a) drive to (no more than 4-5 hrs away max)I'd also love to add e) is warm to the list, but I just don't think there's anywhere in driving range that we can expect to be warm by mid-March. Sigh. My sister and her husband are on a beach in Mexico even as we speak...b) take Kavi (ideally would be if they had some sort of toddler entertainment/childcare, but that's not a requirement)
c) take Ellie (both because we'd miss her, and because doggie daycare would add another chunk of money to the whole project)
d) be nice and relaxing -- being off the grid in terms of internet might actually be a plus
All I can think of so far are B&B's in the Wisconsin area (would any allow dogs?), but there must be other types of options, no?
Alternately, Kev and I could just go away for two days and leave Kavi with Jarmila; the costs would work out about even, I think. So I suppose that's another possibility, and might be more relaxing.
How far away is it to Mackinac Island? (I think that’s how it is spelled.) It is the island in Northern Michigan which does not have any cars on it; you get there by boat.
Yes, I spelled it correctly, and it looks as though there are some good deals there now, owing to the economy.
Wisconsin Dells?
http://www.wisdells.com/WisconsinDellsWaterParks/indoorwaterparks.cfm
OK, I’ve never been there and it is definitely family entertainment, not adult entertainment but they apparently have lots of lovely indoor (heated) waterparks, if you are hankering for someplace warm.
Again, this isn’t a personal recommendation, but this is the only place I can think of to get a warm swimming/beachy experience with just a few hours of driving.
Actually, if you time it right, Florida might just work for being able to take Kavi and travel affordably. Taking a dog is much more difficult to work in though.
Have you considered southern IL? I know it sounds crazy, but it’s on the warmer side (between 35 and 50 this week, according to wunderground), very much southern in flavor, and probably much less expensive than standard vacation spots. I’ve got a friend who lives there–it’s pretty.
Hm. If it were summer, I’d suggest the Indiana dunes, just around Lake Michigan. Indianapolis is cheap, and has a *great* Children’s Museum, though Kavi’s still a little young for most of the exhibits (it’s HUGE though). If you go further south, to Brown County, Nashville is a cute little touristy town right by Brown County National Park, which is lovely (though it’s best in autumn) — you could wiggle over to Bloomington for some college/ liberal culture. None of it will be too warm, though, this time of year, but it might not be too hard to book a cute B&B!
If you can drive just a bit over 6 hours you can go to Kentucky. It’s beautiful and usually weirdly warm (apart from freak snow and ice storms). You can visit Mammoth Cave, the largest and still not fully discovered cave in the world. It’s more than 500 miles long with an estimated 800 miles still undiscovered. It’s truly amazing and awe-inspiring (a fascinating formation is Frozen Niagara and a giant portion of the cave called Grand Central Station. You can spend some time in Lexington and visit places like Shaker Village and all kinds of horse-related venues if you are interested. There’s also great hiking in the area.
If you’re really adventurous….you can even play some putt-putt golf at a bibilically-themed golf course. Yep, there’s all this and more in Kentucky. 🙂
Though it’s an often overlooked travel destination, you should really check it out.
Hmm..Mackinac Island looks cool, but also mostly closed until late April, I think. Something to keep in mind for the summer!
Kentucky, Indianapolis, etc — If we go south any real distance, I feel a little guilty not visiting friends in St. Louis, who we really owe a trip. And I do want to see them, but they have two kids and it’d be a very different kind of trip than what I want right now, I think. Hmm….