Travel Suggestions Wanted

[Smoothmustache]

Hello,

I am a longtime lurker, first time poster. My family (husband, me, and a five year old boy) are planning a three week vacation in December. I am looking for mustachian-minded travel suggestions. We live in Canada where it gets very cold in the winter, so we would like to go somewhere warm, but we are not interested in anything too touristy, commercial or overly expensive. We are looking to enjoy quality time as a family, explore somewhere new and keep active. Where would you suggest we go?

Thanks!

[NV Teacher]

Vegas?  Lots of out things relatively close like the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park. Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, Joshua Tree National Monument, etc.  Vegas has some good kid things like the Springs Nature Preserve and the Lied Children's Museum.  And there is the typical Vegas stuff like Fremont Street, walking the Strip, maybe a family friendly show, and the fountains at the Bellagio. 

[zoltani]

Vegas?  Lots of out things relatively close like the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park. Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire, Joshua Tree National Monument, etc.  Vegas has some good kid things like the Springs Nature Preserve and the Lied Children's Museum.  And there is the typical Vegas stuff like Fremont Street, walking the Strip, maybe a family friendly show, and the fountains at the Bellagio.

And some really cool fun parks, like fox hill. Don't forget about red rock canyon, absolutely beautiful there. The largest collection of pinball machines can be found at the pinball hall of fame. Close to Vegas you have the largest concentration of joshua trees in the mojave preserve (plus a lot of other cool stuff). There are some amazing hot springs to hike to near the dam. If you miss snow you can always take a quick jaunt up to Mt Charleston.

Vegas really is a good base camp to explore the desert and everything the southwest has to offer.

[JoJo]

Maybe Cuba?  There are ways you can get off the tourist trail.  Should be plenty warm (I was there in November and it was perfect).

Airbnb will give you an idea of what accommodation costs.  Meals were about $4 for huge breakfast and $10 for huge dinner but you can get way cheaper than that (like street pizzas, etc).  Transportation between cities can be arranged by your guesthouses. 

[cap396]

I second the suggestion of going to Cuba.  My wife and I went there in February and loved every minute.

[MsFrugalista]

I would recommend Costa Rica (however, I don't recall the weather at that time of the year). It's a beautiful place and you will not run out of things to do in 3 weeks! Recommend renting a vehicle and picking 3-4 places and spending some time in each. We were there a while ago and absolutely loved it.

Also without knowing your budget and likes/dislikes (beach? mountains? outdoors? culture? etc.), it's hard to provide helpful suggestions.

[formerlydivorcedmom]

You can get some excellent prices on cruises at the beginning of December. The cruises leave from the southern US ports - lots in Florida, plus New Orleans and Galveston, TX.  There is a lot to do in each of those areas before/after a cruise too.  We can't guarantee "warm", but it will be a LOT warmer than Canada.

[Prairie Gal]

Maybe Cuba?  There are ways you can get off the tourist trail.  Should be plenty warm (I was there in November and it was perfect).

Airbnb will give you an idea of what accommodation costs.  Meals were about $4 for huge breakfast and $10 for huge dinner but you can get way cheaper than that (like street pizzas, etc).  Transportation between cities can be arranged by your guesthouses.

If Cuba interests you, you can check out the trip report I did in my journal.

[honeybbq]

Not sure where you are in Canada, but many Canadians enjoy a holiday down under in either Australia or NZ during the northern hemisphere winter months.

[MustacheAnxiety]

I would recommend Costa Rica (however, I don't recall the weather at that time of the year). It's a beautiful place and you will not run out of things to do in 3 weeks! Recommend renting a vehicle and picking 3-4 places and spending some time in each. We were there a while ago and absolutely loved it.

Also without knowing your budget and likes/dislikes (beach? mountains? outdoors? culture? etc.), it's hard to provide helpful suggestions.

+1 for Costa Rica. It is basically Mustachian Hawaii: beaches, volcanoes, caves, warm weather, etc. for far less money.

[Jtrey17]

Not sure where you are in Canada, but many Canadians enjoy a holiday down under in either Australia or NZ during the northern hemisphere winter months.

This is my bucket-list trip!!