View Full Version : Looking for Summer vacation ideas..
Two years ago for Summer vacation we went to Gulf Shores (our youngest was only one then). Everyone had a good relaxing time. Last year we went to Gatlinburg...big mistake. Our oldest was old enough and tall enough for most attractions, and our middle child was not resulting in one (and sometimes two) unhappy kid(s). We were wishing we had gone back to Gulf Shores.
That time is coming up again and I need to be making plans. We had decided to go back to the Gulf but now I'm having second thoughts - like maybe the Lake of the Ozarks. Does anyone have recommendations? I have three boys ages, 3, 5, and 9.
capcat
03-05-2008, 10:14 PM
Grub, will this be a road trip? Just wondering how far you're willing to travel and how long you're planning to stay.
Yes - this will be a road trip and likely 7 day stay. I think I could probably take the boys to a Sleep Inn in Evansville and they would be happy if it had a pool.:icon_mrgreen:
UK78ALUM
03-06-2008, 09:54 AM
Land Between The Lakes ??
Land Between The Lakes ??
That's a possibility if I could rent a house or condo with a pool. The smallest child is not going to do well with camping just yet.
lighthouse
03-06-2008, 12:51 PM
Our most enjoyable and relaxing vacations are 7 day cruises. Some are better than others, but they are all great. You don't have to do anything but relax.
UKcat
03-06-2008, 12:55 PM
The North Carolina Outer Banks, in my opinion, is some of the prettiest beach area that I have seen; (other than the beaches that I saw in the Carribbean on our cruise); the area is just really pretty and the lighthouses are fabulous if you are in to that type of thing. Motel prices are a little high but all beachfront places are any more.
Blue Heaven
03-06-2008, 01:31 PM
Two years ago my family and I went down to Kentucky Lake for 4 days. We rented a good size cabin/modular near the Moors Marina. An excellent time that I'd recommend to anybody.
surveyor
03-06-2008, 01:57 PM
Two years ago for Summer vacation we went to Gulf Shores (our youngest was only one then). Everyone had a good relaxing time. Last year we went to Gatlinburg...big mistake. Our oldest was old enough and tall enough for most attractions, and our middle child was not resulting in one (and sometimes two) unhappy kid(s). We were wishing we had gone back to Gulf Shores.
That time is coming up again and I need to be making plans. We had decided to go back to the Gulf but now I'm having second thoughts - like maybe the Lake of the Ozarks. Does anyone have recommendations? I have three boys ages, 3, 5, and 9.
Try a few of these links. Some of the homes are in resorts and share a large or a few pools. Some may have a private pool unto itself.
http://www.lakehousevacations.com/browse.php?cat=24
http://www.explorekentuckylake.com/lakesarea/accommodations/cabins.htm
http://www.lakerentals.com/lakes/lake-cumberland
ukfubar
03-06-2008, 02:50 PM
I recommend the Blue Ridge Parkway. Plenty of activities for kids and parents.
UKSam
03-06-2008, 08:52 PM
Destin (Okaloosa Island). Near Destin but away from the tourist stuff. Really good places to eat. You are also about 1 hr away from Pensacola and might be able to catch a Blue Angel's practice.
Grub if you kids like baseball, Bring them to an Evansville Otters game this summer. I'll meet you there with my kids.
surveyor
03-07-2008, 08:18 AM
Destin (Okaloosa Island). Near Destin but away from the tourist stuff. Really good places to eat. You are also about 1 hr away from Pensacola and might be able to catch a Blue Angel's practice.
I'd echo the Destin area, but the east side towards Panama City. The Seagrove Beach area is relatively unspoiled in comparison to Destin and is about 20 minutes east of Destin along 30-A. We spent our honeymoon there 15 years ago.
It hasn't grown up too much since then (still only two high rises in the area). Plenty of beach front rental homes and condos. Many homes have their own private pool.
Most all the main roads in the area have bike paths adjacent to them. Bike paths interconnect with nearby nature preserve parks. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from (depending on one's tastes of course) without having to venture into Destin.
The biggest plus is the beaches aren't crowded due to the limited number of high density properties.
Destin (Okaloosa Island). Near Destin but away from the tourist stuff. Really good places to eat. You are also about 1 hr away from Pensacola and might be able to catch a Blue Angel's practice.
Grub if you kids like baseball, Bring them to an Evansville Otters game this summer. I'll meet you there with my kids.
Thanks Sam - We'll have to do that. This is Aidan's first year in teeball and Calebs in the 9-10 year group this year.
Do you have a particular place you would recommend on Okaloosa?
BrassowFan
03-08-2008, 03:22 PM
I'll throw out a couple of options
1) Washington DC. I've never been there myself but the kids would see a lot of history and I think that most of the attractions are very budget friendly, if that's a concern.
2) Niagara Falls. Truly an incredible place to see. Might be a bit of a haul to drive, especially with 3 kids, but there's a lot that's geared towards kids, besides the natural attractions, and you can buy a pass for each person that allows you to do all of the typical activities.
ukmel1603
03-08-2008, 05:14 PM
Try VRBO.com. I've had a lot of luck on this website. It stands for "Vacation Rental By Owner", and literally has thousands of great condos for rent, you deal directly with the condo owner, and you sometimes can negotiate the price. I've rented several great condos (Sanibel Island, Myrtle Beach), and am in the process now of finding one on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo. for my boss. Take a look at it, it's very easy to navigate, and it could help you with some vacation ideas. :big_grin:
GO CATS!!!!
BEAT THE GATORS!!!!
Will Lavender
03-11-2008, 09:43 AM
Let me put in another vote for the Destin/Ft. Walton Beach area. My great uncle owns a few condos in Sandestin -- which is toward Panama City -- and it's awesome down there.
The only downside: it's hellaciously crowded. It actually used to not be that way. When my family first found out about Sandestin there was almost nothing there. You had to drive into Destin to even find a restaurant. The beach at Sandestin was isolated. Now, there are hundreds of people in every direction and six chain restaurants at every stoplight.
Two years ago, we went to a place called Blue Ridge Beach (?), which is about 10 minutes from Sandestin going toward Panama City. Celebrities live there on the beach. Beautiful place that's not crowded at all.
surveyor
03-11-2008, 10:15 AM
Two years ago, we went to a place called Blue Ridge Beach (?), which is about 10 minutes from Sandestin going toward Panama City. Celebrities live there on the beach. Beautiful place that's not crowded at all.
Blue Mountain Beach. Right there with Grayton Beach, Seagrove Beach, Inlet Beach, etc.
Great relatively unspoiled area. Predominantly residential. Doesn't have a touristy feel.
Excellent restaurants throughout, such as Blue Orleans, Criolla's, Bud & Alley's, Cafe 30-A, Yanni's Seagrove Grill, etc.
Will Lavender
03-11-2008, 10:23 AM
Blue Mountain Beach. Right there with Grayton Beach, Seagrove Beach, Inlet Beach, etc.
Great relatively unspoiled area. Predominantly residential. Doesn't have a touristy feel.
Excellent restaurants throughout, such as Blue Orleans, Criolla's, Bud & Alley's, Cafe 30-A, Yanni's Seagrove Grill, etc.
Blue Mountain...that's it. Great place. I was told when we were there that Sharon Stone has a house right on the beach. And those are some awesome homes on the coast. (Of course, who could afford to insure them?)
There was a sandbar at Blue Mountain that went out 50 feet or so and was perfectly positioned. We took beach chairs and sat in the water and watched the sun go down. Absolutely beautiful.
Thanks to all who responded. We settled on a condo just west of the Okaloosa Island Pier in the "Summer Place" complex. And thanks to ukmel1603, we found it through www.vrbo.com (http://www.vrbo.com) .:thumbup:
Terry L. Wildcat
03-11-2008, 11:40 PM
Grub, What the kids get older: Yellowstone :thumbup:
UKSam
03-13-2008, 05:34 AM
Thanks to all who responded. We settled on a condo just west of the Okaloosa Island Pier in the "Summer Place" complex. And thanks to ukmel1603, we found it through www.vrbo.com (http://www.vrbo.com) .:thumbup:
When are you going? We will be there during the third week of June.
When are you going? We will be there during the third week of June.
July 5th thru 12th - durn it.
ukmel1603
03-19-2008, 05:17 PM
You're Wecome Grub :icon_biggrin:, Have a great vacation!
GO CATS!! :widcat: BEAT MARQUETTE!!!!
chris171978
03-22-2008, 06:42 AM
Nice site that grub, great help for travelers, thank you very much for sharing:thumbup:
chris171978
03-23-2008, 01:16 PM
I completely agree with you, this is the best place for kids specially.I recommend the Blue Ridge Parkway. Plenty of activities for kids and parents.
Great Vacation! Thanks to all who responded in this thread. We stayed at the Summer Place condominiums which is located on Santa Rosa Blvd. on Okaloosa Island across from "FudPuckers" restaurant. For anyone traveling to this area I've got a couple of suggestions:
Ask a local for the best place for pizza and you will hear "Helen Back (http://www.helenbackcafe.com/)". This is a little hole in the wall bar and grill that has all the character you could ever hope for. It's located at the end of Amberjack Drive on Ocaloosa Island and sits directly on the water. It is kid friendly and the pizza is great! It's also a value - we ordered a chicken fingers appetizer, (1) small pizza, (1) large pizza, (2) draft beers, and (3) kids drinks. Price before tip was roughly $42.00.
At Helen Back we met a local who told us the best seafood around was to be found at "Dewey Destin Seafood (http://www.destinseafood.com/)" located just across the Destin Bridge facing Crab Island. (The city of Destin was founded by Leonard Destin, Dewey's great, great grandfather in 1835.) This is a rustic open air restaurant sitting directly on the water. Seating is on a first come opportunistic basis. One person should place the order for food while everyone else scouts potential seating. They have an extensive menu and the seafood is the freshest around. If you go in the evening there will be a wait. Check out the history link on their website for some real interesting stuff.
The "Nation Naval Aviation Museum (http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/)" located in Pensacola, Florida is a must see. It's about an hour drive from Fort Walton Beach but is a trip well worth it. The kids will enjoy it but probably will not want to spend all the time reading about each aircraft - something I wish I had more time to do. The Navy's Blue Angels (http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/) practice here on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of most weeks - check their schedule to be sure.
UKSam
07-13-2008, 10:56 AM
Glad you enjoyed. We got back about two weeks ago. While down there we went to "Helen Back" also.
We also took one the kids on one of the dolphin cruises. I think it was the "master blaster" which also served beer/wine during the cruise.
The "Boathouse" in Destin is also a great hole in the wall to go eat. "But I wouldn't take kids after dark":icon_redface:
vBulletin® v3.7.2, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
