Family Vacation Suggestions??

[RebeccaH]

Each year that one of our kids has graduated from high school, we have let them choose our family vacation destination, as long as it's within our price range. My daughter graduates this year, and she would LOVE to go to a Formula 1 race. However, they used to sell tickets by the day, but they are now package them for the weekend only. So it would be almost $1,500 per person just to attend the event, not counting travel, hotel, food, etc. So no, five of us will not be doing that.
As her second option, she said maybe something 'like Hocking Hill but not Hocking Hills." She would like quiet, nature, hiking, cabin camping, etc. And we have to get a move on if we're going to get anything booked! So here's my question... any suggestions on a general destination?

 

[tkradtke]

How far are you looking to go? Have you guys been to Sleeping Bear Dunes area in Michigan? We love that area... so many trails to hike with spectacular views of Lake Michigan, plus beaches and rivers to kayak or tube. Very laid back area. Fun retro stuff like a drive in movie theater too.

We have a rental in the area and I've posted a lot of our hikes (although I've been bad about it lately) on our cabin's Facebook page so you can get an idea of what the area has to offer.

https://www.facebook.com/bearskicabin

 

[Karen]

Turkey Run is a lot like hocking hills, lots of great trails, but not quite as many waterfalls I don't think. Also, a place that is on my "want to go camping" list is Starved Rock in Illinois. They have some fun glamping options with Yurts that could be fun, and still have fun waterfalls and nature trails too.

ETA: If you're wanting really rustic for the full experience, we also LOVE camping and hiking in the Porcupine Mountains in the UP of Michigan. There are a bunch of cabins on the trails that you have to hike into. You have to pack all of your gear and filter water out of streams. It's SO pretty up there. And, if you don't want to go the full extreme, there are cabins and camping places outside the trails, and you can just do day hikes to see all the fun stuff on the trails....

 

[Kiana]

Not sure how far you want to go, maybe to the mountains in Tennessee? Gatlinburg?

 

[bestcee]

I don't know what Hocking Hills is, but Google says it's camping and hiking?

We stayed in the Lewis Mountain Cabins in Shenandoah National Park in 2019. The cabins we did were rustic. Indoor plumbing, but outdoor cooking. Bear bins by the fire, and deer outside the window in the morning. Hiking trails, and lots of pretty scenery. There are less rustic options in Shenandoah too. We ran into an Apple Butter Festival and saw hotel like cabins with fridges and more amenities in a different part of the park.

 

[HavaDrPepper]

I don't know what Hocking Hills is, but Google says it's camping and hiking?

My description of Hocking Hills area is Appalachia in Ohio. I have relatives that live in that area and it is a whole different Ohio. It is actually the edge of the Appalachian Mountains as far as terrain goes. Many years ago I went canoeing in that area with my cousins. Besides camping and hiking there are lots of waterfalls to see, canoe rentals and you can even go horseback riding. Lots of people from my area head down there for long weekends.