Hi there – I have been a long time lurker on this message board ( for maybe 20 years now! ) and always find such helpful advice here.
I am looking to plan a vacation for my family somewhere in the US for the last week in June and I feel overwhelmed by all the possibilities!
I also know I am pretty late to planning for some locations.
We live near Boston and can travel for about 7-8 days
We are a family of 5 and our kids are 15, 12, and 7.
We like to do things outdoors although my 12 yo complains if hikes are *too* strenuous. We like to visit interesting/unique museums/tours together because this is something that we all find interesting and any age can do it!
All three of my kids are into art. My husband and oldest son enjoy history. Our youngest just learned to ride a bike and swim last summer. He could potentially do activities that include biking/swimming now but nothing too challenging.
My kids would enjoy activities such as like caves/ zip lining/ seeing cool wildlife/ snorkeling / hot springs/ trying surfing. My oldest REALLY wants to sled down sand dunes but this is certainly not a requirement!
Honestly, my kids could walk over a cool rope bridge and then talk about it for a month – they are fairly easily entertained.
We like unique experiences and things that are off the beaten path. I prefer to do something that NOT everyone else is doing at that time. ie, we went to acadia two years ago JUST before busy season and it was fantastic because it wasn’t too crowded yet.
Our vacation last year was an RV trip to Maine so I prefer to a different state this year. Originally, I was considering either northern or southern CA but I think I have decided one week is just not enough time to fly that far (?)
We are open to flying or driving but I think 3-4 hours in the car is our max for each day so this probably limits us in terms of how far we can go in a week if we choose to drive.
We are not crazy foodies so this part is not super important to us. My husband and son have allergies so we tend to play it safe when it comes to cuisine on vacation.
I would love to hear about any locations that pop into your head that might suit us. THANK YOU in advance for your help!