Family vacation spots

#28
#28
slobberknocker said:
Amen to this. Just awesome and until you've seen that sky at night you'll never understand why they call it "Big Sky". Also Zion in Utah is incredible. But Sedona AZ is my favorite, mystical red rocks.
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Having lived in southern Utah Zion is a must, but if you have time try Bryce canyon. Lots of people like the views better than Zion and Grand Canyon. It gets skipped because there isn't as much to do there.

Also, best lake is Lake Powell and it's not even close. Perfect temperature, clean, beautiful, and more coast than the western US.
 
#30
#30
n_huffhines said:
Destin is the best beach in US. Mountains are always fun whether Apps or Rockies.
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We'll be in Destin in a couple months . We've found a couple other beaches near Clearwater that can rival it and they're less crowded
 
#31
#31
utvolpj said:
We'll be in Destin in a couple months . We've found a couple other beaches near Clearwater that can rival it and they're less crowded
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Wow, GTK and please share the spots?

The worst thing about Destin for me is it's about as inaccessible as anywhere in the continental US. Last time we flew to Atlanta then rented a car and drove.
 
#32
#32
n_huffhines said:
Having lived in southern Utah Zion is a must, but if you have time try Bryce canyon. Lots of people like the views better than Zion and Grand Canyon. It gets skipped because there isn't as much to do there.

Also, best lake is Lake Powell and it's not even close. Perfect temperature, clean, beautiful, and more coast than the western US.
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Yep, went to Bryce too. Lake Powell is probably a pond by now.
 
#33
#33
n_huffhines said:
Wow, GTK and please share the spots?

The worst thing about Destin for me is it's about as inaccessible as anywhere in the continental US. Last time we flew to Atlanta then rented a car and drove.
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Destin does need a direct interstate not highway somewhere off i65.

Pain in the neck driving through all yhose little cities.
 
#34
#34
If you have access, the best beach on the Gulf is on Tyndall AFB, behind the enlisted club. No crowds, private, wide, and stretches for miles.
 
#36
#36
slobberknocker said:
Amen to this. Just awesome and until you've seen that sky at night you'll never understand why they call it "Big Sky". Also Zion in Utah is incredible. But Sedona AZ is my favorite, mystical red rocks.
Click to expand...

We just did Sedona and Grand Canyon. Safe to say we'll be going back before the kids turn 18. What an amazing experience!
 
#38
#38
n_huffhines said:
Having lived in southern Utah Zion is a must, but if you have time try Bryce canyon. Lots of people like the views better than Zion and Grand Canyon. It gets skipped because there isn't as much to do there.

Also, best lake is Lake Powell and it's not even close. Perfect temperature, clean, beautiful, and more coast than the western US.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. Will research.
 
#39
#39
I am not trying to solicit your business, mainly because we still have not secured startup capital to launch our company, but, for Colorado, you will find a lot of information, including specific proposed tour itineraries, at out website: Rocky Mountain Excursions.

If you choose to go to Colorado, my first question for you would be, how much time do you have to spend? Furthermore, is summer the only viable option? This may strike you as heresy, but, if you ever have the opportunity to see Colorado in the fall, by all means do so. These two pages will illustrate why I endorse this time of the year so highly:

Rocky Mountain Excursions

Rocky Mountain Excursions

If your time is somewhat limited, the two single most highly recommended must-see destinations are the Maroon Bells, near Aspen, and the San Juan Mountains, near Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Durango and Silverton. The San Juan Skyway is one of the premier scenic drives in all of America. See Colorado Scenic Byway: San Juan Skyway | Colorado.com and San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway Map | Colorado Vacation Directory.

One of the premier attractions in the San Juans is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Official Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train), which traverses the rugged Animas River gorge and provides views of the San Juan backcountry that simply are not accessible from the San Juan Skyway. This vintage train has been featured in countless western movies.

Jeep tours are also available from Ouray and Telluride (see San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours Ouray, CO and Guided Off Road Tours Explore Telluride High Country & History - My Telluride Vacation), which will take you into extremely high and remote portions of the San Juans. Because of their rich mining history, the San Juans are absolutely crisscrossed by high-altitude backcountry roads, so there are a number of tour operators who fill this niche.
 
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#40
#40
jackcrevol said:
skip WY. Montana.
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I also agree that Montana, particularly Glacier National Park and the Beartooth Mountains, provide the most jawdroppingly gorgeous country in all of the American Rockies. However, don't dismiss Wyoming out of hand. The Tetons, Big Horn Mountains, Snowy Range, and the Wind River Range are all impressive. The Wind Rivers, located slightly to the southeast of Jackson, are high, wild, rugged and remote. Here are links to websites for a couple of secluded accommodations in that area which provide an excellent glimpse of the majestic country you would be visiting: Green River Lakes Campground and trails, Wyoming and Big Sandy Lodge, Wyoming, Wind River Mountain Resort.
 
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#41
#41
#42
#42
n_huffhines said:
Having lived in southern Utah Zion is a must, but if you have time try Bryce canyon. Lots of people like the views better than Zion and Grand Canyon. It gets skipped because there isn't as much to do there.

Also, best lake is Lake Powell and it's not even close. Perfect temperature, clean, beautiful, and more coast than the western US.
Click to expand...


I agree with your assessment of Bryce Canyon. At sunrise or sunset, sometimes the way the light plays off of those red rock "hoodoo" formations, they literally look like glowing embers that are burning slowly. It is particularly impressive if you should be fortunate to arrive early enough in the spring or late enough in the fall to see the area clad in snow; it provides a very dramatic color contrast.
 
#43
#43
Outofmyvolcanmind, I will check this thread periodically, so, if you have specific questions about the Rocky Mountain West, fire at will. Between football season and school schedules, fall may not be a viable option for you. However, please allow me to offer the following rationale for why autumn is the very best time of the year to visit the Rockies.

I absolutely love the Central and Northern Rockies and, in the last few years, have become a connoisseur of fall excursions to that area. It has caused me to miss more than one Florida game, but the last half of September and first week of October are a magical time of year to head for the high country. With school back in session, visitation is low and you will seemingly have the parks and, particularly, the backcountry all to yourself. If the weather is accommodating, crisp, cool days and brilliant, blue skies are the norm. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to witness the daily transformation of the aspen as they assume their electrifying cloaks of yellow, orange and red. If you are supremely fortunate, a recent dusting of the peaks will add the final artistic touch to these magnificent landscapes. It is also the beginning of the fall rut for many big game species, so chances are excellent that you will hear elk bugling in the canyons, a signature sound of wilderness that you will never forget.

My favorite portions of the Rockies include the Maroon Bells and San Juan Range, particularly the Sneffels Range, in Colorado, Tetons and Wind River Range in Wyoming, Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, and Beartooth Mountains and Glacier National Park in Montana. Glacier remains my single favorite destination within the lower 48; it possesses a palpable wildness and, because of its remoteness, offers a degree of solitude that is very uncommon in the contiguous United States.

After 38 years and 28 trips of poking into every corner of the Rockies that time and limited resources would permit, I am finally beginning to plan for a fall excursion to the Canadian Rockies, one that would feature Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay National Parks, Mount Assiniboine and Mount Robson Provincial Parks, and the foothills area of Alberta known as Kananaskis Country.
 
#44
#44
If you or your family have an interest in history, you should keep the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)) in mind, as well as the Buffalo Bill Center of the West (Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody Wyoming), which is a remarkable five-museums-in-one experience, located in Cody, Wyoming.

If your kids are young enough to still have an interest in dinosaurs, the Museum of the Rockies (Museum of the Rockies > Home) deserves serious consideration. Located in Bozeman, Montana, "MOR is home to one of the largest and most famous collections of dinosaur fossils in the world. Dinosaur fossils in our collection have all been found in Montana rocks from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Dinosaur dig crews led by paleontologist and curator Jack Horner, science advisor to the Jurassic Park films and the 2011 Fox TV show Terra Nova, excavate fossils which are prepared and studied at the Museum in Bozeman. Some of the most famous dinosaurs in the world such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Deinonychus (very similar to Velociraptor) can be seen on display."
 
#46
#46
Volosaurus rex said:
I am not trying to solicit your business, mainly because we still have not secured startup capital to launch our company, but, for Colorado, you will find a lot of information, including specific proposed tour itineraries, at out website: Rocky Mountain Excursions.

If you choose to go to Colorado, my first question for you would be, how much time do you have to spend? Furthermore, is summer the only viable option? This may strike you as heresy, but, if you ever have the opportunity to see Colorado in the fall, by all means do so. These two pages will illustrate why I endorse this time of the year so highly:

Rocky Mountain Excursions

Rocky Mountain Excursions

If your time is somewhat limited, the two single most highly recommended must-see destinations are the Maroon Bells, near Aspen, and the San Juan Mountains, near Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Durango and Silverton. The San Juan Skyway is one of the premier scenic drives in all of America. See Colorado Scenic Byway: San Juan Skyway | Colorado.com and San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway Map | Colorado Vacation Directory.

One of the premier attractions in the San Juans is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (Official Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train), which traverses the rugged Animas River gorge and provides views of the San Juan backcountry that simply are not accessible from the San Juan Skyway. This vintage train has been featured in countless western movies.

Jeep tours are also available from Ouray and Telluride (see San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours Ouray, CO and Guided Off Road Tours Explore Telluride High Country & History - My Telluride Vacation), which will take you into extremely high and remote portions of the San Juans. Because of their rich mining history, the San Juans are absolutely crisscrossed by high-altitude backcountry roads, so there are a number of tour operators who fill this niche.
Click to expand...

All of my vacations are a week at a time. This post is very informative. Thank you.
 
#47
#47
Volosaurus rex said:
Outofmyvolcanmind, I see that you started a thread two summers ago about visiting Jackson Hole. Were you able to make that trip and how did it go? I included a lot of information on pp. 2-3 of that thread, which you can access at http://www.volnation.com/forum/pub/203853-jackson-hole-wyoming-2.html and http://www.volnation.com/forum/pub/203853-jackson-hole-wyoming-3.html.
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Never went. Hit Arizona this year instead. After some of the ideas in this thread I'm considering other options. We usually travel for two vacations a year. One more elaborate and one less. Too dang expensive at times with a family.
 
#48
#48
Gramps said:
Washington DC is a good place to take a family and a good learning experience for you and the children.

I am stingy. We always stayed in the Dulles or Alexandria areas to save on lodging. It is actually an inexpensive vacation. Many of the major things to see and do are free. Our children and grandchildren loved it.
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DC is on our list for when our son gets older (13 months right now). I've gotten to take a few trips there; tons of stuff to see and learn.
 
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