<p>This has been something we've planned on and H and I have saved up the time to do a two-week trip this summer following D1's graduation. It's been so darn long since we did much besides visit relatives that I honestly don't know where to start on this. Any suggestions that won't totally break the bank and that an 18-year-old 15-year-old and two 50-somethings will enjoy?</p>
<p>A couple of suggestions:
1) we did a cruise, when the kids were 21, 18 and 15. It worked out very well because there were other teens/young adults on board so there was a nice balance between family time and the kids feeling like they had some autonomy.
2)the exchange rate is terrible but if you can afford it, a two week trip to London and the nearby regions would be terrific. London is a very easy city to get around - the "tube" takes you everywhere and the map is easy to read. And there are tons of day trips out of the city that you can do by car or by train. Also, Paris is a quick ride through the chunnel so you can pop over there for 2-3 days without having to add a leg on your plane ticket.
3) If you're an outdoorsy family, why not consider hitting some of the national parks? You can do a terrific two week circuit that includes the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Canyon de Chelly and the Petrified Forest and attach a day or two in Las Vegas at the end (just about 3 hours from Zion if you make that your last stop.)<br>
Or there's another two week loop including Crater Lake in Oregon, stopping in Ashland, OR for the Shakespeare Festival, then continuing to California to see Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, the John Muir Woods and ending in San Francisco.
4) We've done some great rafting trips with our kids using OARS and Western Rivers Expeditions. Rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is an incredible experience and if you do the long trip, it will take you 7-10 days. When we did this trip, we added 3 days to see Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam.
5)If your kids are more city animals, you might consider a two week loop on Amtrak, going from Chicago to New York to Washington DC (or whatever order works for you.) These are three fabulous cities and very different from each other. In Chicago, you can take a bike tour of the city, get tickets to Oprah, go to the Lincoln Park Zoo and take in a show at the Second City Comedy troupe. The possibilities in New York are endless. And in Washington, you can visit the White House (get advance tickets from your local senator or congressman), do all the Smithsonian Museums, the National Zoo, the shops in Georgetown, etc. All three cities are fun for teenagers and comparing the similarities and differences could make a great family trip. Plus the train rides are quite different and show another side to the US.<br>
Will be interested in others' recommendations.</p>
<p>You may want to check out St. John in the USVI. We did a post-graduation trip there with the kids when our older one graduated from HS and younger from elementary, and they enjoyed it a great deal. Rented a house overlooking the bay that didn't break the bank, spent lots of time on the various beaches, and did some touristy stuff as well. Plus, that time of year is low season there.</p>
<p>Just remembered how funny the kids found being offered pina coladas (during our layover in San Juan) either with or without (rum)! Ah, those were the days . . .</p>
<p>Great suggestions - I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>We have been to quite a few places as a family, including some of the ones mentioned above. My kids were a little younger than yours when we visited St. John, but they still talk about it as their best vacations ever. We also rented a house overlooking the water, as Little Mother suggested. The weather is excellent during the summer, even though it is the low season as far as prices are concerned. There are online rental agents who will show you pictures of houses that meet your needs online. St. John is much more unspoiled than St. Thomas, and I highly recommend it as a vacation destination.</p>
<p>Two weeks with two kids is an extraordinary opportunity! With everyone's busy lives, most likely it won't come around again for a long time. </p>
<p>I guess the decision depends on what you like to do, but I would seize this chance to go somewhere that you've always wanted to see -- Egypt, Kenya, Cambodia, Bali, Tahiti, India, Australia. The airfare will be a big chunk of the expense but the daily cost (as compared to an urban destination in the US or Europe) can be quite reasonable.</p>
<p>Yes, I am trying to seize this with both hands. Very hard in the midst of normal work, a senior's applications, etc. But these things really do take planning. St. John's sounds sublime. We are a family who really does love the beach. Also the United Kingdom idea would work well for us. I hadn't thought about the proximity of France. Momrath - I'm afraid we lack your adventurous soul when it comes to the more exotic locations, although Tahiti does sound good.</p>
<p>hazelb has a lot of great suggestions. Really, the sky's the limit except for the following realities/practicalities - </p>
<ul>
<li>Time (you've allotted 2 weeks)</li>
<li>Money </li>
<li>Starting point (east coast, west coast, in between)</li>
<li>What you've already done on vacations</li>
<li>What your family likes to do</li>
</ul>
<p>If you can swing it, now's a very good time in your kids' ages for a trip to Europe albeit it's expensive. This would be an educational trip in addition to a fun one. If the kids haven't been outside of the country I think this would be an opportune time to broaden their horizons a bit. Also, if either of your kids is considering doing a study abroad in Europe this would give them a little flavor of what it's like over there (and you too if you haven't been). If you do go I encourage to shoot for closer to 3 weeks if you can but you could still have a worthwhile time in 2 weeks (make it a long 2 weeks by using the outside weekends). Paris is only a 3 hour train ride from London although you might find flying to be less expensive if you plan ahead. You can also take the chunnel from London to Calais, rent a car (or maybe take a train), and head to Brugges Belgium for a visit to a very interesting town and then head elsewhere. If you're in the UK, head over to northern Wales if you can - along the coast and the town of Conwy. You can swing through Stonehenge and Bath along the way.</p>
<p>Beach trips are nice but you can do those any time. Now that one of your kids is off to college you never know how many more opportunities you have to get the family together for a vacation. Now's a good time to maximize it.</p>
<p>There have been a few other recent threads with lots of advice on visiting Europe including ways to make it a bit more affordable.</p>
<p>Have fun in whatever you decide.</p>
<p>^ thanks - yes, I floated the beach vs. Europe ideas with my H this morning and we both came to the same conclusion. Beaches are relatively easy to do - we're not far from Florida. Now does feel like the time for Europe. Neither kid has gone. My H and I go occasionally for business. I love the idea of seeing the coast of Wales. Going to get to work on this. Thanks to all!</p>
<p>I believe the US dollar is 1.48 to the Euro. Europe is very expensive for Americans right now!</p>
<p>We went to Scotland with our then 12 yo. It was gorgeous. You can do a nice mix of outdoor stuff (hiking, pony-trekking), or museum-y stuff (castles, art museums). We felt like we were in Lord of the Rings country much of the time. I haven't been anywhere that felt as wild and remote and strange and except parts of the American Southwest. I think Wales has similar attractions and feel, though it's been longer since I was there and we zipped through a bit too fast when I was there. We did very little planning ahead for Scotland trip. Dh had a conference in Glasgow so we started there with a rental car and did a one week loop. (Didn't get further north than Loch Ness, but would love to go back and go further north.) Then spent another week in Glasgow without the car while son and I took day trips via train or stayed in Glasgow where there is plenty to do.</p>
<p>Last year we went to London and rented a "flat". It was much more affordable then a hotel and we were able to cook some meals at home or get take out (or take away as they call it there!). The tube is great for getting all around the city and there's so much to do. We have tried to take family vacations over the spring break and then do a week at the beach over the summer. I was hesitant to not go someplace warm over Spring break - but England was just wonderful. I would suggest spending some time in the countryside as well. There are ways to save some money if you do decide to go to Europe. My D is graduating this year as well and we know that we also hope to take a family vacation - you might not get the chance to again - so I'd say go where you want and then try to economize where you can. England or Europe may be cheaper in 5 or 10 years - but your kids won't be at home then - so go now while you can! We also went to Hawaii - which was also wonderful and not nearly as expensive as people led us to believe. Good luck and enjoy!</p>
<p>Another cost saving idea - a house swap. It's not for everyone - some people would be uncomfortable having strangers in their house. But if that might work for you, a house swap is a great way to save money.</p>
<p>I've done it twice now - once to England and once to California. You exchange houses with another family. The upside is that you save the cost of hotels, can eat in if you feel like it, and in some swaps you can even swap cars, so you avoid that cost as well.</p>
<p>There are online sites for housing swaps. </p>
<p>I personally love London and England, but it all depends on your interests. </p>
<p>Another cost saver can be to rent rooms at colleges during the summer. For example, we've stayed in dorm rooms in Oxford. Not luxurious, but much cheaper than hotels. I know that Imperial College and University of London also rent rooms in the summer.</p>
<p>Lots of resources out there - get inspired and go for it!</p>
<p>We spent 3 weeks on our England/Wales/Scotland/Paris trip. One of the things that worked best for our group was making sure there was a "pop culture" event every few days to balance out all the history and castles. Day after day of museums and grand palaces got old if we didn't have something fun or lively thrown in. One of the great things about the really big places - like Stonehenge or Versailles - is the audio tours. They allow each member of the family to go at his/her own pace and focus on their own interests.
For the kids, the highlights were:
England & Scotland:
Stonehenge
The Roman Baths in Bath
Going to the beach in Wales
The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh (this is the alternative arts festival that precedes the classic Edinburgh Festival - lots of street performers and off-beat theater events)
The Tattoo in Edinburgh (a performance event at the castle)
The Highland Games
(What they didn't like was Blenheim, Windsor, and Oxford)</p>
<p>London
the British Museum
going to the theater (both the Old Globe and a West End production)
the Tower of London
the Pepsi Trocadero (wall to wall video games)
the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Fortnum and Mason (big department store)
(what they didn't like was Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Tate)</p>
<p>Paris
Citie des Sciences and Industrie (an enormous complex of parks and interactive science/technology museums)
the Louvre,
the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame
Hanging out at the Palais de Chaillot, watching the street acrobats and performance artisits
Wandering through Montmarte
Going to an American movie with French subtitles
La Samaritaine, a big department store
(what they didn't like was the Rodin Museum, Versailles - more gold gilt and formal gardens that reminded them of the British palaces - and the Pompidou. We didn't go to EuroDisney - figured we could do that at home.)</p>
<p>I second Scotland! A combination of hotels and bed and breakfasts is great. We loved the castles, ruins,the beautiful scenery. Went as far north as the Orkney Islands. People very friendly. England, Scotland , and Wales would be great for 2 weeks. Scandinavia is great as well-can see more than one country in 2 weeks and most people speak English. My ancestors were Scottish,English and Swedish so have made a point of seeing Scotland,England and Sweden. Perhaps a trip to where your ancestors were from?</p>
<p>Europe is extremely expensive nowadays. We've been fortunate to have traveled extensively in Europe, but those days are over when S starts college next year. Of the places we have visited, my most favorite country is Italy. I resisted for years to visit but finally made the trip last year. We all fell in love with Rome, even DH who thinks a city's population should only be a few hundred :). Visiting Florence, Venice, etc., were all unique experiences and the food and people were just heavenly. This past summer, we visited Ireland, had a wonderful time but we experienced quite a bit of sticker shock. I could not believe how much the dollar has devalued in the last few years in relation to the euro. One of these days, I'll find my way to Scotland.</p>
<p>Actually, my H's background is Scottish and mine is Irish. This is making much sense. I'm interested in the house swap idea, too. And when I mentioned Stonehenge the whole gang got excited.</p>
<p>I just thought of something else - Alaska. We've been there a couple of times, both in August, rented an RV (a few tense minutes between DH and me when he started driving it) and had an incredible vacation both times. This is definitely geared towards the wilderness adventure but I even enjoyed it and I prefer cities.</p>
<p>If money is not too scarce, I recommend a cruise with Lindblad to Costa Rica and Panama.</p>
<p>Teens have enough independence, but you can all always find eachother. And the issue of them wanting to go out at night doesn't even come up...</p>
<p>Plus cannot get more beautiful than that.</p>
<p>You should be able to access lots of free tourism info on the internet . You can also request the info from the tourist boards. In Scotland, (since you are intersted in Stonehenge), there is the "Hill o' Many Stanes" and Skara Brae. Very fascinating. So is Scapa Flow.St. Andrews is very nice for golfers, the whisky distilleries ( the Glenlivet,Glenfiddich) are interesting even if you are not a whisky drinker. Edinburgh Castle is great. You would not be there for the Edinburgh Festival,the Tattoo, or Highland Games if you go right after school lets out. We were there in late August/early September and got to see the Festival,Tattoo and games. It rained for 17 days straight but still had a great time! The pubs are great and wonderful for meeting friendly, local people.</p>