the family vacation debate. (a giveaway sponsored by Radisson)

Posted bycasey coombsPosted inToo lazy to label.

We have a few different ideas when it comes to what makes for a good vacation in this family.

Cody: “LET’S DRIVE SOUTH AND TOUR HISTORICAL CIVIL WAR SIGHTS!”

Addie and Me: zzzzzzz…..

Addie: “LET’S GO BACK TO HO-HI-OH AND YOU CAN ALL WATCH ME ZIPLINE FOR HOURS!”

Vivi: Graaargggpppffbbththttt!

Me: “SAN FRANCISCO! PIER 39! EXPLORATORIUM! HAIGHT ASHBURY!”

Cody: “Who’s going to hold the baby on the 5 hour flight?”

Me: “Touché.”

Vivi: “BYE! BYYYEEEE!!!”

Cody: “LET’S GO BACK TO NEW YORK AND EAT PIZZA!”

Me: “PHILLY! CHEESESTEAKS!”

Addie: “UTAH! McDONALDS!”

Vivi: “CHEEEEEEESEEEEEE!”

Guess what? Deciding on family vacations around these parts is a little…tricky.

I really want to go to New Orleans, so does Cody, but for entirely different reasons than me. I still need to go back to Austin and really spend a good amount of time there. We all want to go to Philly and DC, well, the girls probably don’t but we’re the boss and we’ll make them like it whether they want to or not. San Francisco holds a very special place in my heart and I haven’t been to Seattle in YEARS. But what about all the smaller towns in North America? Had you told me “SOUTHEASTERN OHIO! BEST TRIP EVER!” I would have rolled my eyes at you when you weren’t looking. Turns out, Southeastern Ohio? BEST TRIP EVER!

We all really like Kansas City too. We’ve never done anything but drive through Omaha and St. Louis and I’ll bet even Oklahoma City could show us a good time.

We’ve romped around Cincy, had way too much fun in Chicago and even had a night to remember in Louisville. Heck, if you’ve never been to Indianapolis, you should really put it on your list. We’re super friendly and have an awful lot for you to do while your here.

Basically what I’m saying is while we may not all agree on which city is the best, we’ll make the best of any place we end up. It’s our gift as a family and it makes for awfully fun time together.

We're all in one picture! It's a miracle!

Radisson has been hosting travelers for 50 years, and to celebrate they’re giving away 50 rooms in 50 days. Guess who’s the giver-awayer today? (Me, it’s me!)

I want to know is where was the best family vacation in North America that you’ve ever had? For me it would be a toss up between my first trip to San Francisco when I was eight and our most recent trip to Ohio. Our trip to Disneyworld was pretty amazing too, then there was that time I got stuck in DC. Or the weekend in Chicago with Addie! Oy. I love to travel. I love to travel with my family, I want you to tell us where to go next!

Leave a comment below answering where the best family vacation you’ve had in North America is and you’ll be entered to win a voucher for a free night at any North American Radisson or Radisson Blu.

Fine Print: One free night voucher is valid for a standard room, double occupancy at any North American Radisson Blu or Radisson hotel of the winner’s choice. The voucher expires one year after issue date. Winner will be chosen at random from eligible entries, contacted by email and have 24 hours to confirm prize acceptance before another winner will be chosen. Giveaway ends at 9 p.m. EST on Sunday December 16, 2012. Disclosure: For participating in this giveaway we will receive three vouchers for stays at a Radisson Hotel in North America of our choice.

 

232 thoughts on “the family vacation debate. (a giveaway sponsored by Radisson)”

  1. Best vacation I’ve ever had was in Santa Fe New Mexico (outside of a cruise ship at least). It’s not very far from where we live, but we fell in love and have vacationed there at least a weekend every year.

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  4. My best family vacation was to San Francisco and Napa Valley with my Mom in 1998. It’s my favorite because that was the last time I got to spend with her before she passed away the following year.

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  7. I fell madly, deeply and passionately in love with Townsend, TN. So peaceful and beautiful, and just what the doctor ordered.

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  10. We never travel, big homebodies here, but I’d say our best trip is when we went to Six Flags for our honeymoon two years ago! I think we need to travel more often!

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  13. My best family vacation was with my sister this past summer to Seattle/Portland and Vancouver, BC. We went for 2 weeks on our sweeps win and it was free!

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  14. Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys . I love the Florida Keys and go there as often as possible. The whole of Big Pine Key is a preserve for the Key Deer . These deer are small and beautiful endangered deer. What a wonderful place to explore nature and meet friendly people! Best vacation ever!

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  16. My favorite vacation was definitely Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida although New York City isn’t far behind!

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  17. Little Mary’s, in northern Michigan. It’s a place for families with children that have chronic or terminal illnesses. We’d go there every summer for many years and have SO many fond memories of being there as a family – in the good old days I long for….just to have them back for even a moment.

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  18. Our best family vacation was probably our trip to Washington, DC. I was a kid, and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum was amazing!

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  19. Colorado Springs, CO. We had a great time visiting cousins there and seeing the North Pole, Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.

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  22. Topsail Beach, North Carolina. We love it so much we rarely go elsewhere… But short weekend trips are great too!

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  23. Best “family” vacation … Would have to say . . . Up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire in my teens followed by a dip into southern Maine.

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  24. My best vacation had to be my first trip to LA! It was the best! We went to Disney, Universal, took a Hollywood tour and ate at In-N-Out burger. Good times!

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  25. I think St Louis is the best, but also love Indy and Des Moines (notice a theme?). I also love Philly and NYC. I lived in DC and left. On purpose. I am from Charleston, a grand city. I fell in love with OKC this summer, after driving thru many times. I guess I’ll go with….St Louis!

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  28. The best family vacation we ever had was at Daytona Beach FL. There was something for everyone there! Besides having the best beach, they have an awesome water park there, parks by the Halifax river to picnic & of course the Daytona Speedway! The shopping was great too. We even took a day trip to Orlando (an hour away)and went to DisneyWorld! Had an awesome time!!

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  30. I adored my trips to MT to visit my Gma when I was a kid, but I have to say the most memorable vacation I have had was the long weekend my husband, infant son & I took to Columbus, OH… A great weekend full of no plans, wandering, & eating amazing food!

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  32. The last summer before I graduated from high school, my family and our best neighbors/family friends road tripped from Arizona to South Dakota to see 4th of July fireworks at Mt Rushmore! We took our time, stopping and staying in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota of course, and SLC as we looped around. It wasn’t glamorous but it was so much fun and certainly one of our most memorable family vacations!

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  33. Trips to see my grandparents in California when I was a kid. Being from Alaska, it was nice to see a little sunshine after the long winters!

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  34. Taking my 2 kids to visit their aunt in Los Angeles!! Our first trip out of state (WI). We got to enjoy Universal Studios, see the ocean, roller blade on the boardwalk, go to Sea World, and even experience an earthquake!!

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  35. The best family trip we ever took was a long drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway of Virginia and into the Great Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee when I was 8. We got to chat with Cherokee Indians, take long hikes through the woods looking for deer, foxes, rabbits, bears and all kinds of creepy crawlers. We dipped our toes in an icy mountain stream and washed our hands in the mist of a low-hanging cloud. And once, when we pulled off at a picnic area, we saw a mother black bear and her 2 cubs trying to get into a trash container. She saw us, too. When someone in the group got just a little too close to take a picture, she reared up on her hind legs and roared, taking a couple of steps toward the group. My little 8-year-old legs were already pumping frantically and I didn’t stop until I reached the car and had the door open. Then I turned around and saw that the bear had already gone back to ignoring us. (Yes, I know better than to get that close to a momma bear now, but heck, I was only 8!)

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  37. Oh how I love to travel. Hard to choose just one favorite place…so I’ll choose two!

    Family: Rapid City, South Dakota–so much to do! You are close to so many attractions-Bear World, Evans Plunge, Reptile Gardens, Crazy Horse Monument, and of course the very patriotic and inspiring Mt. Rushmore (make sure you see the night show/lighting.

    No Kids: New Orleans. Casey, you must go! it’s probably great for families but I went only with my husband and it was amazing. Must eat beignets at cafe du monde and go on a bayou boat tour. Love.

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  38. There are so many trips to choose from because we’ve moved around so much, and the fact that we now live in the tristate area, and constantly go to Philly, NYC, and D.C…I’d have to say our favorite past family trip (before we moved up here) was in Cape Neddick, Maine.

    *So grateful for the places we have explored as a family because I never traveled until I joined the church at the age of 20, and moved to Utah!

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  39. Oh man, both of our trips this year have been amazing!
    We went to San Francisco for the first time and I am in LOVE and want to move there, like, yesterday! Such a cool place with so much history.
    The other trip was to Alaska where after a 3mile hike I got to see a real mamma bear and her 2 cubs fish in the river and catch salmon for REAL! So cool!

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  40. We haven’t traveled much but my favorite trip with my family so far has been to Portland, OR. It was just a quick weekend trip to see the zoo but it was a perfect weekend.

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  42. Love, love, love Montreal and San Diego. Both super fun cities that we enjoyed exploring. Can’t wait to head back when our daughter is older!

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  43. What a fun idea! We absolutely loved Arches National Park last summer, but we’re like you, everywhere we go seems to be our new favorite place. And hey, if you’re ever back in Seattle – look me up. 🙂

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  44. Seattle is one of my favorite places, but the day I spent in baltimore was amazing, I’d love to go back!

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  45. San Francisco with my hubby! Hands down. We’ve been twice now. I’d LOVE to take our kids and show them The City by the Bay.

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  46. A friend and I once went to Newfoundland to explore his grandmother’s family roots. The Atlantic coast of Canada was beauuuutiful!

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  48. Best family vacation was to NYC to see the Thanksgiving Day parade, we watched the huge balloons get blown up, went to FAO Schwarz and jumped around the huge piano, rode the subway, Empire State building, so many memories we will all always treasure.

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  49. As a child, it was a trip to Venice, Florida. Who knew that the beaches there were beautiful and full of shells and sharks teeth?! As an adult, we have yet to take a family vacation. 20 years and it will always be next year…

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  50. I always think my last vacation was the best one ever. We went to Myrtle Beach in the fall and the kids loved the beach, playing putt putt, and eating out at restraunts (and so did the adults)!

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