My wife just won an award at her job, and part of the prize included two plane tickets to anywhere in the lower 48 and a $500 hotel voucher. We like the outdoors, history, architecture, and general sight seeing. A little night life is great, but not necessary. Any idea or recommendations? We’re considering Key West, Charleston, Virginia, and perhaps Gettysburg.

Your location might help. Lots to see in southern Utah and everyone should see the Oregon coast.

Were it me, mostly because I've been there 3 times - I'd go back to Savannah. Just dig that town's touristy areas, over to Tybee, German food in Hinesville etc.

My location would definitely help. Sorry. We love I. Oklahoma. Last vacations were to SW Colorado and SE Utah, and to New Orleans.

I hadn’t though of Savanah. I’ll look into it. Thanks.

Go see the black hills, lots to see! Don’t go during scooter rally

If you hang around the 'fire long enough you will learn that it's best to stay home because so many people don't like anyone "not from here".

no water to spare in Utah

Try Florida

Visit DeFlave

Boston for the history then up the coast into Maine up to Mount Desert Island for the outdoors, seafood and scenery.

Key West is neat but hedonistic, lots of homos prancing around. Virginia is a communist state anymore, I avoid it. Gettysburg is almost a suburb of Washington D.C. any more so I avoid there too. Charleston is neat with lots of history and good food, it's a nicer city than Savannah. You can rent a car and drive between Charleston and Savannah easily. Between the two is the lowcountry which has plenty of history and stuff to see. I used to live in Beaufort S.C. which is between the two, the whole area is nice. You might consider St. Augustine FL too, lots of history there.

Los Angeles is beautiful this time of year.....

We were in Savanna a couple of years ago and would go again. Have a wedding near SLC in October that I’m looking forward to. Been meaning to get back out to SD also. IOW lots of options. Have fun.

I've been looking to get back into northern Wyoming, Sheridan/Buffalo area - down to Casper.
Wagon Box Fight, Fort Phil Kearney, Fetterman Fight, Hole-in-the-Wall, and more.
Like to spend more time in the King Rope Store/Museum, also.
PS. Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, also.

The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama.

You said you like history. Lots of history in Baldwin County.
Excellent hotel known for its service. Great food in the area.

Short drive to Florida beaches in Navarre that has beautiful waters but less crowded than Destin.

Of course, your $500 hotel spend won’t get you many nights anywhere that I can think of, but you could stay a night at The Grand, the drive over to Pensacola and stay a night downtown (great food and nightlife) then drive east to 30A and stay a night at The Pearl.

The Homestead is a bit pricey, but is in a really pretty valley. Great food/activities

https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia

Lots to see around that area... also some off-season ski resorts (Snowshoe etc.)

Gettysburg is 4 hours away.

Black Hills is equally cool.

Vermont, New Hampshire.

Have fun... Congrats to the wife!

Fly to Cody, Wy. rent a car, thank me later.


mike r

I’d like to go there.

Isn’t Beaufort the setting of The Great Santini?

I lived in Va Beach for 3 years, none of that is really great. never really got north of Wallops Island. Outter Banks is nice, not far from Va Beach.

if you want Florida, the gulf coast is hard to beat. Destin all the way to Tampa and even further. get an all inclusive resort. food and shopping can't be beat.

the only place in California I would step foot is San Diego.

The Washington Coast is super nice, Ocean Shores. I lived there for about 12 years off and on, really nice.

Myrtle Beach is good if you're going during college football season. full of rednecks tho, and then there's black biker week, gotta avoid that.

my humble opinion
strikeu

We flew into Rapid City, rented car, stayed in Hill City, Deadwood, many places to see!

I’d do Gettysburg if you haven’t been there. All Americans should visit there at least once IMHO.

Charleston checks a lot of boxes, but it’s getting hot down there if you’re not into going to the beach. Charleston is really nice in April and October, when it is a bit cooler. We vacation there every summer, but we are at the beach most every day.

Have you done YNP and grand Teton NP?

How many days for this vacation?
What time of year?

I like Key West, KW would meet most of your criteria, Summer months would be damn hot though,

Avg lodging in KW might be 400 a night,

This time of year? I d head out west to Idaho Montana Wyoming. Kootenai falls, Glacier, head down to Butte, East side of YNP Then to little big horn Battle field then Wyoming

oh lort!

you gonna get the boomers wound up about Crazy horse again....

Unless you can easily afford to add a lot of your own personal funds to this, it would be crazy to squander such a modest budget in a big city or popular tourist destination.

Instead look outside the box, perhaps a charming, affordable bed and breakfast arrangement; cycling through scenic areas unlike your normal day to day surroundings; day hikes or short backpacking excursions; rented rowboat rides; photographic opportunities... something where you can make the most of available funds. Consider areas seasonally out of current favor.

Whatever you decide on, make memories and enjoy the hell out of it.

Good luck trying to find a car rental in Cody.

I’d be in Grand Cayman or somewhere else in the Caribbean.

The further South you go, the less architecture you will find. Savages, weather, war and "reconstruction" make sure nothing lasts very long

Right where I am.

Don't have to learn who all the asshøles are.

Portland is a beautiful town. Lots of caring people..

Yes it is. Historic old town with the Marine Corps Air Station and Parris Island (Marine Corps boot camp) about five miles away. It's had a lot of movies filmed there. Great downtown area, great seafood, lots of B&B's. Sea islands a short drive away. Beautiful town with a lot of history.


Did they move it to the lower 48?

You can go to Paula Deens and be super disappointed with the school lunch quality grub and shuck out $80 for it and have to walk 5 blocks to and from parking

Pack heat

No!

That disappointing.

Me and Lavell liked her show.

Oh yeah, 10 item buffet with a heat lamp bulb burned out over the Elmers glue shrimp-n-pink grits

Looked like a $1200 buffet cart from Howard’s Restaurant Supply

Everything I knew was a lie....

Some jiggaboo version of savannah mardi gras going on at the same time, howler monkeys firing off on every corner.

Yeah, LA is right up there with Portland, Oregon as a tourists destination.

Come armed.

Lol

🦫

New Orleans.

Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone would be nice. Museum in Cody is great as is a ride on the Beartooth hiway.

St. Augustine Florida

Docbar...

IF... you and your bride decide on an east coast trip and pick Richmond, VA as an airport... Laura and I will loan y'all a car for the week or two. Nothing fancy... 2005 Honda CRV... but safe, trustworthy and the AC works.

Wear the wheels off it... we don't care.

With that said... I would vacation out west, before coming east...

Lotta crazy people in a lotta crazy cities get hot and goofy up and down I-95 during the summer.

I-95... EXPECT DRAMA!

Vacations are overrated...
And your gonna spend waaaaaaaay more than the value of 2 tickets and 500 for lodging.

And have nothing tangible from it all afterwards.

Maybe a couple plastic whistle snakes.
Maybe a snowglobe shaker.
Random post card or 12.
And some pics.

Then the vacation from the vacation starts when ya get back home.
👍👍👍



YMMV...

Or, there is no place worth visiting because "me and my area are so superior to every place else".

Of the places you mention, I’d pick Charleston, although it can get pretty hot in the Summer. I have a lot of “history” in Gettysburg, but a day or two at most will get it done, and it gets pretty crowded in season, which I’ve been told is now pretty much nine months of the year. Gettysburg and the parts of VA I like are easy drives for us, day-trips for the most part. Richmond has some good eats and shopping, and a lot of history stuff within easy driving distance.

Me, I’d cash in the airline tickets, if possible, and use the hotel money for a nice secluded place like Stonewall Resort here in WV, and just kick back for a couple of days, but I’d rather slam the car door on my winky than deal with airports….

ROFLMAO...

Yepp

The only places I care to see in California are Yosemite and the redwoods. The rest of the state is an easy pass!

That’s on my shirt list, but the wifey prefers something different.

I haven’t, but I’d love to see those places.

We have money of our own to add. We don’t want to spend a fortune, but a few thousand of our own money would be fine.

Wow! That’s incredibly generous! Thank you for the offer.

You'll need reservations there.......cabins......hotels.....motels......car/SUV

Even in Utah....Arches & Zion NP's heed advance reservations just to go through the gate

https://www.discovermoab.com/reserv...lparks&utm_content=archesreservation

i would wait for winter and go to Padre Island ,Texas ,stay on the beach lots to see ,good food , people are very nice ,its clean and quiet , the bars have great food too.

This year?
This economy and fuel prices, I can't even get out of sight!!!!
My "vacation" will probably be a hot dog on the front porch and dream of a picnic.

Maine is awesome. Acadia Nat'l Park, Baxter State Park, the coast, the seafood, yadda-yadda.

Sedona hasn't been mentioned. Stunning geology. New Mexico around Sante Fe north. Great food, Incredible history. Lots of cliff dwellings both places. Chaco Canyon is worth the rough road. A strange and mysterious series of buildings. Glacier, Zion, Tetons, and Moab beautiful but over crowded. Georgia Sea Islands interest me. Creature from Jekyll Island etc. UP, best breathing air in the world aside from Tangier, Morocco.

This

If you have never been to the Florida Keys, go there. It's a place like no other. Take the snorkeling trip from Bahia Honda to Looe Key.

I’m in the Keys right now. We prefer to stay in Marathon and explore from here. Good food, fishing and lots to do. Also stupid expensive. We do a few hours in Key West whenever we come down….but that’s my limit.

Have you ever been to Williamsburg, Virginia? That’s a cool place to see.

William and Mary's campus is gorgeous. The nearby Yorktown battlefields are well worth the visit. So much history in the area.

Either the Keys or Charleston would be a great getaway.

If You've never seen them I'd lean you towards the Keys.

As for Charleston, the Beaufort recommend is solid advice.

Enjoy the seafood either way...

Having said that, Northern Wyoming is my destination of choice.
Wind River Canyon, Bighorns, Bighorn Basin.
Airport might be a stretch

We like to fly to Cozumel every summer, go scuba diving, go to ruins, all kind of stuff or hang by the pool.

Wyoming seafood...

Summer: Maine, Northern Michigan

Winter: Florida

Bahia Honda in the 1980s was one of the more magical places I've ever experienced.

I'm old, fat, and broke down
Bad shoulder and now bad knees.
Getting hard to do the things I wanna

But I'm maybe one of the luckiest guys alive...

Seen Scotland and Honduras. Cyprus, Zaire, and Angola.
Old Florida
1960s and 70s Colorado
Lake Superior and the Gulf of Mexico
Looked out over probably a thousand places I thought it would be OK to bury me at, or scatter the ashes.
I still get the thrill when I crest a new vista. See a different way of living