<p>Why must it be in the US, especially since it sounds like most of your vacations have been domestic? For the cost of flying from say LAX to Vermont, you are spending 300-400 each. For that price, you could go to Costa Rica, Guatelamala, or Amsterdam, to name a few (I just did a random search for July on travelocity for you). Sooo many cool places to see.</p>
<p>Sooziervt= thank you for such a great list.
Fendergirl- H and I took a wonderful trip last fall to the Carolina’s and Savannah using the wonderful advice of those on this forum.
Starbright- our family has done plenty of out of the US travel. D suggested Costa Rica but we have already been there. Also we have been to Mexico. We have also been to Alaska and to the islands off of British Columbia and also Banff and Lake Louise. We have also been to the BVI with this D. Last summer was a huge trip to Africa so I am looking for something much smaller for this summer.We also only have 7 days. One issue is that my H would prefer to go somewhere we haven’t been before. One problem with that is that younger D is 7 yrs younger and we did some of the locations before she was born or when she was not old enough to remember.</p>
<p>Airfare might rule out Vermont. I just did a quick check on expedia. Airfare to Vermont from a larger airport 2 hours away is running over $700. Seattle from our local airport (10 minutes from our doorstep) $360. Hawaii from local airport $560.
We have only been to Maui. Suggestions for Kauai? We would want easy access to the beach.</p>
<p>We just returned from a scouting trip to University of Washington. Southwest tickets (we bought them the day before the trip because we had a ‘flexible’ schedule) were around $200 per person from San Diego to Seattle.</p>
<p>S won’t have a car there, so we did everything on public transportation to get a feel for it. We stayed at a lovely B and B. </p>
<p>Seattle has a lot of festivals in the summer, so it would be worth doing some searches online. For that matter, why not search on something that would thrill someone in the family, and plan around that rather than picking the place first?</p>
<p>If we had time, I’d do a search on the Tall Ships Festivals (we had a great time going to one in San Franciso), or a music festival, the Scottish Games, etc. Not sure what your D likes, but my kids would have enjoyed a trip to anywhere if there was a Comicom convention there.</p>
<p>Have you explored New Mexico? Santa Fe and Taos areas have tons to see and do - and it’s a shopping mecca for anyone who likes art, jewelry, rustic furniture, decorative items etc. In Santa Fe, you can hike, do museums, shop, eat and visit Indian pueblos. It’s such an exotic, unique place.</p>
<p>It is too hot to go anywhere in a summer. We went once and will never go again. Cruise to Alaska sounds reasonable, if you can tolerate being on a ship for that long.</p>
<p>LOL, Miami, maybe it’s time you left Florida?</p>
<p>LOL, katliamom,
I do not live in Florida, I do not like Florida at all. I am very far from it.</p>
<p>Fly to Chicago, rent a car and drive to Door county, Wisconsin and explore a completely different part of the country. It is very nice, lots of outdoors, lighthouses, etc. My Berkeley Sis loved the hiking. Explore a different part of the USA. So much diversity.</p>
<p>^This is not a vacation though, it is exploration trip. I rather stay home, comfortable house, nice bed and huge local swimming pool.</p>
<p>I love my home and feel joy when I return home from a trip. Still I love to travel. There is a whole world out there and I love to see different places and meet different people.
Also everywhere is not hot in the summer. I live in Ca in a small city on the coast. It is 10 AM and it is 60 degrees.
No Southwest airlines from our airport. My H is extremely frugal but he hates to have to go down to Los Angeles for a flight unless he absolutely has no choice.
Have not been to Santa Fe. It is on my list of places I would one day like to visit.</p>
<p>mom60, would SNA or ONT be too far for you? Southwest flies out of those airports. I do not know how far you are from Long Beach or Burbank either, but those are served by JetBlue (with flights to Seattle currently starting at about $270 RT for mid-July).</p>
<p>I’m still waiting to hear about the rafting co in Wenatchee.</p>
<p>I personally would go to Kauai. It is the most laid back, lush green Hawaiian island. Poipu area is one of the sunniest places on Earth with decent snorkeling and beaches. There are relatively inexpensive condo options in Poipu. Also there is a fabulous botanical garden in that area which I highly recommend touring. Waimeia Canyon is not to be missed, with lots of hiking trails up on the mountain ridges.</p>
<p>“Also everywhere is not hot in the summer.”</p>
<p>-Yes, just rmembered that D. took trip to New Zealand, which is in opposite weather. She went for about 6 weeks in May/June and actually had to take some winter clothes. They even did ice climbing there. This trip was dream of her life. Again, I would not call it vacation, it was very very physically challenging. They hiked and hiked and hiked, sometime she had huge pain in her ankles, sometime she did not feel her body anymore and was pretty much out of it with somebody else carrying her bag. But she went to Lord Of the Rings filming grounds and came with many experiences that could not be repeated anywhere else.<br>
I call vacation only being on a beach at all inclusive resort and dipping into ocean few times a day to snorkel in a soup of fish. Other than that I probably prefer to stay at home. But I am very old and we are talking about very young person here with interests that are unknown to me. My own D. appreciated very much when we took her to our vacation on a beach. But it was not in a summer, it was back in March, perfect weather.</p>
<p>mom60, here is the reply from my friend: “We used Blue Sky Outfitters and enjoyed the trip very much.” [Blue</a> Sky Outfitters | Washington State River Rafting | White Water River Rafting Trips](<a href=“http://www.blueskyoutfitters.com/]Blue”>http://www.blueskyoutfitters.com/)</p>
<p>DD does not remember what company her team used for their rafting trip, but she said they were definitely not geared towards beginners.</p>
<p>Thanks BunsenBurner. I have bookmarked the rafting company. D is taking a summer school class at the CC this summer so we would travel mid August. No not near any Southwest airlines or jet blue airport. I am 2 hours north of LA.
I am open to going anywhere. H is the problem. Out of the blue today he suggests I look into Panama. Anyone gone? Is it doable with just a week?</p>
<p>mom60, with only a week, any travel that consumes more than half a day puts a large dent into your vacation time. If I were you, I’d go to Kauai. What about the Big Isalnd? Zero shopping, but plenty of natural beauty.</p>