Vacation Ideas Anyone?

Hi N....it's great that you want to take your daughter on a vacation! I have a blended family, with two still at home. My daughter is 14, and my step-son, is 16. The best vacation they say they have had, is a Disney cruise!! We did it two years ago. My daughter was never into the characters either, but she still thought the cruise was the greatest! We did a 4 day land,(at Disney), and then a 3 day cruise. The kids all agreed that they would skip the park next time, and just do the cruise. We have done a couple of other cruises with Royal Carribian, and they still think the Disney was the best. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy it either. My husband, and I both agree, that we would like to do another Disney too. I would be more then happy to speak to you about our experience if you wish. I am in the Hershey area...Drop me an e-mail, and I will give you my ____@____.com....it is not as expensive as you might think, since it includes EVERYTHING!! Where ever you go, I hope you have a great time.

Like Betsy, I took my 9yo daughter to NYC last summer. We took the train...and spent a night at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square. We spent most of our time at the American Girl Place...saw a show, had tea, had her dolls' hair done, did the photo shoot with my daughter and her dolls and shopped...but we also enjoyed just snuggling in bed watching TV after the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a memorable trip for both of us. :)

There is a really cool hotel/waterpark in Lancaster! I looked for the info I thought I had on it, but couldn't find it readily available... but a quick search on the internet might find it... or one of the other moms might know where I am talking about.

I remember it being reasonably priced and a great escape for a mini-vaca!

I'm planning to take my daughter on the train to NYC for a "girls' weekend". We're going to American Girl Place for lunch & will see a Broadway show like Beauty & the Beast or Little Mermaid, plus see other NYC sites. Chicago also has American Girl Place & is a great city with an awesome aquarium. Another amazing vacation is The Atlantis in the Bahamas. If your daughter likes water/water parks, it's the perfect all-inclusive vacation! Have a safe & fun trip whatever you decide! I'm sure it will be great just because you're together!

This really depends on both of you being into it but when I was younger my Mom and I would go camping together. One time we just went to Lancaster and found a cheap campsite and spent our days at the outlets shopping together but actual camping and hiking are a great way to bond and I really feel to this day that it helped my Mom and I stay close.

There are SO many options even without Disney World! You could visit National Parks, go on a cruise, go to a local beach or one farther south. You could do a long weekend in NYC, Pittsburgh, DC or Philly. You could go to the Poconos or the mountains of North Carolina. I don't know what you want to spend, but all of these are fun options. My son is much younger than your daughter and has already been to most of these places for other reasons, and we can ALWAYS find something to do. My favorite vacation memories usually are not in a specific place, but they are about the time I spent with my family. If you pick a place with enough things to keep you busy, your daughter will surely have a good time because she is with you! Have fun!