Diva's Vacation Destinations for 2009

[5ft Diva]

I'm already thinking about where to vacation next year so I can start having an idea of how much to save up plus I love the anticipation of going somewhere. Do any of you have some fun ideas? I don't mind saving a buck or two, but I do mind being cheap. I'm looking for a place to just get away. Lagoon and hopefully Lake Powell are already on the list, but those will be done w/ family so I'm wondering about any other ideas you might have for just my immediate family.

[natickgirl]

Bear Lake & Minnetonka Cave.

Hike to Donut falls (up Big Cottonwood Canyon).

St. George & Snow Canyon (sand dunes, petrified sand dunes & a few little caves).

Las Vegas is only 2 hours from St. George, and the newer hotels on the strip have some amazing things to see, particularly the Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York New York, and Tropicana. Most of them can be enjoyed without having to walk through the casinos. The M&M's store is fun, too. You can stop in Mesquite, NV on the way for a somewhat cheap buffet breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Thanksgiving point has so many things to do, but it can be expensive. And, if you're heading to Lehi anyway, stop at Cabela's and see their animal displays & enjoy the shooting gallery.

Ride the Heber Creeper & visit historic Midway (I actually haven't done this since I was a girl).

Take the new Frontrunner train from downtown SLC to Ogden and visit the railway/car/gun museum, which is right at the train stop. We did this with my whole family (6 adults & 10+ kids) while I was in town & it was a great adventure. The kids ranged in age from 2-12 and everybody had fun. I think the train costs about $6, with kids 6 & under free. I can't remember what the museum costs--my Dad paid for it--but I know they offer a family pass. You can pack a picnic lunch, or there is a Subway shop at the train station, or you can walk 2 blocks to Burger King.

Spend a day at Gateway: planetarium, children's museum, window shopping, playing in the "steams", ice cream.

Lava Hot springs in Idaho. I think it's about 1 1/2 hours from SLC. You can camp overnight, or stay in a hotel/motel.

That's all I can think of right now.

[natickgirl]

I thought of a few more:

Yellowstone NP is one of our favorite places to go! It's only 6 1/2 hours from Bountiful (if you take I-15 and drive like my husband). When we moved to MA, our kids were disappointed that we couldn't go to Yellowstone. There is so much to see & do there. Make sure you put a "leash" on your toddlers, though, so they don't fall in the mudpots. You can stay inside or outside the park. We've camped there, which is cheaper, but there are hotels & cabins, too. Our favorite time was when we stayed in a little cabin near Old Faithful. But, if you stay outside the park, you can find a campground or hotel with a pool.

Big Sky, Montana is just a few miles from the West entrance on Yellowstone. It is beautiful and fun to take the tram to the top of the mountain. On the way to/from Yellowstone, we like to stop at the Tetons & walk around Jenny Lake (I think that's what it's called). We also spend a few hours in Jackson Hole, WY. and stop at the Cache Valley cheese factory. It's a longer drive to go that way (8 hours), but it is much more scenic.

Mesa Verde, CO is neat.

My friends like to camp in Goblin Valley. We haven't yet, but it's on our list to do when we move back.

So is Four Corners & Grand Canyon. I remember being in "4 states at the same time" as a girl by putting one hand/foot in each state. Definitely cool. I'm sure there are some place to stop in AZ on the way to Grand Canyon.

It's obvious, but: Disneyland, Legoland, Sea World, the beach, and San Diego Zoo. You can do them all in one trip if you have a lot of time & energy, but I wouldn't recommend it. I would suggest doing Disney as it's own trip. They are all very expensive, but soooo worth it, especially while your kids are young. Legoland is in Carlsbad, CA, which is 1/2 way between Disney & Sea World. It is geared for kids (especially boys) 12 & under. We've been able to get good hotel / ticket deals through "Getawaytoday.com", or you can use priceline. Find a hotel that offers free breakfast, and has a fridge & microwave.

Redwood forest. It truly is amazing. Spend the day at the wharf (pier 49) in San Francisco on the way there.

Mt. Rushmore in SD is awesome. It's 10 1/2 hours east, driving mainly through WY. I'm sure there are things you could see & do on the way. Although, maybe that would be a better trip for when the kids get older...I went when I was a teenager.

Something much closer to home: stay up in Park City for a few days. We rode the slide & the coaster (expensive). You can hike, bike, tour historic Park City. They have a great bus system from the hotels to the various resorts. I haven't been down the old mine, but it sounds fun. The reservoir (Jordanelle?) is only 20 min. away on Hwy 40, so you could go for a swim or play on the beach. And, of course, there are the factory outlet stores.

[bookworm]

I second the Redwood forest suggestion- that was one of our best vacations ever- we want to go back sometime. It is amazing! And the kids loved hiking in the mountains among those giant trees.

Oregon is breathtaking, too. I love any place with the ocean and lots of trees, though. It kind of depends on what you want out of the trip- do you want it to be fun fun fun? Or somewhat educational while being fun?

Our trip to Disneyland is coming fast, but I'm already making plans for next year, too! I'm thinking Yellowstone or Zions. Hiking in Zions is really really fun and there are some gorgeous sights in Southern Utah- have you been to Bryce or Cedar Breaks? Amazing and practically our back yard!

[5ft Diva]

We just did Cedar Breaks. A great place to go if you have young children w/ little tolerance for being in the car.

I've always wanted to do Lava Hot Springs. Can anyone tell me more about that place? Is it family friendly?

Can you tell me about Mesa Verde? I've heard of it and that's about it.

Thanks for the suggestions, ladies. Keep them coming.

[runamyrun]

This is a good thread. I am itching to travel somewhere with my hubby and kids. It will be good to see new ideas.

[natickgirl]

Here is a link for Lava Hot Springs:

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Here is info re: Mesa Verde:

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Of course, you could always fly out to MA & I could take you on the Freedom trail, to Plymouth, etc.

[natickgirl]

Hey, check out this trip:

Moab, Mesa Verde, Four Corners, and St. George all in one! Just make a nice loop.

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[5ft Diva]

Originally Posted by natickgirl

Of course, you could always fly out to MA & I could take you on the Freedom trail, to Plymouth, etc.

This is probably my most favorite idea of all!!!

[amberpatomo]

We are actually going to Mesa Verde over Labor Day. My parents have been there and LOVE it. We are going to Cortez which is a city near Mesa Verde to see old indian ruins. Way fun place for the family because every age can enjoy the old caves and trails. It will be a 7 hour drive but it is also very scenic on the way. We are staying a hotel that is very reasonable. It's a little place called the Budget Host Inn of Mesa Verde. Very clean and great reviews from guests. We may also go to a dinner theater there.

[trishcook]

We went to Mesa Verde this past November on our way to Phoenix. It was a great place to visit and had lots to see. Unfortunately for us, it was winter and many of the sites were closed for the season, we do have plans to go back another time and see all that they have to see and do. On this trip in November we hit many sites that were interesting and fun..one we'd recommend is the Petrified Forest, it's on I-40 along the old Rte 66 (think Disney's Cars). This was amazing and very interesting to see all these logs that have been petrified. It's not really exciting, you spend a lot of time driving the route in your car, but the petrified logs are fun to see and amazing. This would be a very educational stop. We also stopped at a crater that is one of the largest, still fully intact meteor craters, in the United States. Although interesting, if you didn't have time I'd pass it up. The Grand Canyon is incredible and one that I'd definitely recommend. We took the train into the park, which was so fun and eliminated the hassle of trying to find parking in the park. If your interested in going in the winter, the train runs a Polar Express run from the middle of November thru Christmas that looked like a ton of fun. Road trips are our favorite vacations, we get to see so much more of the country by taking different routes to vacation spots.

[Erudite]

Ever heard of the Fremont Indian State Park? Neither had I, but I'd pulled up a parks list and found it about 20 minutes south of Richfield and we went last year. Richfield is only a little over 2 hours from me, so it could have been done in a day, but we like to stay overnight and swim in a hotel pool. It's a tiny park, but we had fun doing a little hiking, seeing rock art, goofing around in the indian pit house they have, and learning about the Fremont indians in the little museum they have there...and it had one of the better gift shops I'd seen so we all came home with good souvenirs. It's also only about 25 minutes from Cove Fort and so we stopped and did that again and then headed home. [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Bryce Canyon is also pretty cool. We did that two years ago. They have a driving route for you, so you don't do a ton of walking if you don't want to, but doing that also doesn't take you down inside the formations, which are spectacular from the bottom or the top. I know that some people do Bryce and Zion's in the same trip over a couple of days, but we just do brief overnighters, so we plan on doing one thing at a time. We still need to get down to Zion's. Maybe when gas prices come down...

[natickgirl]

We did the St. George/Zions/Bryce trip a few years ago. If I remember right, you also pass through beautiful Red Canyon on the way from Zions to Bryce. We stopped for a while to do a little hiking & the kids had a blast. In Bryce, we were short on time & had my in-laws with us, so we just did the driving tour. You still get to hike up a ways (mostly on paved "accessible" paths) & see breathtaking views. My youngest was about 3, so it was perfect for her. I would have liked to go down into the canyon, though. Since it is southern Utah, I would recommend going in the late spring or early fall. We were in Bryce on the 4th of July & it was miserable. Zions is very pleasant in April.