So I have compared school calendars for my DS16 and DD20 In the hopes of doing a 4-6 day trip. The only dates they both have free within the next year once I factor in ECs and summer employment is 12/26-12/31/17. I am looking for suggestions of where to go that will give the the college age ones something fun to do without the rest of us AND some things for all of us to do together. We are not a " lie on the beach for days" family so would appreciate some hiking, shopping, site seeing options as well. Sun would be appreciated and daytime temperatures 55 degrees and up are fine. My DS’s GF may join us. Ideas? All I can come up with is Austin, Tucson, or Orlando.
Las Vegas. You can take an ATV ride in the desert, go to the shooting range, see some great shows etc.
An Austin stay puts you near Enchanted Rock, which is a great day hike. Some of the clubs won’t admit under-21, so you may have limits on checking out Austin’s music scene. San Antonio is another possibility; you could do two nights in each city (they are 90 miles apart).
Cartagena, Columbia or Cuba. (just for things that began with the letter C 
).
Domestically, Sedona, Florida Keys or New Orleans.
Thanks for the ideas! We have done Sedona and Key West (but only a day stop on a cruise). Lodging looks quite expensive in KW. Any recos for other Keys that might be a little less pricey?
Orlando is REALLY, UNPLEASANTLY crowded during that time period. Disney describes itself as “wall to wall people.” I would say it is much more crowded than that!!!
Costa Rica? Depending on where you are based, the airfare can be quite reasonable and once there, costs are manageable.
Austin/San Antonio, as mentioned upthread, could be fun.
Costa Rica can be pricey that time of year. Lodging prices typically double then.
I love the Keys but last year also couldn’t find reasonable lodging so D and I opted for gulf coast beaches, crystal clear freshwater mineral springs and a centrally located Airbnb house with a pool. We had a terrific low cost vacation. With a rental car we didn’t stay ON the beach but drove to it (our favorite was Honeymoon Island state park), and Rainbow Springs in Dunedin were really fun to swim in - like an aquarium. We also visited the Jax area and the sea islands north of there.
What about a short cruise. It won’t be cheap…but it’s all inclusive.
Are you looking for THIS December? If so…book soon. That week is a very crazy travel time.
What about San Diego, or Santa Fe? Or Nashville?
Lots to do in all those places…but not all guaranteed warm weather!
We went to Disney World one year the dates you are mentioning. Luckily we were staying ON the Disney grounds…the park closed to anyone outside at about 10 in the morning the 26th. There were 98,000 people in the Magic Kingdom. Nuts.
The east coast of FL, from St. Augustine to Amelia Island, could offer possibilities for you. On the gulf coast, I like Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key.
I always love a trip to San Diego around Christmas time. So much to do and very nice weather.
Like the cruise idea but I have food allergies and therefore limited choices of cruise lines. I have found only 2 departures that might work. Keep those ideas coming.
Charleston? Savannah?
^ we combined Savannah with our Florida trip
I like the idea of Las Vegas but I would go to Death Valley for a couple of nights.
We went to Las Vegas last December. We hardly spend any time on the strip, but we hiked a lot (beautiful parks - lots of red rock), went to Zion Natl park, the Hoover Dam, saw cirque de Soleil “O” and a couple of other things. It was quite pleasant.
The Southern CA coast could be very pleasant also. That week is going to be expensive anywhere.
Combine Las Vegas with a trip to Zion National Park, a couple of hours drive away. There’s a plethora of nice inexpensive lodgings in Springdale, a charming town right outside the park.
I second Charleston. We went a couple of years ago during that exact same time frame - 12/26-1/1. My kids were younger than yours at the time but were about 10, 12, 14 and 15. I was unsure if they would enjoy it but they had an amazing time! We did a lot of touristy stuff such as a carriage tour, ghost tour, etc. There is plenty to do right in Charleston. At your kids ages, you could easily let them walk around on their own, especially if you are staying right in the historic district. Great shopping and restaurants. We spent one day driving out to Hunting Island State Park, stopping at Old Sheldon Church ruins and the very quaint town of Beaufort along the way. Another day we went out to one of the plantations and spent several hours there and wished we had more. We toured the USS Yorktown (my husband used to be an officer in the Navy so he enjoyed explaining everything to the kids). IIRC, they have a big New Year’s Eve celebration in one of the squares though we skipped that. The weather was also ideal - ranged from the high 50s to even feeling “hot” in the low 70s one day (coming from winter in the mid-Atlantic!). Driving home, I asked the kids if they enjoyed it and I got an emphatic yes from all of them. Each had their own favorite thing, among them - the food and the plantation house/gardens. We also took the boat out to Ft. Sumter but that was a bit of a bust (just didn’t feel it was worth the cost, plus it was chilly and rainy so the boat ride was not the best).
D17 and I just visited again a few weeks ago for CofC’s “accepted students” day. The two of us had a great time visiting but in the end, the college wasn’t for her. I was a little bummed b/c I would have loved getting to go visit her. Loads of history, with all kind of great things to do (and eat!).
I love the FL keys. There are many places to stay outside of Key West. One place in particular is a true resort, with boats of all sorts and activities for all ages. If interested, I’ll look up the name.