help me find our vacation?

[scrubbyfish]

We've just entered a unique moment of our lives: no relationship, no location-specific work, no school, no child care, two courses fell through, opportunity to give up our suite on short notice, $2200/mo in mobile income.

I'd like to take my kid (10 years old) to somewhere neither of us have ever been, just hang out in that town, meet new people, go to coffee shops, libraries, workshops, singing, whatever. We prefer swimming outdoors, but that's not a requirement. We're also happy in snow, rain, etc. Prefer a homestay or something "local" like that to a hotel.

It'd be nice to have a child care option on some of the days. I saw a site for single parent travel which listed a few resorts with child care.

I've done oodles of travel pre-kid, in entirely unsafe ways (with several very scary incidents) -I need to learn the options for Not That. I'm also not a huge fan of organizing constantly (i.e., calling to arrange a new host every few days).

What would be the lowest cost options that are also SAFE for a single mama and a 10 year old? We'd be travelling from Vancouver, Canada. Train pass across Canada? Some quirky town in the southern USA? A fun commune? Ideas?

[Peony]

OK, this is just a total shot in the dark but re: Quirky towns in the southern U.S., my kids and I enjoyed Athens, GA, when we passed through on the way to visit relatives in Atlanta. My boys were about your son's age. It's a college town known for its music scene and seemed friendly and liberal. But we didn't stay long enough to really get more than a passing impression and TBH I'm not sure it would be worth traveling all the way from Vancouver to see. You'd probably need a car (which is going to be true pretty much anywhere in the U.S., outside of a major metro area).

Your post doesn't make clear how long you think you want to stay ... "$2,200/month mobile income" kind of makes it sound like you might want to be somewhere for a matter of months?

As far as communes go, the only one I know of is The Farm, in Tennessee, home of the famous midwives (Ina May Gaskin). Thefarmcommunity dot com. I think they have ways you can visit and maybe even stay for a longer time, if desired. Never been there so I can't vouch for the place but it is famous among hippie types.

In Canada, I love Montreal, have you spent any time there? It's lovely in the fall. You could take a train across the country to get there, and no car needed once you arrive. You could probably Airbnb a quiet room somewhere.

[scrubbyfish]

Peony, awesomeness! You even gave me one of each option!

Montreal is a fabulous idea, and The Farm is right up my alley. I spent some time looking at ic.org's directory to find just such places. That's a helpful thought re: the worth/not worth of driving so far to a specific town.

Yes, I'd like to go somewhere for 1 or 2 months, even up to 6.

It will be that, or lock in to a $1200-$1600/mo suite I'm considering here and using up savings. This moment in our lives seems like such a perfect opportunity! Once we've signed a lease, the savings get sucked up and I'm stuck for a year.

[ScienceSexSavings]

I highly recommend the Maritimes! That whole end of the country is quite cheap outside the cities. Newfoundland gets cold quite early since it's further north, and it's always windy there :( Cape Breton, NS is amazing in the fall when the leaves on the highlands all turn colour, and there are lots of beaches. The South Shore of NS also has gorgeous salt water beaches and the water is warmer at this time of year than any other. Annapolis Valley and Clare are very welcoming and beautiful places, although the swimming isn't as good (and Clare is pretty francophone, although most people speak decent English).

[Thegoblinchief]

Not sure how it'd work with still earning income, or if it's up your alley at all, but some sort of farm-work tourism thing like WWOOFing (I think that's the acronym) in Europe.

[Peony]

I was also going to suggest WWOOFing but I don't know if kids can participate. If they can, that could be a great experience.

[scrubbyfish]

Oh, the Maritimes! Yes! I lived in Halifax for a year, and visited some rural areas relatively near it, but have never gotten to PEI, New Brunswick, or Newfoundland. I would LOVE to spend considerable time in each of these.

Yes,WWOOF is totally an option! I did lots in my pre-kid life, and was waiting patiently for him to not need moment-by-moment supervision. That time has come. Yes, one of the search fields for finding a WWOOF host is "only show me hosts that accept children too". Lots of those hosts homeschool, have kids on site, etc. I hadn't been thinking about this as a vacation, because it's actually very high up in my list of possibilities for living. i.e., I have been researching hosts as a possibility for longer term stays, then simply moving from one family -as their need resolves- to the next. My son loves doing physical work, as do I.

[mozar]

When I was about 20 I backpacked from Olympia, Washington to Vancouver, Canada. There are cheap buses that go up and down the west coast. I also camped in the San Juan Islands.
I like the idea of taking the train across the US, there is also a train from LA to Seattle.
http://travel.aarp.org/articles-tips/articles/info-07-2012/5-great-train-journeys-across-america.html
If you were going very soon I would go to Alaska.

[chasesfish]

Scrubbyfish - Good luck.  If I had that much time, I would road trip and keep hitting the small to mid size college towns of the US.  Down through the west coast, across the south, spend some time around Florida, then back up the east coast in the spring.


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[zippyc]

Key West, New Orleans, Penticton BC, Tofino, Boulder CO, Austin TX, Orcas Island WA, Bend OR, Charleston SC, Ashville NC, Charlottesville VA, Helena MT, Coeur D'Alene ID, Moab UT, Santa Fe NM......

[Booritocat]

Wisconsin is a beautiful state.  You can learn all about farming, cheese making, beer, bratwurst, and football.  I'll rent you a room for a week or two or whatever. 

[scrubbyfish]

Wisconsin is a beautiful state.  You can learn all about farming, cheese making, beer, bratwurst, and football.  I'll rent you a room for a week or two or whatever.

That sounds awesome!

I also love the idea of Bend, too, because I think that's where that hilarious blogger lives. I could stalk her. Have been to Tofino and Penticton; all the rest would also be new to me.

I newly have some unexpected things in the works, which to me would be even better than travelling, so we'll see!