Help us use our free airline tickets wisely!

January 22, 2007 7:33 PM

I just won two tickets that will take my husband and me on a round trip from our home in Brooklyn to anywhere in the continental US. We'll be traveling with our one-year-old. Where should we go to make the best use of our tickets? More details inside...

Our son is 14 months old now, and we have a year to use the tickets. We're thinking we may want to wait until next fall or so, so he'll be older and better able to enjoy himself.

There are specific requirements, naturally. The destination should be:

...somewhere it would normally be expensive to get to. No point in using our windfall on $79 tickets to Fort Lauderdale.

...somewhere that has decent hotels appropriate for toddlers, in the price range of $125 a night or so.

...not a theme park. We don't like Disney or anything with a Disneyesque feel or an Orlando-ish vibe.

...somewhere that has hotels, stores, restaurants, amenities. A well-populated place -- a city or town. We want to be able to shop; we want to be able to have a sit-down meal. We have no interest in camping or roughing it. We don't like lying on a beach; we like to walk around and explore.

As a reference point, we've taken some of our most enjoyable vacations in smallish cities with interesting pasts and varied, human-scaled architecture. (Examples: Philadelphia; San Francisco; Newport, RI; Edinburgh, Scotland).

Another stray data point: For some reason, we're both very attracted to places that jut into the sea or are at a furthermost tip of land. (Examples: Key West; the Outer Banks of North Carolina; Dingle, Ireland.)

The perfect destination is out there, and we've got the tickets. Where is it? What say you, hive mind?

posted by ROTFL to travel & transportation (26 comments total)

I wouldn't change or make your plans for the sake of your son. I mean, he's 2. He'll remember nothing of the trip except from the pictures you take and mortify him when he's 10. And traveling to a place where your son will be entertained... well, not to be cynical, but the back yard is probably as entertaining to him as anywhere on the other side of the continent, don't you think?
posted by Dave Faris at 7:36 PM on January 22, 2007

Go to San Diego. Tomorrow it will hit 70 degrees and its getting warmer. If you like things that jut into water it has plenty of that including Point Loma. Greater San Diego is very sprawl but the City center as well as the northern beach communities are very human-scale.

Or, come back to San Francisco.
posted by vacapinta at 7:44 PM on January 22, 2007

Seattle, with a side trip to the San Juan Islands. It's has decen hotels, stores, restaurants, and history and it is by the sea. The Edgewater Hotel is right on the water, but might be a bit more than$125, but not much. The San Juan Islands are a quick ferry hop away and gorgeous.

Are you going to hold him on your lap or buy one more ticket? I think you have to buy a ticket after they turn two, but I am not sure. I recommend you spring for a ticket for him for a long flight.

Another idea would be the Big Sur area of California.
posted by caddis at 7:49 PM on January 22, 2007

Santa Fe? Plenty of shopping, art galleries, interesting history/culture, and fantastic food. It's especially lovely around Christmas.
posted by scody at 7:51 PM on January 22, 2007

I'll suggest Sedona, Arizona. But I'll also suggest perhaps leaving the child at home with family and enjoying the trip yourself. I realize that's not an option for everone, but if you can then why not grasp this travel opportunity and not be limited by needing child-friendly locations? Regardless, I still recommend Sedona!
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:52 PM on January 22, 2007

Sorry -- I should have clarified this part: We're not interested in entertaining our son with this trip, since, as Dave Faris said, at this age he's more interested in looking at a leaf on the ground than in the seven wonders of the world.

However, traveling with a young toddler is different from traveling as a fancy-free couple. Mobility is decreased, because we don't want to be trundling in and out of a car all day, or onto public transportation, or into another hotel each night. To us, doing that with a 1-year-old isn't fun. And nightlife is not an option for us, as we don't want to leave him with a babysitter we don't know.

So the toddler coming along does have an impact on where we go.
posted by ROTFL at 7:52 PM on January 22, 2007

Blaneyphoto, I love your idea! Alas, we have no one to leave the boy with. What is it about Sedona that you like, if I may ask?
posted by ROTFL at 8:02 PM on January 22, 2007

It's not jutting out into water, but maybe Denver/Boulder in the summer. You can spend the days in the mountains, but still have the comfort of the hotel at night. Not as exciting as SF, but it is much easier to mange with a small child.
posted by milarepa at 8:08 PM on January 22, 2007

ROTFL - It was my wife's idea to take our trip (from Brooklyn, actually) to Sedona. I'd never heard of it or had any interest in that part of the country. But it turned out to be a fantastic trip. We like the outdoors, so there were plenty of options for us there - lots of hiking and climbing, but also just exploring. There's also a big "new age" community there, which didn't hold much interest for us but apparently its a real destination for people interested in energy fields, vortexes, etc. or whatever....
We went when it was pretty warm there. I enjoy that but its something you might consider if you're not a hot weather person... You could also consider a winter trip though. From what we found out while there, its equally nice but different.

I'd go back anytime, if I had the opportunity. Another thing to consider though is cost. We were there a while ago, and I understand that its become even more of a "destination" than when we were there, which leads me to believe its more expensive. I'm sure it would be worth it though!
posted by blaneyphoto at 8:17 PM on January 22, 2007

New Orleans- The French Quarter never shut down, lovely to walk around, tons of history. The Audubon Zoo is open, it takes a good 2 days to see it all. The Aquarium is also open, very stroller friendly.

WE NEED THE PEOPLE!!!!
posted by JujuB at 8:20 PM on January 22, 2007 [1 favorite]

Seconding Seattle, and a side trip to the San Juans is an excellent idea. The hotels, stores, restaurants, and history are more than just decent, though, I would say.
My mister says that I should tell you, for reference, that his brother, who loves New York City and thinks it's the center of the world, thought Seattle was wonderful.

As for hotels, we reserved a big block of rooms for family at Silver Cloud Lake Union, and everybody loved it. The rates, as far as I can remember, were about the price you're looking for.
posted by librarina at 9:01 PM on January 22, 2007

As a Denver/Boulder resident, I don't think I'd recommend vacationing here. It's nice, but it's also just another big Western city in a lot of ways. Boulder's nice, but not nice like Taos and Sedonia are nice. If you love the ocean, I'd have to second somewhere in the Seattle area or out on the Olympic Peninsula. If you want to go inland, I'd say come to Colorado, but come in the summer and stay in the mountains rather than out here on the plains. There's a lot of old buildings and history here from the gold rush days, and if you rent a car there are lots of scenic places to visit, including many old ghost towns. If you go that route, I'd plan on hitting a bunch of the smaller towns rather than staying in one place. Look at Durango (near Four Corners and Mesa Verde), Glenwood Springs, Silverton, Leadville, Pagosa Springs, Steamboat Springs (up north), or even a trip over to Moab to see the desert and Arches National Park.
posted by hackwolf at 9:10 PM on January 22, 2007

Have you actually been to Key West? Because it sounds exactly like what you're looking for.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:25 PM on January 22, 2007

I really love Portland in the fall, because it's a great city to run around in, the Oregon coast is great (the road to Tillamook to Astoria is beautiful) and the Gorge is amazing in the fall. OMSI, Washington Park with the Oregon Zoo, Children's Museum and International Rose Test Garden are very kid (and parent) friendly, and there's plenty to do.

I'm also familiar with San Diego, and if you don't mind traffic, I'll vote for that one too. The San Diego Zoo is worth a look, as is the entirety of Balboa Park -- Ruben H. Fleet Space Theater, there's a Science Museum, and Spreckles Organ Pavilion has concerts every Sunday (perhaps just in the summer).
posted by lilithim at 10:34 PM on January 22, 2007

I was thinking Key West, as well, until it seemed you'd already been there. If you're like me, you'd especially enjoy the fact that Key West is one of the most expensive flights still considered to be part of the continental US, and that you were, thus, getting incredible value out of your free tickets.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:29 AM on January 23, 2007

Worry less about getting value for your free tickets. Go wherever you want to go and your trip will be more enjoyable.
posted by wfc123 at 8:50 AM on January 23, 2007

Though you say you've been there already, San Francisco is by far the most interesting city on the west coast for the activities you mention. By FAR.
posted by rokusan at 10:47 AM on January 23, 2007

If you like the Outer Banks, I recommend Savannah, Georgia. You can rent a house on Tybee Island, but you're also a short drive from the city itself. There's an abundance of southern charm in the Gothic style. No place on earth decays as elegantly as Savannah.

Plus, if you go in the Spring (or perhaps Autumn, I've never been in Savannah in Autumn) you will escape crappy NY weather.
posted by taliaferro at 10:56 AM on January 23, 2007

Congrats. No suggestions on destination, but I would suggest not waiting for your son to get older. In terms of his enjoyment of the trip/being a burden on you and your husband at your destination, there will be no difference between a 14 month old and a 22 month old.

But a 14th month old is much easier than a 22 month old to deal with on a plane, in a stroller, or baby carrier, and generally to travel with.

Besides, why wait when you can take advantage of the free tix to leave the cold weather of Bklyn behind now.
posted by hhc5 at 12:12 PM on January 23, 2007

Thirding Seattle and the San Juan islands.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 2:38 PM on January 23, 2007

Seconding Savannah or Key West, and also seconding travelling sooner than later. I had no real problems travelling with an under-1 year old several times but it was an absolute pain travelling with a toddler. Once they're really established with walking and testing your limits they are just not going to stay put calmly in an airline seat/your lap for the duration of a flight - they want to be on the move. Plus if they're younger than 2 you are going to be carrying or hauling them around almost all the time anyway so waiting is not going to make it any easier than it would be now to deal with them on a vacation.

And yeah, now's a great time to go south and beat the winter blues!
posted by Melinika at 2:46 PM on January 23, 2007

If you come to New Orleans, I'll totally set you up with an excellent babysitter so that you can go out like adults. Seriously.
posted by ColdChef at 4:44 PM on January 23, 2007

Also, like JujuB said: Zoo, Aquarium. Plus, it's on the edge (of the gulf, of the river, of the big old lake), it's got fantastic architecture, you can walk around.

(My second vote is Austin, Texas...just to show you I'm not completely prejudiced.)
posted by ColdChef at 4:47 PM on January 23, 2007

Portland, Or has the shopping, the food, the sights. Snowy Mountains are 45 minutes away and the beach 1.5 in the other direction.

Heading east on I-84 down the Columbia River Gorge are 16 beautiful waterfalls with hiking trails just perfect for a day trip with a toddler in a jerry-pack (I was just such a toddler). The Sunday Brunch at the Columbia River Gorge Hotel is memorable. If you make it too Hood River there is wind surfing and more shops and food (plus apples). Across the river in Washington there are vineyards and a replica of Stonehenge (fun to visit on a solstice).

Heading west on Hwy 26 you'll find Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock. Good touristy shopping and food, wonderful beaches and tide pools for the toddler to enjoy. Go south on the 101 from there to Depot Bay. Eat at Moe's and maybe even take a fishing charter (though probably not with a toddler). If you want to go a little farther visit Newport and the Oregon Aquarium. Other notable towns on the coast are Lincoln City, Pacific City (last of the small fishing towns), and Astoria.

My second suggestion would be Seattle, Vashon Island, and a day trip to Vancouver, Canada. There is a boat excursion leaving from Seattle that ends in a huge feast and dance based on local native American tribes. That's well worth the money. There's also the infamous Seattle Underground Tour.
posted by IndigoSkye at 6:45 PM on January 23, 2007

Oh, I forgot. Oregon Wines. If you're into Wine tours, The Willamette, Tualatin, and McMinnville valleys are the home to some of the best wines in the world. There's also a couple of really good candy factories (both run by religious orders) out by McMinnville. McMinnville has become home to quite a few great restaurants too.
posted by IndigoSkye at 6:48 PM on January 23, 2007

Wow, what an amazing wealth of information! You guys rock. I would've thanked you all sooner, but we took an unscheduled trip with my son -- to the hospital for 3 days. (He's ok now.)

I can't travel until summer because of my work schedule, and although I appreciate the advice that a baby is easier to travel with than a toddler, my son is now long past the "docile baby" stage. He already walks, runs, and raises holy hell all day long.

As jacquilynne intuited, I love the idea of getting the most expensive ticket on someone else's dime. And I have been to Key West, and loved it. I sailed all day, and in the evenings I went up and down Duval St. There didn't seem to be much more than that to do, but then I didn't really look. Maybe I missed some more family-oriented areas?

I can see the Pacific Northwest is the consensus fave. I'm going to have a great time investigating all these leads. I'd mark you all as favorites, but I don't want to gush.
posted by ROTFL at 6:15 PM on January 29, 2007