Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The weeks of Christmas break and spring break are the most expensive travel times during the year. I don't think you can do much with $5000 for 5 people.

Typical out of touch DCUM. You can do plenty for 5k if you think hard enough.

Give us some ideas. On another tread it was over $1500 per person just to fly somewhere warm.

OP could easily fly to Fort Lauderdale with her Southwest credits and get a vacation rental to handle their religious dietary restrictions. Skiing for more than couple days will be a challenge with her budget.

Anonymous wrote:I hate to be a giant bummer but honestly I would just spend about $1K on some fun staycation activities and add the extra $4K to the budget for a future vacation. Vacation money just goes so much father any other time of year.

same. plus it's already late to be booking a holiday break trip. if you genuinely want to learn how to ski, the best places to do it are in Colorado, and if you plan in spring 2025 for winter 2025, you can get some good deals.

if you want to take 'just a trip', you are traveling at one of the most difficult times of year for even seasoned travelers. i cant imagine it being worth it :/

Anonymous wrote:Maybe Philadelphia and NYC? You could take the train. Philly has enough to keep you occupied for 2-3 days (museums, American Revolution sights, walking around) and NYC is lovely at Christmastime although obviously expensive. If your kids are teenagers then I think staying in Jersey City or Hoboken to economize on hotel costs is totally reasonable - the PATH is pretty easy to navigate and gets you to Midtown in about 20 minutes, so they could come and go as they please.

You could easily go to NYC and have a really special trip if you want a fun, city trip. I'm personally doing a mini Christmas trip to Philly before Christmas for a few nights. There's lots of museums, several ice skating rinks, some festive Christmas market areas and shows. We've never been so it will be plenty for us.

I’m guessing you keep kosher? What about taking a short vacation to the uws in nyc? You could do museums, see shows, etc, and actually eat out.

My family loves Holy Schnitzel—I really wish there were one in dc.

I agree with the PP. $5k is too tight to do any of the stuff you want to do at this time of year. Rather than penny pinch and do a trip you’re not enthused about, just save the money for a better spring break and do some fun activities here.

I hate to be a giant bummer but honestly I would just spend about $1K on some fun staycation activities and add the extra $4K to the budget for a future vacation. Vacation money just goes so much father any other time of year.

Scottsdale or San Diego for maybe 4-5 days.

Drive to Gatlinburg. It will be decorated nicely for the holidays. Stay at or visit the Dreammore resort. Visit Dollywood. Hike. Your family would have fun and $5k would go a very long way there.

Maybe Philadelphia and NYC? You could take the train. Philly has enough to keep you occupied for 2-3 days (museums, American Revolution sights, walking around) and NYC is lovely at Christmastime although obviously expensive. If your kids are teenagers then I think staying in Jersey City or Hoboken to economize on hotel costs is totally reasonable - the PATH is pretty easy to navigate and gets you to Midtown in about 20 minutes, so they could come and go as they please.

We went x-country skiing in New Hampshire-Airbnb in white mountains

OP here. Thanks for all of the information, everyone.

PP 15:35, what is there to do in Charleston and Savannah? My kids don't like to look at houses and all of us hate shopping. We're also going to have to bring our own food, so that's not something we'll be able to enjoy there either. What is there to do there?

We're not stuck on skiing, so please keep the ideas coming. We've been to the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah, so the closer national parks have already been crossed off our list. My cousin who lives in Pittsburgh might come down here (our family is mostly here), so going there doesn't really appeal because I can't combine a vacation with visiting family in one, either. But if you think Pittsburgh has enough for us to stay there for a week+, let me know.

One of the best winter break trips I’ve done was to Charleston and Savannah. No skiing but so much to do, see and eat in the off season!

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the Vermont idea (we drove there this summer and enjoyed it and NH).

Do you have recommendations for where a family of teens and adults can go to learn how to ski? We will all need to rent equipment and take lessons.

I really want to learn to ski cross-country, not down some huge slope. My teens have also expressed interest in snowboarding, too, so that would be a plus.

Canaan Valley, West Virginia has cross country skiing plus two ski fields.

Anonymous wrote:OP, check out this thread: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1243142.page

East coast skiing over winter break can be good but is often not. Even when it's good, skiing is REALLY expensive. For lift ticket, lessons, and rental equipment at the lowest cost setups in VT, you're probably looking at $200 per person per day. Then you also have to eat and sleep. So it may be technically doable in your budget (assuming you already have most of the right gear)... but tight.

This. It's true even at Liberty and Whitetail. When we were at Disney a few years ago I saw a dad wearing a "Most Expensive Day Ever" t-shirt and I laughed and said to DH that guy clearly hasn't taken his family skiing.

Anonymous wrote:Burke
Stowe
Killington

All of those should be good options for you in Vermont. Do remember the snow situation up there can be hit or miss around Christmas so check to see if they're making snow.

Try Jay Peak, VT. They have received just under 100 inches so far, and the snowboarding is solid. I don’t know if the cross country area is opened yet. There is also an indoor water park if you get tired of skiing.