<p>LOL, 12rmh18. </p>
<p>If you have the money – Stockholm. Or Berlin. Otherwise, I would go to Boston, stay downtown. Or San Francisco – two great cities that are compact/walkable and have a great energetic vibe.</p>
<p>My son (28) and I were together alone for 4 days while apartment hunting in Denver. We went to a baseball game, a bar during the day to watch his soccer team play, a drive out to Red Rocks, and a one day drive through the mountains with hiking and some time in Boulder. He is a foodie, so we hit up many restaurants while there.</p>
<p>I have wondered when my kids will not want to travel with mom and dad, along with sharing a room, but that hasn’t happened yet and they are 28 and 25! While in Denver we got a fantastic rate at the Ritz, so stayed there; when checking in I made sure I told the desk clerk that we were in town to find housing for my son, I didn’t want them to think we were a couple 
When we were in bars I had to wonder if that is what people thought, but we had fun with it!</p>
<p>If you have the $$$, Atlantis in Bahamas is good idea. We took our 20 something year old with us and he had a great time—restaurants, beach, pools, music, nightlife, comedy club, gambling, etc. all on the complex. You can arrange snorkeling excusions, scuba diving excursions, and rent jet skis.</p>
<p>The answer totally depends on your son and your relationship with him.
I think the all-inclusive or cruise ideas sound good. My husband and I went on a group hiking/biking trip last summer, and there were parents and adult kids along.
I do think it’s important to make sure he’s really interested in going, and that you both understand boundaries… And that you won’t be disappointed if he ventures off on his own, for example.</p>
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<p>Make sure you are not imposing yourself on him and I hope one of the options you will present is that you will pay for a vacation for him to go with his friends.</p>
<p>Sedona for hiking, Pink Jeep Adventure, and a visit to Grand Canyon can be done in 3-4 day trip. When I announced that I was going on that trip in May because I needed to get away and that I was paying for whoever wanted to accompany me, hubby declined due to his job but D2 and D3 were able to go before their summer jobs started. All four 20-something kids (and hubby) somehow managed to have 5 days available for a family cruise in December and we did hang out together at the beach, the shows, kayaking, restaurants, bars. All 6 of us available at the same time may not ever happen again though.
In both cases, I was sure that someone would want to go. If you really just want to enjoy some time with your son, ask him to select a destination and the dates and just go.</p>
<p>I know a mother and son that hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. She said it was life changing. I think he was 15 or 16 at the time? But she also had to plan way in advance and get reservations the day reservations opened, I think she said.</p>
<p>OMG 12rmh18! I laughed out loud reading your post! So funny! Unless my son drastically changes his personality, I don’t see a mother/son trip in my future. But I guess he might tolerate one if it is to some exotic destination he otherwise could never afford… like a safari trip in Africa.</p>
<p>My D is really, really thrilled to go backpacking on the John Muir Trail with her mom, her aunt and her uncle. Three middle aged crazies and one 20 year old who can’t wait for the snow to melt and the trip to begin.</p>
<p>My son wants nothing to do with it. It all depends on the kid.</p>
<p>Depends on the interests and willingness of both. Does your S like spending time with you alone? Is there anything that the two of you enjoyed together while he was growing up? Sports, outdoor activities, places that were special, etc. </p>
<p>My D (21 yr old) would love another trip to Disneyworld. She hints about it all the time. We love the whole Disney princess thing together - as well as the thrill rides. </p>
<p>My S (18 yr old) and I are going to NYC together to see Broadway shows and explore museums. But he can only handle so much togetherness - so I am giving him time on his own to see friends and sit in the hotel and play world of warcraft while I go shopping.</p>
<p>If you’ve not seen Yellowstone, or Yosemite, would very much suggest a trip to one of those major parks. Yellowstone does not have to be a hiking oriented trip. Anyplace with geothermal activity has very sedate boardwalks between geysers. There are nice lodges, and hotels just outside the park boundaries. The place is filled with jaw droppingly interesting sights, and good for all ages. If you like hiking there is plenty of that, but not necessary. The Tetons just south are an amazing day trip. </p>
<p>D and I camped in Yellowstone a few years back, and had a blast. We had just come from a wilderness canoe trip that she was less thrilled with. Too many folks my age, and only the guides were her age. That she had been on more spectacular field camps with her LAC professors and best friends did not help. But Yellowstone was a hit. </p>
<p>Very much second Sedona and the Grand Canyon, if you’ve not been to AZ. </p>
<p>S and I are spending a week in his grad school town soon. San Diego, which has a wealth of places to explore. </p>
<p>Go, and appreciate this time with your S. You never know when he’ll meet someone special, and the family dynamic will change, as things do with time.</p>
<p>Habitat for Humanity International-they went to Mongolia- our D (in her 20’s) and her dad (in his 50’s) went- loved it! had a wide variety of age groups they could both associate with. new experience for both - very memorable</p>
<p>My son and I both love museums and shows. We’ve had such good experiences in London, Paris, Amsterdam, I could go on and on. We first visited Paris when our son was 5 and I could barely drag him out of the Louvre at the end of the day. One of our favorite art museums was in Caracas. Also a favorite baseball game. Those Venezuelans know how to appreciate baseball! I don’t care about sports and it was raining the whole time and it was still fun. They had seats but hardly needed them. Dominican Republic also. Red Sox fans are soggy toast in comparison. We have a good time everywhere. We found wonderful museums in Detroit and Kansas City. Baltimore has great museums. An iffy moment in Santo Domingo was we we all went to a free concert and our son wanted to stay later. I woke up in the morning and he wasn’t in our room. Turned out he had gone home with some young people. We loved Memphis.</p>
<p>Personally, I would not do a cruise. Cruising with mom would be awkward and cruising tends to be an older person vacation.
I would go to cities where there is lots of sightseeing.
New York, wash Dc, Chicago, boston, London, Paris. Or you could go more exotic Costa Rica. My personal fave is wash dc area or Chicago!</p>
<p>I’d offer to pay for him to take a trip to the destination of his choice (perhaps up to a specified dollar limit), then without pressuring him and making clear that you’re fine with whatever he decides, explore whether he’d like you to join him for some or all of that trip.</p>
<p>I think it can be very awkward for a young adult to be put in a position to either accept an all-expenses-paid trip with a parent, or to reject such a trip and in the process risk being seen as rejecting the parent. It’s been a long time since I was 26, but I can guarantee you that when I was 26, taking a trip with one or both of my parents would not have been my idea of a good time. On the other hand, if they had offered to pay for me to take a trip–e.g., as a reward for academic or professional accomplishments–I’d have been delighted. And if they offered to join me for some portion of it, I’m pretty confident I could have figured something out that would have included them for some part of it, but still left me space to do my thing without them.</p>