I Need A Vacation!

drobbins · 04-24-2008, 08:55 AM

I have never taken an official “vacation”. Too cheap I guess. This year though, I have 3 weeks vacation time, plus my company shuts down over the 4^th of July week and Christmas. I finished building my house last year, so this year I am planning a vacation.

I would like to visit NY City, the Statue of Liberty, and Washington DC. I am taking one week off before the 4^th shutdown week so I will have a total of 16 days (including weekends) in a row. I want to be in DC for the 4^th to see the fireworks. I am originally from NJ so these areas are not new to me, but my kids have never been there. I am picturing this to cost $2K-3K for a family of 4. Is this reasonable?

What is the best way to plan a trip? I see all these ads for internet travel lowest prices. Are they the way to go? If so, which is the best company to use?

I will probably do the driving, but in NY City and DC it is best to park the car and take taxies. Where are good locations for the hotel so cab fares are not so steep? I also don’t want to spend a fortune on the hotel either. What is the going rate for a decent place?

What to do with the pets? I have one cat and one dog. My Brother and Mother live on the same street and would probably feed them once a day. We use a pet door so they could come and go as they wish, but there won’t be much interaction with people. My puppy would probably tare things up, or they might wonder off thinking we aren’t coming back. There are places that care for pets. Anyone have experience with these?

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Kreisler · 04-24-2008, 10:53 AM

I prefer having the pets at home and having a feeder come by.

Although I have watched the pets at the pet hotels. Seem pretty happy in there also. They play with the other dogs.

Jon Bell · 04-24-2008, 12:22 PM

The pet answer is easy-- kennel them, and you don't have anything to worry about. Our dog loves the kennel. Family members hate taking care of other peoples' pets no matter what they tell you.

I think you'll spend your $3k budget on hotels alone for a 2 week vacation (14-15 nights @ $200 a night). That's assuming you'll all share one room.

You'll likely have to pay daily parking on top of that. Figure at least another $100 per day for meals (more if your kids are older and eat from the real menu, not the kids' menu). Look for hotels that have complimentary breakfasts or have suites like Courtyard and Residence Inns.

If I recall, 4th of July week in DC is not as busy as you might think-- everyone that lives in DC clears out for the Delaware and Maryland beaches every weekend in the summer. Naturally, fireworks night will be a mob scene, though. All Smithsonian museums (which includes the zoo) are free, so you get a break there. American History museum is closed right now, will reopen in 2009, I believe. The result of this is that the other museums are proportionately more crowded as they are picking up these visitors, so get there early in the morning.

I'm not too much help for NYC. Last time we stayed there, we stayed at the Millenium Hotel near the theater disctrict. Very nice, not too expensive.

drobbins · 04-24-2008, 07:55 PM

I am leaning to the pet hotel idea. My dog is very interactive and I can't picture her sitting around for a few weeks with out getting into something. Tonight my wife & I started talking about the Grand Canyon. One place I have always wanted to go. I think she said that it is a 20 hour drive from KY. What is there to do out there? Or along the way? I have been to Niagara Falls and it was cool to look at for a day. Is the Canyon the same, or is there other things to do? I don't see us white water rafting, but I am up for other outdoor activities. I know Vegas is not far away, but we don't gamble. I always loose.

Bryan X · 04-24-2008, 09:01 PM

We were at the Grand Canyon this past Summer. We drove there from Ohio. To experience the Grand Canyon you should really plan on hiking below the rim. My son and I hiked in from the South Rim and spent the night at the bottom of the canyon (Phantom Ranch). An amazing experience. It's about an 18 mile round-trip hike with an elevation change of nearly 1 verical mile-- so it is strenuous. My wife stayed behind at the El Tovar while we hiked in.

A shorter hike (12 miles round-trip) is a hike from the South Rim to Plateau Point. My son and I did that hike four years ago.

The problem you'll probably run into with the Grand Canyon is finding lodging within the park. It's probably a little late for that but you might get lucky. We made our reservations 13 months in advance. And if you're going to spend a few days there, you really should stay in the park. We stayed at the historic El Tovar on the South Rim and of course at the Phantom Ranch.

If you really don't want to hike that far into the canyon, you can always hike a mile or two in and then head back. There is also this:

: THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE GRANDCANYON SKYWALK :

It's quite a drive from the park itself, but looks amazing. We didn't have the time to go see it this past Summer so I can't comment first hand.

Have you thought about a cruise?

Adam Lenhardt · 04-24-2008, 11:21 PM

If you do New York City, park outside the city and take public transportation in. The costs of parking alone in the city will kill you. Most city hotels charge extra for parking, and if they don't you're still paying for it in higher nightly rates. I'd also use subways, buses, etc. before taxis -- the cost difference is HUGE. I've been living in Boston for the last three years, and I never brought my car. You just don't need it. During the housing boom, a lot of hotels and apartments went on the market as condos.

As for recommendations, it's hard to say what'd be worth it for someone in Kentucky. One of my favorite places in the world is the Adirondacks, but that's a lot less daunting of a journey from Albany or even Boston than from the South. A few years back, my family did Pennsylvania based out of Harrisburg. That was fun, but six days was plenty. The last time I was at the Grand Canyon, I was two.

What about a road trip? There's a lot of fun family-friendly places good for a day or two that can be strung together into a really fun time. Of course, with gas pushing $4 a gallon, that's not as affordable as it used to be...

Good luck, Dave! I'm going to Ireland for a week in May, and the weak dollar is killing me. But domestically, $3k should still cover a really great time for a family of four.

drobbins · 04-26-2008, 07:59 AM

Well we made reservations in Orlando Florida. The kids thought the DC trip would be ok, but not much fun. The canyon would be good for a day or two, but not worth the drive there and back. Thanks for your replies.
We will go to the Universal and Disney theme parks, the space center and the beach. 7 days and 5 nights over the 4th of July week. We can also visit her brother in Atlanta on the way.

Adam Lenhardt · 04-28-2008, 05:15 PM

Orlando was a lot of fun as a kid. We stayed inside Disney, and filled our time without ever having to leave the park. You'll have plenty to do, and your kids will have a great time! Enjoy your vacation, Dave!

Lew Crippen · 04-28-2008, 07:35 PM

This seems like a very good trip.

If you enjoy yourself and decide to get away again (not for so long), one of my favorite places in Kentucky (I spent part of my youth in Owensboro) is Cumberland Falls State Park. If has been quite a while since I last visited there, but if you can score a room at the lodge, you will have great accommodations at a very reasonable price.

drobbins · 04-28-2008, 08:49 PM

This type a vacation will be different for us. We usually just do local weekend trips. Mainly I am doing it for the family. Camping in a state park is much more my style, but we have never done something like Disney and Universal. We will make a day at the space center also. That I am interested in. The frugal side of me would rather by a big screen for the living room that will last far longer than a week. But you only live once so I am up for Orlando, to give it a try.



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