I was supposed to send my daughter to see her granny last summer. She lives in Las Vegas and I live in NJ. Unfortunately my mom went into a coma right before my eldest was supposed to go out there and died a few days later.
So I have an airline ticket I have to use. We have to book a flight before mid-June. I’ve been informed we don’t have to take the flight before then. We just have to buy the tickets.
So where should I go?
There are four of us: me, my husband, eldest age ten and the little one who will be two this spring. We live in northern NJ about half an hour’s drive from Newark. The flight must be booked on United Airlines.
I’ve been to Costa Rica on my honeymoon and Italy and France to celebrate various anniversaries. We have to travel during the summer because my daughter’s school schedule has been quite erratic because of school closings due to snow and the hurricane. Her school has already cancelled the break this month and may cancel spring break as well to make up the missed school dates. We also can’t be away too long because I have two cats. So I’m thinking a week to two weeks.
My dream trip would be London but it is probably out of our budget.
So? Ireland to visit my husband’s ancestors? Israel to visit my culture? Las Angeles because my husband has never been to the west coast? Costa Rica again to delight my eldest who loves animals? St. Lucia for beautiful beaches? Spain? Argentina? Peru? Colorado?
Where would you go under those circumstances and why? Asian and Australia are out as they are too far away. I don’t want to take a toddler on a sixteen hour flight.
Your oldest is the perfect age for Disney World. Could be a fun family adventure, if you like that kind of thing (and I do). I’d never take a pre-teenager to another country, my nerves just couldn’t stand it.
Nix on LA - crowded and not that nice. If you want to to the the West Coast, try San Diego. Two nice zoos, Sea World, and Balboa Park with lots of different museums. Beaches also. Also, much easier to get around.
BTW, we’ve had excellent success in getting apartments through AirBnB. We did it in New Orleans and Copenhagen. You’ll have a real kitchen and a lot more room, which might be nice with a 2 year old.
I would love Europe but my husband has ruled it out. Costa Rica is too stroller unfriendly. We’re thinking a California trip from San Francisco to San Diego with stops in between at Disneyland, a day in L.A. and several days at the Pacific beaches. Or Florida to Orlando, Sanibel Island and Miami. Or a few Caribbean islands. Or the Outer Banks of North Carolina and then to Charleston and Myrtle Beach. He said D.C. but I said a) that was a train trip and b) only during cherry blossom season.
A Coastal Carolina trip would be great and have something for everyone. Myrtle Beach is very kid-friendly, Charleston is a blast and you can relax all you like at OBX. Would you flight into and out of the same airports?
Am I missing something here? How does one unused domestic roundtrip ticket get embiggened into a two week vacation for four overseas? Were you already planning a major vacation, or is it really worth it to spend a couple thousand on airfare and hotels just to recoup the couple hundred you spent on the one ticket?
Since the child missed out on her trip last year, why not just take a quick weekend trip somewhere, just you two, for a big girl’s weekend? Maybe do the cherry blossoms in DC or the museums and shopping in Chicago?
You live in ny, right? You could try to go for a house swap with somebody. A londoner, even. Saves hundreds of usd, and much handietvwith a toddler. Many websites for house vacation swaps .
Thanks for the helpful suggestions. My mind was having fun racing with the possibilities last night.
We’re going to Florida: Orlando, Sanibel Island and then Miami. California and the Carolinas are too much driving to get from place to place. Europe and California are simply too long a flight for a small child. We were going to go to Philadelphia and the Jersey shore this summer. So we’ll get an amusment park, a beach and a major American city just a little further south. I have half a dozen friends and relatives down there who have offered to let stay with them near Orlando and Miami.
Next summer is our 20th wedding anniversary. My husband has promised me Europe and a babysitter.
Also I’d buy you a pint, I swear.