MommaBear

I posted this on the trip idea forum then read that it gets little activity so I'm re-posting here. I would like to plan a winter vacation for the family (us, toddler, 9yr old) to de-stress and focus on reconnecting amid all the holiday commotion, and I'd like help with some place suggestions. We're really flexible on dates (Nov through Jan) and location. I'd like to keep it under $1000 and ideally under $500 for travel and lodging. I'm thinking within 12 hours driving distance from Dallas, TX and 5-6 nights. We have an economical car.

I'm totally open to other suggestions, but I'm thinking some sort of cabin with a fireplace in a scenic location and access to sleigh rides in the snow, some neat cultural sight seeing... something that provides enough activities if we want to be active, but no pressure that we're missing some big opportunities if we aren't. The activities hopefully won't be overly expensive in the way vacation activities go--the less we spend on lodging, the more we can spend on fun.

We have several diet restrictions (vegetarian and allergies), so we'd either need access to places that can accommodate special diets or we'd need the ability to make our own foods.

We tend to like sightseeing, educational opportunities (especially history and science), hiking, national/state parks, music and theater, museums, natural wonders, unique oddities, photography opportunities, and my husband really likes trying local/new restaurants.

We don't like to pack a lot in with go-go-go between activities in one day, don't like to get up early, aren't the pool-lounger type, and don't like to split up into different activities or put the kids in daycare.

Any suggestions for us? I'd really appreciate the help!

starrs

My Dallas friends used to go to Taos, NM to ski.
http://www.skitaos.org/

That's right at your 12 hour limit. You could enjoy Santa Fe and Taos.

When you said sleigh rides, I thought of Durango CO. We LOVED the sleigh ride with dinner there. Lots to do in Durango too. If you are willing to drive a little bit more, you could do a combo (stopping at Santa Fe and Taos for a few nights and then on to Durango).

DebitNM

Santa Fe - it has museums, art galleries, outdoor activities, snow fun, restaurants, lots of culture, day trips to ABQ for lots of children's activites or to Taos, hikes [may be limited due to snow] parks, all you are looking for and more.

Lots of VRBO's that would work for your needs.

http://gosw.about.com/od/santafenewm...tafewinter.htm

http://www.sunset.com/travel/southwe...532/index.html

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/desert-rose

http://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe...ter/index.html

MommaBear

In my very rudimentary searches I just did since you posted, Durango looks amazing but also looks like the activities tend to be bigger ticket adventure-based expenditures. Trains, hot air balloons, skiing (with clothing and day care), sleigh rides, etc all look like so much fun, but also look like they'd add up really fast.

Dante Fe looks more low-key and inexpensive with lots of free to low-cost sights. Parades, Mass, outdoor play, luminaries, Native American dances, marketplaces, etc.

Is this an accurate assessment?

starrs

"Is this an accurate assessment?"

I don't think so. The only "big ticket" item I did in Durango was the sleigh ride. I mentioned it because you asked for the sleigh ride. It truly was magical, riding through tall pines, brilliant stars above, coming up to a little cabin in the woods and having a steak or chicken dinner. Oops! That wouldn't work for you.

I LOVE Mesa Verde NP too (outside Durango).

But I love Santa Fe. I was there a few Thanksgivings ago and it was great in cold weather with lots of things to see and do. We drove up from ABQ, but twice in winter we flew into ABQ, drove up to Durango for a few days and then stopped back in Santa Fe on the way back. You could do a mix if you wanted. I don't think there's a sleigh ride option in NM, but I could very well be wrong.

Time to go to bed that's all for now. SF and/or Taos falls within your original requests, except for the sleigh ride park of it

starrs

Here's the link to the sleigh ride. The dinner option says they have vegetarian meals -
http://www.buckslivery.com/sleigh.html

It's a blast. One of my favorite travel memories ever. Probably #1 winter travel memory.

DebitNM

Durango is a very family friendly town. You don't have to ski or do expensive things to have fun but it is more of an "outdoor town" than Santa Fe. In winter, that means there's are less things to do inside [museums etc].

Mesa Verde NP is magical in winter, but it can be really cold out there and there is lots of walking, climbing etc involved if you are going to do anything but drive around. With snow and possible ice, getting around with a toddler is going to be hard.

I know both areas intimately as I have homes in both places. As much as I love Durango -- in winter, with 2 little kids, I think that Santa Fe offers you way more options.

Albuquerque may also be something to consider, with day trips to Santa Fe or Taos. It will be far less expensive to stay in ABQ, most hotels have free parking and you can Priceline a room and do pretty good [not sure how priceline works with 2 kids]

Since you have a car, you can easily get around ABQ to see the great zoo, the Botanical gardens, the museums, the cultural centers, the childrens explora and a host of other things. Food choice will also be wider and less expensive.

http://www.cabq.gov/visiting.html

ABQ is an often overlooked destination and that is a real shame. There's lot to do and see and at good prices. There is way less snow in winter, and the temps are a bit milder than Santa Fe. Don't sell it short.

ElendilPickle

I'll second DebitNM's Albuquerque recommendation. You could do Priceline if you can ask the hotel for two beds, assuming your kids are willing to share one.

We have a lovely zoo, a great children's museum, natural history museum, etc. Day trips to Santa Fe and Taos are pretty easy, too. You might also want to consider visiting Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos. Our first visit there was in the winter, and though there was some snow, we didn't have any trouble getting around.

You mentioned parades and outdoor plays, but I don't think you'll find either of those in Santa Fe in November through January.

DebitNM has a fantastic list of Albuquerque restaurants in the NM folder here. Lots of local places to choose from!

Lee Ann

spirobulldog

No snow, but what about Big Bend National Park?

ElendilPickle

>>We tend to like sightseeing, educational opportunities (especially history and science), hiking, national/state parks, music and theater, museums, natural wonders, unique oddities, photography opportunities, and my husband really likes trying local/new restaurants.

spirobulldog

No, but probably not going to come close to doing all that for $500 for lodging and travel. They said they liked state/national parks. They also listed hiking, photography, natual wonders. Big Bend is one of the few National Parks that I might go to myself in the winter. Since this was budget oriented and it is within 12 hours of driving, it was the first thing that popped into my head. You might try giving a suggestion of your own instead of being critical of me. I think Big Bend meets about half of the OP likes and it is within budget and distance. Most ski destinations are further and more expensive. Most econ cars are not four wheel drive, which is often needed in snow places. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Big Bend, unless they have been there before.

starrs

up to $1000 I think she said

MommaBear

I very much appreciate your thinking! You are right that we would like Big Bend. We've been there dozens of times and already have plans for our next trip out there! Any other comparable suggestions?

We definitely don't expect to fit all that stuff in on one trip; I just gave that list to give a feel for the type of people we are and things we enjoy. Our big focus for this trip is being comfy, cozy, together, away from home and any drama going on around there, having no stress, and having some memorable opportunities available when we want to go have something to do.

An unexpected car repair has put a pinch in the budget so the lower end of the budget spectrum would be a little more important now. We do have a snow-capable 4x4 diesel as well and it gets decent MPG, though the car obviously does better.

PeaceOut

$500 for four people, 5-6 nights' lodging and travel? You mean food, too? Sounds impossible.

DebitNM

You can probably priceline a room in ABQ for $50 [pretax]or so, doubt you will find anything acceptable in Santa Fe for that price.

IF you cut your time to 3 or 4 nights, you might manage to do it on the lower end but it is going to mean really skimping.

Distance is about 1300 RT, at 15 mpg that would mean about 86 gallons, and at about $3 a gallon - that $258. That pretty much uses up your $500. Food, admission to museums etc for 4... well you get the picture.

Maybe you need to postpone this trip until a time you have a bit more funds. Or do a staycation kind of thing.

MommaBear

No, I don't mean food or entertainment, too. Just getting there and the lodging.

We'll get about 45-50MPG in the car.

Most of our vacations cost significantly less than that and this is a "splurge" for us. It definitely has to be away from DFW, but we don't mind staying on the closer end of the 12 hours to save money on gas or get a better deal.

DebitNM

Do you mind if I ask what kind of car you have? That is really good mileage.

travelerfromtx

I think the places already mentioned seem to meet your interests best, but I have no idea if they will meet your budget requirements. So I thought I would share some of the places close to DFW that we have done on a low budget. We have enjoyed visiting some of the state parks in Oklahoma and Arkansas. These have included Lake Murray in Oklahoma (lodge and rustic cabins available) http://www.stateparks.com/lake_murray.html , Beavers Bend in Oklahoma (lodge and rustic cabins available) www. beaversbend.com , and DeGray Lake Resort and State Park in Arkansas (lodge but no cabins) www.degray.com . Another place we would like to visit is Mount Magazine State park in Arkansas. The lodge would fit your budget, but not any of the cabins. They have an indoor swimming pool, game room , hiking trails, etc. http://www.mountmagazinestatepark.com/ I know you said you didn't want to do a staycation, but take a look at Lantana Lodge at Lake Ray Roberts. It would fit your budget and might still feel like a getaway. http://foreverlodging.com/lodging.cfm?PropertyKey=184

Hope this has been helpful. I've done a lot of budget trips, and researched even more. Hope you have a great time on your trip!

travelerfromtx

I forgot to mention Lake DeGray can be combined with visiting Hot Springs. I recommend a visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens in the afternoon, then stay for a while and go through it again for their Holiday Lights display in the evening. So gorgeous! And lots for the kids to explore during the daylight.

MommaBear

I'm in a hurry right now, but am still reading everything! We have a Prius and consistently get 45-50MPG when traveling. My husband's read up on how everything works and he drives with fuel efficiency in mind and keeps an eye on the real time MPG display. When I drive, I ignore it all and get around 40MPG.

It has to be outside the DFW area completely to be able to get away from the drama. If we're within reasonable driving distance to return, there will be too many calls for us to do so for this family "emergency" or that family "tradition," and with being so close to home and getting so much pressure, my husband would be miserable having to choose. That's what we're finally getting away from so anything within an hour and a half of home has to be out.

We've been to a few OK and AR state parks and have liked them. Either Broken Bow or Beaver's Bend--I can't remember which it was. And the Diamond Lakes, I think it was. Maybe it was DeGray--that sounds familiar. There are 4 total we've been to. DeGray might have been the place where we stayed at the lodge and were given a smoking room and they wouldn't move us out of it to our requested non-smoking room. I'll look into all of those mentioned above. Keep the ideas coming, please! I'm getting excited! The Hot Springs area sounds like a neat option.