Vacation suggestions?

June 3, 2009 12:47 PM

If you were taking a week-long vacation towards the middle/end of July with your somebody special, where would you go?

My guy wants to go on vacation with me for a week in July and is a little burnt out from work to even think about where. Seriously, he just wants to be "away." I'm just drawing a blank, and think some suggestions would really help. Here's some criteria to keep in mind:

1. It cannot be in Massachusetts, New York, or Southern California because none of those places really count as "getting away" for us.
2. Due to a missing passport, keeping suggestions to the U.S. would probably be best. If you have a fabulous international suggestion, however, by all means, please share it. It may be worth the extra fees and hassle to attempt a rush on a passport.
3. Ideally, it would be a nice mix of relaxing and having some cool things to do.
4. Cost-wise, we don't want to spend money unnecessarily, but we don't need to stay at a roadside motel and subsist on fast food, either.
5. We're 31.

Thanks!

posted by katemcd to travel & transportation (23 comments total)

If you like scenic hikes, camping, canoeing, etc. you might try the upper peninsula of Michigan. I'm also biased since I lived there for a long time. :)
posted by All.star at 12:52 PM on June 3

Maine is absolutely beautiful in July. Lots of out-doorsy stuff, if you're into that.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:54 PM on June 3

New Orleans, just in time for the MeFi meetup? Seriously, it's not a bad place to visit even apart from the meetup.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:57 PM on June 3 [2 favorites has favorites]

Yellowstone/Grand Tetons, but make your reservations now.
posted by RussHy at 1:00 PM on June 3

Acadia National Park in Maine.
posted by canine epigram at 1:03 PM on June 3

Due to a missing passport, keeping suggestions to the U.S. would probably be best. If you have a fabulous international suggestion, however, by all means, please share it. It may be worth the extra fees and hassle to attempt a rush on a passport.

Current wait time for a passport with no expedited service is 4-6 weeks, but my daughter just got hers mailbox to mailbox in 10 days with nothing extra, no exaggeration.

That said, go to Maine, if you get the PP, keep on driving to the Maritimes (or not, you'll still have a good time).
posted by Pollomacho at 1:11 PM on June 3

Parco San Marco in Cima di Porlezza (IT) is an affordable getaway. Only 2,000 euro for a lakeside suite. That's not per night... that's for the week.
posted by Zambrano at 1:20 PM on June 3

These is great, thank you everyone and keep them coming!

I should say though, while we are not opposed to a pretty nature walk or two, we are not camping types. We are so not camping types I didn't even think to list "no camping," as part of my criteria. Past successful vacations included Stowe, Vermont in August, San Francisco in January, & Upstate NY/NYC in July. We both have great love for Boston & L.A. but those are out of the running because those are home!
posted by katemcd at 1:20 PM on June 3

hawaii is ridiculously cheap right now. 2 lovebirds can have a fantastic 4 day vacation in a 4 star hotel on the big island for under $1200, including food and plane. flowing lava, black sand beaches, clear waters, romance, what more could you want?
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 1:28 PM on June 3

Montana. No question. I posted this answer in a similar thread. My fiance and I traveled there from MA last summer largely because we needed a place to go and wanted to go somewhere we would wouldn't normally even think of. Definitely fits your criteria of "getting away", and there's enough going on there in the summer (including beautiful weather) that you don't have to do much planning until you get there. We were prepared to - and did - drive around quite a bit, which due to the breathtaking scenery at every turn (at least in the western part of the state) was not nearly the chore you might think it would be. Can't wait to go back there in a couple years.
posted by Rewind at 1:36 PM on June 3

Asheville, NC. Stay at the Grove Park Inn and spend a day or two at the spa for serious relaxation.
posted by Daily Alice at 1:37 PM on June 3

"The diverse trek through Zion's premier canyon is one of the most touted and breathtaking adventures in America. Extraordinary beauty and unique character describe this amazing gorge. Hanging gardens burst from dramatically colored perpendicular walls while trickling water threads its way through moss covered boulders. Gentle slopes give way to sheer walls funneling streams of water into fluted slides and twisting channels cutting deeper and deeper as the journey continues its path southward. Along the sandy perches of the banks, towering ponderosa send their roots downward, hungry for nutrients and water. The entire trip is wondrous. The Zion Narrows deserves its reputation as one of the best, if not the best, hike in the National Park System."

While enjoying Zion National Park, I have stayed at the Best Western Thunderbird Lodge; always clean with helpful, attentive staff. Even has a 9-hole golf course on the premises, if that's your thing.

The Thunderbird also makes a nice headquarters for nearby visits to Bryce Canyon National Park, as well as Cedar Breaks National Monument.

It can be a bit warm in the Utah desert in July, but that is really the only time of year you can hike the Zion Canyon Narrows because of water flow.

All of this is just a couple hour drive from the Las Vegas airport, or a few hours from Salt Lake City. I have been to the Utah national parks several times over the years and always find something new to be inspired by, and simply struck with awe. In fact, I'm going again in July myself. I can't wait.
posted by netbros at 1:54 PM on June 3

>: Acadia National Park in Maine.

Take it from someone who's lived and worked in Bar Harbor for two years:
Maine is beautiful in the summertime. So is Acadia National Park.
However, don't, visit MDI during high season under any circumstances.
When the season hits, Mount Desert Island turns into a horrible festering mess of bumper-to-bumper traffic. The hiking trails get completely packed, and prices are just obscene- The local satirical paper called the tourists "very slow, stupid Golden Retrievers with credit cards hanging around their necks", referring to how the local businesses view them.

If you want to experience the real Maine- the long roads with no phone poles, the blueberry barrens, the beat-up pickups, the cool little towns with REAL general stores that don't just sell knick-knacks, and so on- then you have to visit downeast Maine, east of MDI. Katherine and Tunk Mountain on the Black Woods Road/Route 182 are just as great as any of the mountains in Acadia National Park, but you'll have the mountain to yourself. Cherryfield has the real small-town charm that Bar Harbor sold out fifty years ago, and that's just scratching the surface. Keep on heading down Route 1 to Machias and Calais for some really amazing stretches of the coast, real Mainers, and some of the largest tides in the US. Bar Harbor is a nasty little tourist trap in comparison.
posted by dunkadunc at 2:18 PM on June 3

Quebec in the summer is beautiful, practically European, and not at all cold. It's pretty easy to get to from Massachusetts, if that's where you are now.
posted by jenkinsEar at 2:30 PM on June 3

Seattle, WA. Beautiful scenery, plenty to do.
posted by doh ray mii at 4:22 PM on June 3

I'd suggest Colorado, precise location TBD depending on what balance of outdoorsy activities/ just lounging / city stuff you feel like doing. The ski towns in the mountains (Aspen, Vail, etc) generally have a fair number of things going on during the summer -- e.g. you can take the lifts up to the top of the ski slopes and walk around, go mountain bike riding, etc. The scenery is stunning, and it never gets too hot up there. Or you could go to Estes Park, and lounge around Rocky Mountain National Park for a few days (also high enough that it shouldn't be unpleasantly warm; also beautiful). If you want something a little more urban, you could take Boulder as your homebase for a few days, and do excursions up into the mountains (or not) as you please; Denver is nearby, too, if you want to spend a day there. None of these places are spectacularly cheap, but none of them are crazy expensive during the summer either (with the possible exception of Aspen, depending on when exactly you go and whether you can find a deal -- you'll pay serious cash for a nice hotel there).

Alternatively, there are a few swanky resorts in the middle of nowhere West Virginia or Virginia. E.g., I've been to the Homestead and enjoyed it, though I'm not sure I'd spend a whole week there. The Greenbrier, in West Virginia, is also posh and has a full spectrum of outdoors-oriented activities, plus you can tour the formerly-secret underground Congressional bunker. Both of these places are pretty outrageously expensive, though, unless you find some sort of deal. On the plus side, your travel costs there would be cheap.

All these places have things to do, but the real attractions are just the settings -- being able to wake up every morning for a week and be somewhere beautiful. Enjoy!
posted by chalkbored at 4:23 PM on June 3

I totally recommend the Cayman Islands, BWI. I just checked airfare in mid July from my local airport and it was only $312 per person. Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman is beautiful with white sands and warm water. There are a ton of activities (diving, snorkeling, sailing, submarine tours of the waters around the islands, shopping, etc) and amazing places to eat. Lots of great local fare too. As for a place to stay, my only experience has been at The Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa. The staff provided great service. They even chase the iguanas out of the pool each morning. If you go to the Westin, ask them to point you in the direction of the reef just 200 M off shore. You can swim out to it. Even without swimming out there, we found we had yellow fin snappers swimming around us. I was fortunate to go over Memorial Day and am ready to go again.
posted by onhazier at 5:08 PM on June 3

Go to Montreal- the feeling of another country without having to get on a plane or find your passport.
posted by MadamM at 5:58 PM on June 3

Go to Montreal- the feeling of another country without having to get on a plane or find your passport.

You actually need a passport to go between the US and Canada -- even by land, as of June 1.
posted by chalkbored at 7:09 PM on June 3

Nthing Maine. Google "Deer Island, Maine" and take a look at Stonington.

Also, regarding the Cayman suggestion - just keep in mind that Cayman will be HOT in July. The last time I was there, it was mid-July, and temps were in the mid/high 90s.
posted by pecanpies at 7:54 PM on June 3

This is exactly what I was looking for: a wide variety of suggestions and places I normally wouldn't have considered. The enthusiasm for Maine, Montana, Denver, Michigan, & Utah have certainly piqued my curiosity. Hawaii, the Caymans, and Italy are all places I've thought about and am very tempted by. I'm going to look into all of these, and wherever we go in July, we have plenty of ideas for the future as well. Thanks everyone, very much!
posted by katemcd at 7:04 AM on June 4

>: Nthing Maine. Google "Deer Island, Maine" and take a look at Stonington.

Just as a correction- Deer Island is in Passamaquoddy Bay between Maine and New Brunswick, Stonington is on Deer Isle in Penobscot Bay. The whole Blue Hill Peninsula is pretty damn nice, as is everything Winter Harbor and east.
posted by dunkadunc at 8:06 AM on June 4

If you don't mind crowds, the Chincoteague Pony Swim this year will be July 29. That whole last week of July will be filled with a carnival and other events, culminating in the swim of the ponies from Assateague island and a pony auction at the carnival.
posted by LolaGeek at 12:00 PM on June 4