Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've done home exchanges. Lots of choices in locations and settings. There are a few reputable, long standing companies out there. Basically free lodging, you just have to find a similar sized group and housing that matches each group's needs.

Strangers in your home, and you in theirs?? Yuck 🤮

DP. My family did this when I was in high school in the 80s. We swapped houses with a family in London for an entire summer and used their house as a base for us to explore Europe. Best family summer trip of my life. They treated our house well and kind of did the same thing - used it as a base for exploring the east coast.

OP here. Thanks! Someone gave a great idea of going to a city and renting a hotel with a pool. Spending the day out and about visiting museums, parks, seeing a show, zoo, aquarium, etc then relaxing at the pool in the hotel at night. Thanks all!

When my kids were around that age I took them to Luray Caverns and Monticello over spring break. Stayed at a place with a pool and they were happy as clams.

Anonymous wrote:We've done home exchanges. Lots of choices in locations and settings. There are a few reputable, long standing companies out there. Basically free lodging, you just have to find a similar sized group and housing that matches each group's needs.

Strangers in your home, and you in theirs?? Yuck 🤮

worth a shot?
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com

You can sometimes get cheap airfare to Puerto Rico - we did that and it was cheapish.