Help! Vacations that aren't the beach?!

[Swab]

but the kids don't have passports yet.

You really need to fix this, Bahama's, Mexico and the Dominican, to name a few, are less than 6 hours from your door to the hotel entrance and offer endless entertainment. Not sure how old your kids are but look for a place that has a reef fairly close to shore. My kids will snorkel pretty much the entire day.

 

[Swab]

...after you get back from a vacation you got nothing but a memory...

Isn't that what it's all about?

 

[mickbear]

Isn't that what it's all about?

i guess you may be right. our neighbors got back from their trip to disney world (for the second time) .they had come over for a couple of cold ones and they asked how much our walled patio and fire pit cost with smoker

and i replied , the same as a vacation or two. the difference is, we can use this every day.he said "dang all we have is some photographs and a memory".this is just one thing we did instead of a vacation. every body is different, don't get me wrong my wife and i spent the first 25 years together traveling all over the place.

 

[Swab]

i guess you may be right. our neighbors got back from their trip to disney world (for the second time) .they had come over for a couple of cold ones and they asked how much our walled patio and fire pit cost with smoker View attachment 834746and i replied , the same as a vacation or two. the difference is, we can use this every day.he said "dang all we have is some photographs and a memory".this is just one thing we did instead of a vacation. every body is different, don't get me wrong my wife and i spent the first 25 years together traveling all over the place.

You have a point, nice setup.

 

[mickbear]

You have a point, nice setup.

the main difference in my wife and i and most people is, we do not have children. we never had children so we dont know the pressures that children put on their parents. i'm sure a vacation away from home is a great stress relief for the kids as well as the parents.

 

[Codyt57]

Gatlinburg / piegon forge. Get a cabin from antiebellums , lots of stuff to do, cades cove is pretty cool, lots of history up there

 

[JWC]

Lots of good suggestions. The Chattanooga area is good with Rock City, Lookout Mt., the Aquarium, boat rides, IMAX theather, and ice cream by the river. Not too far up the Interstate from Chattanooga, Sweet Water I believe, is The Lost Sea. Large underground lake, some history and a cool walk below ground. With the heat, walking in a large cave is better than walking in the head.
But I have to admit, Cades Cove is great for an early morning trip. Lots of wild life, buildings to visit, amusement parks close by, shopping for you and the wife, but it is the typical tourist trap, which I don't mind, but has to be taken into account.
Good luck in your decision, either way, the kids will have fun

 

[NWSharpshooter]

Lots of good suggestions. The Chattanooga area is good with Rock City, Lookout Mt., the Aquarium, boat rides, IMAX theather, and ice cream by the river. Not too far up the Interstate from Chattanooga, Sweet Water I believe, is The Lost Sea. Large underground lake, some history and a cool walk below ground. With the heat, walking in a large cave is better than walking in the head.
But I have to admit, Cades Cove is great for an early morning trip. Lots of wild life, buildings to visit, amusement parks close by, shopping for you and the wife, but it is the typical tourist trap, which I don't mind, but has to be taken into account.
Good luck in your decision, either way, the kids will have fun

We make several trips up to the Chattanooga area each year. Honestly if the housing market were to ever come back to a point where we could sell our house, we would probably move to the area. We love it up there.

 

[albatros43]

the main difference in my wife and i and most people is, we do not have children. we never had children so we dont know the pressures that children put on their parents. i'm sure a vacation away from home is a great stress relief for the kids as well as the parents.

As a parent, you see how quickly time flies by. An extravagant vacation isn't necessary, but experiences are good for the kids.

We make several trips up to the Chattanooga area each year. Honestly if the housing market were to ever come back to a point where we could sell our house, we would probably move to the area. We love it up there.

Lots of good suggestions. The Chattanooga area is good with Rock City, Lookout Mt., the Aquarium, boat rides, IMAX theather, and ice cream by the river. Not too far up the Interstate from Chattanooga, Sweet Water I believe, is The Lost Sea. Large underground lake, some history and a cool walk below ground. With the heat, walking in a large cave is better than walking in the head.
But I have to admit, Cades Cove is great for an early morning trip. Lots of wild life, buildings to visit, amusement parks close by, shopping for you and the wife, but it is the typical tourist trap, which I don't mind, but has to be taken into account.
Good luck in your decision, either way, the kids will have fun

I think we might do a couple of days in the Chattanooga area and then a couple in the Pigeon Forge area.

 

[JWC]

If you go to Chattanooga, try the Cold Stone Ice Cream place. It is close to the Aquarium and the river. Heck, at times, there are some really large boats tied up along the river. You can't get on them, but fun for the kids to see. Also, walk across the walking bridge there in Chattanooga. There are some decent lunch/diner spots, and a park on the other side of the river. Have fun!