I am obligated to take a vacation: where should I go?

[Just Some Guy]

I have over two weeks of vacation time that I must use in January and I'm a bit stuck because I have no idea what to do with it. I don't want to sit around my house for that period but January is hardly prime vacation time. If I had more time to plan this wouldn't be a problem; I could pick out someplace specific, save my pennies, and do this right. With it being forced upon me with little warning I'm stuck a few different ways. So I'm asking you, the Doping public, how should I spend my vacation.

A few things to be aware of first:
- Money is a problem. I'm looking at about $1500 available for a vacation and that's if I skimp on Christmas presents for other people. I can get plane tickets by the end of October if necessary. On the other hand I'm used to doing the travel as cheap as possible if I can get to my destination and do things.

- I don't like to gamble or lounge around. Obviously as a Doper I'm interested in intellectual pursuits and generally seeing things I haven't seen.

- I live in the middle of the United States in the middle of nowhere. I do have friends in Fort Lauderdale that I'm planning on visiting for a few days as part of this vacation time. So I may be able to depart from there but for major airports getting home I'd probably be using Tulsa. I'm not completely opposed to driving somewhere but I don't like to drive to begin with and driving twenty hours on winter roads to get somewhere is not really appealing to me.

- I traveled to LA and Baja earlier this year and wouldn't want to go back so soon. I've also been to New York a few years ago and wouldn't mind going back but I'm looking for other options first.

Okay, pitch me your vacation ideas!

[swampbear]

Ummmmmm........ a trip to see the world's biggest ball of string? The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky with a side trip to Metropolis, Illinois?

Ok, I got the ball rolling. :D

[Desert Nomad]

Costa Rica or Morocco should be doable and both have lots to see and do. I assume you have a passport, but as an American, perhaps that is not a safe assumption.

[Voyager]

If you are looking to save money, January is an awesome time to take a vacation, since everyone is tapped out by Christmas and no one goes anywhere. Check out cruise and airline prices, for instance. They fall precipitously then.

What kind of stuff do you like to do? If you like to eat, there is New Orleans. San Francisco is nice in January. though sometimes a bit rainy. I've never been to the Keys, but my wife liked them quite a bit when she went with the kids.

[purplehorseshoe]

Maybe one of those do-good vacations where you go to some less-happy part of the world and help the locals build a school or dig a well or something?

[Just Some Guy]

Costa Rica or Morocco should be doable and both have lots to see and do. I assume you have a passport, but as an American, perhaps that is not a safe assumption.

I do have a passport.

I forgot to mention that I don't care about nightlife; so the quality of clubs and bars isn't going to be an attraction.

Voyager, perhaps the best word I can use to sum up what I like to do when traveling is "Explore". Sometimes that's going to be the tourist destinations so that I can see what's there and sometimes it's going to be finding something new and interesting. I want to consistently have something new to do. I usually have to take some extra days off around my vacation to recover from all the running around I did on my vacation. :)

[Hello Again]

Why not go to Montreal, and maybe up to Mt. Tremblant for a couple of days to learn to ski? They have a wonderful ski school and its an easy drive from Montreal, with plenty of options to stay at the resort. You can get some good deals, too, between the USD rising against the CAN$, the general downturn in resort tourism and the fact that much of the hotel taxes are refundable (you just keep receipts & fill out a form at the airport).

[Queen Bruin]

January is awesome in the Yucatan. Fly into Cancun (to ditch it immediately), then head inland and spend a bunch of time on ruins. I vastly prefer the inland experience to the beach experience; like you I'm not a real big "lounger," I like to do stuff. And the cenotes have nice swimming if you need to cool off. Also $1500 will go a long way inland. I took my in-laws last Dec. ruin-hopping in and around Piste (near Chichen Itza - and there are many, many more places to visit, you're really only limited by your time) and our two rooms for four nights and many margaritas charged to the rooms came out under $400 (and breakfast included, nothing fancy but a nice enough start to the day). We stayed at a lower-end motel but it was clean and comfortable.

Anyways I love Mexico because there is more history and adventure than you can shake a stick at and the food is great and everything is cheap as all hell and the people are freakin' awesome. Plus you can call home to all your relatives freezing their asses off in a snow storm and let them know about your swell day climbing pyramids in the 80F jungle.

[Jettboy]

If you're going to be in Fort Laudedale, you might consider driving down to Key West. It's a blast when all of the tourists have left; hotels are cheap, the weather is gorgeous, and there's always some interesting stuff to see and do (other than the traditional bar hopping or lounging around in and near the gorgeous blue green water).

You can also catch a cheap flight out to the Bahamas, or St. Lucia, or any of the nearby Caribbean islands from Lauderdale for a song.

[aruvqan]

hm, Florida or pretty much anywhere in the sun belt will be seriously expensive, as will ski resort sort of stuff ...

That being said, how about a cruise leaving from and returning to Ft Lauterdale (http://travel.travelocity.com/ecruise/CruiseSearch.do;jsessionid=2C469D95DD38E30F4DDCF5BC4B714D45.p0709?org.apache.struts.taglib.html.TOKE N=907d160ac65aec3736e7e2b88dcce1e0&dateType=SINGLE_DATE&allCruiseVendors=9-14-45-24-15-7-28-46-5-16&resultsIndex=&pagerIndex=&sortOrder=DEFAULT&showListOfVendors=true&findSpecialRates=&geographicRegion=&cruiseLength=7-9&fromMonthYear=2010-01&fromDay=&departurePort=443&cruiseVendor=&price=&resSt=) that is a week. Fly down, visit friends for a day or two at each end of the cruise, then fly back home. Looks like you can get deals ranging from $500-$1500 not counting airfare or hotel while in Ft Lauterdale.

[Just Some Guy]

I need to add that I lived in Florida for twenty-five years. I've done all of Florida to death from the Keys to the panhandle.

[RadicalPi]

If you don't have a particular destination in mind, you could go to airline sites and see what the specials are. (And then check to see if there's not a lower fare elsewhere.)

[PandaBear77]

Washington DC. Tons of stuff to do there and most of it's free. I can recommend a cheap hotel in Alexandra if you're interested. I stayed there and felt totally safe :)

[ivylass]

If you want to visit friends in Ft Lauderdale maybe you can take a trip down to Key West for a few days?

[chacoguy]

Southern Utah, once you get here most of the activities are cheap or free.

[manila]

Volounteer at a rainforest preservation facility or even Orang Utan rehabilitation centre sounds like your thing? Although they do prefer two month tours as opposed to two weeks. If this floats your boat then I can supply some contacts in Phils or Sabah.

[rocking chair]

another vote for dc. the smithsonian is fantastic and free (althought sometimes the gift shops can get your money.). pandas! you can see pandas for free!

ford's theatr... many monuments, check to see if you can visit with your rep or senator. they arrive back in dc in early january.

be prepared for icky weather. dc gets icky cold rains and snow.

[Ellen Cherry]

Savannah, Georgia? Pleasant weather, gorgeous architecture, lots of history, the beach.

[brickbacon]

another vote for dc. the smithsonian is fantastic and free (althought sometimes the gift shops can get your money.). pandas! you can see pandas for free!

ford's theatr... many monuments, check to see if you can visit with your rep or senator. they arrive back in dc in early january.

be prepared for icky weather. dc gets icky cold rains and snow.

Thirded. Come to DC.

[janeslogin]

Southern Utah, once you get here most of the activities are cheap or free.

Zion is nice this time of year, fewer US tourists.

[Taenia spp.]

Though I can't offer any specific recommendations, my friend who is a resident of the area constantly plugs the mountain resorts 45 minutes north of Salt Lake; great powder and breathtaking scenery.

[astro]

Forget about driving - Based on current airline rates you can get a round trip ticket to anywhere in the US for around $200 - $300 + taxes and fees (approx another $ 60). Use Priceline and you can get a double occ room in a 3-4 star hotel room in many major cities for around $50-$100 a night. You don't really have enough cash @ $1500 to take 2 weeks unless someone will put you up. You might want to think about taking 7 days and just hanging out at home for the rest of the time. If you can get a buddy to split the cost of the hotel room you can possibly extend your stay.

[myskepticsight]

Somewhere warm. Not sure exactly where you live, but if it's somewhere with a real winter (which it sounds like), nothing is more awesome than escaping cold winter weather for tropical climates. If you can afford a cruise in the Caribbean or similar, go for it. (Don't forget your food is included but drinks even soda are not!). I went on a cruise in the winter one year and it was so nice to drag the bathing suit and shorts back out and be in nice warm weather. Or even if a cruise is too expensive hit up somewhere pretty in Mexico or similar and get in some beach time. Makes the winter not seem so horrible if you are not a cold weather fan. Southern California or Florida is also a good idea. Still warm but in the continental US.

[Elendil's Heir]

Yet another vote for Washington, D.C., if you like history and politics, with which its cup runneth over. But it can be cold that time of year.

I still have fond memories of a winter trip to the Bahamas many years ago. Sandy beaches, brilliant blue waters, bright sun, cool nights, etc.

[Just Some Guy]

Okay, a plan is forming in my brain. Washington seems the most efficient choice for a guy who has suddenly found himself with a lot of time off. The last time I was there was twenty years ago and I wasn't really able to appreciate it so it seems like a good place to start. Still keep any suggestions coming, they're all appreciated.

[Voyager]

Okay, a plan is forming in my brain. Washington seems the most efficient choice for a guy who has suddenly found himself with a lot of time off. The last time I was there was twenty years ago and I wasn't really able to appreciate it so it seems like a good place to start. Still keep any suggestions coming, they're all appreciated.

Washington is a good choice, because of the large amount of free stuff to do. A conference I go to used to be there, and I always delayed returning for one day to run through a bunch of museums. The Bureau of Engraving is pretty cool also. My daughter goes to U. Maryland, and one time when I had work there I went with her to the zoo - but in the winter, most of the animals were gone and the panda house was closed, so check on the hours. I've seen them before, and it is pretty nice (and free) but nothing like San Diego or even San Francisco.

[garygnu]

Yosemite is stunning in the winter.

[Picard Kills Kirk]

Another vote for DC. I was there for a month when I was a kid, and I think my mom took my brothers and I to a different museum or monument every day. There are all the popular ones you hear about, but then there are also some other not-so-ordinary ones like the marble museum and the postal service museum that are fun too.

How do you feel about activities? I have heard from my BIL that around Hot Springs, Arkansas there is a lot of diamond and gemstone mining. If you did some sort of road trip this could easily burn a day or two.

[Just Some Guy]

How do you feel about activities? I have heard from my BIL that around Hot Springs, Arkansas there is a lot of diamond and gemstone mining. If you did some sort of road trip this could easily burn a day or two.

I've been there and it is something cool to do. I may add that to my list of "local" things to do on the remaining days.

A co-worker found an over one carat diamond there six months ago with terrific color and just a touch of cloudiness so I know for a fact that people do find things there occasionally.

[Kyla]

I went to Colombia for a week in February of this year. Everything, including airfare, couldn't have cost more than $750. It was warm (HOT on the Caribbean coast), not a lot of annoying tourists, beautiful, and very interesting. My friends and I had a lot of fun. I highly recommend it.