…or should I say, “family vacation”…
Every year without fail, I never use up all of my vacation days. After I take next week off, 2013 will actually be the closest I’ve gotten to exhausting the full allotment maybe ever, but in a “use or lose” situation, I’m an annual loser.
So I want to plan a good family vacation for 2014. We did some long weekend getaways this past year, but with the move to Florida taking place right in the middle of summer (and the fact that doing so shaved almost 3 weeks off Lilly’s summer – school ends later in PA and starts earlier in FL), we really didn’t put in a solid vacation like in prior years.
Of course, I’d also like to go somewhere where I can do some fishing. Now I’m not talking like “go on a 5 day vacation only to disappear for 3 of them and abandon the family,” that’s not the point. This is a family vacation first and foremost, and I want to spend time with them. Plus, I usually go on a separate solo trip to get my 3ish day, wife-free, kid-free, no-shower, stank nasty, fishing bender in.
I’m more so thinking “go on a 5 day vacation and steal a day of fishing, or a long morning or afternoon, or heck, if there is water near our accommodations, pop over during “down time” for a few hours on multiple days”…as there’s always that downtime on vacations…and I’d rather fish than nap. Although I really like naps.
As a family, we’ve done the Florida Keys & Central New York State with great success, but it’s time to change things up. Perhaps heading West is an option? Beats me. As long as it fits the criteria above, and there is ample non-fishing entertainment for KC & Lilly for that one day I’m AWOL, I’m game. Oh, and they don’t like to “rough it” so no sleeping on the ground in tents…heck, no cabins without air conditioning…none of that stuff. Your cry for yurts will fall on deaf ears. We’re talking hotel with pool. I know I have readers across the country that probably have some ideas, possibly even based on personal experience.
So I defer to my wise and generous readers, do you have any destination suggestions?
I’d welcome any and all in the comments below…
One Griswold to another.
We did Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone NP as a family trip one year, and smother did Seattle for a few days followed by the Olympic Peninsula (NP, farthest NW point of continental US). Both were very successful with opportunities to fish.
Good question dude. As another mid-atlantic native, my/our first thought is for the beaches of the southeast (SC, GA, FL) but you've kind of got that covered.Why not the beaches of Texas – pursuing some monster redfish and sea trout in one of the world's best saltwater fisheries while the ladies enjoy the warmest possible water on a warm beach? There's also New Orleans, which is now really close for you guys. Actually perfect for the thing you describe, because most of the truly “great” fishing is about 60-90 minutes away. Tons of freshwater and saltwater action. Good luck – my day employer just bought out my night job contract salary (!!!!) and I get a week's bump in vacation in Oct 2014, so hopefully I'll soon be asking the same kind of questions!!! Our first trip (guaranteed) will actually be to SW Florida because Amy's family has a place there. Can't wait. Hopefully Spring 2014 but I'll take Fall 2014 if I have to!!!
I've heard Disney has some kick ass guided fishing in the ponds around their amusement parks in Orlando.
Park City, UT was pretty dang fun last year. The Provo and several other rivers are close by. Plus there's plenty to do with the family. There's tons of hiking and the Olympic Park has rides and lots of other stuff to do. There's a nice greenway right near town plus parks with playgrounds for kids to play. It's a neat place. It can get pricey if you want it to. There's plenty of opportunities to spend money. If you don't do all the really touristy stuff it's not bad. My favorite is camping in the Sierra Nevada Mtns in California. Everything to do is outdoor based but there's plenty of neat natural wonders to see. Rainbow Falls, The Devils Postpile, Hot Springs, Yosemite, Bodie Ghost Town, Obsidian Canyon….. Hiking for days as well. Trout streams and lakes are everywhere.
Beverly D/Angelo is STILL the hottest mom to ever grace the big screen. All the attention was on Christie Brinkley, but the action was Ellen Griswold.Just sayin'
What time of year? Summer? hmmm…we enjoyed our time in Charleston last year, but it was closing in on fall and the heat was all but gone there by then. (Sept. I think it was). Asheville has some stuff to do – but not much kid stuff. Chattanooga is a nice city with a great aquarium and stuff to do and water all around ( bass, not trout). Dahlonega GA is nice, but there's probably only about 2 days worth of stuff to do there, unless they'd be into outlet malls and obscure art galleries set up in abandoned chicken houses. ( yes, really.)Out of all those suggestions, if you don't mind going after bass ( probably with a guide b/c most of the water is big) Chattanooga probably has the most cool “family” stuff to do. Of course, there's always Plains GA – google that. 🙂 LOL
You know, you guys are always welcome to come to Northern California. You can drop in to SMF, get a nice, maybe Radisson type, room and hit all the sights. You've got the Gold Country locally, San Francisco is only an hour away with Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and shopping downtown. There is also some mighty fine small stream fishing just up the hill and Tahoe is just over the top.
One word, Maine. Just come after the blackfly season in August/Sept.
I don't think we've got hotels with air conditioning in them in Colorado.
Nope! Also, the Flood of 2013 ruined the fishing for years to come. Tee Hee!
I hear Heflin, Alabama is a great place for a family vacation. Sorry, I'm lying. I forget you can google anywhere now. 🙂 – Have you made up your mind yet? I know this guy who can do a “backroads” guide of the North Georgia Mountains, complete with hiking the AT, getting lost on forest service roads, playing “guess that snake” and a secret look at an old moonshine still. Winter is a good time for that though, if you want to see the moonshine still. But then, you'll miss the snake game. Hard choice. I think I'd go with the snakes.
Great suggestions, all of them. I'm keeping a list and TX & NOLA will definitely go on them. Heck, we have friends in Austin, TX so would even consider that for a long weekend type of thing. Enjoy SW Florida, I love it there. Have done Sanibel before, beautiful part of the state. (I prefer the Gulf to the Atlantic).
Can't bring myself to do it. Orlando is just too close now, but I'd love to try fishing there. I forget which blog it was, but somebody had pictures of some pig bass they caught while vacationing there with family.