I am trying to help a friend of mine. She has a son who is 15 and one who is 10. She wants to take them somewhere (she is in VA) but doesn't know where. The 15 yo wants to be with kids his age so it needs to be a place where meeting kids is an option. She considered a cruise (she is on a budget, however) but the first week of August is hurricane season, no? She asked them about the Grand Canyon and the response was only mediocre. They will have just come from Myrtle Beach with their dad the week prior. Any suggestions??? Vegas would be too hot. She considered the Orlando thing, but her 10 yo isn't a "ride" kid so that might be challenging. We have racked our brains and can't seem to come up with that "cool" place that the 15 yo would enjoy as well as the 10yo. Any help would be appreciated...... she wants the kids to be happy with her choice, when hanging with their friends seems to be the priority. (PS- they are very nice kids, just at "that age")

They will have just done beaches, so you imply that's out as an option for her.

Have they been to Disney World? Even ride "haters" have been converted at DW. BUT, it is expensive, especially in the summer. So if a cruise is out, then DW probably is, too.

We took our kids hiking and biking around Moab, Utah around that age. They LOVED it. Maybe she could check into going to that area. TONS to do but check temps.

Good luck!

I would sit the boys down and have them make a list of the top 5 things they'd like to do or their idea of the perfect vacation and see what they come up with. She needs to be the decision maker ultimately cause at that age you're lucky to get a grunt response. Personally, I think the kids would love the grand canyon, especially the North Rim. They can stay in cabins, lots of hiking, donkey riding, kids to meet etc...but it will be hot (but cooler on the N. Rim).

I fully agree with the idea to discuss the plans with the kids and find out what they want to do. Here are my thoughts on a cruise:

If they take a cruise during the summer when school is out, the chances of meeting other kids is a lot better. When my youngest sister was a teen, my dad and stepmom took her on a cruise. She protested, but once on board she did nothing but hang out with other kids on the ship. Of course, she never admitted that she enjoyed the cruise, but it was obvious she did. ;-)

As for hurricane season, there are 2 possibilities if a hurricane hits:

1. The cruise will be cancelled and they will get a full refund. I'm know this happened with the cruises going out of NO when hurricane Katrina hit, but it's rare.

2. The most likely outcome will be diversion. In other words, the ship will be diverted away from the storm and they will visit a different set of ports. If they are flexible with the idea that they might not go to the places that were originally planned, then the cruise idea might work.

Here's a good website to get an idea of the Moab, Utah, area: http://www.moab-utah.com/

I hope she can let the boys check out all the mountain biking, hiking, atv & 4 x 4s, white water rafting, etc., in that area. My kids (boys and girls) think this is a teen dream area for all there is to do, and the boys' mom will love the scenic beauty.

My kids dont like "rides" either. When we go to the Orlando area they love to hit the Disney water parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. We have looked into cruises but since my kids tend toward motion sickness I dont think a cruise would be too succcessful...

I wouldn't worry about hurricanes if I were you. Sure, they do happen, but with the satellite watch and weather forecasting, they don't come as a surprise. Cruise ships have plenty of time to get out of the way.

And what are the chances that one would come up at the same time that you picked for your cruise?

However, I agree that it would be a good idea to see what the kids would like. I think that she would be smart to suggest to the 15yo that the ship would be a good place to meet and hang out with others.

WOW.... thank you all so much. I have a call into her and we'll discuss. Great suggestions and much appreciated.

ONe more thing.... I find the whole cruise thing very intimidating. Which cruise lines would be best? I think a "regular" cruise line might be more appealing than, say, Disney cruise. Which ones have a good rep but are still economical?

Carnival is very popular among the younger crowd. We have not been very successful with cruises with our kids, and our boys liked them the least (they did love the day trips in port, though). We've been on 6 with our children. While teenagers, they often didn't enjoy it as much because there are not always that many teens on board. It's really hit or miss, and often teens travel with friends on cruises. BUT when our kids were around 10 & under, they always had fabulous times, because kids are kids and they'll pal around with just about anyone their age. But teens are very picky and often become quite shy when you least expect it. Good luck with your planning!

A cruise often adds up to less than you would think when you include everything, especially with boys that age who tend to eat a lot and often.

Travelocity website has a cruise locator search feature (I know, have just been using it for next winter) that allows you to pick departure port, duration, cost, etc. Try that. Make sure when you are pricing that you realize costs are per person and kids will pay adult fare. Also, all are double occupancy, so all will have to be in same cabin - but go a little further into the selection process and you will find that the 3rd person in a cabin pays less than the first 2.

In the summer I believe there are cruises leaving from Baltimore or other Mid-Atlantic ports - so you avoid having to pay air fare.

The other option is to rent a cottage on some body of water and let each bring a friend. Then she gets a vacation as well since kids will entertain themselves.

Try some of the last minutes websites. Keep trying sites with bargain names in them ,like last minute cruises.com, bargain cruises, discount cruises, there will be all kids of popups for other links. you should get a good bargain less than 45 days before sailing. The cruise lines all have Adventure clubs" for the different age groups on board. N.H.'s Lake Winnepesaukee has everything for kids and its not too hot70-80's. a boardwalk, arcades, waterslide, warm lake water, bicycle or boat rentals, race car track for kids,lots of seafood places, shopping, wooded a ski mT with scenic rides(Gunstock in Gilford) nearby, its lovely. Look under Weirs Beach, NH, it was my home area.

Being from VA, your friend may have already been to D.C. with her kids, but there is so much to do there, with the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo and even Six Flags about 30-40 min. away. One thing that can help greatly toward a successful trip with teens and preteens is to have each child bring a friend with them. We did that with Disney, and the friends' parents were all to happy to help pay for their child's expenses--- one less week to try to occupy their kid for the summer!

I think, with those criteria, that a cruise would be best.

I don't think that the Grand Canyon would offer the 15-yr. old the opportunity to hang out with that many kids. Granted, I went as an adolescent 15 years ago, but it didn't seem to have the same environment of where kids could just meet up without their families. Maybe it's changed...

Both Orlando and Vegas would be really hot, and I don't think Vegas is an option at all. Orlando is great for kids that age, and even a kid who doesn't like amusement park rides will like most of Disney, because Disney has very few intense rides - Universal's Islands of Adventure is more of the traditional theme park with more intense rides.

I think it would be worth it to price out a cruise and Disney preliminarily and, if both are viable, let the kids pick. Both could be affected by hurricanes, but early August seems rare for a Florida hurricane, and the cruiselines can divert.

This might seem a little far-fetched, but how about a family oriented guest ranch or "dude" ranch in the west or southwest somewhere? If this sounds of interest, I'll look into it for you.

-Bill

Depending on what line you choose, you can get a very good deal on a last minute cruise.

A friend recently drove to the port (about an hour from home) and for the family of 4 in an inside cabin, they paid $2,000 for a 7 day cruise -- including all port charges, taxes and even the tips! Needless to say, they kept to their budget and did not drink liquor on board (they said they heard some bar bills came to $1,000+ alone). Guess the cruise line didn't make much money from them but they enjoyed the cruise.

Have you thought of going to a "camp" together? One that comes to mind is Space Camp in Huntsville, AL. If not space inclined they also offer Aviation Challenge more aircraft based. Camps are week long.

How about a dude ranch. Can learn how to ride a horse and round up cattle among other things.