Anonymous wrote:I would only have one set of you travel. What if your child makes it to the destination, but you guys are stuck at the airport? Then what are they supposed to do? It’s the busiest weekend for travel. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Why don’t you just go there?

This!
Although it’ll be more expensive for you to go since you’ll need lodging, car etc. than for her.
Any chance you can extend your travel dates, like fly back Tuesday?

Pheonix. Lots of hotels with great thanksgiving spreads and good weather. Outdoor activities and easy direct flights for everyone.

I would only have one set of you travel. What if your child makes it to the destination, but you guys are stuck at the airport? Then what are they supposed to do? It’s the busiest weekend for travel. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Why don’t you just go there?

The Broadmoore in Colorado Springs would be wonderful for a long weekend. Lots of dining Orion, a wonderful spa, cute boutiques, and lots of hiking. It’s about 90 minutes from Denver.

I would definitely just have her come home. Will she have been home at all yet?

Palm Springs.

Obviously there's a lot between DC and CA but agree that minimizing travel wouldn't be meeting in the middle but having her come home or you go there. Once on a direct flight, the time on the plane shouldn't be the issue.

By the time you pay for airfare to say Denver, you might as well go to LA. Pick a nice suites hotel or condo and use open table dot com to find a place to eat.

Or Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas

OP here. Closest airport for DC is Los Angeles. I will look at the Brown Palace. Denver would be a central location.

To those of you saying don't go, I am looking for inspiration. This may or may not work out. So anyone with great ideas, I am ready to look them up! Thanks.

Nashville, Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas? All have plenty of flights. Might suggest going south to reduce the risk of weather-related cancellations. But it probably makes more sense for one of you to travel to where the other is, rather than everyone traveling and needing lodging. Or let your kid go home with a friend or stay on campus or something, and see DC like 3 weeks later when there's the long winter break.

Don't you watch the news every year and see all the miserable people stuck in airports at Thanksgiving? That being said, I'd meet in Nashville.

Where does your kid go to school/what city/nearest airport? Start there.

Meet in Denver and do the excellent buffet at the Brown Palace. We did it one year and it was great

It’s super difficult to travel, so you are going to have your entire family travel from two different locations? That makes zero sense.

Does anyone have suggestions for somewhere to meet for Thanksgiving between Washington DC and California? We are contemplating whether we could meet DC who is a freshman somewhere between the two locations considering how difficult travel can be over this particular holiday. We have always done Thanksgiving at home, so wondering if there is a place with fall activities and a real thanksgiving dinner. Or Thanksgiving dinner and then Christmas events that weekend. I am having a hard time imagining cooking thanksgiving dinner in a rental. But, if there is a great place with activities but no open restaurants, I could manage to pull something together.