<p>We had to cancel our plans earlier due to illness of one of the family members so I have not planned any trips for the fam this summer. Everyone is working and I want to keep that going until close to the time my kids go back to college…
I was wondering what ideas you guys have for a fun/active vacation spot you would recommend…from domestic cities to international, cruises to driving, Just need some ideas here…4-5 days of fun. My be just me and the kids (15, 19 & 21) as summer is my husbands busy season.</p>
<p>Atlmom…gotta plug the Bay Area! Many, Many fun/active things to do in SF.
Check out Southwest flights, not only into SF, but Oakland is just as convenient. Really no need for car if staying in SF. Check out the thread “Help Planning a Week in San Francisco” on Parent Cafe…many ideas/activities posted that would work for teens also (leave out Wine Country). Enjoy!</p>
<p>I’m in Colorado right now. We’re having a family vacation with 21 people ages 13-79, including 9 kids ages 13-21. We’ve done hiking, white water rafting, shopping, sight seeing and have been having a really nice time. We’re in Manitou Springs, which is about one hour and forty five minutes from Denver. Yes, we flew in via Southwest. It’s beautiful out here.</p>
<p>I second colorado, went to Aspen for 4 days over summer, rafting, para gliding
and horseback riding.</p>
<p>Montana dude ranch, have always wanted to do that!</p>
<p>WOW these sound great. I love san fran and would love to go to the mountains.Isn’t manitou springs near colorado springs??? Went to aspen a long time ago before kids during the summer …I will look into flights today not sure if southwest comes to atlanta but that seems to be the crowd fave.
Thanks guys…any more info welcomed…</p>
<p>If gosmom’s going to plug the bay area then I’ll plug San Diego - beaches (and we have sunshine on ours), surfing, boogie boarding, zoo, Wild Animal Park, Sea World, Old Town, Sailing in the bay, nearby mountains with Julian (old gold mining area), etc.</p>
<p>Manitou Springs is right next to (connected to actually) Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods, AF Academy, 7 falls, Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak, Cripple Creek, etc. (I used to live in Colo Springs).</p>
<p>Cruises are always great choices, check out Royal Caribbean’s (my favorite cruiseline) website to see what cruises are offered at the time of year you are looking at. They certainly fit the “fun/active” description you are looking for, and it’s always a lot of fun to hit several destinations in a short amount of time, with fun to be had on the ship in between. The only consideration that I could see that might be annoying for your family is that the 15 year-old won’t be able to go into the casino or the same clubs that the older ones can get into at night. And I’m guessing you’re from Atlanta, so cruises departing from Jacksonville are definitely within driving distance.</p>
<p>Colorado Springs: If you’re flying from Atlanta direct, then your cheapest fares are going to include a stopover. Northwest through Memphis, American through DFW, Frontier and United through DIA (Denver). Last time I checked those flights, Delta was direct but more expensive, enough to matter. Atlanta to Denver has some cheap fares, but you don’t want to fly into DIA as a final destination if you’re going to CoSpr; it’s too far. (You can get a bus to CoSpr, though, if you decide to do that.) I like both airports. They’re both easy to get around, but CoSpr is a great little airport right in town, and I prefer smaller airports. DIA’s in the middle of nowhere.</p>
<p>Lots to do in CoSpr, as posters here have mentioned. Summer is the best time to see Colorado and get around with the fewest driving hassles due to weather. If you want some day trips from CoSpr: The Royal Gorge near Canon City (south) or Eleven Mile Canyon state park then on to Buena Vista (west), home of the 14’s (highest concentration of 14,000-foot peaks in CO).</p>
<p>For Cali, I found this article recently and think we’re going to try one of these on our next trip:
[Big</a> Sur: Into the Redwoods - Budget Travel](<a href=“http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022502775.html]Big”>http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022502775.html)</p>
<p>For other ideas, I keep an eye on this: [Real</a> Deals - Budget Travel](<a href=“http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/realdeals/]Real”>http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/realdeals/)</p>
<p>Atlmom, check out Craig’sList under vacation rentals. There are some really nice places that can be had a a good deal.</p>
<p>Kathiep, do you mind sharing what your accommodations are for that many people? I want to set up something for a similar number for next summer, and Colorado might be fun. Are you guys in condos? A lodge, hotels?</p>
<p>COOL. THanks for the help. Is craigslist reliable for housing? I was shocked by rental car prices…Is Denver an expensive place to rent cars?</p>
<p>You can priceline rental cars (hotwire, too). Also, there are good codes for rental car discounts at mousesaver.com. We got a great deal on a car rental in Alaska using a code from that website.</p>
<p>Atlmom,</p>
<p>I get these deals mailed from Sherman. I have pasted their email below. You might find something that interests you.</p>
<p>ShermansTravel BULLETIN: 7 New Summer Travel Sales from $66*</p>
<p>RELEASED – June 28, 2008 – Get out of town for less this summer with the 7 new travel sales we’ve found. Prices start at just $66 for US flights, and max out at under $1,000 for a 5-night Hawaii resort vacation. With deals like these, there’s no reason to stay home.</p>
<p>$66+: Virgin America fares for early July – incl. July 4th holiday (one-way)
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<p>$509+: Upscale Celebrity Alaska & Europe cruises w/ship credit – ends 6/30
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<p>$616+: Iberia flights to Spain, France & more through Dec (round-trip)
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<p>$826+: Hawaii 5-night vacation with flight, resort stay & up to $200 off
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<p>Just got back! We stayed here: [Waltons</a> Mountain Lodge & Cottage - Pikes Peak Area - South Central Colorado](<a href=“http://www.coloradodirectory.com/waltonsmtnlodge/]Waltons”>Pikes Peak Colorado | Cascade Manitou Springs Woodland Park | Colorado Vacation Directory) This is one big house. It had 6 bedrooms each with a queen bed (3 on main floor and 3 on second floor) and then three more bedrooms downstairs, one of which had a set of bunk beds and a pull out sofa, one room with a queen and then a very large bunk room with three sets of bunk beds. Since we had 7 guy cousins and only 2 girl cousins, we put all the cousins downstairs and those rooms were perfect. </p>
<p>It was easy enough to walk downhill to Manitou Springs but the walk back up was not that great. We spent most nights just playing board games and working on a big puzzle. Oh, and there’s a large hot tub on the back deck that the kids used too.</p>
<p>Right next to the big house that we stayed in is a smaller house called the cottage and I think it has two bedrooms and a smaller outside hot tub.</p>
<p>I recently read that in some cases opting for a complete travel package is less expensive than individually booking the pieces, even if it means not using all the components.</p>
<p>I’ve had great success with craigslist.org for renting apartments in NYC for trips to visit my D, and also VRBO.com.</p>
<p>if anyone knows direct flights from atlanta to carribean destinations, please let me know…i find myself spinning my wheels just trying to determine who flies where…figure that is much more affordable than multi city routes.
thanks.</p>
<p>I am planning a trip to Las Vegas and have free hotel rooms at a place I love to stay. I have found a hotel/airfare package staying at a different hotel which is nearly $100 cheaper than air only. What if I booked the package and didn’t check into the hotel? Would they ever know? Would the hotel charge me more or assume that I just canceled my trip and forfeited the money I had paid? Does anyone know how this works?</p>
<p>It seems that the package deal would require you pay for both and I’d expect that the hotel would have at least the first night guaranteed which means you pay even if you don’t stay there. You could always check in to the hotel you don’t want, pay for it all, but actually stay at the other hotel that you like better since it’s free. </p>
<p>Look for the fine print on that package deal - it’ll likely spell it out.</p>
<p>Yes, I would be paying for both, but the air only is $338 and the package, including the same flight, is only $254. I only need the air, but it’s cheaper to get both. I just didn’t know if I would actually have to check into the package hotel. It would already be paid for. I can see the same scenario for a kid from Las Vegas going to school in Houston wanting to fly home for Thanksgiving. The package would be cheaper, but he obviously would be staying at mom and dad’s when he got there. In my case, the package hotel is not very close to my free one so I didn’t want to spend the taxi fare just to go there to check in. It is too far to walk. I’ll have to look for the fine print. Thanks for your response.</p>
<p>After reading my original question, I seemed to have left out my most pressing issue. (yes, I am old): I am concerned that if I don’t check into the package hotel, they will for some reason think I am not there and cancel my return flight. I worry because years ago, several friends and I went on a package deal and DID check into the hotel and stay there, but at the airport on the way back, they did not have one of my friends on the list and the plane was overbooked. We were afraid she was not going to get on the flight.</p>