If not Theme Parks, then WHERE???

[lovemygoofy]

There are plenty of things to do in the country. What do you want to do? I understand you are wanting Disney, so go to Disney.
I'd rent on the Boardwalk and enjoy people watching there, go to Disney Springs, head to Kennedy Center, or Jelly Rolls (is that still a thing?)
Universal has some beautiful hotels and fun places to hang out and enjoy and relax.

If you want to travel and do new things: San Diego is gorgeous and tons places to walk and explore or take it easy. The zoo is crazy huge or Coronado Island or drive up PCH. I love Tucson, AZ. There some great hotel/resorts there (we stayed at JW Marriott several times) with floating rivers and on golf courses. Easy day trips to beautiful SW scenery if you have never seen it before.

From NC, it's pretty easy drive to Savannah and Charleston or Tybee Island.

For Vegas, there lots and lots places to hang out, have a nice meal and people watch without gambling. Very easy drive to somewhere like Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam or take tour where the driving is done for you.

What about Nashville, TN? Lots of places to hang out and visit and have nice meals, good music, cold adult drinks and gorgeous hotels.

Don't be afraid to get out and explore. It's big beautiful country. Pick a place, do little research and be about your way. This great time to try lots of places.

 

[easyas123]

I'd say Quebec, once the Canadian border opens - assuming it does so in your time frame.
San Diego
Williamsburg
New Orleans
Key West

ooops...I just read lovemygoofy's post. They make some excellent suggestions, too!

 

[shh]

I don’t think camping is our thing. We prefer restaurants and cool places to sit and people watch, maybe some fun in the sun at a nice pool or beach, etc.

2 words - key west. Amazing place. If you enjoy getting out on the water, are a foodie, a people watcher, a lover of live music, fine spirits, wildlife, jaw-dropping sunsets, boomer/gen x aged nightlife or just peaceful views, you'll adore the keys in general and especially key west.

Amazing reef or back country snorkeling, dolphin watching cruises, parasailing, sailing, jetskiing, sunset cocktail cruises with live music...in fact live music is everywhere - stroll the streets and stop whenever you hear something you like. There are some truly incredible restaurants, cozy, cute B&Bs to lux hotels, entertaining ghost tours, rum distillary tours - and everything is so casual. Don't even bother packing long pants lol. Everyone's in shorts, flip flops and tshirts - even at the nicest restaurants. Stay in "old town" and everything is walkable - no need for a car.

Don't let its reputation fool you - some people do come here for nightlife/partying. But many, many couples and families have a fabulous time doing other things too.

Just be careful. It can be addictive. So many visitors think they'll do a "one and done"- and it turns into their annual trip lol. (Guilty! We go every year - and we're WDW/UO fanatics too.)

 

[wilbret]

2 words - key west. Amazing place. If you enjoy getting out on the water, are a foodie, a people watcher, a lover of live music, fine spirits, wildlife, jaw-dropping sunsets, boomer/gen x aged nightlife or just peaceful views, you'll adore the keys in general and especially key west.

Amazing reef or back country snorkeling, dolphin watching cruises, parasailing, sailing, jetskiing, sunset cocktail cruises with live music...in fact live music is everywhere - stroll the streets and stop whenever you hear something you like. There are some truly incredible restaurants, cozy, cute B&Bs to lux hotels, entertaining ghost tours, rum distillary tours - and everything is so casual. Don't even bother packing long pants lol. Everyone's in shorts, flip flops and tshirts - even at the nicest restaurants. Stay in "old town" and everything is walkable - no need for a car.

Don't let its reputation fool you - some people do come here for nightlife/partying. But many, many couples and families have a fabulous time doing other things too.

Just be careful. It can be addictive. So many visitors think they'll do a "one and done"- and it turns into their annual trip lol. (Guilty! We go every year - and we're WDW/UO fanatics too.)

Our first child exists thanks to Key West, lol. I went last year for...work. I need to get back down with the wife, I think we are done having kids.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Anyone have any suggestions for hotels/resorts in key west? Is it a far drive from Miami airport? Seems like that might fit the bill!!!

 

[low-key]

Veags baby, and if you have young ones, drop them off at the orphanage and let Daddy warbucks watch them

 

[Erica Ladd]

Lol. Kids are all old enough that it will be just dh and i

 

[fla4fun]

Well, the first thing I would do is sit down with your travel party and ask them the two things they need to have a fun vacation. Then find a destination that will fulfill most, if not all, of those things. You are right that Disney gives you a lot of options in a limited area, but you can still have fun other places. It’s just hard to make suggestions when we don’t know what you like.

If theme parks are a big thing for you, consider a regional park as opposed to a Disney or Universal trip. Pick one in an area that has other things that interest your family. That way, if you start to feel uncomfortable with either the crowds or the requirements, you won’t feel like you need to stay in the park just because you have made a huge time and money investment.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Thanks . Just me and DH. We don’t like driving so we like an area where we can eat (I can drink) at different places. We like some thrill but it’s not necessary. A beautiful resort or beach or pool and a relaxing hotel room. Just time got him to decompress and for us to connect. Disney gave us the chance to actually do stuff but not too much stuff lol!

 

[bellebud]

Atlantis in the Bahamas

 

[Minnie1222]

Bermuda!

 

[HeatherC]

Hilton Head Island? Beautiful beaches, great restaurants and tons of shopping, miles of paved bike trails, horseback riding, zip lining, parasailing, kayaking, dolphin cruises, golf, tennis.

 

[leebee]

We had a 10 day trip planned for August. Fly into Denver and check out the area, take the train through the mountains to Salt Lake City, go up to Yellowstone. We canceled it. It was just to stressful, having no idea of what the travel restrictions will be then. Right now, people coming into my state are required to self-quarantine at a residential home in the state for 14 days before being allowed to check into a hotel, go to what restaurants might be open, etc. If we travel out of state, we are required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon our return. The unknown was all too stressful. We decided to rent a cottage at an in-state beach resort area. We'll have a kitchen, bath, 2 bedrooms, living room, BBQ/patio area, and it's a 5 minute walk to the beach. If restaurants aren't open, we can cook in our cottage. We can relax and take our coffee to the beach every morning. If the virus situation is good, we can travel in the immediate area, check out state parks, and if it's really positive, maybe even go to Boston (that's a pipe dream, but ya gotta have hope). There are just too many unknowns right now for us to be happy traveling out of state- not because of being exposed to the virus, but just not knowing what kind of curve balls might be thrown, requiring us to make changes or even last-minute cancelations, so we are staying closer to home this summer.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

There are some great suggestions here.

Seaside, Florida is wonderful. Very walkable. It’s near Destin and Panama City. Everything is open. Seaside is quite expensive, so you could do a nearby town. There are many cute, fun, walkable towns along Highway 30-A. It will feel like a true vacation.

For a little cheaper vacation, try the Villages at Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin. Like a small version of Disney Springs, with ice cream shops, retail shops, fun restaurants, bike rentals, golf, a zip line. . . And no masks. They have rentals. It’s on the bay. You could rent a pontoon boat, swim with the dolphins, parasail, or just enjoy live music and amazing gulf coast seafood.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are also really nice- with lots of great restaurants, shows, and activities. We will soon be staying at the Margaritaville Hotel on “The Island,” which has restaurants and activities. You should check that out.

Jekyll Island is also a great choice- but it is going to have far more outdoor activities and limited indoor activities.

We are doing Orlando with no theme parks (with the possible exception of Volcano Bay). Staying at The Grove resort. Trying new experiences and restaurants outside the Disney bubble.

If you do Georgia, Tennessee, or North Florida, you will find that most things are open and back to mostly normal.

I hope you find something that you love! I, too, am so used to my Disney bubble because I love the variety of activities and experiences I get there. This pandemic is forcing me outside my comfort zone- which could actually be a good thing. Good luck!

 

[RamblingMad]

Veags baby, and if you have young ones, drop them off at the orphanage and let Daddy warbucks watch them

Whenever I go to Vegas I see all of these old people with oxygen at the slot machines.

 

[Canooknic]

Canadian border is closed to non essential travel.

I know, that's why I said border crossing is iffy. They aren't planning to travel right away, so we don't know if they'll be able to get here