Vacation Help!

[Cemetery-man]

I sure could use some help finding a city/place to go to for a family vacation.

My family, 4 adults, 2 children are thinking about going somewhere for a nice family vacation but for the life of us, just can't decide where to go. We would like to stay within a 10-12 hr drive (kids you know) of South Bend area. Last year we went to St Louis which turned out great so anything similar would be nice. The only place I have heard mentioned from them was Memphis?

I'm afraid we will screw around and end up staying home if we don't decide soon. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Gatlinburg - no
Dayton - no
Toledo - no
Indy - no

 

[95wrangler]

Niagra Falls. US side or CAN side is awesome. I recommend Maid of the Mist or Jet boat ride. Also there is a tunnel under the falls and a deck at the base.

 

[Bennettjh]

We enjoy Nashville, TN. If you enjoy music, I would suggest it even more. It's probably a 7 hour trip from the Bend.

 

[sepe]

Wisconsin Dells is a short drive, about 5 hours or so. Hit some waterparks, the duck tours, jet boat tours, railway museums, and lots of other stuff to do. Not really sure what you're looking for with similar to St. Louis but the Dells is a good time.

Have fun at these family-friendly Wisconsin Dells activities!

I have heard South Memphis is really nice this time of year though.

 

[jsgolfman]

Dale Hollow Lake | Dale Hollow Marinas, Houseboats, Cabins, Fishing | Tennessee

 

[fallenangel1]

I would say Toronto .. I hope to be heading up there in Sept. .. also you not too far away from Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point) .. We use to take a 4 day weekend and stay at the hotel right outside the gate. It was fun to go into the park early or just lounge around the water park all day.

 

[Brandon]

Dale Hollow is nice!

 

[pjcalla]

Northern Michigan? Petosky, Makinac Island, Charlevoix, Traverse City, etc.? Don't know what you like doing, but staying on one of the lakes up there is nice. Good restaurants, shopping (if you're into that type of thing), golf, parks, etc. From South Bend, you can make it up to Petosky in about 5-6 hours.

 

[Cameramonkey]

My family rents a beachfront cottage for the week here. VERY little to do, but thats the point. Hang out, relax, and do nothing. Well, nothing but fish, drink, swim, etc.

Pelee Island.org|

Edit: Good luck finding a cottage this late in the season though... most beachfronts are sold out by April.

 

[mrjarrell]

Well, Memphis has a few things to recommend it. They have a great zoo, the Pink Palace museum is pretty good. There's the Sun Studios tour, if you like music history and there's always Graceland. Loads of great restaurants there, too. The Commissary in Germantown, Interstate Barbecue, Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken, Leonard's BBQ and many, many more. No need to ever eat at a chain restaurant anywhere in the area. Plenty to see and do in the area and along the way.

If you're up for a bit more of a drive, I'd suggest the Outer Banks of North Carolina, although it's a bit late for that. Not really a spur of the moment kind of trip. Beautiful beaches, good fishing (down island around Avon and Buxton) and more than a few good places to eat. There's always Virginia, too. We like to just hop in the car and travel around. Lots to see in VA.

One of our favourite destinations, though is New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Affordable and loads to do. Beaches on the coast. Restaurants, a world class aquarium, a great zoo and museums in New Orleans. Something for everyone down there. Can't beat seafood, either.

 

[aclark]

Virgina Beach, VA
Ocean City, MD

Should be ~12hr drive or so.

OBX, NC is nice too, as is Charleston, SC

 

[rockhopper46038]

Toronto is a heck of a nice city to visit; Niagara Falls is kitschy, but impressive (and can be done as a day trip from Toronto - I think it's only about 60 miles away). I like Marquette in the UP a lot, but might not be too exciting for the kids. The west coast of Michigan has beaches for the kids, breweries and boutiques for the adults, but as someone said it might be hard to find a cottage now. Memphis is a fun place to visit as an adult; I dunno for kids. There is the riverfront, Graceland, BBQ, the Peabody Hotel ducks, and the Pyramid museum, but the city itself is NOT a nice place to stroll around. Louisville might be worth a shot; good restaurants, some breweries, the Louisville Slugger museum, the free trolley that runs the length of downtown, the riverfront park, the Bourbon Trail. Omaha might be worth a shot, too. Strategic Air Command museum, Henry Doorly Zoo (highly rated), the dog tracks across the river in Council Bluffs, Old Market in the downtown district.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Chattanooga, TN!

Asheville, NC

 

[KittySlayer]

Great Lakes

Northern Michigan? Petosky, Makinac Island, Charlevoix, Traverse City, etc.? Don't know what you like doing, but staying on one of the lakes up there is nice. Good restaurants, shopping (if you're into that type of thing), golf, parks, etc. From South Bend, you can make it up to Petosky in about 5-6 hours.

Hit many of these towns by bicycle last year. Great ride and scenary and nice overnight towns.

Wisconsin Dells is a short drive, about 5 hours or so.

If going to Wisconsin look at the one of the ferries across Lake Michigan. You get a mini cruise plus you avoid having to drive through the gun free zone of Chicago. You could take the ferry on the trip up and if you dont like it drive through Chicago on the return trip.

 

[No2rdame]

I'm from Memphis so I can answer any questions you may have. Yes, there is Graceland but another big attraction there is Beale Street, which is essentially the poor man's version of Bourbon down in New Orleans. However, it's not necessarily that kid friendly. You also have the Gibson guitar factory and a quite nice AAA baseball park. It's probably not something kids would ever be interested in, but the Civil Rights museum is quite moving. Beyond that, yes, you do have the Pink Palace museum, the zoo, and the Peabody Hotel, of which its big draw are the ducks that live in the fountain.

As far as anyone saying south Memphis is nice, I want to know what that person is smoking because you really don't want to be there unless heavily armed, especially after dark.

 

[mrjarrell]

As far as anyone saying south Memphis is nice, I want to know what that person is smoking because you really don't want to be there unless heavily armed, especially after dark.

I wondered about that, too. As a former resident of Millington I have your exact view of S. Memphis.

 

[No2rdame]

Millington, huh? A store up there called Top Brass is the reason I have this expensive habit of guns. I loved that store.

 

[bobbittle]

Washington DC

 

[Interpon]

N michigan like mackinaw island is nice and cooler. Wife took kids to french lick in and really liked it...also you may not think it but detroit offers a lot..like henry ford museum..maybe overnight there see museums and head to mackinaw..lots of us history from french and fur trade, horses..forts..

 

[deal me in]

Lots of good suggestions. I'll add Cincinnati since I know the area well. You've got Kings Island, water parks, museums, and Red's games off the top of my head. There is also a nice brand new casino downtown. Dining options are typical of any good size city with the city specialty being greek chili, Skyline and Gold Star are the brand names. There is also a famous Rib/Steak place, but the name escapes me at the moment.