Vacation for 35?!

In reply to eastsideTim :

Can also confirm that cedar city will get you out of the bad summer heat unless you plan a July trip. I was there last night and it was in the 40s. 

mechanicalmeanderings said:

YMCA camp in Colorado, snow mountain ranch and the one in Estes Park. 

Both have cabins that can be rented or dorm style rooms

they have scheduled activities like crafts and archery as well as nearby towns to check out.

 

yoi can do meal plans or cook your own.

I've been. It's great. bring your own food. Yellowstone is amazing as well.

My family trips aren't that big... usually 7-8 of us.

I have discovered the wonders of VRBO.  (edit:  I see you've already found that gem)  It's like AirBNB but caters to vacation rentals for longer times with larger groups.  We rented a four bedroom house on the St Lawrence river for 10 days.  Right on the water with a dock.  We fished, kayaked, swam, awesome vacation.

As far as places... what time of year?  I might suggest avoiding Canada in February, or Tempe in July.

I might find somewhere near a national park:  Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Tetons, and Banff are some of my favorites (but Banff has a Canadian side that you might not feel comfortable exploring)  If you go to Glacier, the drive into Kalispell is lovely, and the town itself is berkeleying adorable.  It's about 15 miles from the entrance to Glacier.  Yellowstone is also an option.  Look into Cooke City MT.  If your family stayed there, you would probably double the population.  Probably not suitable accommodations for a group that size, but worth a day visit.

Big Sur and Sequoia are also lovely. 

If you're looking for outdoor activities and you prefer docile black bears to killer Grizzlies, Acadia?  Hard to beat the scenery, and lobstahs ah wicked cheap up there.  I remember getting them right off the boat in Booth Bay Hahbah for $3/lb.  (although that was 20 years ago)

This does sound like a Western NC type of trip since you are east coast. Find something closer to Asheville area and you have a lot to do in the area in the great smokies. You would probably have to rent multiple cabins but it seems to me the best choice with the information provided. If you were west coast, I would say Mt. Hood area but that would be a ton of expense.