I need a good place to go on vacation in the United States

05-15-2007, 03:54 PM

So, our passports didn't come. We're supposed to leave next Saturday (the 26th, so 11 days from now) for Mexico. We're supposed to be flying to Ixtapa for a week. The passport agency has upgraded us to expedited service, but that still takes 10-14 days. They're not making any guarantees that we'll get our passports (even though when we leave it will have been 14 weeks from the time we first filed for them).

So I'm thinking we need a new place to go on vacation. If we don't go to Mexico, I'd just like to bring our 10 year old daughter with us too. It needs to be within a days driving distance of Wisconsin. We've already done the SoCal/DisneyLand/Mexico thing before, so we don't want to do that again (aside from the distance issue).

Any suggestions? Husband isn't really up for going to Florida, although I wouldn't mind doing that. He seems to want to go to Nashville (I have no clue why though?). I would like to take it easy since I'm 6 months pregnant.

Help? Or heck, if you know of how we can push our passports through faster, that would be appreciated too!

Donkey® · 05-15-2007, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by 03 white zx3

So, our passports didn't come. We're supposed to leave next Saturday (the 26th, so 11 days from now) for Mexico. We're supposed to be flying to Ixtapa for a week. The passport agency has upgraded us to expedited service, but that still takes 10-14 days. They're not making any guarantees that we'll get our passports (even though when we leave it will have been 14 weeks from the time we first filed for them).

So I'm thinking we need a new place to go on vacation. If we don't go to Mexico, I'd just like to bring our 10 year old daughter with us too. It needs to be within a days driving distance of Wisconsin. We've already done the SoCal/DisneyLand/Mexico thing before, so we don't want to do that again (aside from the distance issue).

Any suggestions? Husband isn't really up for going to Florida, although I wouldn't mind doing that. He seems to want to go to Nashville (I have no clue why though?). I would like to take it easy since I'm 6 months pregnant.

Help? Or heck, if you know of how we can push our passports through faster, that would be appreciated too!

If I were pregnant I wouldn't step within 1400 miles of Mexico...

I assume if you were going to Mexico, you were going to the beach? I'd say go to Vegas. I have a house there and it's not all "lights and gambling." Find yourself a nice spa to go to and relax. I really like the Red Rock Resort/Spa. The weather is absolutely perfect at this time. And if you wanted to venture out of the city, the Grand Canyon and Hoover dam aren't that far.

DosEquis · 05-15-2007, 05:07 PM

Vegas would be a good option, i concur. Flights are cheap there too. Just bring clothings, us dollars, and a jar of gypsy tears to protect you from aids.

ballz2wallz · 05-15-2007, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by 03 white zx3

Any suggestions? Husband isn't really up for going to Florida, although I wouldn't mind doing that. He seems to want to go to Nashville (I have no clue why though?). I would like to take it easy since I'm 6 months pregnant.

Help? Or heck, if you know of how we can push our passports through faster, that would be appreciated too!

Ok, being from Florida, that would have been one suggestion, but having lived in Nashville for 5 yrs (and now knowing you're pregnant) I would suggest that! I absolutely LOVE Nashville. It has FANTASTIC restaurants, great live music (not just country!) and just an overall great atmosphere, not to mention it's very laid back, perfect for you and your belly-baby.

If you want suggestions of where to go, let me know!

Scrum · 05-15-2007, 05:13 PM

Vegas is the place to be.

05-15-2007, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

If I were pregnant I wouldn't step within 1400 miles of Mexico...

I assume if you were going to Mexico, you were going to the beach? I'd say go to Vegas. I have a house there and it's not all "lights and gambling." Find yourself a nice spa to go to and relax. I really like the Red Rock Resort/Spa. The weather is absolutely perfect at this time. And if you wanted to venture out of the city, the Grand Canyon and Hoover dam aren't that far.

Good thing I'm not you

(edit: This is a joke, just in case it doesn't come out that way! I don't need to offend anyone else today!) My doctor doesn't have a problem with it, and we were really looking forward to it. We haven't taken a honeymoon, and this was supposed to be it.

We were planning on doing the beach/shopping, and taking some sort of excursion onto the ocean (like a fishing one or something like that). Relaxing while still doing "something" I guess is what I'd call it.

I don't really want to go to Vegas. What is there to do with children? If we stay in the US, our 10 year old daughter will be with us. Maybe I have the wrong picture of Vegas, but I think gambling and shows. That isn't really want I want at all. I'm not sure a spa-type atmosphere would fit what we're looking for too (although I'd be all up for it!

)

Ballz, I'm thinking that we're leaning more towards Nashville. I'd LOVE some suggestions of places to stay/where to go. We would probably just drive there (10.5 hour drive according to Yahoo maps) too. We're both big country fans too, so I'm not overly concerned about it being too country-ish

We have $2700 to work with, which I know isn't a ton of money.

Donkey® · 05-15-2007, 05:21 PM

One caveat to the Vegas thing...don't get a rental car. There is no place I hate driving more than Vegas. Take cabs or better yet, limos. Do NOT go out during rush hour. If they're not running into each others cars, they're running into pedestrians.

Donkey® · 05-15-2007, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by 03 white zx3

Good thing I'm not you My doctor doesn't have a problem with it, and we were really looking forward to it. We haven't taken a honeymoon, and this was supposed to be it. We were planning on doing the beach/shopping, and taking some sort of excursion onto the ocean (like a fishing one or something like that). Relaxing while still doing "something" I guess is what I'd call it.

I don't really want to go to Vegas. What is there to do with children? If we stay in the US, our 10 year old daughter will be with us. Maybe I have the wrong picture of Vegas, but I think gambling and shows. That isn't really want I want at all. I'm not sure a spa-type atmosphere would fit what we're looking for too (although I'd be all up for it! )

Ballz, I'm thinking that we're leaning more towards Nashville. I'd LOVE some suggestions of places to stay/where to go. We would probably just drive there (10.5 hour drive according to Yahoo maps) too. We're both big country fans too, so I'm not overly concerned about it being too country-ish

We have $2700 to work with, which I know isn't a ton of money.

You have the wrong impression of Vegas. You also seem to have the wrong impression of Nashville. Nashville is probably one of the worst places to EVER think about going for a vacation.

05-15-2007, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

You have the wrong impression of Vegas. You also seem to have the wrong impression of Nashville. Nashville is probably one of the worst places to EVER think about going for a vacation.

I would love for you to educate me

I've obviously never been to either place. My husband has been to Vegas though, and I know it's not high on his list for going back.

Donkey® · 05-15-2007, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by 03 white zx3

I would love for you to educate me I've obviously never been to either place.

I have been to Nashville about 10 times for work. I seriously can't think of one thing I like about it. Once you do the whole "Country mecca" thing, there's nothing left. Plus the humidity...ugh.

In Vegas, you stay at an off the strip hotel. You do a ONE day walkthrough of the strip hotels and Fremont experience (not my cup of tea but you have to at least go look once.) After that, you want to go on a boat? Lake Mead. You want to see natural things? Grand Canyon, Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Death Valley, Hoover Dam...the list goes on. There are old mining towns like Oatman. There are ghost towns. You want to relax? Stay at your hotel pool and just lounge. Kids always like pools. Take a drive to Bullhead City and ride a jet boat down the Colorado (or up, I forget) to Lake Havasu. Check out London Bridge while there. There's great scenery along the way as well. Those are just the things I have done and am interested in...so if you take the time to look, you can probably find things more to your liking if these don't work.

Originally Posted by 03 white zx3

My husband has been to Vegas though, and I know it's not high on his list for going back.

I wonder why?

05-15-2007, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

I have been to Nashville about 10 times for work. I seriously can't think of one thing I like about it. Once you do the whole "Country mecca" thing, there's nothing left. Plus the humidity...ugh.

In Vegas, you stay at an off the strip hotel. You do a ONE day walkthrough of the strip hotels and Fremont experience (not my cup of tea but you have to at least go look once.) After that, you want to go on a boat? Lake Mead. You want to see natural things? Grand Canyon, Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Death Valley, Hoover Dam...the list goes on. There are old mining towns like Oatman. There are ghost towns. You want to relax? Stay at your hotel pool and just lounge. Kids always like pools. Take a drive to Bullhead City and ride a jet boat down the Colorado (or up, I forget) to Lake Havasu. Check out London Bridge while there. There's great scenery along the way as well. Those are just the things I have done and am interested in...so if you take the time to look, you can probably find things more to your liking if these don't work.

I will definetly take that into consideration and maybe check out some sites about Las Vegas. Thanks!

I wonder why?

I would imagine because there's not going to be any hookers on this trip

ballz2wallz · 05-15-2007, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by 03 white zx3

Ballz, I'm thinking that we're leaning more towards Nashville. I'd LOVE some suggestions of places to stay/where to go. We would probably just drive there (10.5 hour drive according to Yahoo maps) too. We're both big country fans too, so I'm not overly concerned about it being too country-ish

We have $2700 to work with, which I know isn't a ton of money.

How many days and what days specifically?

05-15-2007, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

How many days and what days specifically?

May 26-June 3 are the days that we have off. (It's a Sat to a Sun).

thomez · 05-15-2007, 08:31 PM

I'd go to DC... take the girl to visit the wonderful Smithsonian, the Capitol, the White House, Vietnam Memorial, WWII Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Mount Vernon, Monticello, etc

You could still take a drive to the beach too.

Just an idea. I went to DC around that age and thought it was a great vacation for a couple days.

If you don't want to spend a whole week in DC (which may or may not be a good idea) then take a trip from there to somewhere like Philly, Boston, or NYC and make a loop on the way home. Spend the 2nd weekend in one of those cities... maybe I'm just extra nerdy though?

05-15-2007, 10:19 PM

DC isn't a terrible suggestion, but it's also not first on my list. The husband brought that one up today too. I don't really want to be on my feet, visiting museums and different monuments the entire time. Doing a couple of days in DC and a couple of days someplace else wouldn't be bad though.

I really think I just want to get in the car and drive.

curlyque221 · 05-15-2007, 11:18 PM

This might sound really lame..but what about PA?

Hershey Park and Amish Country. There is a great hotel called Willow Valley which I believe serves kids free 10 and under. It has full buffet services for food, great pools (one for kids and one for adults), a golf course, and a couple of other features. It's a real family place. There are many amish country attractions and Hershey Park isn't too far away.

There is also a resort called Great Wolf. It's the world's largest indoor water park. I think it's more in a mountainous region..can't remember though.

thomez · 05-15-2007, 11:40 PM

I've never understood with the Amish tourism thing... what's the fascination?

05-15-2007, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

I've never understood with the Amish tourism thing... what's the fascination?

Who knows, but it actually sounds interesting to me. I've spent the last 30 minutes searching around the Willow valley site and checking out local attractions. Heck, we have 9 days, we could do Nashville AND PA.

thomez · 05-15-2007, 11:52 PM

I have a spare room... Amish people live less than 15 minutes away... if I have cereal would that make me a bed and breakfast?

05-15-2007, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by thomez

I have a spare room... Amish people live less than 15 minutes away... if I have cereal would that make me a bed and breakfast?

We have an Amish community less than an hour away from us.

And my pregnant palate is going to require a little more than cereal right now.

I want steak and pico de gallo right now!