Vacation Destination for Large Family
 

This is a re-post, but I was advised that this forum has more activity than the other forum I posted it in originally.

Hi! My family and I are looking to vacation the second week of August. It is the only week of the entire summer that all the kids are home. We are struggling to find a destination that is not only affordable, but also fun for all the kids. There will be two adults, and six kids, ranging from 23 to 12-years-old. I know it's going to find an agreeable location. We are located in northern New England, and we have overdone most locations in the local vicinity. We have also been to Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and the Outer Banks numerous times. We would preferably like a place on the east coast that we are able to drive to (but willingly to drive ~15 hours). Flying is not out of the picture, but the flights would have to be affordable. We're not the type of family that is wants to sit on the beach everyday of vacation, so preferably a location with some history, museums, or anything in addition to a beach would be nice.

I know I'm being super picky, especially for being (sorta) last minute. All suggests are hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I think it's late to try and secure ocean side accommodations. I would head inland. What about Niagara Falls, Lancaster PA, the Shenandoahs, or VT?

Do your group members have passports? What about something near Quebec City? Or maybe the Gaspe Peninsula?

You keep using the term "affordable" but you don't tell us what you can "afford". We need an actual dollar range for your travel budget in order to make any meaningful suggestions.

For a good combination of museums and historical places look at the Washington, DC / Virginia area.

OP - you are one of the six kids, correct? What is the budget your parents have given you?

YMCA of the Rockies, outside Estes Park CO.
Fly into Denver.

DC will be hot as hell then but it's within your driving range, there are a ton of things to do that are free and if you stay in the outskirts and travel in by metro the lodging can be affordable (cheap per my budget but we don't know yours).

You could combine this with one of several nearby beaches - as long as you're willing to put up with heat and humidity.

If it were me I would head to Canada - but don't know if you have passports - and do Niagara Falls, and Toronto.

I don't know where you live or how cheap a flight would have to be to be affordable- but Chicago/Great Lakes would be fun for everyone. Canada also has options (but I'm thinking it's unlikely everyone has passports).

Lancaster, PA.

In the PA Dutch country. Look for a big house on VRBO.

Near Hershey, day trips possible to Phila, Gettysburg, Baltimore, Bucks County, Valley Forge, Longwood Gardens, etc.

Pocono Mountains.

The Hudson Valley.

If you want beach, Ocean City, NJ has some large houses now along with the traditional "Jersey Shore" boardwalk and easy access to places like historic Cape May. Plus, it's a quick drive to Philadelphia which has enough to keep you occupied for quite some time. In fact, I'd stay some time there.

Lancaster/Hershey area would be good, too, as mentioned above, if you didn't need the beach.

In a completely opposite direction, Prince Edward Island is absolutely lovely. Wexford Heritage House is the best rental I've ever stayed in, and I've stayed in a lot of OBX houses.
http://www.wexfordheritagehouse.com/

Have you done the Rhode Island Beaches? Places like Misquamicut Beach, Watch Hill, Metunic, Green Hill, Charlestown, Moonstone Beach, etc? Plenty in the area to do

Something I want to do is take a cruise out of Boston to Bermuda.

Stay close to home this year with a plan to $ave for an air-travel vacation for next summer.

I'd also suggest going into Canada for a change. When I was a kid, my parents took us on a driving summer vacation (only kind we got as we didn't have much money) up through Michigan to Mackinac Island then into Canada to Toronto and back, as I recall. Maybe through Niagara Falls. But we lived in Ohio, of course, but something like that. We stayed in cheap B&Bs in Canada, as I recall, or motels.

But if you live around upper CT or lower VT, for example, you can go west through NY to go up to Toronto and you go by Niagara Falls. That sounds good, Toronto is a great city. Or go north and up to Montreal. Or up to Quebec and then east to Nova Scotia, something like that.

Just as a reminder of your requirements: " so preferably a location with some history, museums, or anything <B>in addition to a beach</B> would be nice.

Have you thought about Charleston area or Savannah?