Talk About a Great Vacation Spot | Autism PDD

I love Cashiers in North Carolina - I stayed in a really sweet B& B and we g\had a lot of fun - fabulous weather - wonderful food and a feeling of leisure - I LOVE NC A horse ranch sounds so peaceful. I don't know about the wwrafting. I might have a heart attack. NC is not far away from me and I love B&B's. Gosh, the last time I stayed in a B&B was on our honeymoon. I remember a bed so big and fluffy that I felt like I could drown in it.:) I remember freshly baked, still warm cookies each evening right outside our door. It was so delightful. Do you have a memory of a fantastic vacation spot - either before or after your children came along? What was your most fun or relaxing vacation? Where was it? Why was it so great?

I really need a vacation but we're not sure where we can go where it's quiet, relaxing, but still fun for our 3 yo. We have no nanny and will not be traveling with any other family members. We want to avoid really hot places like the tropics because my son doesn't like the intensity of the heat.

Any recommendations?What state are you in sunflowers?Virginia, but I'm itching to get out of state! It's been a long while since I've had a vacation far away.

Last summer we took the kids for a week long vacation to South Dakota and had an awesome time. We saw the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, and Custer State Park. We also stayed at a horse ranch for part of our trip which was fun. We drove there from Wisconsin with no problems. There was enough to do to keep the kids entertained, but not so much that they got overwhelmed.

Next summer we really want to go to Yellowstone National Park. DH's cousin is going this summer with his family, so we're hoping for some tips. We've been waiting on this particular trip until the boys were older because we want them to remember the trip.

DH and I took a trip to Colorado before we had kids. It was fantastic. One of the hightlights of the trip was white water rafting, but you wouldn't want to do that with a 3 year-old. Kathy, how long is the flight to Hawaii for you? I'm anxious about flying and I heard the flight is often turbulent around Hawaii? What is the best month to go to avoid the intense heat?Most relaxing for me is the Manele Bay hotel in Lanai, Hawaii. It has a little
bit of something for everyone in our family.
Golf for my husband
Beautiful Beach, great pool, fun safe place to be independent for the kids
pool boys and room service for Mom
We go every summer and I never tire of it.We just got back from a week in Waikiki. It was my third time there and I love it more each time. Next time I want to go to the big island (Hawaii) and go to Volcanoes Park, and the Kona Coffee Factory. Hawaii is heaven on earth: Something for everybody, all wrapped up in a gorgeous, lush setting. Both kids had the time of their lives, and that's saying something. Connor is usually miserable on vacation, and spends the whole time mopping and saying that he want to go home. Not this time!

~Sunflowers-

If you want to travel, but not too far I would recommend Hot Springs NC, it is a quiet friendly little town. My husband and I are going this weekend in fact. You can go and camp or even stay at a B&B-we stayed at the Mountain Magnolia Inn, they even have 2 separate houses with multiple rooms. It is not that expensive. The most amazing this is the natural Hot Springs. Prices are not more than . I have never been so relaxed in my life! There is huge talk about the healing affects the hot mineral water has on your skin, body and soul. I believe every word of it!! Google it. I promise you if you go you will go back! There is so much to do there, hiking, swimming, fishing, horses. It is a very arts&crafts type community. The Appalachian trail run right through it. The town is full of history. I can not say enough about this great place!! I give it-

Let us know what you decide!

I really liked Destin, FL. Went there in 2005 and would go there again in a heartbeat. I also liked making the trip through Georgia and the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina/Tennessee in 1998.

I just vacationed at Ocracoke Island, which is a beach paradise, as long as you don't require resort type anemities.

My all time favorite vacation spots are Mount Desert Island, ME (Acadia National Park) and staying in the historic inns of St. Augustine, FL. The latter wouldn't be suitable for a three year old, though, and my view might be skewed by the fact that this was the first getaway that DW and I had after the twins were born, after getting pounded for about two years with non-stop screaming.

fred39272.9249189815The flight from LA (nearest big airport) to Honolulu is 5hrs. Sometimes we
stop there for about three days ( Waikiki is still the most beautiful beach and
great people watching) We take a smaller plane to Lanai (can get bumpy but
its a short flight) I think less than 40 minutes. I have been there in the
summer and it is not bad at all. I used to pull the kids out of school and
take them in early December before the xmas rush and that was, for me the
best time to go. The Hotels were at 60% capacity and I loved that. I have had
it rain on me in October and April but I still had a good time. If you ever get
a chance, try Hawaii. My favorite Islands there are Lanai and the Big Island.

COLORADO!

Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Vail, Aspen, Dillon, any small mountain place!

Grand Canyon, ABQ and Santa Fe, NM ... and my other trips have been adoption trips outta the country -- stressful, but as close to a vacation as I have gotten in some time!

I would LOVE GREECE, I just know it. I already love the FOOD ... and MUSIC!

My fave lifetime vacations were India, China and Peru! (I actually went back and picked up kids from India, China and Guatemala ... it was all coincidence, except for India

Maybe one day:) He speaks the language and we would get free room and board:)

[QUOTE=ShelleyR]

My husband has family in Athens, Greece and the photos are gorgeous~love the food, the people..the music:)

Maybe one day:) He speaks the language and we would get free room and board:)

[/QUOTE]

This is my dream trip! I'm part Greek, love the food and music, and have always been dying to go. Not with the kids, though

Bahamas, Key West, St John.... anywhere u can snorkel! :)

These days - it's Atlantic City/Wildwood/Cape May - Jersey Shore. :) No snorkelling ( bec all we would find is dead fish!! hahaha) but water in that enormity and waves............ something abt it - so serene and yet so forecful... antithesis - acceptance vs action! Too philosophical huh???

My son loves Clearwater Beach in Florida. The pier there is great! They have a great beach, 2 huge playgrounds at the pier, and 3 huge bouncies that with a bracelet purchase they can go in all day unlimited amounts of time. That is the only time that my son ever gets tired of jumping

But, I am SO NOT Angelina!!! I wanted one or two kids, and the street kids in India haunted me forever after I was there (okay, AND CHINA, AND PERU!). But since it is important to learn a little of a child's birth culture, and both DH and I loved India (and we were there separately -- he was military), we opted for India.

Then once we got a second referral, UNICEF had already come in and opposed International Adoption there. While there are ten million street children in India, we were told we were TOO OLD (see??? NOT Angelina!), even for a special needs adoption??? So, we switched countries.

Anyhow, Tuhina is from Calcutta/ Kolkata, a terrific city that I will be VERY happy to go back to!

Foxl, is your name Angelina? Kidding aside, what a big heart you must have. Whereabouts in India did you stay?

Rita, snorkling looks like so exciting to do, I always wanted to try it.

Greece sounds exotic, but probably a little expensive too.

Fred, forgive my ignorance - what are the historic St Augustine Inns?

Greece IS beautiful! One of the few countires I have spent time in--way off
the beaten path, in tiny villages with my Yia Yia, and several untouristy
islands. I spent a few entire summers there while I was growing up. My
favorite photo from my childhood is of me at the acropolis when I was 6,
and my little brother is actually climbing on the ruins in the background.
(can't do that anymore)

My favorite place on earth is Lake Tahoe in August. It's SO beautiful and
relaxing. I love swimming in the icy clear blue water! Go one day, it's truly
amazing! I try to go as often as I can. I swear by the restorative powers of
the Sierras and that magical lake.Wow, Cam - you have sure had some neat adventures - wow again. Makes me want to go and DO something - TODAY!

[QUOTE=sunflowers]Kathy, how long is the flight to Hawaii for you? I'm anxious about flying and I heard the flight is often turbulent around Hawaii? What is the best month to go to avoid the intense heat?[/QUOTE]

I thought you said "no tropics"

Kuai, Hawaii was the best vacation I EVER had. Peaceful little island. No nasties. Not much of a night life (which I liked). Great beaches. Every type of climate. This was our Honeymoon.

We are not "Hotel" people. DW found a great place. A guy who owned 30 acres of land and had three "cottages" on them that he rented out. They were VERY small with a kitchenette, no airconditioning, etc..., but really cozy and a grill on the deck overlooking the waterfalls.

0 for the week! Yes...not a typo. Needless to say this allowed us the opportunity to spend money on scuba gear, a Helicopter ride, some nice meals, etc... We did some greaat hikes and bought food and kept it in the fridge often making meals and packing them up. It was the most amazing time I have ever had!

Many movies are filmed there because it is so beautiful. Did you ever see the movie "Six Days and Seven Nights" With Anne Heche and Harrison Ford? There is a scene where he makes her jump over a cliff and then follows. It is about 100 feet up. It is called "Shipwreck." I jumped it! It was awesome! Also jumped into "Queen's Bath" Which was supposed to be dangerous (it wasn't) and swam with a huge group of Sea Turtles. UH...I want to go back~!

More locally, Mystic, CT we went to just before BB was born and was a great trip and Newport RI was really nice.

Now Switzerland is my dream destination. I wish I could move there. I met people who live there and they just love it.

But if I can't move there, I'd love to just visit.

I heard they don't like Americans though? The Europeans I met were very opinionated about Americans and not ashamed to let me know exactly what their negative thoughts of our country are.

I'd hate to have to deal with this negativity on a vacation though.Switzerland is gorgeous - I actually have family there. Germany & Austria are also beautiful - I went to school for a semester in Germany while in college. Loved Italy! Stockholm, Sweden & Prague, Czechoslovakia are also fantastic destinations.[QUOTE=nene]

Oahu is small..you can drive around the island in just a few hours, so it would be easy to go up to Dole Plantation and walk the Pineapple Maze, Drive to North Shore to check out the Sea Turtles and the Big Waves. I haven't driven longer than 60 minutes in one direction since I moved here. The other Islands are great too.

[/QUOTE]

We did the Pineapple Plantation, and Connor LOVED the maze! His mathmetician's mind was in overdrive. He got us through it in 23 minutes. I would have been sunk without himLOL! Lucky you, nene!

Thanks for that list. I'm going to print this list out and show this to my husband.

I don't know about hotels, because I have a house

Toddler Friendly on Oahu

1. Cute Zoo in Waikiki. The Honolulu zoo is pretty small (and the animals always look overheated;however, they redid the kid's section a year ago and it is very cute.

2. Chidren's Discovery Center..nice interactive children's museum that has 3 levels. Tons of stuff like lets pretend store, theater, post office, fire station, etc

3. Beach Time, Beach Time, Beach Time

4. Shopping in China Town..always good fun for kids..be sure to not eat anything if it falls on the ground.. "double blech!"

5. Swimming Pools. Hawaiian Water Adventure Park is fun but spendy, otherwise chill at the Hotel Pool.

6. Waikiki Aquarium. small, but great size for a toddler

7. Glow in the dark, 3-D indoors mini-golf in Waikiki

8. There is always free music somewhere

9. Cheap movies at Restaurant Row....00 for a movie and hotdogs only .50

10. Ala Moana Mall..lots of high end shops, but has Koi in the middle, Barnes and Noble, and a "Jungle Fun" chucky Cheese type place. There are even 2 Chucky Cheeses on the Island.

i wouldn't worry, just hanging out is good enough for my kids. People in Hawaii love keiki (kids) and the keiki here are usually friendly.

Hawaii is a great vacation destination;however, it is $$$$, it takes forever to fly here from the mainland and it is unbearably hot in the summer. The hottest months in Honolulu are August and September. Kauai is always about 5-10 degrees cooler than most of the other islands.. Kauai is a good vacation spot; however, it has a poplulation of about 30,000 people. It's activities are more geared towards the "outdoors". Honolulu and Waikiki are great for people watching, gentle beachs; however, remember that it is the invasion of the box jellyfish every 10 days after a full moon. It is cooler in the winter/late Fall; however, there is always a risk of rain.

Aloha, Renee

I had a friend who went to Hawaii. But she said because they stayed in a decent hotel, they had to make sure they didn't spend too much on meals. It's very costly to eat out there she said. So she and her husband literally ate at fast food restaurants for the week they were there!

I didn't know things were that expensive there? If you stay at a decent hotel and also eat out at decent places, 3 meals a day, for one week, how expensive can it get? More than visiting Greece?

And if I were to go when it was cooler, what is there for toddlers to do there?

Yes, I did say no tropics. But if the heat can be avoided in a different month but the trip still equally enjoyable I'm open to hearing about it. I have to second Hanauma Bay. It so beautiful and the fish are friendly to
boot.

I have an annual pass to the Atlantis submarine...just can't get enough of it. I haven't been to Hanauma Bay in 13 years and I live 15 minutes away!! However, I just taught my son how to snorkel so maybe sometime in the next week. I didn't include all the nifty hikes (like Manoa Fall, Makapu'u lighthouse, Diamond Head) or the Botanical gardens (bring the bug spray)

Aloha, Renee

[QUOTE=nene]

Aloha, Renee

[/QUOTE]

Renee, I can't believe you have an annual pass for the submarine, but you haven't snorkeled at Hanauma for 13 years! Go right away! The sub ride is a great primer to put you in the mood. You can see the sea turtles, then go and actually swim with them! While I was snorkeling, another swimmer tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out a crab, that is very rare on the reef. It was so cool! It's called a 7-11 crab

Oh, yeah, and I swam with the green sea turtles, too

I had the kids with me, but no hubby, and Connor didn't want to snorkel, so he watched Raymie for me, and they swam on the beach while I was out there. He did a great job watching his little sister, and they had a blast together on that beautiful beach while I had the snorkeling experience of a lifetime!

[QUOTE=Luckyman327]Karen, just what kind of boat are you sitting on in the picture that is your avatar?

That's Connor in my avatar, sitting on my parent's boat, a Navigator 57. Here's a better look at Connor's picture, plus another of him on the boat.

And here is what the boat looks like:[QUOTE=autumn]

COLORADO!

Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Vail, Aspen, Dillon, any small mountain place!

[/QUOTE]

That is our next trip!!! I have ALWAYS wanted to go to CO.

My Bloodhound is from Aspen Karen:

Thanks! Your son sure does have a beautiful smile.

I'd be smiling on that boat too. We get to ride with my sister and her hubby on their 44 ft Sea Ray Cruiser, so I smile a lot too. John[QUOTE=Luckyman327]Karen:

I'd be smiling on that boat too.[/QUOTE] I think the smile is more because he is baking brownies rather than being on a boat! A Sea Ray 44 is non too shabby either!Renee and Karen:

I am soooo envious of A) Renee living where I hope to go to someday, and B) Karen, just what kind of boat are you sitting on in the picture that is your avatar?

I would go back to Aruba tomorrow and never leave. My wife and I went there for our honeymoon 9 years ago and unfortunately haven't been anywhere like that since then. We do go to the Nags Head area of the Outer Banks on the North Carolina coast every year for our family vacation. It is such a beautiful sea shore and there is a lot of stuff for our young son to see and enjoy. Lucky for us he enjoys the beach and our house's in ground pool the most.

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