# Where to go next? (Family Spring Break Version)



## hibbeln (Sep 13, 2011)

Here's my dilemma.....spring break next year (roughly March 28-April 8).  Family of 4 with 2 sons, in 11th and 8th grade.  We would like to go someplace at least SOMEWHAT warm....or at the very least, sunny.  We live in the Detroit area so we'll be pretty tired of winter by then.
I have my heart set on Vietnam, but my husband feels it is too far to fly (flight durations are running about 25 hours) and too many time zones to cross (12-13) for what will end up being 8-9 days on the ground.  My solution is to take the kids out of 4 days of school to make it a full 2 weeks, but hubby doesn't want to go for that (granted, oldest son has a tough schedule with 2 AP classes, but since we only have 2 springs breaks left......)

So we are now trying to come up with another option that might put a little bit of a thrill in my heart if I truly have to give up my dream of Vietnam.  This is an odd dilemma for me to be in, as I usually have vacations planned years in advance.  (In fact, spring break 2013 is already planned....Russia!)

We don't want a resort vacation (like Mexico or the Caribbean).  We've done the Mexican resort thing twice and ended up bored in a few days with the resort scene.  This will NOT be a timeshare vacation (those are all spoken for right now).

Recent trips we've taken:  Hawaii, Southern Italy, Greece, Southern Spain, France (Paris & Normandy), Bavarian Alps, US Southwestern National Parks (Bryce, Zion, Grand Canyon....), as well as travelling extensively around the USA (All up and down the east coast and west coast, Florida, most major cities, did the big drive across to Yellowstone etc....)
We like a mix of natural beauty and history and culture.  We like to do things (go on hikes, kayak, tour ruins or museums, etc).  My husband would like some chance of relaxation built in.  I tried telling him that he can go on a relaxing vacation in 2 more years once our oldest is off to college and BIG family vacations become a thing of the past.    Or relax on a cruise in Halong Bay!  :deadhorse: 

I NEED SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WILL THRILL ME!  

One thought we had was Costa Rica, but the more I read about it the less it appeals to me.  India has already been considered and discarded.  

Waaaaaaa!    I just want to go to Vietnam!

I'm relying on TUGGERS to help me come up with a solution and cheer me up!      (or else descend en masse on my house to tell me husband taking teenagers out of school is OK, even in this day and age when it is soooo frowned upon).


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## hibbeln (Sep 13, 2011)

My poor husband!  Can you tell I'm relentless?


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## Passepartout (Sep 13, 2011)

How about S. America? No time zone differences to speak of. It will be late Summer there. Rio, and/or Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls. Cuzco, Machu Pichu, the Galapagos. Maybe the Pantanal, or flyfishing Patagonia. The wine country around Mendoza, Argentina, and whole continent of other places.

What's not to like?

Jim Ricks


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## zcrider (Sep 13, 2011)

4 days out of school doesn't sound that bad to me.  Each year I take my kids out for one week to go somewhere. So 5 missed days of school.  I check the school calendar ahead of time to make sure it isn't during testing or anything, then ask the principal for an approved unexcused absense.  It hasn't been denied yet.
   But I must say my children are young and I don't know if that will be harder to do once they are in HS?  I would say if your kids are good students without struggles, then just ask the teacher for the work ahead of time and take it with you.  They will need something to do on the airplane anyway. 
  Good luck.


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## hibbeln (Sep 13, 2011)

Hmmmm, there's a thought.  
Though not Machu Pichu or any other high altitude destination as this problem hubby of mine has sickle cell trait.      We discovered THAT on our honeymoon in Venezuela when we went insanely high into the mountains.


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## ampaholic (Sep 13, 2011)

Spain - south of France - Canary Islands, Malta = all pretty nice by March.


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## ampaholic (Sep 13, 2011)

The sons would love Ipanema Beach


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## hibbeln (Sep 13, 2011)

Part of the problem is that it is the end of the 9 week marking period.  So the day spring break starts is the day the teachers have to have their grades in, so if my kids miss anything, I'm not sure how that would effect their grades?  And I'm not sure how amenable the teachers would be to giving them tests almost a full week before.  A lot of times they won't let them take tests EARLY because they're so paranoid about cheating.  On the other hand, my kids literally never miss a day of school (unless they're sick, and even then they usually drag themselves in).


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## puppymommo (Sep 13, 2011)

At DD's school district, if kids miss more than 5 days of school for ANY REASON, they have to make up the time after school or over the summer.

Every school district/school and every family is different, so you have to do what works for you.  I know DD (now a HS senior) wouldn't consider missing a day of school for vacation, not even for a college visit.  (Seniors are allowed 2 days during senior year for college visits.)  So we are making them around the school calendar.


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## Talent312 (Sep 13, 2011)

This may be a BTDT or more mundane than you like, but it's where we're going in April:
New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle (a/k/a Redneck Riviera).


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## capjak (Sep 13, 2011)

Did you consider Fijji, Australia, Bangkok, Singapore, Africa


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## Rascalsmom (Sep 13, 2011)

Friends just moved to Iceland !  It looks amazing.   Blue Lagoon spa, geysers, and scuba diving in the area where the tectonic plates meet.  Whale watching also... And Viking history.


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## yumdrey (Sep 14, 2011)

Australia and New Zealand are beautiful. Long flight though.
Or Caribbean - Bahamas, St.Thomas or St.John, Aruba, etc... these places have warm and sunny weather in March.


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## hibbeln (Sep 14, 2011)

Capjack - all those places sound FABULOuS, but fall into the same problem with "too long of a flight, too many time zones, too little time".  I used to live in northern Africa!   We've been to Morocco.   Would have Egypt on the list (as well as Turkey), but don't want to deal with political unrest on spring break!

We've done southern Spain, just did Greece ( so no to Crete & Malta....but I do plan those two once the kids are off to college), we've already done France twice, done Louisiana, done Florida to death, done Aruba.  We do Hawaii every other summer, so another island vacation (like the Caribbean) just isn't doing it for me.

Iceland.....hmmmmm!
Mulling England too because my kids want to go there, though it sounds positively dull (and expensive!) compared to Vietnam.


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## hibbeln (Sep 14, 2011)

I think my quandary right now is that I have this AMAZING itinerary all mapped out for Vietnam with a mix of natural beauty and a totally foreign culture and history and religion, and the chance to have the kids see Asia before they're gone....and every other option is just seeming quite dull by comparison.   I really had my heart set on Asia.


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## suesam (Sep 14, 2011)

I say take the kids out of school and go to Vietnam. I took my 2 boys, now a college senior and college freshman out of school every year for a week and it made absolutely no difference.  Have them talk to the teachers two weeks before the trip and ask them if they can have the tests early. Good teachers want their students to travel as they realize that seeing the world is much more educational than 4 days of school. 

10 years from now those 4 days of school mean absolutely nothing.....a trip to Vietnam as a family will be a treasured memory....something none of you will ever forget. Don't be surprised if your boys continue traveling with you.....my boys still want to go with us and are offended if we plan something without them. LOL. Family vacations have provided lots of bonding over the years! 

Just my opinion! 
Good Luck with this! 
Sue


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## hibbeln (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks Suesam!  *Can I put you on the phone to talk directly to my husband?! *  

I totally agree, and know they would learn so much.

I think part of the problem right now is that my husband's job is in a VERY stressful time, and the flights and the time change (and adjusting when we get back) just sound like "too much" for him.  

I'm starting to think that maybe we should switch Vietnam to NEXT school year (when oldest son will be a senior and youngest will be a junior so it won't be such a stressful JUNIOR YEAR MOST IMPORTANT GRADES ON YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION scenario).  Then we could maybe take the full 2 and hopefully my hubby will be more chilled out by then.  So that would mean moving our 2013 trip (Russia) up to this next spring.  Hmmmmm.  That would work!

Both my kids still love to travel with us!  I think they'll be like yours!  I just dread having one in HS and one in college with spring breaks that don't match up and busy summers.


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## vacationhopeful (Sep 14, 2011)

hibbeln said:


> I think my quandary right now is that I have this AMAZING itinerary all mapped out for Vietnam with a mix of natural beauty and a totally foreign culture and history and religion, and the chance to have the kids see Asia before they're gone....and every other option is just seeming quite dull by comparison.   I really had my heart set on Asia.



I really have limited interest in Vietnam as I saw it on the Evening News every night all thru HS and college. I seriously dated for over a year (and lived 6 months at his parents' house), an infantry private ... I don't watch any of those "Vietnam War" movies or anything Jane Fonda is in. Kent State is not just another college. 

I hope you and your kids study some of the history of that region before going .... beauty is sometimes skin deep; to understand the culture and people, requires much more learning than a picture guide book.


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## lvhmbh (Sep 15, 2011)

I have to take 9th grader out of school for Travel Ice Hockey Tournaments and I'm the big baddy as I won't take ONE extra day!!!!   That said - what about Istanbul.  It has the mix you want - tons of culture, lots of diversity, hiking etc. just a little ways away and no political unrest.  It is a wonderful city and I hope to go back.


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## hibbeln (Sep 15, 2011)

Turkey was originally our top pick, but in the end everyone in the family seemed kind of "mehhhhhh" about it.  It began to feel like we were forcing the trip rather than it simply flowing out of excitement and interest in the area.  Maybe because too much of it was a repeat of Greek and Roman and Byzantine things we've seen recently on trips to Greece and Italy????  I don't know why it wasn't grabbing us.  Then they started running into all of this political unrest, and it suddenly just didn't seem right.  You know how someplace *should* grab you and excite you, but it just doesn't?  That's kind of how we felt about Turkey.
Oddly enough, we felt the same way about India.  The more I researched it, the more it just seemed like a very difficult country to travel in independently and the less appeal it had to try to navigate for a (short) 10 day trip.

I kno


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## Rene McDaniel (Sep 15, 2011)

hibbeln said:


> Here's my dilemma.....spring break next year (roughly March 28-April 8).  Family of 4 with 2 sons, in 11th and 8th grade.  We would like to go someplace at least SOMEWHAT warm....or at the very least, sunny.  We live in the Detroit area so we'll be pretty tired of winter by then.
> I have my heart set on Vietnam, but my husband feels it is too far to fly (flight durations are running about 25 hours) and too many time zones to cross (12-13) for what will end up being 8-9 days on the ground.  *My solution is to take the kids out of 4 days of school to make it a full 2 weeks, but hubby doesn't want to go for that (granted, oldest son has a tough schedule with 2 AP classes, but since we only have 2 springs breaks left......)*
> 
> So we are now trying to come up with another option that might put a little bit of a thrill in my heart if I truly have to give up my dream of Vietnam.  This is an odd dilemma for me to be in, as I usually have vacations planned years in advance.  (In fact, spring break 2013 is already planned....Russia!)



Hi Debi,
As another family always travels over Spring Break (Usually Mexico, but Italy-twice & Paris-once) I have just a couple of things for you to consider. My daughter is a senior this year, so we are also dealing with the AP classes.  She took 3 AP's in 11th grade:  AP English Language, AP Physics, AP Psych, and Honors Pre-Calc (also weighted).  She has 5 AP's this year:  AP Calculus, AP English Lit, AP Gov, AP Economics (Micro/Macro), & AP Music Theory.  You didn't say which AP's your son has this year, but my daughter's experience was that AP English was really no worse than honors English the year before, and AP Psych was pretty easy... but AP Physics was the killer.  I suggest talking to your son about his class load, he probably already has a feel for how much is covered in a week, and how much of an absence he is REALLY comfortable with.

I would suggest NOT pulling your 11th grader out of school just before the grading period ends.  They always have a TON of tests and things due that week.  It's always one of the most stressful weeks for them.  Rather, if you want to take 4 or 5 extra days, take those days immediately AFTER spring break, as the new grading period is just beginning.  Usually the days AFTER Spring Break they go over tests, start the next chapter, and although he would miss some things, he would have plenty of time to catch back up.  If he is taking difficult math or science classes, you can usually find a 12th grader who took the class last year & would be happy to tutor him for $10 - $15/hour.  Money well spent.  My daughter has missed many days of school for her extra-curricular programs, but she always manages to keep her grades up, so she's allowed to go on her various trips.

As for your husband and the too-long-a-trip-across-too-many-time-zones problem.  My husband has that, too.  He refuses to do short trips anywhere good.  If it can't be a 3-week trip, it's pretty much out of the question for him.  I think it just takes his body longer to readjust to time changes, than it does for me.  I think it also takes him several days fully relax & stop thinking about his work: the problems, the challenges, what next? ... etc.   So, sometimes we just have to appreciate the differences between ourselves and our spouse, and try to find solutions that work for both.  How can it be a win/win, with everyone enjoying themselves?

As for locations that are not so far away, especially time-zone wise, you really should consider a closer look at the suggestions re: Central America and South America.  Your teenage boys would have a blast ziplining in Costa Rica or feeding the giant tortoises on a trip to the Galapagos.  Maybe you need to take a 2nd look to see if there isn't *something* there your gang might find interesting.  Are your boys divers, snorkelers, zipliners, hikers, kayakers, or ??  It would be easy to a fairly active vacation there with only 8 - 10 days. It's okay to skip Manchu Pichu, after all people usually only go there for 1 day.  After all, you are looking for warmth/sunshine + scenery/adventures.   It might be hard to let go of Vietnam, especially after all your hard work planning the trip.  But Vietnam's not going anywhere.  You and hubby can always go later at a time when it's possible to spend 3 full weeks, instead of having to rush, rush, rush.  Maybe it would be EVEN better at a more relaxed pace.  Who knows?  But it's always hard to wait when you're aching to see a place. 

My other comment has to do with 12th grade Spring Break and going to Russia.  Easter Sunday in 2013 is on March 31st, so you are probably okay for going to Russia in March.  (But won't it be extremely cold, with very short days.  I have been to Russia in June & the weather was perfect, and you could be out sightseeing until almost midnight! It was awesome!)  Anyways, please keep in mind that end of March/April 1 the college acceptance come back, and all the colleges have open houses to woo accepted students during April.  So, you may need to do some cross-country flights & travel once you return. Then, by May 1 your son must notify the colleges of his choice, and you will pay the housing deposit.  

Since my daughter is a senior in 2012 and Spring Break falls March 31 - April 8.  We will need those days to visit colleges where she was accepted.  Once they have been accepted, most colleges invite them to sleep over in the dorms, attend classes & "try the place out".  There are several colleges on the East Coast and Chicago that my daughter is applying to, that she has never seen in person.  She felt that she didn't want to tour them, fall in love with one, then end up not being accepted (or getting scholarship $$).  Apparently this happened to several 12th graders from her Physics class last year.  They went & toured several east coast schools -- didn't get into those, but did get into OTHER east coast schools --- so had to go back again, anyways.  We have already toured all the west coast schools she is considering: Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, etc. -- but none of them allow you sleep over/attend classes until you have been admitted.  So, I am already planning that April 2012 will be a crazy-crazy month.

Good luck in your quest, and know that we are routing for you no matter how it works out!

---- Rene

*Top Adventure Travel Destinations: Central/South America (from TripAdvisor)*

*#1- Brazil*
The wealth of flora and fauna and opportunities to observe them are unparalleled in the Amazon. Riverboats ply the waters of this fascinating wilderness, home to pink river dolphins, clamorous howler monkeys and raucous toucans. Photograph your adventure, run the rapids or stalk elusive jaguars by night.
*
#2- Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Peru*
    Hike the Inca Trail to the majestic Lost Cities of the Incas, hidden in dense Amazonian jungle, 7000 feet above sea level. This ancient road treks 25 miles from Cuzco through deep Andean gullies and is not for the faint-hearted. Climb up to overlook the ruins and the Urubamba Valley from Huayna Pichu Mountain.
*
#3- Ambergris Caye, Belize Cayes, Belize*
    Belize's largest island and an often overlooked Caribbean gem offers astounding diving and snorkeling. This English-speaking nation is home to the second-largest coral reef system in the world. If you want to stay atop the waves, this Caribbean idyll provides fabulous fishing, sailing and kayaking.
*
#4 - Corcovado National Park, Osa, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica*
    This tropical wilderness, home to more than 350 species of birds is a nature lovers' paradise. Explore pristine rainforest where scarlet macaws and toucans swoop and howler monkeys cavort. Horseback ride through dense jungle and along remote beaches where high breaks are perfect for surfing.
*
#5 - Galapagos Islands, Ecuador*
    The wealth of wonderful wildlife in the Galapagos defies the imagination. Get up close to fearless sea lions, majestic tortoises and amiable iguanas by hiking, snorkeling, kayaking and diving. Evolve to another level entirely by cycling by cinder cones, lava flows and tunnels or multi-hued beaches.

#*6 - San Carlos de Bariloche, Province of Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina*
    Set at the ankles of the Andes, the largest ski area in South America also offers thrilling boating, trekking, paragliding and climbing. Lakes abound and the brave at heart can take the plunge into icy Lake Nahuel Huapi which, even in summer, never rises above a chilling average of only 57°F.

*#7 - El Calafate, Province of Santa Cruz, Patagonia, Argentina*
    Renowned as the gateway to the glaciers, tiny El Calafate is perched on the brink of Lago Argentino. Take a boat trip to experience ice cracking and glaciers "calving" Los Glaciares National Park. Trot round Lake Roca on horseback. Cast a fly for trout in the shadow of the glaciers in the Rico River.
*
# 8 - Copper Canyon, Northern Mexico, Mexico*
    A gulf four times bigger than the Grand Canyon, this chasm in the Sierra Madres offers outstanding backpacking and eco adventures. Even getting to this gorgeous gorge is a thrill: The dramatic 400-mile train trip through almost 100 tunnels and over 37 bridges is one of the world's most stunning.

*#9 - Patagonia, Chile*
    The turbulent Futaleufu River thunders a wild course through the heart of Patagonia, its thrashing waters presenting exhilarating whitewater rafting. Hike or trek the backcountry to famed Los Glaciares, take a wildlife safari to penguin colonies or stock up on the essentials and go eco-camping.


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## hibbeln (Sep 17, 2011)

Rene - very good points!  Thanks for your thoughtful input!

Right now my son has AP GoPo and also AP Bio, as well as German 4 and senior level math.  In fact, NONE of his classes are easy....even his "blow off" photography class is going to be a ton of work.  Your daughter's AP courseload sounds insane.....kudos to her for tackling it all!   I'm counting on (and this has been apparent the last two years) the teachers finishing everything for the marking period up the week BEFORE the 4-days-before-spring-break-week.  I think it's a combination of they want things done before people start pulling their kids out for vacation early, and teachers want to have their grades in at the end of the last day of the marking period so THEY can go on spring break.  Regardless, we're going to check with teachers in each class, but I'm comfortable pulling my kids out 2 days early this year, and considering a 2 week spring break next year.

Your thoughts on colleges made me start scheduling some junior year campus visits to clear the schedule a bit for next year!  My son is mostly interested in 5 universities.  One he is very familiar with, 1 he has already done an official visit, 1 we just scheduled a tour after reading your post!      The 4th we'll try to fit in this fall/winter/spring, so there is just 1 (UVa - kind of far for us) that he would have to visit senior year if he gets in/continues to be interested.  I hadn't thought about all the college admissions stuff!  Junior year itself is sooooo busy!  Senior year must be even worse!


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## hibbeln (Sep 17, 2011)

More research into April weather in Russia has several people on TripAdvisor saying "Don't do it!"  Think the weather there would make husband seriously unhappy.

Now we're swinging back towards Turkey....mainly because hubby is willing to say "OK" to it as an "easy enough" flight and I would promise him a few days of Mediterranean coastline.  So I've pulled out the Turkey books YET AGAIN and I'm perusing them looking for travel inspiration.   

Costa Rica.....maybe because we go to Hawaii every other year, but it just seems like too much that we've done before in other places (Hawaii, Mexico...).  Ditto with the Caribbean.

(Vietnam, 2 weeks, next year, for sure....)


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## persia (Sep 28, 2011)

Do Vietnam, it has wonderful beaches, a young and dynamic population and good food.  I've been there three times and it just gets better each time you go.    The beaches are nice, too.  Plus the historic sites dealing with the war back in the 60's and 70's are valuable lessons to the kids.


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