Spring break trip?

Ok peeps, appreciate advice, but not sure how this topic became about imposing will on my 2 kids. For the record, the 2 plans I outlined were discussed during a family dinner and both my son and daughter had no preference but are excited to hit road. None of us have ever been to either location or state, this is why I asked for some suggestions. Now only if we had time to hit both states then problem solved..lol..
Personally I was leaning towards NC, my wife says SC is better for kids. Going to let her win this time.

Crowe wrote:
I am really disheartened at the snarky comments ...
JD, why not ask them? ...

Don't know how old your kids are now, but one thing we leaned (now that we are grandparents) about our own kids. At the time we raise them, we had our pre-conceived idea of what WE thought they would like, enjoy, and eventually become in life. BOY WERE WE WRONG! Both kids ended up being just the 100% complete opposite of what WE thought and hoped they would become in their adult lives.

Try as we may, our kids resisted activity outside, or anything that required anything new. They both resisted new places, new foods, new experiences. My daughter who was the "follower" in grade school turned out to be the dominant self-asertive one who tells Mom and Dad exactly the way "IT" is now! My son, who was the self-asertive, independent, and Mr. Know it all as a kid, ended up really messing up in love and romance, and got sucked into some really bad financial deals too. He ended up being the follower. I think he's wised up now, but still, both kids flip flopped 100% in their adult lives.

I now see my kids trying to mold their kids into "their image." We tell both our kids that it just won't work. Their kids will have their own ideas on life and it won't be the same opinions that they have. They have to let their kids follow their own heartbeat... which may be 100% opposite of what Mom and Dad wants. (We learned by heartbreak and disappointment too. I think that's just part of being a parent).

The kids reached the age they started working part time jobs. When that happened, they quit camping with us completely, and really have not had too much of a desire to camp either. We keep hoping they will flip and come back to their roots, but I think both kids are just too independent now and too strong willed. We have an excellent relationship with both kids, and all 5 of our grandchildren. But we had to accept their individuality too. When we quit imposing OUR lifestyle on them, and started letting them develop THEIR lifestyle to become independent of us, well ... we started getting along a lot better!

Bottom line... you are absolutely 100% correct! Ask the kids what they'd like to do! They can get history and science in school. If they have an interest in history and science, they will tell you if you ask them. If you don't ask, you've just imposed your idea on them, and they won't enjoy anything. Your trip will be miserable.

K Charles wrote:
You won't get near the beach without reservations during spring break.

Or you will be very limited....for spring break weeks, you need to be planning at least 4 -6 months in advance if not earlier. Not saying it can't be done, but you may be going from one place to another to try and get in and then only maybe for a night or two. Finding something for the entire or even half of it, will be hard to do. You will probably have better odds in the mountains.

I am really disheartened at the snarky comments about not liking history or the outdoors. You don't know JerseyDevil's kids. The generalizations sound more like laziness to me. Kids are far more open to new things if we don't shut them out and give them a chance.

JD, why not ask them? My son LOVED both MB and OBX at that age. Neither one was crowded at all and that's in 4 visits at the same time-3rd week in April. Problem is the weather might not cooperate for doing much in the water.

Our teens loved scenic trips with hikes, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC is a favorite among teens. https://noc.com/
It will fit in with your Plan A and it's something that their classmates are likely to never have done. You might enjoy it so much that you will want to spend the whole time there. Check AllStays.com for the cgs near Bryson City. There's several.

There's also a train trip out of Bryson City. Take plenty of photos for sharing.

This sounds GREAT. My son would have loved that. I know heading north sounds counter-intuitive that time of year but if they are history buffs there's Colonial Williamsburg in VA. Busch Gardens is open that week. Last time we were there was a number of years ago and the park needed some "love" but that may have changed. You could actually do that for a few days and Gettysburg for a few-they are less than 3 hours apart.

If you give us a few clues as to what they like, that might help.

"Our teens loved scenic trips with hikes,..." lol Right!

You won't get near the beach without reservations during spring break.

A lot to do here in Myrtle Beach with teens. Ocean Isle, Lakewood, Pirateland campgrounds are just a few. Water temps, will be mid to upper 60's. Just google

Either of your locations will be infested with massive crowds of teenagers and college age students. The locations you are considering will be packed for about a 6 week period as spring break occurs different for each school district in the US.

I don't know about your kids, but mine were never into activity, outdoors, or anything that required the use of energy. My son was more than happy to bury himself into video game electronics, my daughter just buried herself. ANYTHING we wanted to do, she was against it and fought it all the way. The only thing she had an interest in was horseback riding. (funny though ... she ended up getting her degree in Equestrianism (Horses) from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, IA. My son became a computer programmer, makes more money than I do now, and he's 30 years younger!

So you know, before making plans ... ask the kids what they want to do. It just might shape their futures.

Our teens loved scenic trips with hikes, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. Nantahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC is a favorite among teens. https://noc.com/
It will fit in with your Plan A and it's something that their classmates are likely to never have done. You might enjoy it so much that you will want to spend the whole time there. Check AllStays.com for the cgs near Bryson City. There's several.

There's also a train trip out of Bryson City. Take plenty of photos for sharing.:w

Go someplace where there is a theme park. Methinks history and scenic don't go over well with teens. How about an indoor pool?