Florida to NC
 

We live in South Florida and would like to take our 4 kids (ages 14 - 9) to potentially see snow or at least feel the cold weather over winter vacation. I don't fly so we need to drive- which we are use to doing. We don't want to do NY/MD/DC again- we've done that many times over and that involves seeing family and kind of puts extra pressure that we don't want to have. We were thinking of staying a bit south of that in NC and/or Georgia. Does anyone have any ideas of places to stop and stay and things to do in Georgia, NC, even Tennessee that the kids might enjoy? Or, any other suggestions of places for us to go over the winter break? We have about 10 days so we can spend some time driving - that won't be a problem. Thank you!

So many options -
Asheville NC with the Biltmore Estate
Boone/Banner Elk area in the NC mountains
Great Smoky Mountain National Park in eastern TN
The north Georgia mountains - on the way to most of those
Hiking, waterfalls, good restaurants, tubing, etc.

I should have been more specific- we are not travelers, since we have only been on cruises with them I have no idea where to stay. Any specific recommendations of hotels/resorts in any of those areas? Thank you!

High Country Rentals in the NC mountains are good. Starrs has given you a good list. For snow possibility (or the ski areas making it if it is cold enough) you'll need to get up in the higher elevations.
https://www.google.com/search?source....0.pA2B28ty1os

Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Seven Devils, Appalachian Ski Mountain are all in that area.
Are you thinking about them skiing? Also, you say "winter break". When is this exactly?

When is it and what is your budget? We need more information in order to make suggestions/ recommendations. What are your expectations? What exactly did you do in NY/MD/DC? We have no clue what your expectations are. Your question has been answered based on the information you provided.

We'd like them to see snow but not ski- that is not of any interest to my kids. They'd love snow tubing, etc. but definitely not skiing.
Winter break would be between December 22-January 3.

That is going to be high season for ski areas--higher rates and many reservations already made.
Maybe a couple of days in the mountains, then Asheville and then Old Salem in Winston Salem.

How about Deep Creek, Maryland? There is a small ski resort there for the snow and they have other activities. Remember, on the east coast, there is often very little snow which stays on the ground before January. (I'm a skier). Check out Snowshoe Resort in West Virginia. Again, they probably will have made snow if it's cold enough and they have other activities. For anyplace, remember that driving in snow in the mountains can be tricky at times. Make sure you have alternate plans.

I'll bet snow tires are hard to find in south Florida.
Do you have any experience driving in snow?
Last night we drove around some fool who was trying to pull a UHaul trailer up over the Willamette Pass in the snow. I hope he made it back to Oakridge safely.
Take one of the Silvers trains (Amtrak) to Washington DC and the Cardinal from DC to White Sulphur Springs West Virginia.
There should be snow there even if there is none in Washington.

How many nights? What is your budget?

They won't need snow tires. They are going to have to drive TO snow (at ski resorts) not THROUGH snow to get there. :-)

There are SO many Florida license plates in the NC mountains during the ski season it isn't funny--or maybe it is.
Tom, give it a BIG rest.
I think this family can have a little winter vacation in snow (maybe) country, but REALLY needs to think about other places nearby that are interesting.
If they aren't going to ski, it's a long expensive haul, IMO.

I am not sure that we thought about a budget, probably wrong answer, I know!
Skiing is definitely not something we have any interest in. We want to see the snow (if that is a possibility) in December. We have about 10 nights and planning on stopping along the way so I am figuring about 3-5 in NC. A friend of mine recommended the Biltmore? I haven't looked at it but I will take a look. I think I was looking more for some suggestions of things to do - we know when we pass through Georgia we want to stop at Stone Mountain...suggestions like that. Thank you!

There was a very similar post last winter or the winter before. If you can find it, it may be helpful.

Does your part of Florida have a February vacation? You are much more likely to find the experience you seek in Westetn North Carolina at that time of year. My family is from the mountain area where Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina all meet, and natural snow beyond a dusting just never happened before Christmas.

Don't be so sure that your kids won't want to ski, or at least snowboard. My granddaughters didn't have much/any interest in skiing until they had a few days in ski school in Vermont last winter. Then you couldn't stop them. They also loved zip lining in the snow. There is sledding and snow saucers, maybe sleigh rides in a resort.

Look at what is available around Blowing Rock at the time when you hope to go. It is a well-developed area with a lot of activities.

Thanks for the ideas - I think we decided to scratch the vacation and start over. Maybe a cruise is what we are destined for. My oldest and youngest have some special needs and they need a very regimented, planned out itinerary. I don't think any of these places offer enough activities to satisfy their needs. I was hoping to find a Club Med/Cruise type place that didn't involve skiing. I am not even sure something like that even exists...back to the drawing board!

wehave, first off don't listen to the idiot that says a Floridian can't take a winter vacation. I am a lifelong Floridian who has taken many winter vacations to that part of the country. Best bets for snow are:

Beech Mountain/Sugar Mountain - Boone/Blowing Rock NC.

Ober Gatlinburg - Gatlinburg TN.

Snowshoe West Virginia - Best place for chance of snow both natural and man made. They get more natural snowfall than anywhere in the Appalachian region. I know for a fact they have a really nice snow tubing.

When you post again, try to give as much information as possible.

I would have given a different response and not wasted your time had I known that would of your kids had special circumstances.

I wonder if the Smokies might give you something like that? Even Gatlinburg.

Hi, we never made it over winter break - we decided to go on a cruise instead. However, now we are going over spring break and I know exactly how we are traveling I just don't know what to do on our way and when we get there:).
Day 1 - leave Miami and drive to Atlanta for the night (unless someone has a suggestion for a place to stay before Atlanta that the kids would enjoy more)
Day 2 - hang out in Atlanta (aquarium and possibly coke factory), stay in Atlanta again
Day 3 - leave and go to Vanderbilt U and hang for the day with college cousins (stay in Nashville for the night)...suggestions on what to do?
Day 4 - Hang out in Nashville again and stay the night...suggestions on anything to do with the kids while cousins in class?
Day 5 - Drive from Nashville to Tallahassee to see more college cousins (stay or drive more???)...any ideas for what we can do around here? We will probably just do a quick hi/bye with these cousins so we are open to other ideas
Day 6 - wake up wherever we stay the night and drive home

*My kids like more active things- I was hoping to find a ziplining place or tubing somewhere along the way. Any ideas? We can add a night somewhere if that helps- but we definitely don't want to drive more out of the way. As I said before, we have never done this type of vacation before. We usually cruise where everything is set for us and we don't have to plan anything so I am a little lost!
Thank you so much!