Since our seventeen year old son probably won't be taking many more family trips with us. (he thinks he is too old and its not cool to go on a trip with parents) His Dad and I have told him he can take a friend and we will go anywhere he wants to go this summer. (within the 48 states) We will probably stay 4-5 days. Any ideas on a a fun place for them and also one that adults can enjoy as well. They like rodeos and all the "cowboy scene/country music. They also like beaches, but as most of us who have teenagers know, they are not big on "sightseeing". Any suggestions would be helpful.

Hmmmm. When I first saw "cowboy and country music" combined with "beaches" my first thought was the Gulf Coast of Texas, but summer there is an absolute nightmare as far as heat goes. So then I thought about cowboy places further north. I then saw Jackson Hole or the Black Hills, but then there's not much beaches there.

One last possibility is Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area, where there's plenty of water and cowboy country is at your doorstep. The one problem is that there's not much nearby if you need urban entertainment.

So you may have to pick two of the three -- beaches, cowboys, or entertainment. I can't seem to think of anything.

Maybe I should be more specific. We do not have to go to a place with all three attractions: cowboys/country music/beaches. A suggestion to any one of the three would be good. After all, you can't have everything. Or any suggestions at all. Thanks.

Myrtle Beach may be a consideration. While a lot of it is rather tacky, it does have very nice beachs (they get nicer the further north from downtown you are) and there is a rather new "country music" theme to the place. I think there are a couple of large "Opryland" places to see live music. There are also A LOT of other teenagers around. I spent many vacations down there when I was a teenager living in Charlotte and certainly never got bored (though I was usually unsupervised)!.

Mary Ann- where do you live? How far do you want to travel? Are you flying there or driving?

Mary Ann,
Let's see if I've got this straight. Your son doesn't think it's "cool" to go on a trip with his parents, so you've offered a final trip for him and a friend to go where they want go go. Why are you asking for advice? Why isn't he? Get him heavily involved in the planning stage; if, then, the trip isn't "cool", he's got no one to blame but himself. He may be less likely to fall asleep in the back seat (as most teenagers do) if he has a vested interest, self developed in where he's going and why he's going there.

We live in Georgia and will more than likely fly to our destination.

I would recommend San Antonio, Texas. There are 3 amusement parks, the Riverwalk (cafes, pubs, stores on a small river), mariachi mass at Mission San Jose, Alamo (Texas shrine). One hour north is the Hill Country & German influence with rafting on the Guadalupe River. Three hours south is either Mexico or Gulf Coast. Stop in Houston on your way back & go to NASA, 30 minutes south, & go on to Galveston, another 30 minutes.

The second suggestion is Boston & all its history. You can drive north into Maine & shop in Freeport & see sights in a day. South is Martha's Vineyard & Newport, Rhode Island in a day.
Have fun!!

This may seem like an odd suggestion, but Las Vegas has it all, including a beach environment on nearby Lake Mead or hotels like Rio which have beach-like swimming pool. What's going on depends on time of year, but I was there in December when National Rodeo Finals was on and you couldn't ask for a more cowboy environment -- headliners like Willie Nelson and others perform there regularly. Don't know if they are too old for arcades, magic, roller coasters ... And sightseeing in Las Vegas is not like sightseeing anywhere else -- you can hit Egypt, New York, MGM, King Arthurs castle and much much more within a couple of blocks. I went with my 14 year old son last June and we had a ball -- spent most of my time with him, but still found time to enjoy the video poker machines occasionally (when he was in arcade or in bed). I know some hard core Las Vegas people disagree, but I think its a great place for a family vacation.

There actually IS a place that combines both, and also agree that your son should be involved in the planning. You might all want to check out http://visitmolokai.com/rnch.html for info on Molokai Ranch.
A few days on the ranch and a few days on Maui would be a great vacation for all.

Okay,the best compromise of your wishes? For summer in the 48 states, go to Jackson Hole, a family-oriented vacation spot with entertainment and tours, right next to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. You'll see some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, as well as one of the greatest collections of wild animals in the lower 48. If you don't want to rough it, you can take a tour; if you want entertainment, go to a show; it you want to see some cowboys, drive an hour. You won't have any beaches, but you won't care, IMHO.

Again, I would recommend Texas but not in the summer -- it's just too hot.

Las Vegas.......it may sound nuts! We took our boys there two years ago and they loved it. So, we're headed there in April again. We planned to go with Grandma and Grandpa. The boys said, "How about us?" So, were are all set! There is so much for kids to see. They are safe to take off and explore a wonderland. Vegas has it all--live musicians, comedy, magic, pools, girls, games, sun and more. e-mail if you want details. That only the beginning. Our boys are "excited" to be going back.