Hi,

We are looking for some information on somewhere to go for a fun, inexpensive weekend for our family of 12.

The last few years we have gone to the Sugarcreek, Ohio area, and, stayed in a motel & did all the fun places around there, but, this year we would like to try somewhere different.

We'd like to stay within a few hours of traveling time from our home here in PA, so, WV, Ohio, and, here in PA would be ok.

We usually have around $300-$350 to spend on our mini vacation. I hope this helps, and, you can come up with some good ideas for us.

Marsha in PA-wife to Loren-mother to 12

-- Marsha (Thankful4Jesus@excite.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

Is Luray Caverns within your driving distance? Theirin upper central Virginia.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 08, 2002.

Blackwater Falls in WV is nice. I went there when I was a kid and would like to take my kids there.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 08, 2002.

How about Hershey Pa. Went there and the whole place smells like choclate. Quant streets, museums choclate factory tours, Lots of samples.

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), February 08, 2002.

How do you even feed everyone on that ???? Wow hats off to you !

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Hello Marsha,

Though Meli and I have taken several vacations we have found that the most enjoyable ones have been the times we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina! There is lots of scernery, camping, fishing and such. There are five or six lighthouses that you can go up into and a wonderful Museum at Kill Devil Hills, where they have an exhibit of the Wright Brothers and there stuff.

We one time parked our car on the southern most island, (Orcacoke) and rode our bicycles all the way to the northern most island, (Corella). We had prepared ourselves for the bike trip by bicycling around our home in Kissimmee until we were confident that we could manage 30-40 miles in a day. We packed a few belongings and camping equipment in saddlebags and carried all of it on our bikes. I took us a week to go to the northern end and back. We sleep in one or two of the hotels but, camped out as much as we could. Took lots of pictures, enjoyed the beaches. Ate a ton of shrimp, as shrimp was running that year and was plentiful and cheap. I don't believe we spent more that about $400.00 for the whole trip! It was one of the best vacations that we ever had.

We almost always carry our camping equipment, cooler, one burner stove, and coffee pot with us when we vacation. Shoot, I would pull into a rest stop and Meli would make some coffee and we sometimes would cook a full meal. Vacations are meant to be relaxing and fun and I can not relax or have fun when I have to spend a lot of dough, just to enjoy myself.

I think camping along the way and back is probably more fun as you pull yourselves away from the TV and the modern conviences that the hotels offer. Those "modern conviences" are at home for free. I can live a little differently while I am on vacation and consider it new experience, instead of hum hum as hotels go.

Anyway....the above suggestion of going to Hershey is cool too. Hershey Pa. is a wonderful little town with lots to do. The museum is fun but, they did not give us any "free" samples when we went.

If you are going on vacation in July, you may want to go to Kutztown, Pa. That is the time when the Amish and the Mennonites of the community have their annual fair. It is a great place to go....at least I think so to experience the Amish lifestyle and the food....my God the food is great. I do not understand why the Amish do not all weigh 500 pounds each! There is also a lot of caves in that area if you are interested in splunkling. The one I went to was in the town of Kutztown and was directed by a tour guide.

Enjoy,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.