Are we making the right choice with this itinerary?

We are having terrible trouble choosing our summer 2007 vacation as we have been spoiled by the West Coast and want something that will match up to this!

At the moment we are thinking Washington DC, Virgina Beach/Williamsburg, Philadelphia, New York, Cape Cod and Boston. The problem is, we need to have a huge variety of things to do for our two very active boys 12 and 14. We know we have the Busch Gardens and water park in Williamsburg and the beaches of Virginia and Cape Cod. Also, we have the city life in New York/Boston. In our itinerary are there any places to explore which will offer mountain biking, water rafting, kayaking etc?

We know there are loads of historical things to see on this route, but I have to say, this is not on our list of priorities! FUN FUN FUN is what we want!

Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Are we making the right choice with this itinerary?

To some people, history is fun.

Are we making the right choice with this itinerary?

For mountain biking, water rafting, kayaking, etc., you will have to go off the beaten path. In the DC area, you would have to head west to the Blue Ridge Mountains (Shenandoahs) for hiking and mountain biking. For white water rafting, I know there are areas in West Virginia for that.

In the DC area you could also check out the C%26amp;O Canal which has numerous walking/hiking trails with beautiful views. Cabin John Park in Potomac also has a lot of walking paths (and a killer playground, but I think your kids are too old to really enjoy it). You could take a trip up 270 and head to Frederick for some additional outdoor activities. You aren%26#39;t too far from Harper%26#39;s Ferry, again more outdoorsy stuff. There is a HUGE mall at Arundel Mills that has some activities (supercool movie theatre and a Jillians- you%26#39;d need to check to make sure it is still there, I moved a few years ago).

Philly is going to be a bit of a challenge, you could take the kids to South Street, which is kind of a hip area (but be careful after dark). There is also a Dave and Busters at Penns Landing (from what I can remember, has been a few years). The rest is pretty historic, Liberty Bell, etc.

I%26#39;m sure you can mix it up as you have a lot on the schedule and as long as you mix fun with the history your kids will be fine. I grew up with a very history-minded father and 90% of all vacations were around historic landmarks, did okay most of the time :)

Have fun!

Thankyou SueFee and Krunett for your %26#39;helpful%26#39; replies. On reading the first reply we were beginning to wonder if we should even be considering the East Coast, if this is typical of the hospitality we would receive! Talk about anti-British!

Of course, some people find history fun but we are planning this trip for ourselves and this is the whole point of this website, to help people make the right choices for themselves!

Anti-British? NO

Anti-you? YES

Perhaps I should not have used sarcasm to express my ‘opinion’ about your itinerary. But you really surprised me with your insensitivity about one of America’s most sacred and hallowed landmarks. Never in my wildest nightmare would I have guessed that someone would visit Williamsburg, the BIRTHPLACE of our country, because all they wanted to do was have FUN at the beer garden and waterpark.

I guess I’ll just have to shrug it off as typical Thanet behavior.

I think that the previous poster was out of line or maybe he doesn%26#39;t understand that traveling with kids means that you can%26#39;t just do historical things. They will get bored. If you choose to see Washington DC there is a six flags I believe in Baltimore. There are ';fun'; things for them to do. I promise you that we are not all anti British. Also if you are ';turned off'; by the East Coast maybe visit the Southern states. Southern hospitality really does exist. I am originaly from the west coast and moved here about 10 yrs ago. Also Tennessee where I now live has alot to see and ';fun'; things for the kids. After all you can%26#39;t enjoy your vacation if the kids are always saying ';I%26#39;m bored!!!! Have fun were ever you choose.

There really is no need for personal insults.

We simply did not wish to spend 3 weeks on an historical tour. The aim of my post was to ensure that there would be a variety of outdoor activities for our boys, and who mentioned a beer garden? You have obviously made the assumption that beer drinking is part of our holidays. Well, you couldn%26#39;t be more wrong.

Anyway, enough has been said, I%26#39;ll not waste any more time on this.

Thankyou, Casskaela for your suggestions and support!

You%26#39;re welcome, holidaynut! Whatever you and your family decide to do, enjoy your stay! Please note that most people you will encounter in your travels, will be pleasant and helpful--don%26#39;t worry! For example, recently it was reported that Philadelphia was rated as the least friendly city in the US. However, I feel that the ';City of Brotherly Love'; has gotten a bum rap. Everytime we%26#39;ve visited, we%26#39;ve always encountered friendly and helpful people. Since you mentioned that you plan to visit Philadelphia--when you%26#39;re there, be sure to have a cheesesteak sandwich and, if you like Italian food, you will find some wonderful restaurants in South Philly. Now I%26#39;m getting off topic! Please post back if you have other questions.