Need Advice for Thanksgiving Week 2004
 

Due to some good advice from Dreamer2, I am reposting this under the heading above. I had a San Diego trip report and then requested information on suggestions for a trip for one week over the Thanksgiving holiday. I will just paste the information from my previous posting that relates to our need for some advice. The previous paragraph not pasted here described our recent trip to San Diego in which we stayed at the wonderful Lodge at Torrey Pines.

So, does anyone have any advice on a trip during the Thanksgiving week? We don't want to spend as much as we did in San Diego (even though we got a great package it was still very expensive). We love beautiful scenery, a good hotel with good accomodations (I consider Torrey Pines in the range of fantastic hotels) and a variety of things to do such as museums, parks, golfing, or skiing, walking/hiking and good food. We like cooler weather. Anyone have any ideas on a trip for a family of four for the Thanksgiving week? We prefer the states or Canada only because of the flying time for a one week vacation. We like to try new experiences and new places. Thank you!

I didn't get any responses so I topped my message with the following. Okay, I would love some advice from you experienced travelers so I am topping this since I placed this late last evening - still on California time! As I said, we like cooler weather, but I have never travelled over the Thanksgiving week before only to go visit family in rural IL. We have been to CA (SF, Napa, Lake Tahoe, San Diego) twice this year so I really don't want to go again. We don't want to spend a huge amount like we did in San Diego, but that had more to do with the Lodge and golfing. In the last several years, we have been to Glacier National Park, MT, Seattle, Vancouver Island, Vancouver, BC, Toronto, and Amelia Island, FL. My 10 year old says that she wants to go to New Mexico or Texas, but she doesn't know why. My 8 year old wants to go to WDW. Anyway, I would love some suggestions for great places to visit for a week over Thanksgiving. I thought about NYC, but is a week too much? I read some posts about San Antonio which would meet my daughter's request. Thanks for your help!

Please help! I would love to hear about ideas regarding great vacations over Thanksgiving in a cool climate! Thank you!

I'd head straight for Massachusetts: specifically the area around Concord, and try to get hotel reservations there or at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury. If you can possibly book there for Thanksgiving dinner, you'll have a terrific traditional meal in the appropriate Colonial atmosphere.

What about Virginia? You could visit colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, and so on, again going back to the country's roots and the original Thanksgiving.

Consider New Mexico; there's a lot to do there. We've only visited the Santa Fe/Taos area (with and without kids), so that's all I can tell you about, but there's more throughout the state.

I probably wouldn't spend an entire week in Santa Fe and Taos, but there is a lot that's interesting. The Governor's Palace, the Native American vendors in front of it, the other museums in Santa Fe, the great folk art museum (our kids loved it, and so did we), the childrens' museum, the high road to Taos, Taos Pueblo, hiking/walking through the cliff dwellings in Bandelier National Monument. I collect Santa Clara pottery, so we always visit that pueblo (not much there, boring for the kids).

Santa Fe is a couples destination for the area, so is not quite so kid-friendly, but there were still tons of restaurants and a good selection of hotels that were appropriate for children.

We visited Santa Fe once (pre-kids) over Thanksgiving, and found the weather cool but not cold.

A week is certainly not too much in NYC and Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to see it. The Xmas decorations go up and the city is all aglow. However, it's an expensive time to visit because it's so popular (don't forget the parade) so not sure whether it fits your budget.

Underhill's idea of Mass. sounds good. WDW will be a zoo at that time, very expensive and not cool weather although you could play golf :)

I also like the idea of Williamsburg. Washington D.C. is another thought.

We did a Thanksgiving trip last year; here is the verbose trip report: http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34460759

Hi again, Mosey! Glad you're getting plenty of ideas!

Does anybody know if Six Flags is open at Williamsburg through Thanksgiving?

Has anybody done the colonial Thanksgiving at either Sturbridge Village or Plimouth Plantation (both in Mass)?

I concur, both NYC and DW will be packed and cost a fortune for Thanksgiving week. Although a Santa Fe vacation still has great appeal for me, I think I'd stick with a Northeast vacation for Thanksgiving.

Let us know what you decide, and how it goes!

Since you mentioned NM, just thought I'd share with you a trip we did a few years back with kids and their grandparents.

Flew into Albuquerque, drove up to Santa Fe. Spent a few days in Santa Fe. Bandelier National Monument - cliff dwellings were fascinating. The Children's Museum there is tiny, but very hands-on. Stayed at the El Dorado. Nice property with kiva-style fireplace in the room and our own "butler".

Drove West to Arizona, spending one night in a motel near the Painted Desert Nat'l Park, Petrified Forest. (at $50/night the kids' favorite lodging due to the indoor pool). Got up the next day and toured the Park. Very interesting.

Continued on to Sedona. Stayed at the L'Auberge de Sedona in a creek-side cabin -- vowed to come back sans kids!
Did the red rock jeep tour, Slide Rock Park (too cold to swim), shopping. DH and his parents did the hot air balloon ride (our kids were too young at the time, not sure what the age limit is now) There are also plenty of golf courses. Amazingly beautiful scenery. There are also horseback riding tours with a cowboy barbecue at the end.

Drove down to Phoenix and flew home.

The weather in northern NM and AZ is generally a lot cooler than Phoenix. We were there in April, and it actually snowed in Santa Fe. This part of the country is so different than any other.

You have a lot of good ideas posted here. Let us know what you choose! :)

Wow! What fantastic suggestions! Thank you all so much. While NM sounds great, I think we have been spending a lot of time in the West and NW the last two years so my husband and I think we may head east for the traditional Thanksgiving. I think I will search under Virginia and see if there are any postings regarding Williamsburg and area. I am not familiar with that part of the country so I will do some research and get back with questions, but probably under the Virginia heading. Thank you all so much and once we decide, I will let you know. You have given us plenty to think about for future trips too!