Next trip ideas

I think you could combine Barcelona with Paris. Take the night train down to Barcelona or explore France by car on the way down and fly home from Barcelona. I've done a similar trip.

Definitely take the kids (dogs) on some road trips. :-) they love the vacations too. After three weeks without them in Italy this year, we decided we need to do more vacations at home where we can take them too. Nothing like the smile of a happy dog......

Karen, are you going to write a trip report? I'd love to read about it!

I live outside DC and grew up outside NYC so I have some suggestions for those areas. It really depends on your interests. Tons of art and history in both those cities and the train is an easy way to connect them. Don't bother with the Acela which only saves about 25 minutes and costs way more. If you buy your train ticket several months out it will be $49.

If the history is of interest let me know and I'll offer some more ideas.

Happy planning!

thanks for the replies.

Sanderskn- Still too far our for planning, but I'm sure you'll hear more from me later.

April,
I think you are right. The dogs deserve a longer vacation with us. We have a 4 year old chocolate lab we adopted back in May. And he was so over the top excited when we got home, he didn't let us sleep much our first night home.

Grier
Yes, trip report to come, maybe this weekend.

Kathleen,
I'll PM you as I start our planning.

Skiing in Steamboat? Don't forget that in most years, South Lake Tahoe, California gets more snow than Colorado. California skiing is great, and accommodations in the area are better priced than in the Colorado resorts.

Oregon coast with dogs is great, they will love running on the beaches. Just got back from 3 weeks hiking in the Austrian Alps (Lech) and the Dolomites in Sudtirol. Thor, our Jack Russell, loved every bit of the trip (his third to Europe).

We are leaning towards a ski vacation in Steamboat President's week. My brother owns a condo, so zero lodging cost, we have connections for free ski rentals, and car rental not needed, so only have to pay for plane fare, food, and lift tickets. Plus we'll be able to see family and friends in Colorado while we are there. Dogs will have to settle for a long weekend in Carmel over July 4th weekend.

Time to start looking for flights! Unless of course we change our mind.

One of my dreams was to visit Death Valley during the spring wildflower season - usually March. Sadly it was also my busiest time at work so I was never able to go. And one of the best weekends of my life was a Presidents Day weekend in Yosemite. Spring in Oregon would be great - lots of snow still on the mountains, Crater Lake, forests, high desert country, Columbia Gorge, so many many wonderful things to see and do there. The coast is nice, but there's so much more to it. I love the Four Corners (aka Colorado Plateau) area, breathtaking scenery. It's a marathon drive to Las Vegas, but then only a couple of hours to Zion Nat'l Park and then on to Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches, Mesa Verde, the list goes on and on. BTW, CA-99 is a little easier drive than I-5 and takes about the same time.

2 weeks in Spain is easily filled. Oddly, it does not combine well with Portugal - no good transportation options. If you have to fly somewhere, might as well be Paris than Lisbon. It would be pretty easy, fly into Barcelona, then train to Madrid (1/2 day), spend a few days in Andalusia (Seville, Cordoba, maybe even squeeze in Granada), then fly to Paris for a few days on the way home.

Fly to Barcelona. TGV to Nimes. Rent a car and tour western Provence for a few days. Return car at Avignon TGV station and go to Paris. Fly home.

I know something about Death Valley. It has two reasonable tourist seasons, early to mid-November and mid-Feb to mid-March. There is no guarantee of spring flowers; they appear only on years when rain has been optimal. It's still a great place to visit if you can enjoy the desert.

Well it took exactly 2 weeks and 1 day before booking flights for our next vacation. We decided on a ski vacation in Steamboat Springs in March. Looking forward to seeing one of my brothers and his family, and skiing with my 7 and 9 year old niece and nephew.

Yosemite !! No plane, no passport, just hop in the car and you're there in hours. Visit the valley when the snowmelt gets the waterfalls running full but before summer crowds.