Help me pick a family vacation for this fall - PacNW? or..?

[HoneyBBQ]

Data: 2 adults, one almost 2 year old. Potentially 3 dogs. Dogs can stay home with dog sitter if necessary. Live in WA state. Looking for a week around the last week of Sept/first week of Oct though could be later. Budget- not really an issue but we are cheap for the most part. 

Things we like to do: Be outdoors, hike, camp, eat, see pretty stuff. 

Options:

1. Fly to Maui.  Tix are around $500/seat. We'd camp/B&B it (we are not resort people). Dogs would stay home (~$350/week)
We've done the BI and Kauai before.

2. Fly somewhere else... ? Would go to Yosemite but the fires there are crazy... not sure what will happen in a month. Open to alternatives. Maybe Utah? 

3. Road trip - could possibly take dogs. depending where we end up.

       a)We could do Olympic NP/Mt helens/Mt Rainier. Though we've done a week in Olympic last year and been to Rainier         camping this year. But we haven't done Mt St helens.  Might be cold and rainy in the Olympics but could be nice.

       b) Oregon coast - Cannon Beach/Mt Hood/Portland loop

       c) San Juan islands - find a VRBO on one of the islands and hang out, hike, maybe Kayak? Could probably bring dogs. 

        d) Northern cascades - Lake Chelan? Don't know what the weather is like this time of year. 



Opinions? Is there anything else that should be on my radar that isn't? I'd love to go somewhere farther away, but for only a week it seems tough. We thought about Japan but it's pretty darn $$ and far away for a week. Alaska will be too cold I imagine though maybe we could do it?

[Deleted]

How can you not pick Maui??

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 11:31:48 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

How can you not pick Maui??

Dunno? I've never been there. It looks nice. We're mostly interested in the volcano/hiking/waterfalls. Not hanging on the beach like a lot of people are that are big fans of Maui.

[Deleted]

Aug 30, 2013 11:38:53 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Aug 30, 2013 11:31:48 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

How can you not pick Maui??

Dunno? I've never been there. It looks nice. We're mostly interested in the volcano/hiking/waterfalls. Not hanging on the beach like a lot of people are that are big fans of Maui.

No volcanoes on Maui, but there is tons of hiking and waterfalls, especially if you go to the Hana side which is quiet and beautiful.

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 11:41:35 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Aug 30, 2013 11:38:53 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Dunno? I've never been there. It looks nice. We're mostly interested in the volcano/hiking/waterfalls. Not hanging on the beach like a lot of people are that are big fans of Maui.

No volcanoes on Maui, but there is tons of hiking and waterfalls, especially if you go to the Hana side which is quiet and beautiful.

Sure there is. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleakal%C4%81
Haleakalā in Haleakalā National Park.



I have heard good things about HAna - but it's hard to get to or something?

[Deleted]

You lost me at hiking with an almost 2 year old.  I would love to see Maui though.

[Deleted]

that is not active like the big island, though. 

Hana is not hard to get to.  It is a 4 h-5 hour drive from the airport.  The drive is beautiful.

[sesfw]

A trip I've always wanted to take but might be tough with a 2 yr old is a train trip through the Canadian Rockies in and around Lake Louise.  Last time I looked it was pricey so it's at the very bottom of my bucket list.

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 11:52:27 GMT -5 sesfw said:

A trip I've always wanted to take but might be tough with a 2 yr old is a train trip through the Canadian Rockies in and around Lake Louise.  Last time I looked it was pricey so it's at the very bottom of my bucket list.

Great idea. We actually did this 2 years ago when I was pregnant. Spent two weeks between Banff and Jasper. It was fantastic. If you camp it's quite reasonable, but I can definitely see the appeal of the 4 seasons (I think?) on the banks of Lake Louise.

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 11:47:19 GMT -5 pooks said:

You lost me at hiking with an almost 2 year old.  I would love to see Maui though.

We just strap her into a carrier on our backs and go on our way. We don't bag any big peaks or mileage but we certainly can get out and enjoy the environment.

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 11:47:33 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

that is not active like the big island, though. 

Hana is not hard to get to.  It is a 4 h-5 hour drive from the airport.  The drive is beautiful.

Ok, will look into it. Thanks for the tip.

[Gardening Grandma]

Have you been to Victoria, BC? Fun place to visit, pretty kid friendly...

Do one one of you carry her in a pack when you hike?  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Have you joined Living Social out of Seattle?

I've been getting offers for stays in Lake Chelan and the surroundings for cabin rentals, etc.  Some of the deals look interesting and I'd jump on them, but for lack of mobility.

[movingforward]

Aug 30, 2013 11:38:53 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Aug 30, 2013 11:31:48 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

How can you not pick Maui??

Dunno? I've never been there. It looks nice. We're mostly interested in the volcano/hiking/waterfalls. Not hanging on the beach like a lot of people are that are big fans of Maui.

I am a hiker as well.  There are some great hikes/waterfalls in Maui but my favorite was the big island.  I don't know if you like to snorkel but I have snorkeled in several places and Kona on the big island was the best I have ever seen.  Also, like archie said Volcano National Park is in Hilo.  If I were you I would actually do both - stay in Maui a few days and then go to the big island.

Have you looked into Sedona?  It is one of my favorite places to hike. 

[movingforward]

Aug 30, 2013 12:08:46 GMT -5 movingforward said:

Aug 30, 2013 11:38:53 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Dunno? I've never been there. It looks nice. We're mostly interested in the volcano/hiking/waterfalls. Not hanging on the beach like a lot of people are that are big fans of Maui.

I am a hiker as well.  There are some great hikes/waterfalls in Maui but my favorite was the big island.  I don't know if you like to snorkel but I have snorkeled in several places and Kona on the big island was the best I have ever seen.  Also, like archie said Volcano National Park is in Hilo.  If I were you I would actually do both - stay in Maui a few days and then go to the big island.

Have you looked into Sedona?  It is one of my favorite places to hike. 

ETA: Oh, I forgot about the 2 yr old for a minute.  Snorkeling probably isn't on your list

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 12:08:46 GMT -5 movingforward said:

Aug 30, 2013 11:38:53 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Dunno? I've never been there. It looks nice. We're mostly interested in the volcano/hiking/waterfalls. Not hanging on the beach like a lot of people are that are big fans of Maui.

I am a hiker as well.  There are some great hikes/waterfalls in Maui but my favorite was the big island.  I don't know if you like to snorkel but I have snorkeled in several places and Kona on the big island was the best I have ever seen.  Also, like archie said Volcano National Park is in Hilo.  If I were you I would actually do both - stay in Maui a few days and then go to the big island.

Have you looked into Sedona?  It is one of my favorite places to hike. 

We previously spent a week on the Big Island and really liked it. We camped in Volcanoes National Park for a week for the astounding price of $10 total.

I have not done Sedona. I have heard a lot of good things about Arizona though. Is it at altitude? I don't want to get snowed on with a 2 year old in tow... but that might be New Mexico I'm thinking of.

Snorkeling might be out, but swimming is in. As long as there are no sharks!

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 12:07:55 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

That's me and my dog and my kiddo at Deception Pass. We have another carrier for the back, too. She likes it. We stop every hour or so and let her run around/diaper change/snack.

I have not been to Victoria. Could we spend a week there? 

[HoneyBBQ]

Aug 30, 2013 12:08:14 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Have you joined Living Social out of Seattle?

I've been getting offers for stays in Lake Chelan and the surroundings for cabin rentals, etc.  Some of the deals look interesting and I'd jump on them, but for lack of mobility.

I haven't done living Social, but I do have TravelZoo and some others. Just wondering about the weather there in October, having not been here a whole year yet, not sure how quickly it will get cold up there. 

[movingforward]

Aug 30, 2013 12:27:23 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Aug 30, 2013 12:08:46 GMT -5 movingforward said:

I am a hiker as well.  There are some great hikes/waterfalls in Maui but my favorite was the big island.  I don't know if you like to snorkel but I have snorkeled in several places and Kona on the big island was the best I have ever seen.  Also, like archie said Volcano National Park is in Hilo.  If I were you I would actually do both - stay in Maui a few days and then go to the big island.

Have you looked into Sedona?  It is one of my favorite places to hike. 

We previously spent a week on the Big Island and really liked it. We camped in Volcanoes National Park for a week for the astounding price of $10 total.

I have not done Sedona. I have heard a lot of good things about Arizona though. Is it at altitude? I don't want to get snowed on with a 2 year old in tow... but that might be New Mexico I'm thinking of.

You will be fine in Sedona late Sept/early Oct.  I was there the first week in Dec and the weather was fabulous.  I am dying to go back.  The south rim of the Grand Canyon is also fine in the fall.  The north rim starts get questionable in mid-Oct.  You can hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in about 6 hrs on the south rim and camp at the bottom.  Going back up is more like 8 hrs.  Not sure if you want to do that much with a 2 yr. old. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Aug 30, 2013 12:34:04 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Aug 30, 2013 12:08:14 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Have you joined Living Social out of Seattle?

I've been getting offers for stays in Lake Chelan and the surroundings for cabin rentals, etc.  Some of the deals look interesting and I'd jump on them, but for lack of mobility.

I haven't done living Social, but I do have TravelZoo and some others. Just wondering about the weather there in October, having not been here a whole year yet, not sure how quickly it will get cold up there. 

We're going over to Friday Harbor at the end of September for the day.  There's an awesome restaurant over there that we're taking TD's mom to for her birthday.  I remember there being a deal posted for Orcas, a stay in a cabin with lots of hiking trails and access to bikes, kayaks, etc. included, earlier this summer.

You should be able to google the historical temps in Lake Chelan.

[Sharon]

Check out Sisters/Bend OR.  We have had some beautiful fall trips, we have also had a couple of very cold fall trips but mostly nice.  One of my favorite places is the Metolius River.  Lots of hiking/camping and also close to Mt Jefferson wilderness area.

[Apple]

I love the picture!

Another great spot for waterfalls--do the Gorge.  You could loop Mt Hood, the gorge (drive to Hood River from the mountain, then go to the waterfalls from there).  Beautiful hikes.

Bend/Sisters is also beautiful, but I don't know the area all that well (my parents grew up around there--Redmond and Prineville).

If you decided on Portland/the Gorge, PM me!  Maybe we could do a meet up

[NancysSummerSip]

Loved, loved, loved, Bend OR when we visited. And who could not like Mt Hood and environs? There were some wonderful little towns in that area that I wanted to stop and explore, but Mother was with DH and I, and she was already losing her mobility at that point (this was in 2006, six years before she died). Weather there should be outstanding at that time, too.

Of course, you could just junk all these ideas and come to Florida.

[shanendoah]

I'm a huge fan of the San Juans. That said, you could look into the rainforests we have north of here, head to the beach, or head up to Vancouver, BC, which is one of my favorite places to visit. Getting into Canada with the dogs requires a bit more paperwork, but I've seen the border crossing done with pets numerous times.
Lake Chelan has been mentioned. I'm also a big fan of Leavenworth.
We did the Goldendale area this last May- there's an observatory and the cement replica of Stonehenge. And we drove back home along the Gorge. We took the dogs with us on that trip.
I have friends who love to camp at Deception Pass.

If you're looking to go elsewhere, I will always recommend Yellowstone.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Getting over the border with dogs is a non-issue.  We do it regularly.  You do want to make sure you have a vet certificate in the car verifying that they've been vaccinated though.  But as many times as I've gone across the border with the dog (which is around 2x/mo), they have not asked for it so the (now expired) certificate still sits in the door pocket!

[MarleyKeezy78]

Cannon beach! Goonie it up   I traveled the west coast from LA to Seattle for a week with my fam when I graduated highschool and Cannon beach was awesome! So was a place called Whales Head, they have tiny cottages you can rent and to get to the beach you walk through a long tunnel under the highway, way cool!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Love me some Cannon Beach, but I agree with Archie--how could you pass up Maui?

[Deleted]

We're headed to Yosemite in late September. Fewer visitors! Whoo-hoo!

Sedona is at about 5000' and agree it will be fine.

Flagstaff/So Rim 7000' probably o.k.

No. Rim is 8000' generally closes on Oct 15 through May 15.

Bottom of the Canyon is about 2500' It will likely be in the low 90s end of Sept.


You do need to secure lodging/campsites beforehand. But you can do a day loop hike on the south rim by going down the S. Kaibab and up the Bright Angel. It's about a 15mi hike and you can take a free shuttle to the S. Kaibab from the Bright Angel Lodge. The Miwok Lodge should have space.

It's a really nice time of year to go.

[Abby Normal]

If you are into hiking and such- I ditto the Bend area. It's a nice base area to make a lot of daytrips from.  You can hike out at Smith Rock and watch the rock climbers.  Paulina lake area is gorgeous and the obsidian flow and lave tubes are way cool.  You can also check out the Metolius area and Sisters.  The observatory is about an hour away which is nice if the kiddo can be up late and the skies are clear.

[Tennesseer]

New England.  Plenty to see and do.