Wife wants to go on a vacation... but where?

My wife has been begging me lately to go on a vacation. It's been a LONG time since we went away. We haven't gone on one since before we got married. That's right: we didn't even get to go on a honeymoon, and we got married in 2011. We were thinking of doing a 3-4 day trip, most likely over a weekend.

The thing is, she wants to do something "different", something she's never done before. I would prefer to remain in relative driving distance to New England, and remain within the US.

One idea she has suggested is Colonial Williamsburg, VA. It looks fine to me, but I'm afraid we'll get bored and that it will get old quick. Is there anything else to do around there?

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated!

Wait...is this Silverfleet?

Like old things?

Like airplanes?

Like airshows?

Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

It's not for me to say what you should want to do, but if not this time, I'd encourage you to expand your horizons. Leaving the country is fun and educational.

That said, there are a million practical reasons that you might not want to do that this time.

My next piece of advice is then to keep it really close. Don't waste much of a 3-4 day vacation on driving. Colonial Williamsburg sounds like you'd spend a day driving down, a day driving back, and 1-2 days there. To me, that doesn't sound like a vacation at all. I can't fathom that in a 3-4 day vacation that's nearly half driving that anything's going to have time to get old. (As an aside, a Swedish coworker once said of the Standard American 10-day Vacation Unit, "That's not a vacation. That's a sneeze.")

I'd try to find a B&B or something in New England, if that's where you're starting. Find somewhere that has some central activity, stuff to see, but don't be afraid to give yourself some time to do nothing. A lot of our best vacation time has been in Ashland, OR, which has the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to give us An Interesting Event Or Two, then we mostly just have leisurely meals, hang out at the B&B or the nice downtown park, read, get a drink... Basically hang out together removed from work and to-do lists. But we've never attempted that on a long weekend, and it's only five hours from here.

Colonial Williamsburg likely will not get boring if you are into history at all. If you're afraid of that you can also make plans to go to other sites in a reasonable distance such as Gettysburg Washington DC or if you're into amusement parks bush Gardens. For a long weekend I wouldn't be worried about it getting boring.

If in Williamsburg, I found Colonial to be 2 days to see everything. Growing up near there my family kept annual passes. For amusement parks, you have Busch Gardens right there and Kings Dominion about an hour away in Richmond.

An hour SE is Virginia Beach. You have your standard tourist traps along the boardwalk but some other good attractions in the area. My favorites include the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the Virginia Air & Space Museum, and Norfolk Botanical Gardens. The best two parks are MT Trashmore and First Landing.

Otherwise D.C. is a nice trip for a few days. It's about 2 hours closer and you can easily fill your time with free admission attractions.

Just brainstorming her, but if you'd like to stay sort of close to home, why not take a vacation where you live?

As in: get an air bnb or hotel room in the fancy part of town you don't usually go to or somewhere nearby you just go through in passing, and give it the tourist treatment. See all the niche things and all the little local flavors your usually rushing by and never take the time to notice.

Just thinking it would minimize wasted vacation time behind the wheel, and expose you to all sorts of things you never knew existed or history you forgot about.

What's the saying "you lived here your whole life but never saw it until someone else came to visit" ?

I think that's where I screwed up a couple weekends ago when a forum member came to town. I was thinking of it from a local point of view and there isn't anything to do here as a local, but as a tourist, I guess there's some interesting E36 M3 to see. (Sorry lugnut, but this really isn't a winter town)

Ransom makes a good point about drive time. According to maps(iOS), Williamsburg will be a 9.5-10 hour drive, D.C. is a little over 7. I would consider a few nights someplace nice and a little closer like Newport, Martha's Vineyard, or out on the Cape.

Side note, I'm not opposed to meeting another GRMer next time I'm out that way.

Once a year me and my wife will take a 3 day weekend and just go somewere within 2-4 hrs of driving distance and just hang out together minus the kids and stress of every day life. We used to drive the 500 miles to maryland but found out we can have just as much fun locally.

Pocono mountains. Lots of couples type resorts and lots to do. You can get themed rooms....if you're into that sort of thing.

Google "Things to do in Nantucket" but don't go until May or later so the weather is good.

It's a 2hr boat ride. Stay at a B&B with easy walking to Water St. Then, rent a scooter and ride everywhere 2-up. It's fun and you get to see/smell/feel the place - and outpark all those asshats who brought their Range Rovers to clog it all up.

Depending on your budget... a Caribbean Island is very affordable. I just got back from 5 days in Jamaica ( Riu Montego Bay) for $2500 including air fare, transportation, food + drinks. If it wasn't last minute AND spring break for a lot of the US and Canada I could have done it for way less on the air fare. With forethought it could have been $1800.

It's a resort... but for a short stay it's nice to have a beach, pool, kayaks and food right where you don't have to go looking for it. No wasting time looking for a beer or a horrific sunburn... just walk out from under the pavilion to this:

Assuming that there are no warrants out for your arrest, leave the country.

Grand Prix du Canada.

I think staying local is the way to go, otherwise you spend alot of time traveling. What do you guys like to do? Into hiking, maybe go to NH or VT once spring arrives. Like the beach, choose what kind of water you enjoy most, lake or ocean, maybe rent a boat or PWCs for a day. Lake Winnipesaukee is close. Ocean more your thing, take a whale watching cruise. History buffs, New England has tons of historical places to see. Lake George in NY is a cool place. The village is similar to what the Cape was back in the 60's & 70's and tons of touristy things to do nearby, just don't go the first week in June or 4th of July. Maybe go to Boston and see a play or concert. How about Newport and checking out the mansions and people watching at the harbor. The local list is almost endless.

It would help to know what sorts of things you and your wife enjoy doing. Colonial Williamsburg is worth at least a two days. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is a great one day visit (My first airplane ride ever was there their 1929 New Standard biplane.) The Smithsonian is also within a days drive and one could easily kill a week there. NYC or Montauk Point on Long Island are also worthwhile vacation destinations within a days drive of you. On your timeline I'd be looking at the Wells Beach Maine area. Heck, Boston is a great place to spend a long weekend.

This time of year it's still cold up in New England so in my mind a long weekend getaway would involve someplace warm. As noted above, tourist trap Caribbean island package is totally worth it. Press the easy button here and go with an inclusive package. Check on Groupon or similar and don't spend your time behind the wheel. Fly to the beach and wear sunscreen (tropical sun will burn you quicker than you think!)

OBX

I have friends in the Virginia Beach area and go a few times a year. Williamsburg is nice and there are plenty of other attractions in the area but it's a long drive for a couple days.

The Rhinebeck aerodrome is fun and there are other attractions in the area like FDRs house/library a number of other mansions to tour and sights to take in. You could make a nice loop across 95, stop off at Mystic Seaport, up the Hudson on Rt 9 or Rt 9W stopping off at West Point, And continue up to a scenic drive along Rt 20 back across Mass.

Go somewhere warm - I so want to go, but all the wife wants to do is ski!

Send her on a vacation!

Think of all the stuff you'll get done on your projects while she's gone!

dropstep wrote: Once a year me and my wife will take a 3 day weekend and just go somewere within 2-4 hrs of driving distance and just hang out together minus the kids and stress of every day life. We used to drive the 500 miles to maryland but found out we can have just as much fun locally.

We do that all the time. Vero, ft myers, E36 M3 i could probably do it for a year solid just visit grm people in florida.

We just did a weekend in Ogunquit, ME. We go up there a couple times a year. It's about a 5hr drive (normally - this time it wasn't due to weather), there's a hotel up there we like, and it's a good location for a couple quiet (off-season) days by the ocean. Nice restaurants, beach and cliff walk, Portland's not too far if you want a bigger city, Kittery's not far if you want outlet shopping.

Photos from last October's excursion:

New York City? It's close to you guys, and I'll share my list of area guitar shops and record stores with you.

Different, you say? If you can hold out until the weekend of May 27th and 28th, E-town is hosting ECB 2017.

A successful mini-cation like that is very dependent on what you both like to unwind. Example: my wife is good to sit on a beach and veg but I get bored so I fish. We both feel relaxed and enjoy grilling what I caught or having a nice dinner out if I got skunked. Need to talk through what might work for both of you like that.

Montreal, or Quebec City is my vote. Wait for the warmer weather though. Not that you can't enjoy either city this time of year, but it's better when you don't have to wear a parka and toque. It's like going to Europe sorta, but you can drive there.