Can't decide on 50th Birthday trip. WWYD?

[RisingPheonix]

Next year I will be 50 and we will also be celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary.

We have decided to take a nice holiday/ big trip with our 2 DC (will then be 10 and 13). I am stumped where to go TBH not because I've been everywhere but possibly because there are too many places to choose from.

I don't want to sit on a beach anywhere for 2 weeks and don't want to go to Asia because I lived there for 17 years and done a lot of it and we are planning on retracing outsteps in a couple of years with DC.

So, if you had 3 weeks for a holiday what would you do to celebrate with your family? No budget at this time, it will cost a fair bit which we are OK with but not silly money.

Africa with a safari.

USA road trip to San Francisco, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and LA for Disney. Stopover in New York.

Costa Rica for amazing wildlife.

Actually fliss, your first 2 options are what I am considering. What is putting me off a Safari is that I don't want to take malaria tablets and especially don't want my DC taking them.

What do you like doing and which month will you be travelling in?

I like a mixture of sightseeing, shopping culture, history, nature and great food. I like the sun, but lived in it for 17 years and now I avoid sitting in it. I definitely do not want to sit on a beach for 2 weeks getting a tan although happy to do that for a few days of holiday. We are active but we don't want a sporting holiday.

Last year we went to Iceland and had an amazing time. Usually we like to stay somewhere nice and do different things every day.

We are happy to come back to a nice hotel and cool off in a pool. We don't like roughing it and like nice accommodation.

What sort of budget?

I would either do a US road trip as a PP suggested or a trip around Australia - plenty to see and do and eat.

I would definitely do safari.

We are going through the Rockies on a train for ours we can't decide what else to do it will also be our 25th wedding aniversary

No need to take malaria tablets in most of South Africa. Even if you go somewhere where there is a low risk, the treatment is actually the same as the prevention so you can be vigilant for any symptoms.

A friend is currently on an American road trip for her 50th with her DC of similar ages.

Started off in New York then San Francisco, Napa, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon.

We went to Costa Rica for mine, on an organised tour which went from the Caribbean to the Pacific. It was amazing.

Forgot to mention that we will go in the summer holidays.
Australia is fantastic but not on the list because as mentioned, I used to live in Asia and I have been to Australia quite a few times.

We did the USA trip that fliss described as our once-in-a-lifetime trip when DC were about that age. Three nights in New York. San Francisco, Yosemite, coastal drive LA and then Grand Canyon.It was amazing and spot on for their ages.

We're looking at South Africa now that they're 18/15 as I think they'll get more out of it now.

We’ve done that USA road trip as well. It was amazing.

South America - Peru, Argentina, Chile

West coast Canada - Vancouver and the rockies
Oregon and road trip around there - we and our teens love Oregon a really different place to go and lots of vineyards for sampling.

Depending when you are going, a Caribbean cruise out of Miami, followed by some time in the Keys, with a stop in New York on the way home - our best holiday ever.

We've done the US trip but stopped at a ranch in Arizona and in SanDiego rather than doing San Francisco. Brilliant holiday. We've also been to mexico seen ruins and flamingos, snorkelled and swam with dolphins. Fabulous holiday. We went independent rather than staying in big resorts. Went up to Merida and saw Uchmal (much better than Chichen Itza). I would go again in a heartbeat.

Vancouver, vancouver Island and whistler - not masses of driving, great scenery, museums, good food and excellent wine from the okanagan valley.

Pre kids dh and I did LA, San Diego, Grand Canyon, Hoover dam, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Carmel - (not in that order!) which was also a great holiday.

What about a cruise, plenty to do on board, all meals and drinks inclusive, choice between river or sea.

I’m currently in West coast Canada on holiday and have fallen in love with the Canadian Rockies - absolutely staggering beauty.
We stayed in Banff which we loved and did lots of trips out.
Currently on Vancouver Island and moving on to Vancouver itself in a few days but wish we’d stayed longer in the Rockies.

I'd do the west coast US. When I was 17 I went with my family for three weeks and we managed seven states, but that was too many! We spent days sitting the car - quite literally. However, I reckon you could do San Francisco and LA, Pacific coast highway plus a few NPs in that time. However, make sure you book your accommodation nice and early, particularly if you want to stay in the parks, as this gets booked up months, even years in advance. A fly/drive package with BA holidays, Virgin holidays or similar would probably do it all for you. Anyway, at 10 & 13 I think that would be amazing (I was a bit over spending 3 weeks with my family at age 17!). Costa Rica would also be good, but I'm not sure you need three weeks - two would probably be enough.