO right away to book..

LindainOhio

The island is small so it doesn't make a lot of difference where you stay. You can stay closer to Cruz Bay or head across the island to Coral Bay. People like both ends. The ferry brings you into Cruz Bay from St. Thomas.
The villas on the northshore are the most expensive. We stayed on the southshore.

There are lots of villa reviews on virgin-islands-online.com. I have actually read very few bad reviews.

You will pay more if you have your own private pool but it is wonderful to start or end your day by the pool and most of the villas have them. Plus you will probably be up in the morning before your teens so you will have time to enjoy it and sitting on the deck. We were rarely indoors so I make sure that the villa has a good deck with views. I'd recommend the villa we stayed at, but it is off the rental market right now. My husband wanted a lap pool so that really limited us. There are a lot more plunge pools.

St. John beaches are really not like Florida beaches. For one thing the island is hilly and lush. Your family would also have a great time renting a dinghy, or going to the Baths. If you are there for a full moon, the hike to Rams Head is great--watch the sun set and then the moon rise. Just take flashlights for the hike back--then head to the Full Moon Party.

ksucat

Bermuda is lovely and so is the US Virgin Islands..

DebitNM

Memory Daze is beautiful. It has a beautiful pool that overlooks Coral Bay. Nice owners. We have friends who live just down the road from the villa. I have been through the villa and it is lovely, well appointed. It is listed with a few different agencies. Here is one that has it:

http://www.windspree.com/homes/memorydaze/

ksucat

Deb,
What a lovely place!
I'll bookmark that for sometime later gator.
Great prices too.
Thanks so much!

suze

Hawaii is such a LONG trip from the east coast. I love the islands but I start out in Seattle.

I also would suggest looking somewhere in the Caribbean. Believe me St Thomas/St John is NOTHING like Florida. There's really nothing similar other than they both have beaches and ocean.

bakerstreet

Another vote for St. John. You know, I'm sure, that you fly into St. Thomas and take the ferry. Altogether lovely. On the water, at least. On roads.....shudder, And just trust they know what they're doing. They do!

Cicerone

I agree that St John is very lovely and nothing like Florida, however July is part of the hurricane season, which (as you undoubtedly know as a Florida resident) runs May to November, with the most active months being July - October. You should look at weather websites and past history and determine if you are OK with possibly having a heavy storm or even a big hurricane while you are there. This can put a damper, so to speak, on any vacation.

Rather than the Caribbean, you might consider Costa Rica for a family vacation. May be easier in terms of flights, and there is lots to see and do. If you really need to stay in the US, then perhaps consider California, Cape Cod or Maine if you want a coastal holiday. Cape Cod and Maine esp lend themselves to renting a house and having a family holiday.

tlangenbach

Thanks for the input. I am a bit concerned about hurricane season, which was an initial hesitation with the Caribbean. Does anyone know if trip insurance covers something like that if we book a villa in St. Johns? still we are thinking it is worth it. St. Johns looks beautiful and kids like the idea of exploring via boat the other islands.
We do have to stay in the U.S., so costa rica is out. too bad as it looks fab as well.
I love your ideas - especially about places to stay. we are checking them out. thanks!

padams421

I was web surfing earlier for airline prices for the summer (still haven't decided what our family is doing this summer). I saw some great airline prices to the Caribbean.

Cicerone

You would have to read the various trip insurance policies to see if weather is covered; generally I don’t believe that it is. It is usually events personal to you, like accidents or a death in the family. But read policies. However, an insurance policy is going to be of little use if you get to St John, and the day after you arrive, it starts raining heavily, with a hurricane arriving 2 days later, which lasts for 2 days, which causes heavy damage, loss of electricity, etc. You will have lost half if not all of your vacation (and I am sure you know how scary it can be in a bad hurricane), and will have the added hassle of trying to get out of the airport with all the other stranded travelers, etc. Even if insurance covers some of the costs, it can’t repay you for the lost holiday and all your trouble. Things could of course go well, but my brother lives in St Croix and has a different view of hurricanes in the Caribbean in summer.

RainyDay09

Westin St. John was a beautiful resort in 2000. I don't know what it's like now, 10 years later...

dbdurand

To paraphrase Horace Greeley, go west, young and weary travelers! Lots of resort areas in the Rockies and the Sierras. Estes Park and Lake Tahoe come to mind. Get away from the ocean. We humans evolved away from that (boring) environment millions of years ago.

No hurricanes in the Rockies or the Sierras.

It's a 3 hour flight from Atlanta , say, to Denver.

Post on the Colorado, Wyoming, and California boards and see what you get.

tlangenbach

Interesting thoughts. Funny enough, we have traveled all around the world but not out west! Had not considered, as it seems I did not know where to start. Will look into the boards here as well to see what people are saying. Husband spent weeks hiking through New Mexico area last year and wanted something different and less strenuous. Will keep looking -
and thanks again for the advice.