Earth-2 Family Vacation


Venneh

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"Vacation" would suppose something that wasn't Chicago. I can vouch for the beauty of both my homeland and Vancouver Island, but I similarly recognise that this can ramp up the price and the easiest way to get as big a gathering as possible is to keep it cheap.

Personally, I'd love to see you North Americans experience GREAT Britain, because a) it'd be a true vacation for you, and b) it'd be cheap for me compared to flying out to America again, but I concede the issue of quotas/expense.

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NYC (or the tri-state area in general) might be easy for many.

One thing I might suggest is something like Laconia, NH. (Obviously, it's close to me and therefore super convenient.) It's two hours from Logan Airport, has cabins that can fit four or more and which are fairly inexpensive in the off season (August), is close to things like Funspot arcade (largest arcade in the world and home to the museum containing playable machines from the 1950s onward), Weirs Beach on Lake Winnepesaukee, drive ins, go carts, hot tub, all that fun stuff.

I say this, but there is a version of this sort of thing in every part of the world.

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Okay, before people continue to shout out where they live...

Places

Chicago

Who's Local/Easily Accessible: Mike, Chris, Hannah, Will, Professor

Airports: 2

Megabus/Train Access: Yes. It's actually a hub for Amtrak as well as Megabus. Getting from some places can be tricky though

Pros:

  • Most of us have been here.
  • In off seasons, hotels can be rather cheap.
  • Most places can be reached via public transport which is cheap.
  • Midwestern niceness.

Cons:

  • It's kinda old hat.
  • If you drive in, parking can be a bitch.

Atlanta

Who's Local: Damien, James

Airports: 1

Megabus/Train Access: Megabus out of Chicago, New York, a lot of places. Train convenient if you came from the East Coast. Elsewhere... is a little bit more iffy.

Pros:

  • Tons of things to do
  • Baseball
  • Thrift Stores

Cons:

  • Assuming we stay in The Real Protagonists neck of the woods, could be a bitch getting there from the Airport.
  • Hotels look like a mix of high priced and seedy in that area.
  • Not the best looking public transit.

Boston

Local to: Dan, Wendee

Airports: 1

Megabus/Train Access: Train is pretty good if you're going from Chicago/East Coast. Megabus... less so from the center forward.

Pros:

  • Tons of historical sites
  • Somewhat decent public transport

Cons

  • Hotels are... kinda expensive

New York

Local to: You Know Who

Airports: 2

Megabus/Train Access: Good on both cases.

Pros:

  • Center of culture
  • Easily accessible via public transit
  • Never anything not to do

Cons:

  • EXPENSIVE!
  • Hotels are expensive
  • Sure, tons to do but part of the idea is to relax.

Laconia, NH

Local to: Dan, Wendee

Airports: 1 a couple of hours away

Train/Megabus Access: Nope.

Pros:

  • Relaxing to say the least
  • Stuff to do while also not an overwhelming amount
  • With how most of the cabins work, we could easily make it somewhat cheap

Cons:

  • If our group is small, could be expensive
  • Demands at least some level of driving
  • If you're going for absolute excitement, might not be so good.
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Philadelphia

Local to: You Know Who

Airports: 1 local

Train/Megabus Access: Yes

Pros:

  • Relaxing, at least around historical district
  • Stuff to do while also not an overwhelming amount
  • Tons of historical sites

Cons:

  • May demand some driving (at least to zoo)
  • If you're going for absolute excitement, might not be so good

Either:

  • Not sure what you definition of cheap for hotels is; almost certainly cheaper than NYC, though

Okay, before people continue to shout out where they live...

Whoops.

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Midwestern niceness.

Not for nothing, this is a conversation Wendee and I had this weekend.

"Should we cross the street?"

"The light's red."

"Yeah, but there's no traffic."

"So why is no one crossing?"

"I guess... because the light's red?"

"But... no traffic."

"So we just... wait?"

"... I guess."

"Is this what the Midwest is like?"

"... I guess."

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I went to Philly once and I have to say, it was pretty great. We stayed in an extended stay hotel kind of place with a kitchenette and a closet so large we slept a person in there. Plus, they have The Best Musuem Ever, The Mutter. The have Chan and Eng's preserved, conjoined liver, a presidential tumor, and a collection of things found in the throat's of choking victims. What's not to love?

There is also Las Vegas. I've been at least a dozen times, possibly closer to 20 times. I love it and it is surprisingly affordable to get there and get a hotel, and I'm talking a luxury property on strip, in the summer. Not this summer, I'm tapped out for the year. I've got two big dance trips in the next 10 months including a week in San Francisco in January.

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I'll vouch for Atlanta. Tons of stuff to do--dozens of concert venues, some theatres, an art museum, parks, sporting events, amusement parks (not really my thing, but they're there), cultural hubs, a bajillion great restaurants, etc. There are hotels near where I live that are reasonably priced, as far as I'm aware.

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It may not be the rocking party central like some of the other places, but would anyone be interested in a beach vacation in lovely Belair, MB. Take over my parents place for August Long Weekend 2015, no hotel costs to pay, no expensive meals (hit the grocery store on the way out, cook everything ourselves on the stove, oven and BBQ. Hanging out on the deck, bonfires on the beach. We'd be able to setup our video game systems and play a bunch of awesome multilayer stuff all night. Only cons would be that it is a bit out of the way, but the house is big enough to accommodate everyone (if some are ok with couches and air mattresses) and may well be the best price point option.

I do like the idea of the cabin retreat, and would also like to look into the idea of hitting up a KOA Campground in lieu of a hotel if we're doing this in the summer.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not technically related to any E-2 Vacation per se but if for some stupid reason anyone wants to make it out to Ohio for the 4th of July range of periods this year, having my annual two days of debauchery aka bad movies, board games, and other stuff. You're more than welcome to crash on our floor.

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It may not be the rocking party central like some of the other places, but would anyone be interested in a beach vacation in lovely Belair, MB. Take over my parents place for August Long Weekend 2015, no hotel costs to pay, no expensive meals (hit the grocery store on the way out, cook everything ourselves on the stove, oven and BBQ. Hanging out on the deck, bonfires on the beach. We'd be able to setup our video game systems and play a bunch of awesome multilayer stuff all night. Only cons would be that it is a bit out of the way, but the house is big enough to accommodate everyone (if some are ok with couches and air mattresses) and may well be the best price point option.

I do like the idea of the cabin retreat, and would also like to look into the idea of hitting up a KOA Campground in lieu of a hotel if we're doing this in the summer.

I could probably do August in Manitoba in 2015.

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If the arrivals and departures are staggered enough I could drive people. Worst case scenario is I could bug a couple friends/family to help with the travel.

It's about a 90min-2hour drive depending on traffic from Winnipeg Int Airport to Belair.

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