<p>My husband said, "ask that list how many folks take their kids across the country for graduation." So I'm asking. My daughter wants us all to come to graduation -- three siblings. I want them to go and so does he but I think he's blanching at the cost of airfare and lodging for all of us. So...how many of you took all the kids when your student graduated far away? She really wants us all to come and it is a big moment.</p>
<p>Can this be made into a memorable family vacation to justify the costs? Since your D is going to be on her own, this might be the last time your entire family vacations together...</p>
<p>If you can swing it, go for it. It will mean the world to your D to have you all there and if I can make a reccomendation for a clean, decent room at a decent rate, it's Hampton Inn and Suites or Embassy Suites. ES is a tad more chi chi and their comp b-fast is def better but both offer clean rooms and a breakfast. In San Francisco there is only about 25.00 diff between the two. Don't know where you will be but if you are a Hilton Honors member you earn points with either.</p>
<p>I have gone to two of my siblings' college graduations, and I will go to another sister's this spring. For the first two, my sister and I (sister who is graduating this year) were young and in school, so we had to go or have someone come stay with us. One graduation was within driving distance, but a long drive, and the other was about 1/2 way across the country. For the one this spring, it's not really an extra flight since it's about the time I would be flying home from college myself anyway. </p>
<p>The lodging is much more costly than the flight, particularly if the school isn't in or near a city. During graduation time prices skyrocket months in advance. One room can be hundreds of dollars a night with a three night minimum, and you would probably need two rooms. This spring, we're staying at a home that's rented by a client of my mother's. We've also invited the parents of some of my sister's friends to stay at the home who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend graduation at all. </p>
<p>It really comes down to your own family, though. As outsiders, we can't judge your family values or financial constraints. If it's not financially feasible for the siblings to attend, I'm sure you can do something else special to celebrate the event if she returns home after graduation.</p>
<p>Our family of five traveled 500 miles in 2005 and is anticipating a 900-mile trip in 2009. I think it's definitely worth planning, budgeting, and scrimping for. I agree with Bunsen that this can be a wonderful family vacation, if it's at all financially possible. There are many ways to cut the cost of the trip (we're saving our credit card points to offset the cost of the hotel when d2 graduates).</p>
<p>Two other (somewhat) less expensive hotel options - 2 bedroom suites at Residence Inn or Homewood Suites. Two bathrooms make the experience less stressful for all, and the cost is usually comparable to or less than 2 separate rooms.</p>
<p>If you can afford it, it's very nice to have the whole family at these kinds of celebrations.</p>
<p>But . . . be sure you can all actually attend the graduation. Some universities limit the number of tickets each graduate gets. Even though graduates can sometimes get extra tickets from others who won't use their allotment, it can be difficult to get all family members into the ceremony itself.</p>
<p>Congratulations on the graduation!</p>
<p>Like everyone said -- if you can afford it, do it!</p>
<p>About accommodations: make your reservations now. You may have to stay a little farther away to get good rates if it is a big school (many nearby hotels will double their rates around graduation). If you wait, you may not be able to find any reasonable accommodations available...</p>
<p>We did not bring our 17 year old daughter to our son's graduation - not because of cost but because she had an AP test and prom.<br>
Also, as the last poster mentioned, there are usually tickets. In our case the Arts and Sciences ceremony was limited ticketing and the actual grad ceremony was not. I did not see a lot of siblings - some but not a lot. I would also be concerned about the ages of the siblings and their ability to sit for long periods of times in uncomfortable seating. But as corranged stated, it really depends on the values and priorities in your particular family.</p>
<p>I can't imagine not attending my D's graduation, but then again, we only have one!</p>
<p>FWIW, let me share with you my observations from living in the Boston area for a long time (but no longer, sadly).</p>
<p>I was always amazed at the contrast between fall drop off and spring commencement. In the fall, whether it was around BU, around Harvard or Northeastern, the scene was the same: a big distance, figuratively and literally, between parents and their kids. I can't tell you how many times I'd see families walking together in the fall, kid at least 4 or 5 steps removed from the parents (who were huddling closely...), the parents with sour/sad looks on their faces, the kids with looks that said "please move on so I can settle in..." It was not a happy, festive time from a family point of view.</p>
<p>I the spring, especially on commencement days, the difference continues to amaze me. You can't imagine how much fun it was to watch whole extended families walking down the sidewalk arm in arm, beaming in ways I thought not possible. I can honestly say I never saw an unhappy scene on these days.</p>
<p>BTW, this is not just true for undergrads. I worked on the HMS campus for a number of years, so med school commencement was just outside my office door so to speak. If anything, the scene was even more festive. And several years, the weather was terrible (want to know what happens to white shirts when the are under a crimson grad robe (harvard colors) and it rains?) but even that did not dampen the spririts (pun intended?)</p>
<p>So I can't imagine missing what will undoubtedly be one of the happiest days in a family experience. In some ways it can be better than a wedding, some of which can be tense or sad. Graduations never are, no matter what the student was. Because they are no longer students..</p>
<p>It sounds as if you'll be coming to SF (is that right??). I would say try to rent an apartment rather than a hotel for your stay. Check out craigslist.org as well as VRBO.com first. VRBO is a great site, with many wonderful choices. Having a home to stay in is amazing. I used craigslist to rent a flat in NYC in August to drop D off at school, and the rent was a quarter what a hotel would have been. Now my best friend and I are going to NYC for the first week of Dec, and rented an apt in Greenwich Village for UNDER $200 a night. We have a wonderful location, stereo, DVD player, fully stocked kitchen, and more. </p>
<p>PM me if you'd like some assistance.</p>
<p>We're deciding whether to bring the sib along for older sis's graduation. Our problem is that in order to do so, little sib must miss one day of school and 3 days of finals! </p>
<p>The high school and college have the SAME graduation day! Thank goodness our kids are 5 years apart!!!!!</p>
<p>H and I are thinking of driving the entire family (six younger sibs) to S's graduation halfway across the country in 2010, (IF he graduates. . .)</p>
<p>I hope the trip doesn't turn into "Little Miss Sunshine II"</p>
<p>At my college graduation, there were only 3 tickets per family. My parents and grandma came--leaving my 6 sibs at home.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great feedback. I will check on hotel suggestions. We are not going to SF, we are going to New Haven, CT, in case anyone has good suggestions in that area. We can swing it financially although it will be as pricey as a longer vacation, when all is said and done. I found out yesterday that the school will have some dorms spaces available for $135 per person for night. Well, for 5 people, that is pricey for two nights. But the hotel industry goes wild there at graduation. One not-so-great place was asking $458 a night (and we need two rooms) with a three night minimum (we only need two.) And no cancellation after a two-week reservation period. My son already graduated college, but it was closeby. I agree with all who said it was a fabulous experience. I left his graduation feeling excited that I would be going to another one in two years. We can't turn into a big vacation as my kids will still be in school and they will need to get back. It will be a three-day trip. I am thinking we might need to stay in an outlying area and rent a car although I know parking will be a huge problem there. I will need to do more research this week -- but any suggestions on places in that area would be greatly appreciated. I think my husband needed to hear that other people take the whole family -- I think he was a bit surprised by why that seemed so important to her and to me. He just seemed to assume that the two of us would go without the kids even though we took the kids to our last kid's graduation (20 minutes away!) It was pretty funny to me that he felt I should come here and find out what other people think and do. I didn't even know hewas aware that I frequent this website!</p>
<p>Oh, one more thing. Tickets are not an issue here -- they don't have tickets.</p>
<p>mimk6,</p>
<p>when is the graduation? Are you by chance planning ahead for next spring?</p>
<p>Yes, I am planning for spring 2008. Also, thanks to the poster who PMed me about the school rate -- it is a flat fee, not per night. So it would be $135 per person for two nights which is much better. But we are not guraranteed dorm housing as the space is limited and they won't begin to fill it until December so I still need to figure out backup options I think. Also, I do want to compare hotel rates -- husband is not a good sleeper and wondering if he will get any sleep in a dorm bed.</p>
<p>Hartford is 40 miles away, and should have plenty of options. That is a great idea, to rent a car and stay in another town. Hartford has Days Inn, Coutyard, and many others for under $100 per night.</p>
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husband is not a good sleeper and wondering if he will get any sleep in a dorm bed.
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</p>
<p>Don't subject him to a dorm bed unless you have no other alternative. Dorm beds are not meant to be slept in by anyone over the age of 20 (and maybe not even then!) I attended a conference for several summers that was housed on a college campus (not the one in New Haven but dorm beds are dorm beds). We all walked around bent over as a result.</p>
<p>If you love your hubby, find someplace else!!</p>
<p>And have a fabulous time at graduation!</p>
<p>Thanks to a post back in August, i booked a hotel room @ graduation time. I never went to my college or grad school graduation, and S never graduated HS. I missed hearing him give a commencement speech, but I would never have held him back from leaving HS as a junior.</p>
<p>I am surely looking forward to his college graduation. If his aunt would be willing to join me, I'd gladly pay for her flight. I think S would enjoy having more than just me present for this event.</p>