Wife turning 30, need vacation advice

[e_room_matt]

Wife is turning 30 in three weeks. She is expecting me to do something big and she doesn't really want a material gift. She wants us to take a trip (she thinks I need it as much as she does, and she's right). Has been a long winter, I'm getting pretty burned out at work, we have two kids that take up a lot of energy, and things are just going to get worse (she is going to booked every evening in April leaving me to take care of the house and kids every night after work).

Could use thoughts from anyone (particularly the ladies).

Option 1: A Cruise. We did a week in the caribbean this time last year and had a blast. Would have already booked another one except we really don't have the money and it is hard to work out the logistics of what to do with the kids for a week. With her April conflict, the window is pretty small.

Option 2: A weekend in the mountains. Have always enjoyed little getaways in the Cascades. It is doable budget and kid-care wise, but I'm not sure if it is substantial enough to really wow her. Also doesn't give her any motivation to lose some remaining baby weight that I can tell she is looking for.

Option 3: Extended weekend in San Francisco. My dad has been pushing this. I like SF and there would be lots to do, but in reality after airfare and hotels, it really isn't much cheeper than a cruise and wouldn't exactly be relaxing for me.

Option 4: A beach someplace warm and relatively cheap. Haven't worked this out as you can tell. Need to try and keep it around $1000 with airfare from seattle or I'm back to looking at cruises.

Option 5: Drive around Washington or Oregon and just get lost for a few days. She dropped this hint on me today. Don't know what she is implying exactly. This is hard for me to work with because it is always on me to plan our vacations. I am hardly anal or detail obsessed, but as I said before, it is always up to me to come up with the plan and her to tell me what I should have done different. I have to at least have some idea where we are planning to go/see/do or we are going to end up more stressed on each other than we are now.

Anyway, I'd appreciate your thoughts. My first priority is to just show her a great time (budget and time allowing). Second objective is to destress and try to spark our love life a little. Things haven't died off exactly, but with more kids comes less time and energy for each other. I miss the non-quickie dependant love life we were once allowed.

[lnt1103]

Take your cue from her. Sounds like she's dropped a hint - take it.

Here's an idea--assign the numbers 1-4 to the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) but don't tell her which number is which direction. Have her pack for however long, and tell her to pick a number 1 through 4. Whatever number she picks, drive in that direction for half a day or a day. If you guys see any activities along the way you'd like to do/see, pull off and do/see them. At the end of the day find a hotel and have a great night Get up the next morning, have her pick another number 1-4 over breakfast, and do it all again. Or ignore the number thing (maybe that's a little dorky, I dunno), tell her what's up and just have her pick a direction to drive in each morning.

[EvilEvilKitten]

In thirty years of marriage, we have never taken 'a vacation'. When you have both been in the military moving and living overseas with kids for 20 years, the idea of "going somewhere" rather loses its appeal. Other than doing The Pan-America Highway and spending some time in Italy - we get our fun and relaxation at home.

However: my suggestion is the pack the kids off to the grandparents for a week and you two should go to Hedonism II (look it up). I understand that it is very inexpensive and that you won't have to pack much.

[e_room_matt]

You are so good for me EEK, but I'm afrain I am a lost cause. It is all I can do to get my 29 wife into a bikini every summer.

[EvilEvilKitten]

It may surprise her to learn that the majority of women at resorts such as Hedonism are NOT "model quality" or women in dire need of a sandwich, much as we adore Fiona from Burn Notice. I myself wear micro-thong bikinis too "illegal" to wear to my local pool although I do not disappear when I turn sideways - and the men certainly are NOT looking away in disgust.

The only perfect people are those who have been "manufactured".

[GreyShadow]

for me (and any significant other, if I have one by that time) grabbing a big touring bike (like a goldwing) and looping around the country: southern states up eastern seaboard, back along northern states, hit canada too....

...mostly stay off interstates and see, hear, smell, taste and MEET the real america

but that's me, and my chances of finding an 'other' that wants to do the same isn't likely.

[EvilEvilKitten]

We had planned to do the Pan American on the HD but now hubby says we'll "take the truck".
He thinks he's "old".

[GreyShadow]

Originally Posted by EvilEvilKitten

We had planned to do the Pan American on the HD but now hubby says we'll "take the truck".
He thinks he's "old".

"old"?...thats the lamest excuse I've heard yet...

Peter Fonda is 69 and not only still rides, but goes to sturgis...
On the rider forums I haunt, there are many, many that are even older, especially on the tourer-type forums.

[EvilEvilKitten]

Hey! No disparaging my husband! Remember to whom he's married.
Of course he's not old. That's what he says to cover up the fact that he's concerned about the comfort and well-being of 'his fluffy bunny wife' who he thinks of as being small, delicate and adorable. I'm not going to argue with that.

If he wants to take the truck, then we're going to take the truck.

[wet_suit_one]

What's this? EEK taking direction from a man?

That must be one hell of a MAN alright!