<p>I love Victoria, but early June could be iffy for the weather. Same for Vancouver, B.C.</p>
<p>Hawaii seems to be off your list now, but my H and I spent a week on the Big Island last March and loved it. We would like to go back. We liked it much better than Maui or Honolulu.</p>
<p>I planned a trip for a similar sized family group last year. Every afternoon at about 5:00, half a dozen relatives would call my cell phone or hunt me down to ask about dinner - "What time is it? - “How do you know the food is good?” - “Can we get a later reservation?” I had made all the dinner reservations months earlier, because you can’t just walk into a restaurant with 25 people during high season, but apparently no one thought much about it.</p>
<p>I was hounded so much that my brother-in-law volunteered to coordinate dinner about halfway through the trip. We did a ceremonial hand-off one night to commemorate the occasion.</p>
<p>I’ll put a plug in for Sicily. There is so much to do: hike Mt. Etna, snorkeling, fishing, lots of adventure, history. The food is fantastic, the people warm and it really has the flavor of the Italy from 50 years ago. I think it would appeal to all ages. Many people suggested Capri - one of my favorite places. I’m going there this summer - but the island is pretty small and contained, and it may bore the early 20s crowd. Ditto Lake Como - I think it’s too staid for younger people for more than a few days.</p>
<p>How about California?
We have had large family gatherings at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. Pacific Grove is adjacent to Monterey and Carmel. They have a variety of style of rooms. Meals are included. Our family had a lodge building that included a large room with fireplace. We were able to have game nights in the room with a great fire. They have a pool and it is on the coast so you can do some beach walking. Nearby you would have Carmel and Monterey. Also golf. My MIL and her hiking group of ladies go up to Asilomar every year for a week of hiking.</p>
<p>If you want another South American adventure besides Costa Rica, you could consider Peru. A visit to Cusco and the famous Machu Pichu ruins is a “do before you die” destination for many.</p>
<p>Sicily. Fantastic, wonderful place. The people were so warm and friendly. And Mt. Aetna was pretty warm too ! My H dislikes eggplant, but in Sicily he said it tasted better than a good steak.</p>
<p>I see you’re putting Europe aside for future visits, but you may want to keep Sicily in mind.</p>
<p>Another vote for Santa Fe. No beaches, but outdoor/adventure stuff and wonderful history/museums. A really interesting place…</p>
<p>Bermuda should be fairly nice in June.</p>
<p>What about the coast in Sonoma? Beaches…wine country…lots of interesting places. Or…even south of San Francisco…some place like Half Moon Bay. Could take a day trip into San Fran for the museum/history folks.</p>
<p>“Or…even south of San Francisco…some place like Half Moon Bay.”</p>
<p>Not what I would call a beach vacation. It could be very windy, cold, and rainy. H’s company had a picnic at Half Moon Bay, and my teens were excited to be on the beach. The weather was miserable, and they hated every minute of being there - thank goodness we were flying to Kona the next morning :)</p>
<p>BB - what time of year were you at Half Moon Bay?</p>
<p>I would do Santa Barbara over HMB if I were going to do the CA coast. Then some side trips to LA are easy too. Hang out in Malibu, walk Venice Beach, great restaurants…</p>
<p>I was just thinking about Santa Barbara as a destination this morning. Early June could have some nice weather. Later in June you could have fog. Day trips can be taken to Ojai, Los Angeles and the Santa Ynez valley.
Another thought I had is the Alisal Ranch in the Santa Ynez valley. It is sort of a dude ranch. It has a golf course, tennis and horses. You would be guaranteed sun. It would be a 35 minute drive into Santa Barbara. A bit less time to hit the coast. Santa Ynez Valley is a well known for wine tasting. Don’t know if the outdoor theatre is open yet in early June. [Vacation</a> Specials - The Alisal Guest Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley](<a href=“http://www.alisal.com/packages.html]Vacation”>http://www.alisal.com/packages.html) Ebeee might have more to add about the SY Valley. For those who have an interest there is also a casino. I have never been but some people like it.
The Santa Barbara airport is a real gem. On American, United and Delta it is often the same price as flying into LAX or not much more.</p>
<p>I love all your suggestions!</p>
<p>After lots of e-mailing over the past week, the group has decided on the Santa Fe area. Everyone seems happy with this idea since it has the requisite warm weather, culture, and outdoor adventure. </p>
<p>I’m happy to hear there are lots of great restaurants in Santa Fe. Gourmetmom, I’m not in charge of food and meals with this group. That honor goes to my SIL–a true gastronome. She never disappoints us, so there’s no complaining!</p>
<p>If it werent for these trips, our small extended family would never see each other and my kids wouldnt know their cousins. Thanks again to all for helping bring our family closer together.</p>
<p>“BB - what time of year were you at Half Moon Bay?”</p>
<p>Late July 
We must have brought the rain with us!</p>
<p>Oh, and when H took me hiking in Muir Woods, it rained like crazy and it was so windy the crows could not take off from tree branches! During our next visit to SF, when we went to Sonoma, it rained non-stop (but I could not care less, because the wineries were fabulous)… Of course, H keeps telling me how wonderful the summer weather in SF is because he travels there all the time, but I’m not buying it Just kidding!</p>
<p>mapesy - when you get back, please tell us about your experiences! Have fun!</p>
<p>Great article on Santa Fe in the Sunday Feb 7 issue of the Travel Section of the NY Times. (Those of us in Metro NY get the travel section a day early!)</p>
<p>We’re going to Santa Fe for a week near the end of April. I’ll let you know all about it when I return. My husband has business there and has already been three times. He says it’s a great place for a vacation. We are planning at least a day trip to Taos, and maybe Los Alamos (not on my bucket list…but on his). I’m looking forward to poking around Santa Fe, and Old Santa Fe. My husband says there is no shortage of terrific restaurants there. He also says it’s pretty flat so I hope they have bicycles we can rent to ride around.</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up about the NYT article, 2boysima. And I can’t wait to hear about your trip, thumper1. Hope you have a wonderful time!</p>
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