minmn

Christmas vacation Ideas please for 2 adults who enjoy scenic state/national parks, historic buildings, short trip on boats, museums, animals, picturesque towns, etc. Daytime weather would be great if it was 58 to 85 degrees. Love warm weather and water, but due to hubby's successful bout with skin cancer, we can only spend a little time on beaches and swimming. No interest in shopping, nightlife, lazying on a beach, or staying in one motel for 5 days. With a rental car we could visit 3 or 4 places of interest. Trying to do this as inexpensively as possible for 5 days.

longhorn55

Texas is an affordable option which meets your temperature requirements (average highs range from 60 to 65 degrees in December depending where you are).
Options would be Galveston (water and historic buildings), Houston (museums, Houston Zoo), San Antonio (short trip on boat, museums, historic buildings and animals at nearby Natural Bridge Wildlife Park), Austin (lakes, museums) and Fredericksburg (museums, picturesque town). Near all of these places you'll find state/national parks.

GiuliaPiraino

Arizona fits that bill and definitely very affordable. It was about 85 here last.Christmas but it would be in the 50's-60's at some of the tourist destinations!

cd

I agree with longhorn. We are spending a month in Texas Hill Country spring 2012. We have rented a place in Gruene Tx and from there will explore on day trips: Austin, San Antonio, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, LBJ and many lakes and rivers. We will be seeing and doing much of what you have written that you want to do.

tracys2cents

As inexpensively as possible would mean that airfare shouldn't take a big chunk of your budget. Where would you be flying from?

Littleman

New Orleans, LA is my suggestion. It's a great city to visit during the holidays. Stay in the FQ and enjoy the finest dining in America.

sf7307

I'd consider San Diego if I were in your shoes.

LSky

I agree with AZ or Southern California. Think Southwestern desert, it's beautiful at that time of year, this isn't a secret. Tucson is a lovely city with a pretty good art museum, the desert museum is interesting then you could drive up the road to Phoenix, stopping at ArcoSanti (http://www.arcosanti.org/. Then enjoy a great contemporary art museum, plus visit Taliesin West.

Outside of Tuscon is an inn called Astronomers Inn it has a private observatory. I've always wanted to go there but we usually drive to the area and take our dog. (they don't allow dogs)

There's quite a bit to see in Tucson.

minmn

Hi, thanks all for your thoughts, so far. Flying in from St. Paul, MN.
We regularly see great airfare deals to Vegas , and Florida.

cd

OK, if you get cheap air into Florida you could fly into Miami and take that very scenic drive down the Keys. Stop at the Anhinga Trail and view tons of alligators, stop At Bihia Honda State park and John Pennicamp State park...you can google them to see what all they offer.. You could stay overnight in Islamorada overnight, the Hampton Inn is great or search here I remember someone recommending a hotel next to the Hampton that was really nice and much cheaper...Then on to the Key West to roam and explore and maybe fly home from the airport there.

LSky

It didn't sound like you wanted to stay over night too many places. Look at Vegas and see what kind of loop you could make to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Sedona.

sf7307

Aren't the GC, Flagstaff and Sedona cold around Xmas? (in fact, I just about froze in Las Vegas one New Year's Eve)

minmn

Greeting, We do not mind changing motels 3 or 4 times. Our last vacation (7 yrs ago) was to Grand canyon, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Sand Dunes state park, Bryce and Zion. (Flying in/out of Vegas). Beautiful. Changed motels nightly. The weather is too cool to cold if one goes north of the very southern sections of the USA.
Based on suggestions I'm looking up the surrounding areas for Tucson/Phoenix, San Antonio, Southern Florida and San Diego.

1JAR

My vote is San Diego: sweater at night but days are warm.

You can find very reasonable hotels if you bargain hunt (I can help w/neighborhoods) and if you are not too fussy retatus but focus more on clean and safe.

For example Point Loma is a very nice neighborhood with lots of things to do and visit and about 10 minutes from airport also centrally located.

There are lots of "free" things to do and one of the fun ones is 2 weekends in December is the annual Christmas Boat PArade. You do need a sweater at night tho.

LSky

"Aren't the GC, Flagstaff and Sedona cold around Xmas? (in fact, I just about froze in Las Vegas one New Year's Eve)"

Possibly, but the OP is from MN. It's hard to know what warm might mean. I live in So. Calif. A friend of mine's sister was visiting from Michigan, it was freezing in my mind, she was on the patio in December in a t-shirt. I was bundled in my winter coat.

Then again, I'd never owned a coat before I moved to the Bay Area way back when.

hellokittygeorgia

I am going to agree with the other users. AZ sounds like the perfect place for you. I grew up out there and the weather in PHX that time of year is nice. You may even need a light jacket. The GC has all sorts of levels of difficulty. It is just beautiful. It can be cold there in the winter. On the way you can visit Montezumas Castle, Sedona. If you have time take a side trip teo Vegas.

sf7307

I looked them up. Grand Canyon's average high in December is 40 F; , Sedona's is 57 F, Las Vegas is Also 57F, Flagstaff is 44F . Surely warmer than Minnesota, but still pretty darn cold!

dbdurand

I won't belabor the point that Southern California has very good weather (usually) around Christmas. Here's how you could spend your 5 days here.

Since you want to keep expenses down, select the cheapest acceptable flight into LAX, Burbank, Long Beach, or John Wayne. All will get you into the Los Angeles area. Southwest serves Burbank and Jet Blue serves Long Beach.

Allocate 2 days to LA. Here are some ideas for things to see and do.

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/...city-guide.htm

Drive up the coast to Santa Barbara and spend a day there. Things to do:

http://www.santabarbara.com/points_of_interest/

Maybe visit the Santa Ynez Valley wine country just over the hill from Santa Barbara. (Featured in the film "Sideways"). Overnight in Santa Barbara, then back to LA.

2 days in San Diego. Things to do there:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/...ity-guide.htm#

Then back to LA to fly home.