Considering where to fly for vacation next summer. Unless someone has other great ideas - I'm thinking of:
1. Seattle - used to live there but the kids don't remember. We would be able to visit a few friends, and maybe drive down the OR coast. Used to live there & not as exciting for me - I like to see new things.
2. San Fran - never been - and also might go to Yosemite??
3. D.C. - would love to take the kids - would'nt need to rent a car - but need to know of some other things to do besides museums. We like variety.
4. Boston - haven't been since a kid - and seems very family friendly. iIght want to rent a car for a few days and drive to????? Suggestions to get near the water or nature.
5. Charleston, SC - would love to go - but might be better for spring break vs. summer?? Pretty hot??
Any opinion which would make the most interesting, and possible the best VALUE? I don't like to pay more than $150/$200-night. Less is even better.

We have only been to Seattle and DC out of the places you have chosen, so won’t be much help for the others. If you are thinking East Coast area I would go for DC, just because it has so much historical background which your teens have learned in school. Charleston is hot, but DC will be hot also, when we went it was above 90 degrees the entire time. As for DC, there’s so much to do that is not your typical museum tour, although these are still worthwhile. We stayed at the Omni Shoreham in a great two-double-beds room that was a considerable size with a huge bathroom and large closet. The hotel has a great pool for relaxing and nice views of Woodland Park along with a good breakfast buffet (it does cost money). I think we paid $190 a night for it, I can’t remember through which website. You could also look into Georgetown Suites, which is reasonably priced and has larger rooms. Since you won’t have a car, I would recommend using the subway, which is clean and affordable, and seemingly newer than the New York one. As for activities, you could mix in things like a Washington Nationals baseball game, the National Zoo, and the Old Post Office Pavilion (huge bell tower with great views of the city, and free, it also has a large food court) with the usual Washington itinerary that includes the Mall, Capitol Hill, and the White House. At the Mall, the best place to eat is the Mitsitam Café at the Museum of the American Indian, leaps and bounds better than other museum fare. You could also include a side trip to Six Flags, which is only a half hour away, or venture to an outer neighborhood such as Georgetown, or Adams Morgan for Ethiopian food. But I wouldn’t try to do too many sports or active excursions; it will just be too hot.

Seattle would be a good choice because of the many outdoor activities near it, and mild weather. Inside Seattle you can do the usual Space Needle, Pike Place Market (there’s a great crepe place), and the Experience Music Project, etc. If you plan on doing the usual touristy things then the CityPass is a great deal, it saved us money when we used it. You can hike in Discovery Park or visit the Olympic Sculpture Garden for free, or take the ferry to Bainbridge Island or even the San Juans, which are not far away. The Seattle Monorail is probably the most interesting way to get around, although it doesn’t go everywhere. The best on-the-water restaurant we’ve found is Elliott’s, with great views, seafood, and an extensive oyster bar that’s pretty to look at even if you don’t like oysters. I would stay a few days in the city and then venture out to one of the National Parks nearby, Mount Rainier or Olympic are very close, and beautiful. You could camp there, if you like, or there’s always the Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier. As far as going down the Oregon Coast, it’s quite a long drive from Seattle, but it is doable if you really want to. In Northern Oregon there’s Fort Stevens State Park with tons of bike trails and a grouping of “yurts” that looked interesting to stay in at only $40 per night (we stayed at the KOA nearby, but rented bikes for the State Park). Seaside is the carnival-type town, and Cannon Beach is very popular with Haystack Rock but more expensive. I don’t know so much about the South Coast.

We’ve never been to San Fran but I would definitely consider it. You can go to Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and Alcatraz. Yosemite is wonderful, but be sure to book far in advance if you decide to go there, because everything fills up fast. The cheapest lodging besides camping in a tent are the “tent cabins” in Curry Village, which are basically a big canvas tent over a couple beds (double and two twins) and nightstand, with communal bathrooms. They go for about $115 in peak season. Hope this helps!

Such good advice!

I'm in Charleston and lived for years in DC. Both are hot in summer, so if that's something that's uncomfortable for you consider spring or fall visits. Having said that, both are beautiful cities.

Charleston has great beaches so you could stay out on Isle of Palms or Sullivans and enjoy the ocean during the heat of the day. There are more rental units on IOP. And the restaurants in Charleston are really fine and, while some are upscale, there are good budget friendly ones too. My favorite is the Seewee in Awendaw. Have a great trip!

Finally a post like this where I have been to all cities mentioned - and love all of them.

Cost: You are going to have difficulty staying within your lodging budget for Boston or SF - especially since you are going with teens which for bedding purposes means an adult. SF rooms are very small in general; neither city has very many suite-type hotels right in the city and for both cities you would want to stay right in the city and not try to commute in. So I would start with weighing air and hotel costs to see if these are in your budget range at all. DC and Charleston would have great hotel deals in the summer.

Flights: sometimes we have made vacation decisions based almost exclusively on cost of air - distance has little to do with airfare cost; there often is an inverse relationship between cost of air and cost of lodging when you get there - so weight them both.

Weather: Charleston and DC would be opressive in the summer. We have visited DC in the summer several times, however, and got lucky with weather. Also, since much of what you do is inside, you get a cool a/c break in museums.

Outdoor activities ("we like variety") - you could split the vacation between a few days city/few days beach at any of the locations - only Charleston would really allow you to do both in the same day or hop back and forth.

Without knowing more specifics - from where you are coming, what types of things you like to do - I might weigh cost/interest value in this order.

1. DC - good hotel deals in August, museums are free, drive to beach at end of trip for relaxing in sun.

2. Seattle - mix of indoor and outdoor activities;

3. (tie) SF and Boston - most expensive cities on your list. Both wonderful cities; could mix a few days in city with a few days at a beach (Cape Cod or Cape Anne for Boston)

5. Charleston - less of interest to teens within the city but closest to beaches. Weather is almost certainly going to be swamp-like in the summer.

Other possibilities - San Diego; a driving trip inclulding Grand Canyon/Zion/Bryce. If you have passports - Vancouver, Nova Scotia/PEI. If the idea appeals to you, sometimes cruises are more budget-friendly than you would think, especially with teens who want lots of activities and eat and lot - as long as you plan wisely for how to spend your time and money at ports.

All ideas are great but Boston and New England are what I know best. I think you could tailor your vacation for your kids' likes. Like most teens, they would probably like the Museum of Science's laser show, possibly the movie depending on what's playing, Blue Man Group (small theater is ideal for this show), and walking around Harvard Square. I have been on both culinary tours by Michelle Topor. Your family might enjoy either and both provide historical information more interesting than what they may have already learned in school - Italian North End or China Town. The China Town tour ends with a dim sum lunch.
But, some of my friends hated a dim sum lunch when we went on our own because it was too foreign. (I think they have become old fuddy duddies.)

You didn't mention if your teens like outdoor activities or not. You could head north to Portsmouth for the water park and more history. If you are looking for a more active vacation you could go saltwater or freshwater kayaking, mountain biking at a ski area, zip lining, etc. Thanks to the White Mountains, I think NH offers quite a bit but if you want warm, sandy beaches Cape Cod might be more to your liking. Last summer a friend took my kayaking on a local river where you can also rent kayaks. There were private, secluded beaches along the way and we pulled out on one for a picnic lunch. Didn't spot any of the local bald eagles but there were other interesting birds. People were enjoying the river, waving and saying hello as we passed. My friend said there are places even more beautiful but I find that hard to believe. It was perfect.

I have had great luck getting hotel rooms in your price range in both Boston and San Francisco using Priceline.

If you choose to try Priceline, remember that they guarantee bedding for one 2 people - you would need 2 rooms. Still think that is unlikely in acceptable area within your budget.

www.betterbidding.com great discounts on city hotels bidding

www.priceline.com like 70% or more

always pick up 3-4 stars a lot from $35/nt and up

great hotels like Marriott Westins amazing value...

Do this a lot you get the room for up to 4 on priceline

You would NOT need 2 rooms unless there are 5-6 of you or more

So that would be GREAT value for you.

San Francisco my fav of those you mention then

www.carrentals.com to www.yosemite.com over to

www.carmelcalifornia.com Big Sur amazing then back up

tha Pacifc coast to SF...did this last year had a

WONDERFUL time....Happpy Journey,

I vote for Charleston in the summer. It's not that hot and there's always a nice breeze off the water. There are lots of options for visiting such as plantation homes, museums, churches, walking tours, etc. The food is outstanding and the scenery is wonderful. You could visit the beaches at Isle of Palms and the neat town of Mt. Pleasant. You could do a day trip to Beaufort, SC which is a fun town.

Having been to every place you mention. Yosemite would be my pick. San Francisco is a neat town to explore as well. I think you will also get the most bang for you buck.

Yellowstone is a great trip. Utah National Parks is a good trip. I have been to Seattle, but haven't really done anything there much, so I plan on going back. It might depend on which month you are going as to which place I might consider.

Just for the fun of it, price out a cruise to Alaska, either from Seattle or from Vancouver, OR price out a trip on the Alaska ferry from Bellingham to Juneau (then fly back.) You might be surprised at how close you can come to your non-cruise budget when you consider the cruise price (not the ferry) includes transportation, lodging, food and entertainment. No car hassles, unpack once, plenty for adults and kids to do both on the ship and in ports (expensive excursions or cheap do-it-yourself tours) - history, nature, scenery, wildlife... it can really hit all the bases. Get two cabins and the adults can have some time to themselves, too.

We went to DC last summer - hotel prices rates were high, but a lot of the things to do and see are free, so it balances out. We split our time between DC and Chincoteague Island, VA - totally fun trip and would definitely do it again. I think teens would have fun with it.

I've never tried Priceline when I had more than 2 people in the group, but many hotels in SF and both the hotels we stayed in in DC only had 1 bed - so watch out for that.

If you do choose SF, you can add some time on the beach - the Santa Cruz area is fun with teens. Monterey is pretty good too.

I like the Alaska idea, but to do Alaska right- it is expensive. I personally wouldn't do a cruise, especially with teens.

San Francisco by a mile...drive down the coast, whale watch, alcatraz, piers, great food, amazing city... my kids still talk about that trip...

Thank you everyone!! What great opinions - very helpful!! I think I will remove Boston from the list for the time being....fewest "votes." Absolutely prefer to have some "city" days and "outdoor adventure" days - thanks for the recommendations for the mix!

Charleston in "not that hot in the summer"? Perhaps if you come from Miami Beach!

But I do like Littleman's suggestion of a beach. Teens want places they can go on their own and meet other kids. You aren't very likely to let them go out alone at night, particularly in Boston or Washington, but you would certainly do that at the beach. A whole vacation at the beach? Boring for you. Split it with something else.

Last summer we drove. Went to San Francisco for a few days, This was followed by a day in the Sequoia Nat'l Forest. We then drove to Las Vegas (Hoover Dam) and the Grand Canyon. I had my 15 and 16 year old sons. Very pleasant and flexible type of trip. Good luck.

tC