sautterm1

I realize this is a little late but we'd like to take out kids on a family vacation somewhere in US but cannot decide where as there are so many choices. Perhaps someone i these forums can offer opinions? our kids are 15, 15, 13, 11, 7, so we have quite a range of ages and abilities, however one thing is constant, they get bored very easily!!!!! We drove to Myrtle beach one year (in one day,from wisconsin packed into our suburban) which on the way down wasn't too bad since they were excited to see the ocean, bu the ride home nearly killed us as they have a hard time sitting still that long. We will have apporximately 1.5 weeks and we don't want to be in the truck the entire time. Flying is not an option as flying anywhere of a moderate distance would eat up our entire budget with the 7 of us. Long story short, would like some ideas (outside of wisconsin we've done the waterpark thing too many times or florida) for vacations that would keep the kids busy and not have us riding for long periods at a time. For example, if we could drive someplace, it might take us a 1-1.5 days to get there but then all activities are within 1 hours drive.
p.s. most of the kids don't like just sight seeing, they want to be "doing".

bennnie

I don't have a lot to say to answer your question and my real reason for responding is to keep your post from falling out of the top 50.

But... it seems to my very uneducated mind that you may be within a 1.5 day drive of some really great national parks like Yellowstone. Perhaps you could rent a cottage/lodge, do some exploring, horseback riding, fishing and hiking.

sautterm1

Thanks for your reply anyway. I had thought of the Yellowstone idea, but I'm just not sure where to rent that there is fishing, horseback riding, hiking, rafting/floating, swimming, etc. all within an hour of someplace to stay. Any ideas?

Julia_E

What about a dude ranch vacation in Wyoming, Montana or South Dakota? Prices are usually all-inclusive with accommodations and meals with a great variety of activities for everyone. Horseback riding, fishing, hiking, nature walks, swimming, working with animals and more.

Best Regards,
Julia

smokey

Maybe you can check on the Smokey Mountains (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge) - the towns are major tourist traps but the beauty of the mountains make up for it. You can rent a cabin, go hiking in the mountains, go to Dollywood. Whitewater rafting might be out since they have had a drought. It will probably be crowded (especially July/Aug). I don't know where in Wisc you are, but the drive from Chicago is 10 hrs.

Another thought might be the Black Hills area - Custer State Park, Mt Rushmore. Then down to Colorado to the Colorado Springs area and Rocky Mtns.

GoTravel

What about taking the train to NYC?

debbieb1964

Our family loves Sanibel Island, FL. Very laid back, but there's acitivites if that's what you want. Some great restuarants on the island too.

blueslipper

As a fellow mid-westerner, I understand your desire to get-out-of-dodge and see some new sights with the family. Food for thought: take ferry from Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI. Love the eastern Michigan coast, lots of info on Fodors about that. Drive across Michigan to Detroit and visit Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum www.hfmgv.org. I've never been, but thought it would be interesting to take the kids sometime. From there, catch a Toledo Mudhens baseball game (nice newer stadium). Get a famous Tony Pacos hotdog (I think Klinger from M*A*S*H used to talk about Tony Pacos). Head to Sandusky for a day or two at Cedar Point Amusement Park. Continue east and book a canoe trip on the Allegheny River (near Warren, PA I think). Continue eastward on to Niagra Falls. If you go - you must go to the Canadian side IMO - and I think you may need passports now to cross into Canada. That would be $$ buying 7 passports - so may not be worth going that far east? I'm sure others can advise? Looking forward to hearing other unique ideas from the midwest!

Gene

After a quick look at a US map I thought maybe Cape Cod would be ideal for your vacation since it did not seem to be much further from WI than Myrtle Beach.

After looking more closely it seems you are surrounded by the Great Lakes that would make the trip by car even longer and therefore not feasable for your timeframe.

Cape Cod in the Summer is truly a Family vacation spot worth visiting no matter how far away you are!

Perhaps,you may be able to visit here with your family in the future.

mcmckissic1

Hi there. I would consider the Sleeping Bears National Lakeshore in Western Michigan, all over the western Lk. Michigan shores from Harbor Springs down to South Haven is beautiful and fun IMO.

RedRock

A camping trip to the Black Hills of SD. You could make this in a good days drive. The BH has a lot to offer in a small area. You could also do the Devils Tower NM and Badlands NP. Wind Cave NP, Jewell NM and Mt Rushmore are there for the asking.

http://www.blackhillstouristinfo.com/

http://www.nps.gov/jeca/

http://www.nps.gov/badl/

http://www.nps.gov/moru/

http://www.nps.gov/deto/

We have camped at the CenterLake CG in Custer State Park many times, nice swimming hole to cool off the crowd.

wow

Blueslipper asked whether or not you need a passport to travel into Canada. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative(WHTI), effective January 23, 2007 a passport is required for Air travel b/t US & Canada(& some other places too). However, b/t now & as early as January, 2008 a passport is not required for Land travel b/t Us & Canada.
See www.ppt.gc.ca for more info.

nanabee

i liked julia's idea of a dude ranch experience.
my sister, bro-in-law and their two kids stayed at one and loved it. it is
nice to settle in, not worry about lugging suitcases to the next night's stay, or where to eat, etc.

You can take day trips around the area.
I would think that would be fun for the kids and relaxing for the adults.
You can also do family things like horseback riding, hiking, fishing, etc.

sautterm1

I checked into the dude ranch idea but everything I found was like over $1000 per person. With a total of seven people, that was a bit more than had in mind. Are there ones out there that are significantly cheaper but still relatively good?

RJ53

The Branson,Mo area has most everything you mentioned and should be a fairly easy drive. You have several options of places to stay hotels, cabins, houseboats etc. and three different lakes to choose from.
The Black Hills is also a good location.

like_2travel

I liked RedRock's suggestion for the Black Hills. Camping or renting a cabin would be within your budget. I recall Custer State Park has a lake with swimming and fishing. The park has several lodges and cabin choices. http://www.custerresorts.com/resorts.php A 3 room cabin is $175 day - very reasonable for a family of seven. The park lodges have restaurants but haven't eaten there. Older kids can rent mountain bikes, everyone can swim in the lake. Plenty to "do" without "sightseeing". rent a paddleboat, go fishing, go on a chuck wagon cookout at the park. You wouldn't have to leave the park. If you must drive somewhere - if the kids can handle short drives, nearby you can take a cave tour, etc. This trip would keep you out of the truck!
Plan B & C: The suggestions about Michigan were good, its lovely there in the summer. A friend of mine takes her family to a YMCA camp in PA, they stay in cabins and everyone does activities and meals are in a dining hall. Inexpensive, and no cooking.