# Need Travel Suggestions for Upcoming Sabbatical



## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

I need suggestions from all you world travelers for sabbatical desinations.  DH will have a 3 month sabbatical next year...we have three small children, so it would be great for it to be a place/places in which they would have a good time.  If we are gone for three months straight, of course, it will have to be over the summer, but if it's a shorter visit, we can take off school for 2 weeks at a time.  It can be multiple places with long or short stays.  It can be a tour of different places.  It can be domestic or off the continent.  Really, we are just at a loss for where to start planning and would love some ideas, keeping in mind that it won't be too restful if we have to schlep three children to too many places.  Help please  (and I know, this is a wide open question...)


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I am also anxious to hear suggestions - what fun


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

How old are the children?

How long are you willing to travel to get somewhere?


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi Scarlet - thanks for the questions.  the children are 8 (boy), 6 (boy) and 4 (girl).  and, we had considered Australia as a potential destination as well as traveling by car across the U.S., so I think, as long as we stayed at the destination for a while, we would be willing to travel almost anywhere.  thanks!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I'd personally love to go to Greece and just travel a bit around there.  I'd also be happy just spending month after month on the shores of a Loch in a tiny house in Ireland too, though, so I might be odd.  London could also be very fun.  You'd get a lot of variety around there with very short trips out of town.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

How about Las Vegas? Yes, I know you have kids, but I think there's enough to do outside of gambling and strip clubs that it might be worthwhile. Plus, the kids will love how colorful the strip gets at night.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Scheherezade - Interesting!  thanks for the suggestions...we thought about London and Ireland, too.  Is there any special place in Ireland that you think of when you think of a vacation there?  A town perhaps?  Seriously, we had even considered renting a house somewhere and setting up shop, so to speak.  To immerse in another culture as much as possible would be awesome for the kids, I think.  What a learning experience for them, if they remembered it...that would be the other thing, wanting to do something that they would remember for a lifetime, if possible.  We don't get these opportunities very often, so we are trying to make it very special.  My DH works alot!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Hi Scarlet - thanks for the questions. the children are 8 (boy), 6 (boy) and 4 (girl). and, we had considered Australia as a potential destination as well as traveling by car across the U.S., so I think, as long as we stayed at the destination for a while, we would be willing to travel almost anywhere. thanks!


I did Australia last year, so if you have any questions, PM me. Personally, I think driving through the US would be great, give the kids a chance to see this country and appreciate the things that natives take for granted. Also, since you're traveling with kids, it's better to stick to something where you can adjust your schedule if they need to stop for a bit or speed up if they are getting antsy. I love San Francisco, and would definitely recommend the Grand Canyon and perhaps Salt Lake City.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

CS said:


> How about Las Vegas? Yes, I know you have kids, but I think there's enough to do outside of gambling and strip clubs that it might be worthwhile. Plus, the kids will love how colorful the strip gets at night.


Really? I hadn't thought of LV...I would love to go there again...had a blast before but that was without children. Tell me about things outside the obvious ones you posted...I'd love to hear more...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

scarlet said:


> I did Australia last year, so if you have any questions, PM me. Personally, I think driving through the US would be great, give the kids a chance to see this country and appreciate the things that natives take for granted. Also, since you're traveling with kids, it's better to stick to something where you can adjust your schedule if they need to stop for a bit or speed up if they are getting antsy. I love San Francisco, and would definitely recommend the Grand Canyon and perhaps Salt Lake City.


Yes, I agree...we think about doing the U.S. thing, but then we think we won't have this opportunity again anytime soon and should we do something that requires more effort and travel time because we can be gone longer...I don't know...I waffle back and forth on that. Something easy versus something that takes more effort but can't be done without the longer stretch of time...hmmmm...


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Scheherezade - Interesting! thanks for the suggestions...we thought about London and Ireland, too. Is there any special place in Ireland that you think of when you think of a vacation there? A town perhaps? Seriously, we had even considered renting a house somewhere and setting up shop, so to speak. To immerse in another culture as much as possible would be awesome for the kids, I think. What a learning experience for them, if they remembered it...that would be the other thing, wanting to do something that they would remember for a lifetime, if possible. We don't get these opportunities very often, so we are trying to make it very special. My DH works alot!


That's exactly what I want to do, spend a lot of time immersing myself in their culture and actually try to avoid touristy things. Though if I went to Greece I'd be all over the tourist stuff. I have a friend who did this in Scotland when she was young actually and she loved it and remembers it to this day. She went to Edinburgh and Inverness... I'm not sure of good places in Ireland as I've never been, but those are two to look at in Scotland.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Israel?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Scheherezade - Interesting! thanks for the suggestions...we thought about London and Ireland, too. Is there any special place in Ireland that you think of when you think of a vacation there? A town perhaps? *Seriously, we had even considered renting a house somewhere and setting up shop, so to speak. * To immerse in another culture as much as possible would be awesome for the kids, I think. What a learning experience for them, if they remembered it...that would be the other thing, wanting to do something that they would remember for a lifetime, if possible. We don't get these opportunities very often, so we are trying to make it very special. My DH works alot!


That's what I was going to suggest: renting a house somewhere and spending X amount of time there and really sort of getting to know the place. I have always enjoyed what I called "hub and spoke" traveling -- having a home base and then taking day trips. It works well with children because when they get frustrated and tired (and they will) you just stay home and ratchet back the activities a little bit until they are ready to venture forth again. Plus, I like having a home base and not having to eat in restaurants day in and day out. As much as I like to eat out, I find it gets old, fast, plus expensive. Maybe I'm weird, but I really like going to grocery stores in foreign places!

With the age of your children, I might consider a place where they speak English: England or Ireland (Australia, too, but I've never been there). That way, they'll be able to meet other children and feel like they are part of the culture. England has the advantage of zillions of cathedrals, castles, museums, historic houses and so on...if you could find a quaint little house in a cute little village that has a weekly market (for me, Yorkshire is coming to mind; the Cotswolds are nice too) you'd be all set. Personally, I wouldn't settle in a big city, like London or Dublin but would head out to the countryside. You could always plan a big three-four-five day excursion to the city to see the sights.

We rented a cottage for a week in a "village des vacances" in France. It was good because it was on the ocean and also had swimming pools (and bike rentals and a ton of other stuff) so there were lots of activities. We also fit in plenty of sightseeing. The drawback was that everyone was on vacation and some folks weren't super friendly, plus my children (they were 9 and 12 at the time) really didn't make any friends since they didn't speak French. Plus it was only a week. But all in all the concept worked and they have very fond memories of the trip.

L


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

scarlet said:


> Israel?


Now that's an interesting possibility...I would be all over that like salt on seafood, but I wonder about the children. I would want to talk about the history of the place and wonder if they would "get" it...hmmmm...I'll run that by the DH.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Germany would also be a lot of fun.  My mom went and loved it and I had regulars at a restaurant I waited tables in who also went and went on and on about it.  I know I'd love to see the Black Forest.  I've only ever been out of the states twice.  I went to Venezuela for three weeks which was fun but not really the place I would ever choose as a vacation spot and Victoria, Canada for one week which was absolutely gorgeous.  We stayed in The Empress and it was just pretty amazing.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Now that's an interesting possibility...I would be all over that like salt on seafood, but I wonder about the children. I would want to talk about the history of the place and wonder if they would "get" it...hmmmm...I'll run that by the DH.


Isreal would be a good place to stay for a week or two and live like the natives. And since it's relatively small, you can see the whole country in just the short time.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Scheherazade said:


> That's exactly what I want to do, spend a lot of time immersing myself in their culture and actually try to avoid touristy things. Though if I went to Greece I'd be all over the tourist stuff. I have a friend who did this in Scotland when she was young actually and she loved it and remembers it to this day. She went to Edinburgh and Inverness... I'm not sure of good places in Ireland as I've never been, but those are two to look at in Scotland.


Thanks for the ideas! I googled Edinburgh and places to rent and didn't have any luck, but I will keep trying...I don't know why (it's just me, I'm sure) but Ireland has always held a bit of appeal to me over Scotland. I'm not sure I even know what is in Scotland. Will have to do more research on that...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Leslie said:


> That's what I was going to suggest: renting a house somewhere and spending X amount of time there and really sort of getting to know the place. I have always enjoyed what I called "hub and spoke" traveling -- having a home base and then taking day trips. It works well with children because when they get frustrated and tired (and they will) you just stay home and ratchet back the activities a little bit until they are ready to venture forth again. Plus, I like having a home base and not having to eat in restaurants day in and day out. As much as I like to eat out, I find it gets old, fast, plus expensive. Maybe I'm weird, but I really like going to grocery stores in foreign places!
> 
> With the age of your children, I might consider a place where they speak English: England or Ireland (Australia, too, but I've never been there). That way, they'll be able to meet other children and feel like they are part of the culture. England has the advantage of zillions of cathedrals, castles, museums, historic houses and so on...if you could find a quaint little house in a cute little village that has a weekly market (for me, Yorkshire is coming to mind; the Cotswolds are nice too) you'd be all set. Personally, I wouldn't settle in a big city, like London or Dublin but would head out to the countryside. You could always plan a big three-four-five day excursion to the city to see the sights.
> 
> ...


These are really good suggestions...thanks! We keep going back to the idea of England for the same reasons you highlight here...same language, age of country, not terribly dangerous...plus, I think my DH has business connections there, so if we needed help, we could probably get it pretty easily...I think about those kinds of things, too...what if we needed help...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Scheherazade said:


> Germany would also be a lot of fun. My mom went and loved it and I had regulars at a restaurant I waited tables in who also went and went on and on about it. I know I'd love to see the Black Forest. I've only ever been out of the states twice. I went to Venezuela for three weeks which was fun but not really the place I would ever choose as a vacation spot and Victoria, Canada for one week which was absolutely gorgeous. We stayed in The Empress and it was just pretty amazing.


Oh, the Black Forest...all those cuckoo clocks...that's a good idea...


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Thanks for the ideas! I googled Edinburgh and places to rent and didn't have any luck, but I will keep trying...I don't know why (it's just me, I'm sure) but Ireland has always held a bit of appeal to me over Scotland. I'm not sure I even know what is in Scotland. Will have to do more research on that...


I have a friend whose in-laws have a flat in Edinburgh that they rent to University students, and they have been having problems finding renters, so keep looking if you're interested in Edinburgh. But be careful, there is a major theatre festival there in August, so that's a hard time to get lodgings.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

scarlet said:


> Isreal would be a good place to stay for a week or two and live like the natives. And since it's relatively small, you can see the whole country in just the short time.


Thanks...I've got it on my list now...I think what I'll do is get the suggestions and make a list of possible things we could do there and then run it by the DH. He always has veto power  That's probably the thing to do...[finding paper to make list]


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

scarlet said:


> I have a friend whose in-laws have a flat in Edinburgh that they rent to University students, and they have been having problems finding renters, so keep looking if you're interested in Edinburgh. But be careful, there is a major theatre festival there in August, so that's a hard time to get lodgings.


Festival in August....hmmm...that sounds good...will be checking that out...

Keep the ideas coming, folks...I think those that are on the short list for now are:

England
Ireland
Scotland
Australia

(oh and maybe just camping out in Hawaii...but in June, July, and August? sounds hot...hmmm)


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Oh, Oh, OHHH...what about that house in Ireland from P.S. I Love You...where do I find information on renting that house or something like it?


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Or the one in England from that Holiday movie with Cameran Diaz...where they switch houses for the holidays and find boyfriends in the meantime?  where is that one?


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Hey, please keep the possibility of seeing parts of the U.S.A. on the short list!


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

My Ancient Greece/Medieval studies professor is always in Europe, I can get the skinny on good places to stay and eat from her once you decide on a destination.  She's been all over the place and I am pretty sure she'd have suggestions for all of your top choices except maybe Australia (to which I might suggest seeing New Zealand as well).  Her specialty is latrines and sewage, though, so you might take her sites to see with a grain of salt    She always shows us gorgeous pictures of the places she's been in class and she definitely knows her stuff.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

What about just renting an RV for the summer and driving across the US?  You could even go into Canada and Mexico if you want, too.  Hit the biggies like Vegas, Great Lakes, Mt. Rushmore, DC, and you could also stop in itty bitty places, too, and see random stuff like the world's biggest ball of twine.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

marianner said:


> What about just renting an RV for the summer and driving across the US? You could even go into Canada and Mexico if you want, too. Hit the biggies like Vegas, Great Lakes, Mt. Rushmore, DC, and you could also stop in itty bitty places, too, and see random stuff like the world's biggest ball of twine.


The Corn Palace. Wall Drug.

South Dakota has to be one of the weirder places I have ever been (no offense to South Dakotaoans here). Of course, SD also has the Badlands. Incredible.

The Mint Bar in Sheridan, WY, the place that Annie Proulx was inspired to write Brokeback Mountain. Of course, I was there 20 years before the idea for the story ever entered her head. Did it enter my head? No. I was too busy looking at the good looking


Spoiler



drunk


 cowboys.   but I didn't see an Ennis in the corner staring wistfully into space.

L


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

scarlet said:


> Hey, please keep the possibility of seeing parts of the U.S.A. on the short list!


Oh, sure...it's always on the short list


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

marianner said:


> What about just renting an RV for the summer and driving across the US? You could even go into Canada and Mexico if you want, too. Hit the biggies like Vegas, Great Lakes, Mt. Rushmore, DC, and you could also stop in itty bitty places, too, and see random stuff like the world's biggest ball of twine.


Thanks so much for the suggestions...I think Scarlet suggested earlier the tour of the u.s. This is always in the back of our minds, but I wonder if we should take advantage of the longer break and go somewhere that is a little more difficult to get to. That's what I waffle on...but, yes, we're always thinking about seeing all the great sights here...like Mt. Rushmore 
(I've never seen that myself)...we've also talked about going to Glacier Nat'l Park or Yellowstone...so many places...so little time...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Leslie said:


> The Corn Palace. Wall Drug.
> 
> South Dakota has to be one of the weirder places I have ever been (no offense to South Dakotaoans here). Of course, SD also has the Badlands. Incredible.
> 
> ...


O.k. You all are piquing my interest in the RV across the U.S. thing. What about traveling Rt. 66? We talked about that possibility, too. Never been to S.D. Has anyone done a trip like this and do you have a route to suggest? Perhaps starting in the east and going west?

I was originally thinking we could do this, drop off the R.V. in CA and then take a flight to Hawaii and stay for a while...then come home...what about that?


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

My husband's from N. Ireland and we lived there and in The Lakes District of England.  I would highly, highly recommend the UK & Ireland - England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland & Ireland!!  There is tons to do, see, a million guest houses to rent for a night or longer, they speak English, but there is enough cultural variety to interest you.  I would do a month in England/Wales, a month in Scotland (plus, Isle of Skye, etc.) and a month in Ireland/N. Ireland.  It's easy enough to get around and renting a car isn't too pricey, plus driving on the left is easy-peasy!  I would be happy to give you lots...tons of information as we're there all the time and are always looking for new adventures.  There are still so many places we would like to see.  It's also cheap and easy to take a train through the Chunnel Tunnel (goes under the English Channel) to Paris!  

And alternative would be Germany, from the industrial north of Bremerhaven (the opposite of Ellis Island-where the passenger ships left) to Berlin to the west border with France to the Bavarian south...and into Switzerland, Austria and the Italian Alps.


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## Cat (Nov 10, 2008)

You could go to the Fodors.com message boards, and/or even Frommers.com. They have sections for everywhere! There are lots of experienced and helpful travelers who can help in unbelievable ways.

You can also buy travel guides for your kindle once you decide on a location . For example: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=frommers+travel+guides&sprefix=frommers

There are rental sites (Fodors posters can give advice about what to be wary of). For ex: http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe/

In case what your USD can buy weighs in on where you decide to go: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

From what I understand, http://www.tripadvisor.com/, can offer tons of good advice and ideas.

Don't abandon this thread! Keep us updated on what you're doing/decide/etc please!


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

Another thought - house trade with someone from another country.  A friend of mine does this all the time and we;d love to, but who wants to come to Phoenix in the summer


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## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

Since you said that you could break up the time you take why not do a few of these suggestions?  Pick a few of the areas in the US you would like to see and take a road trip there.  Then plan to go to one of the out of the country spots you would like to see and spend a few weeks in that location and maybe take day trips to points of interest.  Since kids tend to get tired easily, breaking up your trips might be better for them and more fun for everyone.  Kids, (in my experience) enjoy doing fun and simple things and going to the Smoky Mts. or spending time checking out the out-of-way sites like Tombstone, Az are things that kids get a kick out of.  Personally I have always said that there is so much to see in the US that I haven't seen that I would rather travel here that go out of the country.  This is a goal in my retirement when I get there.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

I thought about house trading but we're kind of in the same boat...who would want to come to KC, MO, in the summer?  Well, really, I don't know many that would want to come to KC at any time 

Thanks again for all the suggestions, everyone.  I REALLY appreciate it.  I talked to DH tonight...we love CO...and he was thinking that taking an RV to CO to hide out the entire time (and hike, which we love) would be wonderful.  I also think it would be great, but I guess I still go back to the fact that we can do that anytime (relatively) and the trip to Europe is not something that is easily done, therefore is more suited for a longer trip.

I've been online all night, googling, searching...I did find a couple that had traveled across the U.S. in an RV for 7 years straight and chronicled their travels.  Very interesting and also wonderful.

I think we are leaning to either the U.S trip or England/Ireland.  I was thinking tonight that it might be fun to do a poll on here to see what the majority suggest.  I think I would have to start planning now for Europe...it seems like it would require a lot more effort to get everything together.

I'm starting to get excited at the prospects.  My DH and I never had a honeymoon and after 14 years, I think it's about time we take a trip somewhere.  It will be with kids, so it's not the same, but still fun! 

I wonder if I just made plans and told DH about them, whether he would be mad or excited about not having to be involved...hmmm...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

B-Kay 1325 said:


> Since you said that you could break up the time you take why not do a few of these suggestions? Pick a few of the areas in the US you would like to see and take a road trip there. Then plan to go to one of the out of the country spots you would like to see and spend a few weeks in that location and maybe take day trips to points of interest. Since kids tend to get tired easily, breaking up your trips might be better for them and more fun for everyone. Kids, (in my experience) enjoy doing fun and simple things and going to the Smoky Mts. or spending time checking out the out-of-way sites like Tombstone, Az are things that kids get a kick out of. Personally I have always said that there is so much to see in the US that I haven't seen that I would rather travel here that go out of the country. This is a goal in my retirement when I get there.


Yes, good idea...I keep forgetting that we could both, just not so much time in either place. Perhaps we could do the Europe trip AND the RV trip. Too much for the kiddos? The sabbatical has to be taken 3 months consecutively, but we could break it up within those three months. 1 month here, 1 month rest, 1 month there...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Cat said:


> You could go to the Fodors.com message boards, and/or even Frommers.com. They have sections for everywhere! There are lots of experienced and helpful travelers who can help in unbelievable ways.
> 
> You can also buy travel guides for your kindle once you decide on a location . For example: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_8?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=frommers+travel+guides&sprefix=frommers
> 
> ...


Thanks for these, Cat. These will be very helpful...I'm the adventurous one in our family and my DH is the practical one. I have a feeling that we will need to compromise at some point...something in between adventurous and practical...I'm going to take a look at these sites...

I will definitely keep up with this thread and report progress...this sounds like fun! Also, I was thinking about blogging about it...never blogged before, but this seems like a good time to start


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Also, I was thinking about blogging about it...never blogged before, but this seems like a good time to start


I use travelblog.org for my travel blog, it's quite easy to use and you just add the people you want to send it to to an e-mail list.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

scarlet said:


> I use travelblog.org for my travel blog, it's quite easy to use and you just add the people you want to send it to to an e-mail list.


Ooooh...thanks...I will check it out...easy is good for me...I also seem to be somewhat computer challenged


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

You don't have to do it during the summer. You could always homeschool the children while you're gone. In addition to whatever schoolwork you do, the kids can learn so much about the culture, history, geography of wherever you decide to travel.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

luvmy4brats said:


> You don't have to do it during the summer. You could always homeschool the children while you're gone. In addition to whatever schoolwork you do, the kids can learn so much about the culture, history, geography of wherever you decide to travel.


Yes, good idea...I was thinking about that...whatever happened to that homeschool thread?  I'll have to go resurrect it...

The trouble is...they go to a 3 day-a-week classical school now and are homeschooled two days a week...I actually asked about this...next year, my oldest will be in 4th grade and the work load increases exponentially from what I'm told. They are starting Latin this year and will start Greek next year as well as reading classics, violin, French, and other stuff...they tell me that people start getting the cold sweats when they miss more than 1 day of in-school school. I'm not sure if I could keep up the pace...


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## Marguerite (Jan 18, 2009)

When I was a little girl, my mom rented a motor home and we traveled around the United States.  We only had to unpack one time and wed carried everything with us.  In addition, they can play or read in the motor home while on the road as well as have snacks and go to the bathroom.  Honestly, if I had a chunk of time like you do I would look into it and get some information on campgrounds from AAA.


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

I would love to do the motor home thing myself.  My husband is fairly new here and there is so much to see.  We did do that exact thing one summer from Phoenix and did all of northern AZ, New Mexico, Colorado & Utah - there was so much to see and it wasn't so bad (hot!) during the summer months.

If you are still considering the UK/Ireland thing guest houses (similar to B&Bs) can be very cheapcompared to the awful price of petrol (anywhere, I guess).

The wonderful thing is there are so many options and I think it's great that you are not just thinking of only doing a Disney vacation, but really immerse your lives into it.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> O.k. You all are piquing my interest in the RV across the U.S. thing. What about traveling Rt. 66? We talked about that possibility, too. Never been to S.D. Has anyone done a trip like this and do you have a route to suggest? Perhaps starting in the east and going west?
> 
> I was originally thinking we could do this, drop off the R.V. in CA and then take a flight to Hawaii and stay for a while...then come home...what about that?


I don't think Rt. 66 exists anymore, at least not in a driveable state. There are bits and pieces of it but it was mostly abandoned when the interstates were built around it, starting in 1956. This website has lots of info:

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Info.html

Angus King was Governor of Maine for eight years. When he left office in 2003, he and his family (wife and two children) took a five-month RV tour around the US. He created a website to document their journey and you can read all about it here:

http://www.wheresmolly.com/

Maybe this will give you some ideas!

L


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Marguerite said:


> When I was a little girl, my mom rented a motor home and we traveled around the United States. We only had to unpack one time and wed carried everything with us. In addition, they can play or read in the motor home while on the road as well as have snacks and go to the bathroom. Honestly, if I had a chunk of time like you do I would look into it and get some information on campgrounds from AAA.


Thank you...I was looking last night at the possibility of renting an RV...I still think that would be fun...somewhere, someone was recommending a Lazy Daze RV...thought that was an interesting name, so I checked it out. They are really nice, but it's hard to get past that name 

I'm still looking into all of this. I'm sure I'm making more out of it than necessary, but I like to have plans for things


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

F1Wild said:


> I would love to do the motor home thing myself. My husband is fairly new here and there is so much to see. We did do that exact thing one summer from Phoenix and did all of northern AZ, New Mexico, Colorado & Utah - there was so much to see and it wasn't so bad (hot!) during the summer months.
> 
> If you are still considering the UK/Ireland thing guest houses (similar to B&Bs) can be very cheapcompared to the awful price of petrol (anywhere, I guess).
> 
> The wonderful thing is there are so many options and I think it's great that you are not just thinking of only doing a Disney vacation, but really immerse your lives into it.


How about a Lazy Daze RV?  I saw somewhere last night, someone had gone to Yosemite...it looked breathtaking! I was thinking that if we did do the RV thing, we should go somewhere that would be difficult to do without alot of time...like Glacier, Yosemite, or Yellowstone. We do love to camp and hike.

I'm still looking into England/Ireland. I saw online that the rental rates are really inexpensive, relatively. I was a little shocked, actually, at how little they were asking for rent. I was wondering if I had to worry about neighborhood safety or something. I just don't know enough about those things...must do alot more checking around. I think you mentioned that you had someone who could recommend places...I may take you up on that when we decide when/where/if we are going to Europe. I think it would be important to make sure we have the right information...I will check out those website that others were mentioning too.

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I didn't just want to do Disney, although my 4 year old daughter would FLIP over that idea. I just thought 3 months at Disney might be a little much


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Leslie said:


> I don't think Rt. 66 exists anymore, at least not in a driveable state. There are bits and pieces of it but it was mostly abandoned when the interstates were built around it, starting in 1956. This website has lots of info:
> 
> http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Info.html
> 
> ...


Ooops. Yes, you are probably right about route 66. I should know that...I've seen Cars 

Thanks for the website...going to look at it now. Between that one and the family who spent 7 years (3 1/2 weeks each year) visiting state parks, it should give me a lot of information. That's actually where I got the idea of Yosemite. I hadn't thought of that park. I guess it's really hard to get reservations on the park, though, because there aren't alot of sites available. Still checking.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

My choice with small kids? SF Bay area of California. Rent an apartment or house for the summer. then you can day-trip to your heart's content. What to do with the kids?
How about hands-ON learning museums like the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley (http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/), and the Exploratorium in San Francisco (http://www.exploratorium.edu/). Then you can take a trip to John Muir Woods National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm) 
Yosemite (http://www.yosemite.com/) is only a couple hours drive away. As is the historic gold-rush town of Columbia (http://www.columbiacalifornia.com/)

In San Fransisco there are TONS of things to do. Check out this great site for some suggestions (http://www.parksportal.com/). 
In Golden Gate Park there are SO many things to do with the kids. The Japanese Tea Garden (http://www.sfpt.org/Default.aspx?tabid=236) is world famous. and if you exit out the back gate, and walk up the rather steep pathway you arrive at Stowe Lake. You can drive up to it also. In the middle of the lake is a wonderful island for short hiking, on the lake you can rent a rowboat or paddleboat.
Theres the California Academy of Sciences(http://www.calacademy.org/) Which should be done in multiple days. It includes a WONDERFUL planetarium, aquarium, natural history museum, and now, a 4-story rainforest. (personal note- this was my favorite place to visit growing up)
Want to learn about plants and have a lovely walk at the same time? walk through Strybing Arboretum (http://www.calacademy.org/)

Ok, the reply box here is giving me issues. if you want to know more I will be happy to give you TONS more to do in that area. My grandparents have lived in SF for 57 years so I have been there ALOT.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

Show them the country the "easy way"....
http://www.americabyrail.net/

They have tours of many parts of the country -- bump up to a family bedroom and the kids always have someplace to hide or nap if they get tired. Take along some books and games to do as a family and everybody wins. You get to travel, see the country, nobody gets frazzled trying to make connections/driving/flying -- just sit back and watch the country go by.


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## KathyluvsKindle (Apr 13, 2009)

Go to Australia!!!. My DH and I went for the first time three years ago. Feel absolutely in love. Stayed in Sydney/Manley for two months. This past fall we went back for two months in Adelaide and Melbourne.  We use homeexchange.com and would be happy to tell you more about that.

The Aussies are the best! The animals are unbelievable! The climate is great!  (Can you tell I love the place?) If we were younger we would move there.


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> I'm still looking into England/Ireland. I saw online that the rental rates are really inexpensive, relatively. I was a little shocked, actually, at how little they were asking for rent. I was wondering if I had to worry about neighborhood safety or something. I just don't know enough about those things...must do alot more checking around. I think you mentioned that you had someone who could recommend places...I may take you up on that when we decide when/where/if we are going to Europe. I think it would be important to make sure we have the right information...I will check out those website that others were mentioning too.
> Thanks for the encouragement.


I can help you as we know places. There are so many little cheap places everywhere - very unlike here in corporate America. We would just plan to go out and drive for days at a time, with a basic agenda. We would stop wherever we thought looked good, passing lots of guest houses along the way. They're in every little town and hamlet. Outside of the major cities it's very safe and the people LOVE to help. We would just head in a certain direction, stop to do whatever we wanted during the day and meander into a nice little town at night, find a guest house and grab a bite to eat at a local pub. Pubs are generally for families there and include meals, music and good craic (banter).


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Tip10 said:


> Show them the country the "easy way"....
> http://www.americabyrail.net/
> 
> They have tours of many parts of the country -- bump up to a family bedroom and the kids always have someplace to hide or nap if they get tired. Take along some books and games to do as a family and everybody wins. You get to travel, see the country, nobody gets frazzled trying to make connections/driving/flying -- just sit back and watch the country go by.


Ooh, that looks fun, too, and you wouldn't have to drive!


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

BTackitt said:


> My choice with small kids? SF Bay area of California. Rent an apartment or house for the summer. then you can day-trip to your heart's content. What to do with the kids?
> How about hands-ON learning museums like the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley (http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/), and the Exploratorium in San Francisco (http://www.exploratorium.edu/). Then you can take a trip to John Muir Woods National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm)
> Yosemite (http://www.yosemite.com/) is only a couple hours drive away. As is the historic gold-rush town of Columbia (http://www.columbiacalifornia.com/)
> 
> ...


Thanks for the great suggestions! We actually took a family vacation to SF last year and had a blast. We took the kids to the boardwalk that is south, I think, of there...I can't off hand remember the town...it was the highlight for them. we spent a week there...loved the Muir Woods...we didn't get to see Yosemite though. I think that would be amazing from what I've seen. I will add that to the list...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Tip10 said:


> Show them the country the "easy way"....
> http://www.americabyrail.net/
> 
> They have tours of many parts of the country -- bump up to a family bedroom and the kids always have someplace to hide or nap if they get tired. Take along some books and games to do as a family and everybody wins. You get to travel, see the country, nobody gets frazzled trying to make connections/driving/flying -- just sit back and watch the country go by.


What a great idea! I clicked the link and saw that they mix cruises with rail tours. Wow, what an action packed 12 or so days!  I emailed this idea to my DH...he's reviewing now... Totally hadn't thought of rail...I wonder how comfortable the berths would be. I'm sure they are pretty plush these days. How carefree and easy....But, what do the kids do on the rails? my kids would not be able to sit and watch the scenery go by without acting like pinballs in a pinball machine. My kids are great...don't get me wrong  but I do have visions of one hanging off the connections between cars yelling "yee haw" [shiver]


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

F1Wild said:


> I can help you as we know places. There are so many little cheap places everywhere - very unlike here in corporate America. We would just plan to go out and drive for days at a time, with a basic agenda. We would stop wherever we thought looked good, passing lots of guest houses along the way. They're in every little town and hamlet. Outside of the major cities it's very safe and the people LOVE to help. We would just head in a certain direction, stop to do whatever we wanted during the day and meander into a nice little town at night, find a guest house and grab a bite to eat at a local pub. Pubs are generally for families there and include meals, music and good craic (banter).


I hadn't thought of just going and asking for a place to stay. That sounds very adventurous...I'm thinking a little too much so for my DH. I love the idea of a family pub!!!  Why don't we have those here? 

Again, thanks so much for sticking with me while we contemplate what to do with ourselves for 3 months  Please, keep the ideas coming...

I'm now looking into the following (in no particular order, for you DWTS fans 

1. RV rental/purchase and travel across US staying at state parks, seeing sights, and generally kicking it. Hiding out in CO follows under this one because we would still need an RV. At this point, I'm thinking that if we go anywhere in the U.S. and don't travel by rail, we will probably travel by RV. We do love to drive and see stuff, so it works for us. So, this would include suggestions about LV and SF...
2. Rail travel across U.S. (perhaps Alaska - always wanted to go to Alaska)
3. England/Ireland renting houses while immersing ourselves as much as possible

I'm putting some of the other countries on the backburner for now because of distance or language barriers. I would love to take my kids to some of those places, though, so they are still on the list...

Thanks so much everyone!!!! I did check into a blog...when I start one, I will place it in my signature line...

Please, more suggestions/things to consider are so very welcome!


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

Another thing about the England/Ireland and don't forget my favorite Scotland thing is that the places are much smaller, and closer together than here.  You can rent a guesthouse say near Dublin and do day trips for weeks, then maybe head over to Donegal/Sligo area (west coast) and do the same thing.  We lived outside of Belfast and could drive a little over an hour and be at the north coast to see Giant's Causeway, Bushmills, Carrick-a-rede, etc.  We also lived in the Lakes District of England (NW) and could be in Scotland in less than an hour, London (via Virgin train) in a few hours, and either coast in a matter of hours as well.  In Scotland we loved driving along the lochs from Troon (famous for golf), through the Highlands, Loch Lomand (think The Highlander movie), Loch Ness, etc.  We spent a Summer Solstice on the Isle of Skye and because it's so far north we were in daylight at midnight there.

Also, you can back and forth between England/Scotland and Ireland via ferry.  So you either get on the Liverpool (yup, the Beatles) ferry or Scotland's Strainraer ferry with your car and head over.  Very easy and family friendly...and even sites along the way - Ailsa Craig, etc.

Okay, I know I could go on and on about anywhere as we love to travel and see everything - from ancient castles, marble caves, crystal making, hiking trails, whiskey making, etc.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

km522 said:


> Go to Australia!!!. My DH and I went for the first time three years ago. Feel absolutely in love. Stayed in Sydney/Manley for two months. This past fall we went back for two months in Adelaide and Melbourne. We use homeexchange.com and would be happy to tell you more about that.
> 
> The Aussies are the best! The animals are unbelievable! The climate is great! (Can you tell I love the place?) If we were younger we would move there.


Thanks so much for weighing in on this...Yes, I LOVE the idea of Australia, it's just, every time I think about and how far away it is (long trip), I get a little panicky. This is a place my DH and I have always wanted to go but I have to say that I'm a little daunted at the prospect of taking the children there when they are so young. My DH and I can't seem to figure out what we would be getting ourselves into 

one thing we had considered with Australia is going as an exchange through WorldMark. My BIL and SIL have a WorldMark ownership that we share with them and we thought we might be able to use that for this trip. This might be a possibility.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

F1Wild said:


> Another thing about the England/Ireland and don't forget my favorite Scotland thing is that the places are much smaller, and closer together than here. You can rent a guesthouse say near Dublin and do day trips for weeks, then maybe head over to Donegal/Sligo area (west coast) and do the same thing. We lived outside of Belfast and could drive a little over an hour and be at the north coast to see Giant's Causeway, Bushmills, Carrick-a-rede, etc. We also lived in the Lakes District of England (NW) and could be in Scotland in less than an hour, London (via Virgin train) in a few hours, and either coast in a matter of hours as well. In Scotland we loved driving along the lochs from Troon (famous for golf), through the Highlands, Loch Lomand (think The Highlander movie), Loch Ness, etc. We spent a Summer Solstice on the Isle of Skye and because it's so far north we were in daylight at midnight there.
> 
> Also, you can back and forth between England/Scotland and Ireland via ferry. So you either get on the Liverpool (yup, the Beatles) ferry or Scotland's Strainraer ferry with your car and head over. Very easy and family friendly...and even sites along the way - Ailsa Craig, etc.
> 
> Okay, I know I could go on and on about anywhere as we love to travel and see everything - from ancient castles, marble caves, crystal making, hiking trails, whiskey making, etc.


Sounds like so much is at your fingertips there...I confess...this is the trip I would take if it were entirely up to me...I watched P.S. I love you last night because of this thread. The countryside is breathtaking in the movie...I can't imagine what it would be like in person. i also think of another favorite of mine, Pride and Predudice. I have the BBC version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ely (sp?) and it has a bonus DVD with background on the places/houses in the movie. I now have a dream of visiting the places in the movie. Oh, and the idea of seeing castles, old churches, etc. is amazing to me. I just love everything about this idea...but alas, I may get outvoted


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> I just love everything about this idea...but alas, I may get outvoted


Don't mention the girlie bits to your hubby - just the incredible beer everywhere...and the castles, etc. to the kids.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

We bought a Class A RV two years ago, have put over 8,000 miles on it so far and absolutely love it.  BUT . .  a few words of advice.

I don't know where you're at, but around here renting an RV is very spendy, and the available rentals are fairly bare bones in creature comforts.  If you're going to be traveling for three months, you might be better off looking into buying an older RV that's still in good shape.

RV'ing isn't rocket science, but it does require quite a bit of a learning curve.  There are lots of systems to deal with (water/plumbing, electrical, propane, 12v, etc.), so lots of things that can go wrong.

State park campgrounds and private campgrounds near popular tourist destinations tend to book up many months in advance, which limits the opportunity for spur-of-the-moment stops.

Some state parks offer sites with full hook-ups ("full hook-ups" always includes water, sewer and electricity and maybe cable and wifi).  But some are very primitive and have either no hook-ups at all, just water/electricity and sometimes just water.  No or limited hook-ups can be a challenge, especially with kids and with no generator (which I think most rental units wouldn't have).

One more thing you have to think about regarding renting an RV is that you won't have a car, as I don't think most rental units have hitches.  If you're staying in one spot for a few days you could get a rental car.  But if you had to drive the RV, you'd have to break your camp site every time you wanted to go somewhere, and set up again when you get back.  And unless you rented the smallest of RVs, you're going to encounter lots of problems with parking, manuevering through city streets, etc.  You could tow a car if the RV you rented has a trailer hitch so that you could hook a tow dolly to it, but you'd have the added expense of renting or buying a tow dolly.  Some cars can be towed "four down" (w/o a dolly), but you'd have to have a tow bar and an auxilliary braking system installed on the car.

I'm not trying to discourage you from renting an RV at all (because we really do love it).  I just wanted to point out some of the things you'd potentially have to deal with that you may not have thought about.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

RV'ing around the USA was what we did every summer when I was little (Mom and Grandma were teachers). We used KOA's (http://www.koa.com/where/usa.htm) and I just checked.. they have WIFI at most of their places.


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

What Pawz4me said.... ^^^^ Not to be an alarmist or to throw cold water on anything, but....being forwarned is helpful. My DH did contract engineering work for over 10 years and our youngest son and I traveled around the country with him in our 5th wheel--home schooling on the road. Our oldest three were in college and one or two of them were always in our _home on the ground_ while we were away (for months at a time). It's quite an experience. Of course, our situation was quite different from what yours would be if you choose this option (because DH's jobs were often in Podunk, USA). The first thing I did when we pulled into a park was look for where I'd run to safety if bad weather hit. And....if you do go this way, make sure the RV you choose is suited for the elements. From my experience, it's difficult to cool or heat an RV in extreme conditions. (But that's true for a beach house or whatever.) We had two air conditioning units in one of our 5th wheels but....not ever enough power to allow them to properly function, especially in Houston summers. Same with the heat in NC and Kansas winters.

Again, all that said, I've had similar warnings about traveling overseas. Several people have told me "have no expectations." Not to say it would be a bad experience, but it would be different (not what I'm used to). Then again, that's the point, isn't it?

I'm loving your thread. Lucky you! I don't think there is a bad or wrong choice you could make. I'll throw in an options that I've been toying with: renting a houseboat on one of the big lakes in Tennessee or Arkansas. That looks like fun--for a while.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

F1Wild said:


> Don't mention the girlie bits to your hubby - just the incredible beer everywhere...and the castles, etc. to the kids.


LOL yes, I should keep my extra motives to myself, probably


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Pawz4me said:


> We bought a Class A RV two years ago, have put over 8,000 miles on it so far and absolutely love it. BUT . . a few words of advice.
> 
> I don't know where you're at, but around here renting an RV is very spendy, and the available rentals are fairly bare bones in creature comforts. If you're going to be traveling for three months, you might be better off looking into buying an older RV that's still in good shape.
> 
> ...


Thanks for much for the words of wisdom...I have seen folks travel down the road with their cars towed behind them and wondered whether towing 4 wheels down (is that what it's called?) would hurt the car. I think DH and I would probably rather tow 4 wheels up (if that's even a phrase )

We are looking into possibly purchasing an RV. We've actually been thinking about doing this for quite some time and haven't yet pulled the plug. I'm wondering if now would be a good time to buy...checking into that...thanks again...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

BTackitt said:


> RV'ing around the USA was what we did every summer when I was little (Mom and Grandma were teachers). We used KOA's (http://www.koa.com/where/usa.htm) and I just checked.. they have WIFI at most of their places.


We stayed at a KOA in extreme western Kansas on our way to CO one year and it was wonderful. the town it was in left a little to be desired, but the actual camping experience was great..the bathrooms were so clean! thanks for your comments...DH would HAVE to have wifi, not to mention my need to be able to download books and login to KB (ahh, there's the kindle tie-in...i knew it would come around )


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

marianner said:


> What about just renting an RV for the summer and driving across the US? You could even go into Canada and Mexico if you want, too. Hit the biggies like Vegas, Great Lakes, Mt. Rushmore, DC, and you could also stop in itty bitty places, too, and see random stuff like the world's biggest ball of twine.


That's exactly what I was about to suggest. You could even buy an RV, or trailer/5th wheel if you already have a vehicle that can tow it. We've had some great trips RVing, and while we traded our RV in for a pool when it became clear my husband wasn't willing to take the long trips away from the grandkids that we'd planned, I still miss it. And at this age, your kids really aren't going to appreciate the "overseas experience" any more than they would traveling the US. (I speak from experience, we were stationed overseas when my kids were your kids' age - now they realize they should've appreciated those trips a lot more than they did!)


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

ellesu said:


> What Pawz4me said.... ^^^^ Not to be an alarmist or to throw cold water on anything, but....being forwarned is helpful. My DH did contract engineering work for over 10 years and our youngest son and I traveled around the country with him in our 5th wheel--home schooling on the road. Our oldest three were in college and one or two of them were always in our _home on the ground_ while we were away (for months at a time). It's quite an experience. Of course, our situation was quite different from what yours would be if you choose this option (because DH's jobs were often in Podunk, USA). The first thing I did when we pulled into a park was look for where I'd run to safety if bad weather hit. And....if you do go this way, make sure the RV you choose is suited for the elements. From my experience, it's difficult to cool or heat an RV in extreme conditions. (But that's true for a beach house or whatever.) We had two air conditioning units in one of our 5th wheels but....not ever enough power to allow them to properly function, especially in Houston summers. Same with the heat in NC and Kansas winters.
> 
> Again, all that said, I've had similar warnings about traveling overseas. Several people have told me "have no expectations." Not to say it would be a bad experience, but it would be different (not what I'm used to). Then again, that's the point, isn't it?
> 
> I'm loving your thread. Lucky you! I don't think there is a bad or wrong choice you could make. I'll throw in an options that I've been toying with: renting a houseboat on one of the big lakes in Tennessee or Arkansas. That looks like fun--for a while.


I do appreciate all the comments..really, I couldn't begin to think of all this by myself...I need all the help I can get!  That's an interesting point about heating and air. I tend to think, if you have an air conditioner/heater, then you're set. I hadn't thought about not having enough electricity to run it.  I think you are right that any new place we go will have challenges because it's...well...new and different. I think it might just be a very good thing for my children to learn about differences in style, comfort, efficiency, etc. My kids tend to think everyone is and lives the same (they are young).

A house boat...brilliant! goes on the list...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Meemo said:


> That's exactly what I was about to suggest. You could even buy an RV, or trailer/5th wheel if you already have a vehicle that can tow it. We've had some great trips RVing, and while we traded our RV in for a pool when it became clear my husband wasn't willing to take the long trips away from the grandkids that we'd planned, I still miss it. And at this age, your kids really aren't going to appreciate the "overseas experience" any more than they would traveling the US. (I speak from experience, we were stationed overseas when my kids were your kids' age - now they realize they should've appreciated those trips a lot more than they did!)


Oh, thank you for the comment about the kids not appreciating an overseas experience...I had wondered about that...that is one of the DH's suggestions for why we should stay in the US. Gee, but I would really love to go overseas...that might have to wait, though.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Any possibility of 2 months around the US with the kids and then send them on an adventure to Grandmas while you and DH do a month of overseas "honeymoon" time?


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> I have seen folks travel down the road with their cars towed behind them and wondered whether towing 4 wheels down (is that what it's called?) would hurt the car. I think DH and I would probably rather tow 4 wheels up (if that's even a phrase )


Most vehicle owner's manuals state whether or not they can be towed four down. Some can be towed that way with no modifications at all, some require a few modifications, and some can only be towed on a dolly or trailer. It depends on the transmission and the frame strength of the vehicle. We have a Honda CR-V that we tow four down. The big advantages of towing four down are that you don't have to fool with finding somewhere to park a dolly or trailer when you're at a campground (many sites aren't big enough to easily accommodate them), and you're not putting more strain on your RV pulling the extra weight of a dolly or trailer.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

crebel said:


> Any possibility of 2 months around the US with the kids and then send them on an adventure to Grandmas while you and DH do a month of overseas "honeymoon" time?


Oh, now, there's an idea  Unfortunately, gma and gpa are in their late 80s and early 90s, so they are out. BUT, we do have a wonderful older lady who could stay with them for a while and get them to all their activities. Hmmmm....thanks for the suggestion! I will run that by DH. Maybe not a whole month, but a week or two would certainly be doable, I would think. What a good idea!


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Pawz4me said:


> Most vehicle owner's manuals state whether or not they can be towed four down. Some can be towed that way with no modifications at all, some require a few modifications, and some can only be towed on a dolly or trailer. It depends on the transmission and the frame strength of the vehicle. We have a Honda CR-V that we tow four down. The big advantages of towing four down are that you don't have to fool with finding somewhere to park a dolly or trailer when you're at a campground (many sites aren't big enough to easily accommodate them), and you're not putting more strain on your RV pulling the extra weight of a dolly or trailer.


Oh, gotcha...I will check that out...thanks for mentioning the owner's manual. I'm sure we would be o.k. with doing it if it says it's o.k. in the manual...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Aaaaand...we have a verdict!    After much deliberation, we have decided on a compromise (calling all Canadians...)

We are going to travel the US in an RV (probably purchased...I'm starting a serious RV search now) and make a trek into Canada to satisfy my need to go to another country.  YAY!!!  I'm sooooo excited...I get to start the fun planning part where we figure out where we are going to go and stay, loosely.  We really want to go to Yosemite and I've heard it's very difficult to get camping sites in the park there, so that's probably where I will start...yeppee...yay!  Can't wait..can you tell I'm excited?

Helllloooo northerners...I need suggestions for Canada...where to go, how long to stay, what to do...whatever you think I may need to know.  We will be going during the summer, I think.  Mid May to Mid August...thanks in advance and thanks so, so much to all those who gave me so many great ideas...you guys rock!  

I want to give a special shoutout to F1Wild...England/Ireland was a close second for us...we decided to do this trip next, after this one...I'm hoping sooner rather than later...thanks again!


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Aaaaand...we have a verdict!  After much deliberation, we have decided on a compromise (calling all Canadians...)
> We are going to travel the US in an RV (probably purchased...I'm starting a serious RV search now) and make a trek into Canada to satisfy my need to go to another country. YAY!!!
> I want to give a special shoutout to F1Wild...England/Ireland was a close second for us...we decided to do this trip next, after this one...I'm hoping sooner rather than later...thanks again!


No problem! I'm sure you will love Canada. I only know the west & east coasts - so be sure to spend quality time in Vancouver & Whistler and my favorite, Montreal (we go almost every year for the Formula 1 race) & Quebec City (you'll get your Euro flavor there. Also, be sure to include the Maritime Provinces!

I would think you'd be able to get a smoking deal now on an RV with the economy down the tubes. Looking through dealers or Craigslist?

Awesome trip to plan!!!


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

F1Wild said:


> No problem! I'm sure you will love Canada. I only know the west & east coasts - so be sure to spend quality time in Vancouver & Whistler and my favorite, Montreal (we go almost every year for the Formula 1 race) & Quebec City (you'll get your Euro flavor there. Also, be sure to include the Maritime Provinces!
> 
> I would think you'd be able to get a smoking deal now on an RV with the economy down the tubes. Looking through dealers or Craigslist?
> 
> Awesome trip to plan!!!


I was hoping now would be a good time to get a good deal...I've started on ebay and craigslist. I prefer craigslist. Thanks for the suggestions on places...I'm already having tons of fun looking at stuff. DH has never been to some of the northern parks and never to Canada. So cool that we will be going to places to which none of us has ever been. We have some very specific needs in an RV, so I might have quite a job ahead of me in finding one. We really would rather purchase a used one, but new works, too, if I can't find used.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Aaaaand...we have a verdict!  After much deliberation, we have decided on a compromise (calling all Canadians...)
> 
> We are going to travel the US in an RV (probably purchased...I'm starting a serious RV search now) and make a trek into Canada to satisfy my need to go to another country. YAY!!! I'm sooooo excited...I get to start the fun planning part where we figure out where we are going to go and stay, loosely. We really want to go to Yosemite and I've heard it's very difficult to get camping sites in the park there, so that's probably where I will start...yeppee...yay! Can't wait..can you tell I'm excited?
> 
> ...


Yay! Sounds fabulous. 
One trip I heard a few RVers talk about (but we never got to make) was to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. I don't know much about it other than it was supposed to be gorgeous and the descriptions always stuck with me. 
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index_E.asp


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Congratulations on your decision.  I have had such fun reading this thread.  
I can't wait to hear all about your adventures.  (make a note to yourself that we will need updates on KB.)
I would love to do RV travel.  A friend of mine offered his 30 ft. motor home to me last year for 30K.  This year the price has dropped to 23K.  I'm thinking you should be able to find a good deal.  
Keep us posted.
deb


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> We are going to travel the US in an RV (probably purchased...I'm starting a serious RV search now) and make a trek into Canada to satisfy my need to go to another country. YAY!!! I'm sooooo excited...I get to start the fun planning part where we figure out where we are going to go and stay, loosely. We really want to go to Yosemite and I've heard it's very difficult to get camping sites in the park there, so that's probably where I will start...yeppee...yay! Can't wait..can you tell I'm excited?
> 
> Helllloooo northerners...I need suggestions for Canada...where to go, how long to stay, what to do...whatever you think I may need to know. We will be going during the summer, I think. Mid May to Mid August...thanks in advance and thanks so, so much to all those who gave me so many great ideas...you guys rock!


Congratulations! When my husband retired, we purchased a used RV (good idea, they depreciate like a rock sinks) and drove to Alaska. I was on sabbatical from work for 7 weeks. It was one of the best things we've ever done! It was our first trip in the RV (though I strongly recommend some test trips!) I loved our RV, was sad when we sold it, and still miss it. I think we left in late June and I got back in August. (I flew back from Seattle, my husband and a buddy drove back the rest of the way to Virginia.

Canada is a big country. You need to think about whether you want to go East, West or Central. (I haven't read the whole thread yet, just the beginning and last posts, so I'm not sure where you're starting from. [just read that you want to go to Yosemite, so you'll be in the west at some point!] In the west, you definitely want to visit Lake Louise/Banff. Lake Louise is one of the single most beautiful places I've ever been, and you can canoe on the lake. The hotel there is one of the classic old Canadian Pacific railroad hotels and is fun to walk through. The day we were there they were having bagpipe performances. We enjoyed Whitehorse quite a bit too, in the Yukon Territory. And then there's Vancouver.... And Calgary http://calgarystampede.com/

We drove the Alaska (AL-CAN) Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska via Whitehorse. This was an incredibly beautiful route, but it takes awhile.

In the East, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia are beautiful. We've camped there in the days when we were tent camping. The Bay of Fundy has these amazing tides that you can watch flood the bay, then it almost drains dry at low tide. And Quebec is a beautiful historic city. I've visited there but we stayed in a hotel.

As for buying a used RV, which as I said, we did, there are a lot of RV online communities. You might want to visit one and ask what you should look out for in buying one. If you buy an RV locally, and there are usually many for sale in the paper, you can find a local RV mechanic to go over it. I'm talking about the RV stuff--heater, fridge, plumbing (very important) to make sure it all works properly and doesn't leak. Our experience was that there is generally something broken on an RV at any given time, usually minor sometimes major, especially as they age. Imagine putting your whole house on a car and jostling it constantly. The pipes have to flex. So gas, water and sewage lines are constant flexing and rubbing. (Look under the RV, see if there are any stains where it has been parked.) We never had the fridge go down, but did have a gas leak in the stove (thank goodness for the microwave) and a "gray water" (used bath and wash water) leak. I'm not saying this to scare you about owning an RV, just that you need to take a hard look at a used one and be prepared for maybe less than perfect. That being said, you can easily find an RV for sale with very low mileage, as most people just do not use them as much as they thought they would when they bought them, and I would think that with gas prices now, people may be happy to unload them.

Check on your neighborhood. Many do not allow RVs to be parked on the street. We kept ours about twenty minutes away at a boat/RV storage facility when we weren't using it. They also had a mechanic we could use to work on stuff we couldn't fix ourselves.

We bought the largest one we thought we would be comfortable driving everywhere, like a car, as we didn't want to tow a vehicle. So, if we decided to go into town, we unhooked and drove into town. I think ours was 26 feet? It was supposed to sleep six (two over the cab, two in the back and the dinette made up into two beds. The most we ever had in it was four.

When you're travelling, RV parks, like hotels, vary widely in costs and sevices. State parks are usually the least expensive and have the least services, but they are so beautiful, you'll want to stay in some of them. Occasionally, you'll want more services. www.goodsamclub.com is a good resource for finding campgrounds that are generally reasonable. There is also Woodall's, who used to put out a book: http://www.woodalls.com/

When my husband gets up, I'll ask him if I should pass on anything else, and if I can find some pics (those are from the film days) I'll add them! Added: My husband says it helps to have one or both of you be "handy" at fixing things. 

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

And, of course, if you're travelling towards Canada, you'll want to visit Hibbing, Minnesota. 

You might also want to browse this thread to see other sights around the country recommended by our members:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,5667.msg247452.html#msg247452

Betsy


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Hibbing = Hugh!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Way back when, when we lived in Chicago, my husband and I took a two week camping trip (not RV). We drove up into Canada. First stop was Lake of the Woods, Ontario, a beautiful place. Then we headed west on Route 1. We found an absolutely amazing camping place in (I believe) Manitoba -- a provincial park. I'll see if I can dig up the name for you. Continuing west with stops in Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat, then we pulled into Calgary and splurged on a night in a hotel. We had missed the Calgary Stampede by two weeks and I am still kicking myself about that, 30 years later! We camped in Banff and like Betsy said, Lake Louise is absolutely gorgeous. We left Banff and headed south, into the US, and camped at Glacier National Park for four nights (two nights on each side of the Continental Divide). From there, we headed south, visiting Custer's Last Stand, into Wyoming for a visit to the Mint Bar in Sheridan (as I mentioned earlier, same bar where Annie P. was inspired to write Brokeback Mountain), then home through South Dakota with visits to the Badlands, Wall Drug, and the Corn Palace. 

That was just a two week trip so you'll have lots more time to explore! If I could've, I would have gone further west to Vancouver and further north towards the Yukon Territories. I would have done more exploring in Alberta, too, which is an absolutely beautiful province.

Here in the east, we've traveled and camped in Montreal, Quebec City, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. You can take the ferry into Maine from Newfoundland by way of Campobello Island and see President Roosevelt's summer home (where he was diagnosed with polio). And then you'll be in Maine with all kinds of things to see and do! 

This sounds like a great trip....when will you be leaving? Spring of 2010 or sooner?

L


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Hibbing = Hugh!


I knew that was coming, LOL! Even from Switzerland, Hugh cannot be stopped!

I wonder if Hugh has ever RV'd (caravanned.) We did take the RV to Hibbing, there's a nice RV park in nearby Chisholm (or there was...)

Betsy


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> We bought the largest one we thought we would be comfortable driving everywhere, like a car, as we didn't want to tow a vehicle. So, if we decided to go into town, we unhooked and drove into town. I think ours was 26 feet? It was supposed to sleep six (two over the cab, two in the back and the dinette made up into two beds. The most we ever had in it was four.
> 
> When you're travelling, RV parks, like hotels, vary widely in costs and sevices. State parks are usually the least expensive and have the least services, but they are so beautiful, you'll want to stay in some of them. Occasionally, you'll want more services. www.goodsamclub.com is a good resource for finding campgrounds that are generally reasonable. There is also Woodall's, who used to put out a book: http://www.woodalls.com/


Definitely get one of the RV park directories - Woodall's as Betsy mentioned, and Trailer Life is the other. http://www.trailerlifedirectory.com/ It's the size of a big phone book with parks listed by state.

The issue of towing a vehicle is why I preferred our 5th wheel - basically, when you aren't traveling an RV is an uber-expensive lawn ornament. With the 5th wheel, at least we were still getting use from the truck we used to tow it, and when we got to the park we had a vehicle for getting around without having to unhook the water, sewer & electric lines. My husband preferred a Class A motorhome, he liked having it all self-contained & towing a car. I liked that too, but my practical side preferred the economics of the 5th wheel. You'll have fun shopping around for an RV, there are so many types (my sister has one for sale in Atlanta that she'd love for you to buy!!) - some of them nicer than my house! Maybe there'll be a good RV show in your area so you can really get an idea of what's out there.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I knew that was coming, LOL! Even from Switzerland, Hugh cannot be stopped!
> 
> I wonder if Hugh has ever RV'd (caravanned.) We did take the RV to Hibbing, there's a nice RV park in nearby Chisholm (or there was...)
> 
> Betsy


I dunno, but Matthew McConaughey has! Sadly we never found him parked next to us....


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

I'd probably choose Japan, one of the northern mountain spa areas.


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

Oh! Fun, fun, fun! I know you're all going to make many memories.  And....your plans will have you missing the heat of the South and the cold winters of the North.  Enjoy your planning.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Planning a trip is the best part!  The trip is over so quickly.

As far as Canada -we have lots and lots of Canadians down here, full time, winter time and, nope, never summertime.  No matter where you go in Canada (according to the Canadians) you will be in a wonderous place.  I would love to take the train ride across Canada.

Definitely keep us up on your RV, what you get, and where you plan on going and lots of pictures.  You know we love pictures almost as much as books.


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## F1Wild (Jun 15, 2009)

You may also want to join AAA and the Canadian version (CAA, I think).  You can get a lot of travel info from them, including maps, trip advice, road service, etc.


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## sigrosenblum (Dec 22, 2008)

Some great places:

Montreal
London
Amsterdam

Have fun!


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Meemo said:


> Yay! Sounds fabulous.
> One trip I heard a few RVers talk about (but we never got to make) was to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. I don't know much about it other than it was supposed to be gorgeous and the descriptions always stuck with me.
> http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/index_E.asp


Oh, thanks for this!!! I'm totally going to look this up...

I've been away for a few days...catching back up now...yay! thanks for the suggestion...I'm still looking at RVs...I have some good leads, so I'll update you all as soon as we get closer to a deal. We're moving quickly!!!


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

drenee said:


> Congratulations on your decision. I have had such fun reading this thread.
> I can't wait to hear all about your adventures. (make a note to yourself that we will need updates on KB.)
> I would love to do RV travel. A friend of mine offered his 30 ft. motor home to me last year for 30K. This year the price has dropped to 23K. I'm thinking you should be able to find a good deal.
> Keep us posted.
> deb


Thanks Deb! I'm hoping we can find a good deal...we've narrowed it down to a few options and are currently trying to find one that we can get for what we want to spend (always the trick, I guess ) We are looking at class C's and class A's, but then last night, my DH threw in the idea of a 5th wheel with a truck which he could then use for his other needs  I'm not sure I'm falling for it 

Modified to include that I will definitely update everyone here. I couldn't forget all the folks that gave me the great ideas!  when we get the RV, I'm going to take pics and post and am still going to do the blog when we get closer to figuring our route out.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Congratulations! When my husband retired, we purchased a used RV (good idea, they depreciate like a rock sinks) and drove to Alaska. I was on sabbatical from work for 7 weeks. It was one of the best things we've ever done! It was our first trip in the RV (though I strongly recommend some test trips!) I loved our RV, was sad when we sold it, and still miss it. I think we left in late June and I got back in August. (I flew back from Seattle, my husband and a buddy drove back the rest of the way to Virginia.
> 
> Canada is a big country. You need to think about whether you want to go East, West or Central. (I haven't read the whole thread yet, just the beginning and last posts, so I'm not sure where you're starting from. [just read that you want to go to Yosemite, so you'll be in the west at some point!] In the west, you definitely want to visit Lake Louise/Banff. Lake Louise is one of the single most beautiful places I've ever been, and you can canoe on the lake. The hotel there is one of the classic old Canadian Pacific railroad hotels and is fun to walk through. The day we were there they were having bagpipe performances. We enjoyed Whitehorse quite a bit too, in the Yukon Territory. And then there's Vancouver.... And Calgary http://calgarystampede.com/
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for this, Betsy. I would say of the two of us, I might be the more handy  Still not very handy, though...

We are looking in the general midwest area for a Winnebago, actually. We have a pretty good dealer/repair center for them here that we have used inthe past and figured it might help to have that kind of support in our area. We are running into the name thing, though. It seems Winnebago comes with a name that we might be paying a little more for...not sure, though. Still looking.

thanks so much for the location suggestions. I've decided to purchase a map and lay it out on our dining room table and then plot from there. I'll post more details as I have them...I'm excited that I'll have lots of people to update during this process...it's makes it aLOT more fun...I feel like we're bringing a bunch of people with us...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> And, of course, if you're travelling towards Canada, you'll want to visit Hibbing, Minnesota.
> 
> You might also want to browse this thread to see other sights around the country recommended by our members:
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,5667.msg247452.html#msg247452
> ...


I will definitely look at that thread and consider Hibbing  I bet I'll find out why I need to look at Hibbing from that thread?  Funny...I've never heard of Hibbing before reading KB


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Way back when, when we lived in Chicago, my husband and I took a two week camping trip (not RV). We drove up into Canada. First stop was Lake of the Woods, Ontario, a beautiful place. Then we headed west on Route 1. We found an absolutely amazing camping place in (I believe) Manitoba -- a provincial park. I'll see if I can dig up the name for you. Continuing west with stops in Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat, then we pulled into Calgary and splurged on a night in a hotel. We had missed the Calgary Stampede by two weeks and I am still kicking myself about that, 30 years later! We camped in Banff and like Betsy said, Lake Louise is absolutely gorgeous. We left Banff and headed south, into the US, and camped at Glacier National Park for four nights (two nights on each side of the Continental Divide). From there, we headed south, visiting Custer's Last Stand, into Wyoming for a visit to the Mint Bar in Sheridan (as I mentioned earlier, same bar where Annie P. was inspired to write Brokeback Mountain), then home through South Dakota with visits to the Badlands, Wall Drug, and the Corn Palace.
> 
> That was just a two week trip so you'll have lots more time to explore! If I could've, I would have gone further west to Vancouver and further north towards the Yukon Territories. I would have done more exploring in Alberta, too, which is an absolutely beautiful province.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the route!  I had gone back to your earlier post and was going to include parts of your route into ours (what's that called? camping plageurism? ) Canada is just not a place that I know much about, so this will be a great learning experience for me...

The trip will be during the summer 2010. Mid May to Mid August, probably.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Meemo said:


> Definitely get one of the RV park directories - Woodall's as Betsy mentioned, and Trailer Life is the other. http://www.trailerlifedirectory.com/ It's the size of a big phone book with parks listed by state.
> 
> The issue of towing a vehicle is why I preferred our 5th wheel - basically, when you aren't traveling an RV is an uber-expensive lawn ornament. With the 5th wheel, at least we were still getting use from the truck we used to tow it, and when we got to the park we had a vehicle for getting around without having to unhook the water, sewer & electric lines. My husband preferred a Class A motorhome, he liked having it all self-contained & towing a car. I liked that too, but my practical side preferred the economics of the 5th wheel. You'll have fun shopping around for an RV, there are so many types (my sister has one for sale in Atlanta that she'd love for you to buy!!) - some of them nicer than my house! Maybe there'll be a good RV show in your area so you can really get an idea of what's out there.


I will get one of those directories, for sure...yes, DH broke out the 5th wheel suggestion last night thinking we would have more uses for the truck. he wants a truck anyway and we could get the truck and 5th wheel for the price of the RV, probably...there abouts, anyway.  We're going to look at some this weekend. A dealer around here has a class c that he wants to show us (a Jayco, I think). and I will probably try to set up something through Craigslist.

on your sister's RV, I'm not opposed to traveling to get something. If you want, PM me the details and I'll check with DH. We're running into a bit of a snag in that it has to sleep at least 5. I've found the class a's generally don't sleep as many people. and, we would want to use it long term, so our children would get full sized at some point and need their own places to stretch out. all that to say, we are trying to buy something that would have a lot of sleeping space to accomodate growing people. One of the things I wanted to do is take a trip to wherever we get the RV and drive it back...I think that would be fun for the kids and sometimes, you can get a factory tour if you pick it up there. I was reading about that last night. Winnebago has a factory tour or something.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

ellesu said:


> Oh! Fun, fun, fun! I know you're all going to make many memories. And....your plans will have you missing the heat of the South and the cold winters of the North. Enjoy your planning.


thank you! yes, the plus is that we will be north when it's 115 in the shade in the south. woo, hoo!  we love to bike, so i'm also considering how to get 5 bikes on board or strapped to us in some way.  it will be so nice to bike in cooler weather...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

OH NO!!!  Major problem    DH just found out that he is not up for sabbatical in 2010 as he was originally told, but it will be 2012.  shoot!  

I'm sorry to have gotten all of our hopes up...I was having so much fun!  

BUT, the good news is that we are still looking into purchasing a RV or 5th wheel and we will still be taking a trip, just not for as long.  And, the longer one will be 2012.  Who knows...maybe we could make it to England/Ireland then, too. (trying to look on the bright side of things )

Thanks again for all your suggestions and I will still keep everyone updated...and we are still in the market for an RV/5th wheel...


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

My husband is a medical traveler. We are currently living in Sausalito, California. I've been doing a lot of travel research on CA for our weekend trips....

We went to Yosemite two weeks ago. It's beautiful but very crowded! Toiga Road was the most impressive part of Yosemite for me. I read that the campsites are usually reserved a year in advance. We did...Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon National Park just this past weekend. They are right there, too. Don't miss them. I found the big trees at Sequoia so impressive. After that I think I would cut across the state and work my way up the coast on CA-1. See Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, Hurst Castle. There's Lassen Volcanic National Park up in northern CA, we haven't made it there yet.

BTW...for $80 you can get a year long pass for all the National Parks in the U.S. Otherwise, it's $20 a park to get in. Sounds like that would be money well spent for you.

I've also spent 7 months in Missoula, Montana. I've pretty well seen everything in the western half of MT. You have got to make it to Glacier National Park. IMO, it's the most beautiful park I have ever been to! I would loved to see the Canadian side of Glacier! MT also has some awesome ghost towns to visit. Bannack State Park is the best of the ghost towns. Virginia City and Nevada City are also down in that same area. While not a true ghost town, Nevada City it's another awesome place to visit. They have brought in old buildings from all around, furnished the places with period things and do reenactments there. Several movies and tv shows have filmed there. You can do gold panning and mine for garnets there, too. I could give you a lot of other ideas for MT if you need them.

You might want to plot in as many of the scenic byways into you trip as you can. Here's the link for them.... http://www.byways.org/

Beartooth Hwy between MT and WY is one of my favorites scenic highways. It takes you pretty close to Cody, WY. Cody is where Buffalo Bill lived. The Buffalo Bill Cody museum is great. The drive from Cody into Yellowstone is beautiful, too. South of Yellowstone you have the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, WY which is another of my favorite hang outs.

I could go on and on! While I love Europe there are just so many wonderful things to see in the U.S.! I'm glad you've decided to stay here.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> I will definitely look at that thread and consider Hibbing  I bet I'll find out why I need to look at Hibbing from that thread?  Funny...I've never heard of Hibbing before reading KB


What  Never heard of Hibbing before KB?  Oh, my sainted mother is rolling over in her grave.  (For those of you who don't know, Hibbing is where my mother was from. I am contractually obligated to work Hibbing into as many conversations as I can, just as Mom did. Thus the KindleBoards axiom: "If Hugh Jackman isn't the answer to the question, Hibbing is.")

Hibbing is the home of Bobby Zimmerman, also known as Bob Dylan; the Greyhound Bus; Roger Maris (home run king); Vincent Bugliosi (author of Helter-Skelter) and lots more, Mom knew them all. It is also the home of what was once the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world..... 

We had a Class C motorhome, my husband tells me it was 23'. We're small car people and couldn't see getting a truck that we wouldn't use otherwise and didn't really want to mess with a towing anything, but that's us, your needs (and mileage ) may vary.

Betsy


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

You know this may be a blessing in disguise. You'll be able to start out with smaller trips, break in the RV/5th wheel, and hopefully the learning curve won't be as steep once you start your long haul. We ended up with a 5th wheel because of hubby wanting the truck, too.  Read up on how to check out used RVs/5th wheels. Our first was a used 40' Kountry Aire (and we'd never towed anything!). Long story short, when we saw it the shades were up and we didn't lower the shades. If we had we would have seen the water stain from a prior leak. It'd been fixed but....fixes don't always last long in RVs/5th wheels. The leaky roof made for many problems down the road. Neither did we know that the lug nuts that held the tires onto the wheels had been put on too tight--until the wheels started falling off. Yep. The entire wheels falling off *while tooling down the road.* (Nothing like looking out the back window of the truck and seeing that 40' metal mailbox tilting. So, getting whatever kinks out before the big trip would be a good thing.

BTW, we preferred an RV park with pull-throughs--no backing up involved. Beleive me when I say that directing your hubby while he's backing into a tight space at the end of a long day of driving is not the best thing for a marriage. Especially one that's then got to be managed in such tight quarters.  And it seemed that whatever park we pulled into, everyone lined up to watch you manuever into your space. Sort of like the entertainment for the day. 

Well....who knew about Hibbing? Now I'd like to see it. But then I've always wanted to spend some time in Minnesota. I hear it's beautiful -- but with huge mosquitoes.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

sebat said:


> My husband is a medical traveler. We are currently living in Sausalito, California. I've been doing a lot of travel research on CA for our weekend trips....
> 
> We went to Yosemite two weeks ago. It's beautiful but very crowded! Toiga Road was the most impressive part of Yosemite for me. I read that the campsites are usually reserved a year in advance. We did...Sequoia National Park and King's Canyon National Park just this past weekend. They are right there, too. Don't miss them. I found the big trees at Sequoia so impressive. After that I think I would cut across the state and work my way up the coast on CA-1. See Big Sur, Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, Hurst Castle. There's Lassen Volcanic National Park up in northern CA, we haven't made it there yet.
> 
> ...


Thank you for this...I think Yosemite and Glacier are definitely on the list. We are now planning about 2 weeks of vacation since the longer 3 month one is about 2 years away (just found that out ) and I would really like to get Glacier in there somewhere, since I was also recently told that the glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. I think she said that they were going to be gone in 25 years or so? Wow! I really want that to be part of my kids' experiences, so Glacier is definitely going to be a destination for us soon.

Hey!  I was just reading about a dude ranch in Wyoming. That sounds like fun. I'm going to check that out too. I loved your ideas...thanks!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

ellesu said:


> BTW, we preferred an RV park with pull-throughs--no backing up involved. Beleive me when I say that directing your hubby while he's backing into a tight space at the end of a long day of driving is not the best thing for a marriage. Especially one that's then got to be managed in such tight quarters.  And it seemed that whatever park we pulled into, everyone lined up to watch you manuever into your space. Sort of like the entertainment for the day.


I hear you on this, LOL! Even worse is having your husband direct you. Mine seems to think I can read his mind on which way to turn the wheel.  And you're right, new arrivals are like fresh meat!



> Well....who knew about Hibbing? Now I'd like to see it. But then I've always wanted to spend some time in Minnesota. I hear it's beautiful -- but with huge mosquitoes.


Well, yes, everything you've heard about the mosquitos is true. No where is perfect. But Minnesota is absolutely beautiful, there are many great places to visit there besides Hibbing....

Betsy


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> What  Never heard of Hibbing before KB?  Oh, my sainted mother is rolling over in her grave.  (For those of you who don't know, Hibbing is where my mother was from. I am contractually obligated to work Hibbing into as many conversations as I can, just as Mom did. Thus the KindleBoards axiom: "If Hugh Jackman isn't the answer to the question, Hibbing is.")
> 
> Hibbing is the home of Bobby Zimmerman, also known as Bob Dylan; the Greyhound Bus; Roger Maris (home run king); Vincent Bugliosi (author of Helter-Skelter) and lots more, Mom knew them all. It is also the home of what was once the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world.....
> 
> ...


Ummmm, no, never heard of Hibbing until now...but I do think it's really funny that it and Hugh get worked in everywhere.  Makes me laugh. Hugh is really amazing looking, I have to say, though 

Your reasoning between the 5th wheel and the class c is exactly the same reasoning we are going through. We don't really want to tow a vehicle, but we love the quality and amenities that come with the class c's and a's. I think it will come down to what we can get for the right price. We also have 5 people in our family and unfortunately, the shortest class c that we have found that can comfortably sleep all of us is 31' long. Ughhh...the idea of driving that honker down main street of some small town gives me hives...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

ellesu said:


> You know this may be a blessing in disguise. You'll be able to start out with smaller trips, break in the RV/5th wheel, and hopefully the learning curve won't be as steep once you start your long haul. We ended up with a 5th wheel because of hubby wanting the truck, too.  Read up on how to check out used RVs/5th wheels. Our first was a used 40' Kountry Aire (and we'd never towed anything!). Long story short, when we saw it the shades were up and we didn't lower the shades. If we had we would have seen the water stain from a prior leak. It'd been fixed but....fixes don't always last long in RVs/5th wheels. The leaky roof made for many problems down the road. Neither did we know that the lug nuts that held the tires onto the wheels had been put on too tight--until the wheels started falling off. Yep. The entire wheels falling off *while tooling down the road.* (Nothing like looking out the back window of the truck and seeing that 40' metal mailbox tilting. So, getting whatever kinks out before the big trip would be a good thing.
> 
> BTW, we preferred an RV park with pull-throughs--no backing up involved. Beleive me when I say that directing your hubby while he's backing into a tight space at the end of a long day of driving is not the best thing for a marriage. Especially one that's then got to be managed in such tight quarters.  And it seemed that whatever park we pulled into, everyone lined up to watch you manuever into your space. Sort of like the entertainment for the day.
> 
> Well....who knew about Hibbing? Now I'd like to see it. But then I've always wanted to spend some time in Minnesota. I hear it's beautiful -- but with huge mosquitoes.


This post had me cracking up . You are sooo right about the parking. We have a popup right now and we have similar problems only on a smaller scale. The thing about popups too, is that after folks have watched you make a fool of yourself while pulling in, they watch you through the screens getting your camp ready and with 3 small children, that can be quite a spectacle. 

On parking, I think it's hysterical...my DH not so much, but he can't backup anything larger than a VW without running into something. I'm better at it, so my job is always the backing up part and I don't always hear very well.  Soooooo, he yells from the back which way to turn, but he doesn't know which way to tell me, so there is a lot of fussing back and forth. I wish we had some on video


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Don't know about RV's but my husband can park a 10 foot long vehicle, without touching vehicles on either side, in a space that's 10 foot 1 inch long.  With only one maneuver, usually.

It's a gift.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> I will get one of those directories, for sure...yes, DH broke out the 5th wheel suggestion last night thinking we would have more uses for the truck. he wants a truck anyway and we could get the truck and 5th wheel for the price of the RV, probably...there abouts, anyway.  We're going to look at some this weekend. A dealer around here has a class c that he wants to show us (a Jayco, I think). and I will probably try to set up something through Craigslist.
> 
> on your sister's RV, I'm not opposed to traveling to get something. If you want, PM me the details and I'll check with DH. We're running into a bit of a snag in that it has to sleep at least 5. I've found the class a's generally don't sleep as many people. and, we would want to use it long term, so our children would get full sized at some point and need their own places to stretch out. all that to say, we are trying to buy something that would have a lot of sleeping space to accomodate growing people. One of the things I wanted to do is take a trip to wherever we get the RV and drive it back...I think that would be fun for the kids and sometimes, you can get a factory tour if you pick it up there. I was reading about that last night. Winnebago has a factory tour or something.


I'll ask my sister...they have 3 kids, I know they took a couple of trips in it when the kids were teens. They might've used a tent at times as well.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> and sometimes, you can get a factory tour if you pick it up there. I was reading about that last night. Winnebago has a factory tour or something.


AFAIK you can take a factory tour at just about any RV manufacturer. Elkhart, Indiana (home of many of the RV factories) is a popular destination for RV'ers. You can do factory tours and visit the RV Museum, and it's also a great area if you're interested in the Amish.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Hibbing, Hibbing, Hibbing. That gives me three Hughs, at least.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Ummmm, no, never heard of Hibbing until now...but I do think it's really funny that it and Hugh get worked in everywhere.  Makes me laugh. Hugh is really amazing looking, I have to say, though
> 
> Your reasoning between the 5th wheel and the class c is exactly the same reasoning we are going through. We don't really want to tow a vehicle, but we love the quality and amenities that come with the class c's and a's. I think it will come down to what we can get for the right price. We also have 5 people in our family and unfortunately, the shortest class c that we have found that can comfortably sleep all of us is 31' long. Ughhh...the idea of driving that honker down main street of some small town gives me hives...


Our class C had a queen sized over the cab, a double bed in the back and the dinette converted to supposedly sleep two. When we travelled once with my mother and brother, my husband and I slept over the cab, mom in the double in the back and my brother on the dinette. We didn't really have too much problem driving the 23 foot around. No parallel parking, though. 

Betsy


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Leslie - I feel honored that Hugh has shown up 4 times in this thread...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Our class C had a queen sized over the cab, a double bed in the back and the dinette converted to supposedly sleep two. When we travelled once with my mother and brother, my husband and I slept over the cab, mom in the double in the back and my brother on the dinette. We didn't really have too much problem driving the 23 foot around. No parallel parking, though.
> 
> Betsy


Thanks so much for this...I have to ask, though, how was the sleeping over the cab? That little mattress seems sooooo thin...that's one of the reasons DH and I have been looking at the ones with the king or queen in the back (I think they call it a platform bed or something)...After sleeping in the popup for a few days, I awake looking from the side like an upside down "L" and it takes a hour or so to straighten out. I have back trouble anyway...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Don't know about RV's but my husband can park a 10 foot long vehicle, without touching vehicles on either side, in a space that's 10 foot 1 inch long. With only one maneuver, usually.
> 
> It's a gift.


I agree, it is a gift.  One that my DH has reluctantly decided he just doesn't have  I have seen some pretty mean parking from big rig drivers, though. The way they get in and out of those loading bays leaves me in awe


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Pawz4me said:


> AFAIK you can take a factory tour at just about any RV manufacturer. Elkhart, Indiana (home of many of the RV factories) is a popular destination for RV'ers. You can do factory tours and visit the RV Museum, and it's also a great area if you're interested in the Amish.


Thank you...actually my family from PA is PA Dutch and they have alot of Amish and Mennonite in the area. I love being around the Amish...it feels like home to me  Thank you for letting me know about Elkhart. I thought that would be great fun to go and take delivery of the vehicle from the factory, if you can do that, and see the factory.  And the Amish community would be a plus!


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

pawlaw aka MXCIX said:


> Thanks so much for this...I have to ask, though, how was the sleeping over the cab? That little mattress seems sooooo thin...that's one of the reasons DH and I have been looking at the ones with the king or queen in the back (I think they call it a platform bed or something)...After sleeping in the popup for a few days, I awake looking from the side like an upside down "L" and it takes a hour or so to straighten out. I have back trouble anyway...


I have to say, the beds in our last two RVs were GREAT. Especially the last one - it had one of the "sleep number" type air mattresses. Sometimes I wish we'd tried to keep that thing for our house when we sold it! If we'd ever had a really "bad" mattress we'd have changed it for a better one. We never had a Class C though, so I can't speak to sleeping over the cab.

Oh, and I sent you a PM about my sister's RV...


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

Meemo said:


> I have to say, the beds in our last two RVs were GREAT. Especially the last one - it had one of the "sleep number" type air mattresses. Sometimes I wish we'd tried to keep that thing for our house when we sold it! If we'd ever had a really "bad" mattress we'd have changed it for a better one. We never had a Class C though, so I can't speak to sleeping over the cab.
> 
> Oh, and I sent you a PM about my sister's RV...


Thanks Meemo  That's a good thought...asking/requesting a different mattress or replacing it...that might work...


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

Depending on your kiddos ages and sexes, bunk beds might be a good option.  By the time we started traveling, our older children were in college so we only had our youngest son with us, but....I always wanted a unit with bunk beds.  Usually there are two sets of bunkbeds (I think), but you could have one set removed and a computer/study desk put in, which really appealed to me since we were homeschooling.  But, alas.  It wasn't to be.  We ended up with a front living area (basically for our son), a middle kitchen with a big (for a 5th wheel) table area, the bath area, and a back bedroom.  It provided a bit of privacy for us all.  And....slide outs are lovely.


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## pawlaw aka MXCIX (Dec 17, 2008)

ellesu said:


> Depending on your kiddos ages and sexes, bunk beds might be a good option. By the time we started traveling, our older children were in college so we only had our youngest son with us, but....I always wanted a unit with bunk beds. Usually there are two sets of bunkbeds (I think), but you could have one set removed and a computer/study desk put in, which really appealed to me since we were homeschooling. But, alas. It wasn't to be. We ended up with a front living area (basically for our son), a middle kitchen with a big (for a 5th wheel) table area, the bath area, and a back bedroom. It provided a bit of privacy for us all. And....slide outs are lovely.


I'm sorry, all... have been away from the boards for a while again...wow, baseball really takes up WAY too much time 

thanks for this, Ellesu! Here is an update...

We have picked our RV, now it's a matter of purchasing it (just a minor thing, really )

We have chosen one with bunks...it's a 31 foot long class C. I have learned sooo much in the last week or so about RV's. Whew...

We are in the process of negotiating. I will post another update when we know more...I was hoping to have it by this weekend and take a short trip for labor day...my DH's 39th birthday is this weekend, too., but alas, it may not happen that quickly.

We are making progress...yay!!!


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