While our teenage daughter is at camp this summer we have decided to take a vacation and have RT airline vouchers for anywhere is the US or Canada. We'd like to vacationfor about 10 days first or second week in August- love resort hotels with pools but also love quaint B & B's (with pools). We don't want too many locations but are open to one or two destinations with day trips. We live in NYC so that is not one of the suggestions that we need.
Here are some of the ideas we have and we'd love feedback from seasoned travellers:
- New Mexico: Albequerque, Sante Fe Taos
- Arizona: Recommendations appreciated
- Any other wonderful out west locations?
- Vancouver: Any suggestions on how to plan this one?
and another consideration is
- Charleston and beach area: Which is better Myrtle Beach, Kiawah, or Hilton Head?

We have focused travel in Europe the last few years so I am a bit unseasoned in the American West.
I Appreciate any advice and recommendations.
Thanks.

Skip Myrtle Beach and go to one of the Charleston Beaches. Wild Dunes Resort would be my pick. Spend your days there and sightsee in Charleston at night.

Don't attempt this during the day as August heat indices can surpass 120 degrees. Temps will stay into the upper 80s and low 90s until the early hours of the morning.

How do you fell about heat? Charleston, near beach or even in town in the evening, would be way too humid for me to enjoy in the summer.

Arizona is hot in many areas - but not as humid.

From your list I like Vancouver - add Seattle and work from there depending on if you are city or hiking type vacationer.

What about San Diego?

gail...what do you like about San Diego? Which hotels would you recommend. That has also been a destination thought for us- I also thought of Napa or Sonoma.

As for heat- we would be fine with heat provided we had access to a pool during the day to cool off. We did New Orleans for a long weekend in August a few years back and just relaxed by the pool in the afternoons.

risab, one of our first trips w/o our kids was when they went away with our church to Disneyland. We visited Napa Valley for the first time and have been back every year since.

It's a wonderful area to recup and relax. Many of the places have pools to relax by also. If you great wine, this is the place for you. Have a great time, wherever you go. Cheers! ***kim***

kimamom- can you recommend some places in Napa that you have enjoyed and that have a pool? Yes, we love wine (my next dream vacation is a villa vacation in Tuscany)...

Yes! The Harvest Inn in St.Helena is very nice, I believe they have two pools on their property. Very pretty grounds here with koi ponds, etc.

The Yountville Inn, www.yountvilleinn.com has a very nicely heated swimming pool and jacuzzi that we enjoy. We've stayed here twice.

The Indian Springs Resort is amazing with a huge Olympic size pool heated by thermal geyers. www.indianspringscalistoga.com

Let me know if you would like Sonoma suggestions, also! ***kim***

How about Maine or Nova Scotia...it would certainly be cooler than SC and I would think you could easily find that B&B/resort w/ pool combination fairly easily. We were at Samoset resort in Maine this summer(August) and they had a beautiful site w/ pools on the water. Lots of coastal towns to explore...whale watching,hiking, antiquing.
Since I live in Asheville, NC I'll put in a vote for this area - just don't move here like everyone else does!
Also - skip Myrtle - way too congested.

If you go to Charleston, go to Kiawah or Wild Dunes.

I love Kiawah. We rented a place there last year and loved it. See my additional comments at this link

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...ext=charleston

We had a family driving trip last summer and cut it short by skipping the last part, which I still think sounds so fun. We were going to go to Sedona and take the Grand Canyon Rail to the Grand Canyon. Would you need ten days for this? Possibly not. The part of our trip we loved best was Memphis/New Orleans. Although NO was very humid and hot in August. Have fun deciding!

risab, there's also the Sonoma Mission In in Boyes Hot Springs. We'll be staying here soon. I've stayed before and loved the property. This time I hope to try one of their spa treatments. www.sonomamissioninn.com ***kim***