| Author |
Message |
    
ML
Citizen
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 2121
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 2:59 pm: |     |
We'd like to take a vacation during the kids' February school break, and beach vacations at that time of year are ridiculously expensive. Anyone have any recommendations for a trip to the Southwest at that time of year? How's the weather in places like the Grand Canyon or New Mexico or Nevada? If we do a trip like that, will we need to rough it and do a lot of hiking, or can we find a nice hotel with a pool to relax in the evening? |
Joe
Citizen
Username: Gonets
Post Number: 546
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 3:22 pm: | |
Poke around on the messageboards on Fodors.com.
Run a search before posting a question. You'll probably find the answers you're looking for. I suggest using this forum for any trips you might be considering. You get great details from people who are either locals or regular travellers to the location. |
mjc
Citizen
Username: Mjc
Post Number: 96
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 3:51 pm: | |
Grand Canyon will be cold and probably snowy, but I believe the south rim (~5,000 feet?) stays open all year. Spectacular in any weather. Modern hotels not too far away and a grand old lodge right on the edge of the canyon. You can view and reserve online, I think.
My husband raves about a resort he has stayed at near Tucson on business. Reasonably warm even at that time of year. On the edge of mountains and a nature preserve. Ventana Canyon?
Or, farther west there's San Diego. Beautiful and relaxed, warm by NJ standards, but SoCal can be rainy in Feb.
Have a great time! |
Mark Fuhrman
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 985
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 6:16 pm: | |
Skiing at Taos (if they have good snow) is incredible, and the town is fun with a lot of pueblo and navajo and hopi culture. Sante Fe is about an hour away, and has great museums, art galleries, and restaurants. You can't beat real New Mexican grub--you will never eat at Taco Bell again.
Telluride also has great skiing, and Mesa Verde is nearby (not sure how open that is in the winter). |
emmie
Citizen
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 381
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 6:39 pm: | |
I second the whole NM suggestion. Taos is fantastic skiing and artistic community, also check out the Adobe Resevation. Spend some time in Santa Fe as well. Bring back some Torquoise Jewerly crafted buy the Zuni Indians. |
spw784
Citizen
Username: Spw784
Post Number: 605
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 8:03 pm: | |
Is it this year or next, that the Feb break runs from Thursday through Tuesday? |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 1705
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 8:58 pm: | |
The new Thursday - Tuesday Winter Break schedule is effective in February, 2005. |
Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 175
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 15, 2004 - 10:49 pm: | |
I second the suggestion for Tucson. I just did a hotel tour of the area. However, I don't recommend the Ventana Canyon Resort. Although it's an absolutely gorgeous place, it's rather far removed from downtown, and doesn't have much for kids to do.
Instead look into the brand new Marriott Star Pass Resort that's due to open this month. It's the closest resort to the downtown and I'm pretty sure it will have a kids club.
|
Projects Dude
Citizen
Username: Quakes
Post Number: 34
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 12:07 pm: | |
I agree with the Santa Fe route. From there you can go skiing at Taos (where the US Olympics team trains), go check out a UN Heritage pueblo or visit that national park with cave dwellings. BTW, the food in Santa Fe is awesome... not just for Mexican food, but truly good international cuisine - one of the best tapas places I've ever been to is right in Santa Fe.
As a side trip, you can drive to White Sands National Park where the kids will have a real kick. Along the way you'll go by a high security US air base where stealth bombers/fighters take off from. Kids will find it super cool to see several of those triangle planes fly around. |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 535
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 12:38 pm: | |
If you go to Tucson it is a great time of year weather wise. There are several resorts in the area. Anywhere you stay you will have to drive. Ventana is a great resort as is La Paloma (Westin) You really can't go wrong. You are also just 40 minutes outside of Mexico with great shopping. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 295
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 - 2:02 pm: | |
Santa Fe is beautiful and there is lots to do, but unless you want cold, don't go there in February. It's great if you want to ski - several options including nearby Taos or the Santa Fe ski basin. My M-I-L has a B&B out there, which I would HIGHLY recommend if you're heading out that way. If you're thinking of going there PL me and I'll give you the info.
Tucson is a good suggestion if you want warm. Cost of living is much lower too, so you'll get some good deals on food/lodging probably. My sister lives there and gave the following information to me for a friend of mine who was going out there. He and his wife (and 3 month old) went to Tucson a couple of months ago and loved it. This may be more info than you need, but I love getting info from people who live in the place I'm looking to visit:
"The website for the Tucson Visitor’s Bureau is: http://www.visittucson.org/
Mt. Lemmon was pretty well wiped out by fire last year, and Old Tucson had the same predicament a few years ago-ravaged by fire.
Sabino Canyon is a nice place to stroll and/or take a tram through the canyon. http://www.sabinocanyon.com/
One of the nicest walks/visits to go on here is through the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (website: http://www.desertmuseum.org/index.html ) There are a lot of people that go; I’ve been there several times-on personal strolls and field trips. Everyone from tourists to students to families stroll through there. There are indoor and outdoor exhibits and scenery galore.
One place in Tucson I’ve never been, but have heard rave reviews over is Tohono Chul Park. It’s a beautiful botanical garden with a “Tea Room”:...basically a restaurant, I believe. Tohono Chul website: http://www.tohonochulpark.org/
Desert Museum & Tohono Chul are both great combinations of leisurely and educational places to go.
If your friends are into art, I suppose Sedona could be a place to go, although I’ve only driven through there."
Good Luck! |
ina
Citizen
Username: Ina
Post Number: 146
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 30, 2004 - 2:02 pm: | |
We stayed at a spa near Santa Fe called Ojo caliente I think, it's an old, family-run operation, very homey, with different pools & baths & treatments. |
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