we are taking a week in june to travel with out 18 yr old son. we're thinking of a resort/ranch in wyoming/montana or new mexico. we're trying to avoid his getting bored (with us?) after one day! any ideas?

If you can do it, let him bring a friend. You will all have a better time.

Better yet - you go to the ranch - if that's want you want. And send him and the friend to where they want to go.

That way no one will be bored.

Since my son and husband share similar tastes it's pretty easy to find something THEY like to do including re-visiting classic car museums he didn't fully appreciate when he was a young teen. I wasn't able to drive cross country with them on our first trip to Alaska but joined up with them in Seattle. They were always pretty close but really enjoyed the trip together with a stop at Glacier National Park etc along the way. Son loves hiking and viewing wildlife. Dad enjoys being anyplace with son. They now share a hobby and spend a lot of time together and have joined a club devoted to their hobby.
Talk with your son about what he'd like to do. Our son likes to explore and learned at a young age that good ol' mom could come up with some good travel ideas such as the surprise birthday visit to the Corvette Assembly Plant in KY while on a trip to Mammoth Cave. We have let him bring a friend along, mostly on day trips. That could be a good idea as long as you like the friend. I've run into other families who have discovered that dad and son grow closer on a long drive together. Also consider that at 18 he may still need travel education so make him an active participant in planning, choosing and navigating.

I am an only child and my parents let me bring a friend on a lot of trips - of course always a friend that they liked, who fit in well with our family I brought friends that my parents thought were just ok on a couple of weekend trips and although it wasn't bad, it wasn't nearly as fun as with friends who fit in well. I am in my 30s now and one friend who was a regular on our trips is one of my closest friends.

What does your son like to do? Is he an outdoorsy sort of kid who likes to hike? If not, he might not be that keen on a ranch trip. Have you engaged him in planning the trip at all?

Does he have particular interests like sports or music? If so, you could try to take in a game at a stadium he'd enjoy visiting, or if you want to do some hiking in the Washington state region, take him to some of the music sites in Seattle.

If he likes the outdoors, and seems excited about a trip to ranch, then you should be fine. But I wouldn't worry about making sure he wants to do everything that you do while you're there. If you and your husband want some activity and he'd prefer to hang out at the house, don't worry that he's not taking advantage of the opportunity.

I'd agree that you'll all enjoy the trip more if he's allowed to bring a friend along. Regardless, choose accommodations where your son has space of his own; a separate room is best.

Pick a place with lots of different activities so he has alternatives to whatever it is you want to do.

When our son was 14, we took him (and our daughter) to an all-inclusive type resort where he had the flexibility to do his own thing. We only saw him at mealtimes and evenings, but he and we agree that was one of the best family vacations we've had. Have you thought about a cruise?