Summer vacation ideas for two friends?
 

My friend and I are in our 20's. We have been taking a week long vacation for the past several summers and I am sorry to say we are out of good ideas. I know that there are places we are forgetting or dont know about, so i thought I would ask for some help.

We live in NY, so we have been to most places on the east coast. boston, virginia, pennsylvania, nj, etc. We have been to disneyworld in florida, California (SanFransisco, LA, SanDiego) , we went to Cancun last summer and Montreal a few summers ago.

I was thinking of Charleston, Chicago, Seattle? But I'm not sure if there are a weeks worth of things to do in any of these places.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. We are willing to go pretty much anywhere in the US. It would be nice if it were a city we could walk around in. We arent really party people, so thats not important. Thanks so much for your help! Joanna

What about New Orleans or Las Vegas? You don't have to party to enjoy them.

I would think that two 20yos could find plenty to do in Seattle. Between the nightlife, restaurants, baseball ( I love Safeco Park), excursions to Long Beach WA, Victoria BC, Mt. St. Helen's etc.. there would be more than enough to fill a week.

There's also plenty to do in Chicago, if you enjoy the museums and shopping.

I'd guess you won't go wrong with any of those choices! :)

Boy neither Las Vegas or New Orleans strike me as top of the list summer destinations.

Seattle or Vancouver. Top-notch big city attractions, great summer weather, and a each an hour or so from fabulous wilderness, country drives, you name it.

What sorts of things interest you? Sightseeing? Food? Cycling? Shopping? Poolside lounging? Help us out here.

Cape Cod! St. Thomas!

Do a Pacific Northwest trip, covering Seattle and Portland (and the Oregon Coast!) and/or Vancouver, B.C. All of these spots are beautiful during the summer months. For a real treat, throw in the San Juan Islands in Washington. Gorgeous.

You can easily find a week's worth of activities in Chicago. There are several world class museums (Art Institute, Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium), several good smaller museums (Terra Museum, Chicago Historical Society, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum), 2 zoos (Lincoln Park which is free every day, Brookfield), Garfield Conservatory, Chicago Botanic Gardens.

In addition there's shopping on Michigan Avenue and State Street, 3 outlet malls within an hour's drive (Gurnee, Michigan City, Huntley).

And there are lots of interesting spots outside the downtown area to check-Hyde Park, Pullman, Prairie Avenue, Oak Park to see Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. You can do these on your own, through the Architecture Foundation or check out the free Greeter Service and have them show you around.

Chicago also has plenty of good theater, mostly smaller productions, and several good comedy options (Second City, Improv, Comedy Sportz). Summer is festival season, there are free concerts in Grant Park, free movies on Tuesdays, neighborhood festivals virtually every weekend.

And I haven't even mentioned the Cubs/White Sox, dining out, the lakefront, river cruises, Navy Pier, Sears Tower/Hancock Building for the view.....

If you do decide on Chicago, check out these websites

www.metromix.com
www.chireader.com
www.877chicago.com
www.choosechicago.com

How about a spa retreat? Red Mountain Spa has "bring a friend" specials all the time- I think it sounds like a perfect trip!

When I was in my 20's I only stayed state side when I was completely broke and even then I went up to the gaspe penninsula in Canada. I was poor in my 20's I think I made $8-$10 an hour and I worked two jobs. I always found a way to get to Europe or the Middleast. Thing is if you don't travel far and wide now, you might never. If it were me and I was your age, in these times, with a sinking dollar, I would head to Latin America, save the US for when you are an old fart like meself. 43 and I now do annual trips to Hawaii. There is always a way and I NEVER racked up debt doing it, did not have a credit card. Peru,Costa Rica would be my choices at the moment, live a little you are in your 20's! Talk to your piers they are your best source for budget travel. They will tell things about bucket shops and student discounts if you are one. They will also tell you what places are cheap and safe and hot with your age group.

Sarah has a great point--check out other boards here (S. America, Europe, etc) to find out ways to travel internationally on a budget. Flying to London won't take much longer than Seattle...

Sorry in advance for this....

I agree that Sarah makes a great point however, I have yet to have a pier give me good advice (OK maybe pelican avoidance). Peers on the other hand often have a valuable opinion ;-)

I apologize in advance but...
gee placeu2 it still sounds like pelicans will have more in the way of travel advice than you. :):)

Red Mountain Spa is great...went there with a bunch of girlfriends about a year ago and loved it. WOuld also have to agree with the Seattle/Vancouver areas. I personally would not want to go to England or Europe in the summer...too many people. In the off season though its great. Just my opinions:)

I live in Seattle so I am biased but I think it's a great destination. You can shop, dine, hike, kyak, go on great drives, see amazing scenery, etc.

I have a friend who lives in Switzerland and she is back in Seattle visiting for a few weeks. We were talking last night and it was funny to hear her say that although Europe is beautiful with it's history and old villages, there is no scenery anywhere in the world like Seattle with the mountains, skies, water and green lush hills.

Have fun no matter where you go!

I have been to 2 out of the 3 places you are thinking of. Seattle - I have family there and have been there 5 times. I have only spent a little bit of time in Seattle, as I have mostly stayed outside of that area. There are some things to do downtown, but not a ton of things in my opinion. If you want to visit there and then move on, driving down the Oregon coast would be great (see some of the other posts on this subject). Charleston, SC - my best friend now calls Charleston home and I have been there three times. Charleston is a quaint town. There are lots of mansions/houses to tour downtown and also the ghost tours are fun. There is the straw market and a tour on one of the horse & buggies is a must. There are other things outside of Charleston to see and do. Great restaurants - I love Bocci - Italian. I have never been to Chicago, but am hoping to go soon to see the Oprah show and the sites. Do you like the tropical locations? Paradise Island, Bahamas is great and not too far from the east coast. Aruba was also nice, but I preferred the Bahamas. Good luck!

How about a trip to Ireland? I think there are some great deals these days, esp. from NY. Try sceptre tours or toursim Ireland on google. They send me emails all the time. I would love to go, but can't right now.

Ireland would be a great trip but you would not need a travel agent. Also need to remember that the dollar is not doing so well so you will get less at the moment. We need to remove a clown in washington before that changes.

No political commentary, please. This is a travel board.

JP political or not that is what is going to move the dollar. Look at any analyst of the dollar and bush's name comes up broad and strong with its decline. Anyone wanting to get full value needs to wait until he is out of office. That is a fact not politics.