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Comments (4)
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Save/ShareReaders respond to our 15 for 15 list
For Budget Travel's May issue, we compiled a list of 15 Places to Visit Before Age 15.
Not all of our readers agreed with our list, which you can find by clicking here. Among the passionate complaints is the question: "What planet are you all living on?"... (Feel free to add your own opinions in our comments section.)
Did the people who picked this list ever think there might be life outside of the Northeast? I mean 9 out of the 15 are in the N.E., there's a whole lot more country out there! What about the Rockies???? Mount Rushmore??? (AWESOME vacation for children) Iowa State Fair??? (You can't get more Americana than that) Denali National Park, Alaska? (Yeah, cause I can afford to take my five kids to Hawaii too). Any of the Great Lakes (my favorite is Lake Michigan, by the way; Mackinaw Island kids love!) Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains. There's also a little known place called Yellowstone???? By the way do you really think "Ground Zero" would be appreciated by an eight year old? I would not consider that an appropriate "family vacation destination". What's up with Alcatraz? As one of the top 15 places in all of America for children?? Whew-wee! What fun! Do you guys even have kids? I mean I'm all for these highbrow educational vacations, but think they would be better grasped by teenagers. As a mother of five kids ranging in ages 15-7, I've been on A LOT of vacations with children, and have seen what they like and don't. I've also been very discouraged trying to take them places I wanted to go, only to have to hurry through them because they weren't old enough to appreciate it.--J. O'Neal, via the Internet.
What planet are you all living on? I am 55 years old and I haven't been to half of those places yet. I like "Budget" Travel because it seems to be a travel magazine for those of modest means. Your list of places to see by age 15 could truly only be accomplished by the very well to do. Perhaps you meant to run this piece in Conde Nast?--Fred Doyle of Alexandria, Virginia.
I think someone is on something...in this climate of middle class people trying to keep body and soul together, i find it very disrespectful for you to print an outrageous list of places to see before the kids are 15...not everyone had an unlimited budget for travel and i think we all do what we can...but this is out of bounds...yes, the list is wonderful, and for their l6th birthday how about a BMW?...and then people complain that the young generation is spoiled, self-centered, and egotistical...how about an article giving overworked, under-appreciated parents a break and concentrate on places of interest, educational and cultural, that are within a 100-mile radius of their homes...from that platform, you could branch out to the geographical area they live, etc....i am 70 years old, i have an unlimited budget for travel, and have not been to all of these places (have been to many, many more not listed) and if i had seen all of this before i was 15, i would be bored now...i am very disappointed that you have joined the legions of businesses that are not at all interested in raising children to be sensitive, aware of what they have (and what other people don't), and grateful...instead it is "where are we going this year???????" How about a soup kitchen this Easter, a Salvation Army center food bank, or a meals on wheels trip? Travel is wonderful, but let's not confuse what we want with what we need for body, mind, and spirit......and not put everything on the credit card.--Anne Cameo, via the Internet.
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I understand where all of the above comments are coming from. However I think the list would have been better off as a full blown article showing readers the ways in which a family can see these places on a budget. On the surfaced it seems that these are big trips, and a little help guiding everyone to show them how they too can afford these spots would be wonderful.
Posted By KC on April 17, 2007, 3:39 PM
Why it is kept such a secret I don't know, but St. Louis is the best travel destination in the country for all ages. The country's #1 zoo, History Museum, world-class art museum, "Muny opera" largest and oldest outdoor musical theater are all in Forest Park, designed by the same person who designed Central Park in NYC, but larger. And did I mention that you can get into all these FREE, with nominal charge for special exhibits . Even these can be avoided by coming on free day (ArtMuseum Friday, History Museum Tuesday, Muny opera has free seats available every evening during the season, which is all summer. Outside the park, visit the old courthouse now a museum (Dred Scott case took place there) the Arch with its downstairs museum free except for ride to the top and some special films shown. It is easy to get around by bus or Metro, which actually runs from the airport through downtown and across the river to see the mound city, once the most highly populated city in the Americas. And there is much more to see and do The city is famous for Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, and of yes a baseball team you may have heard of...... the World champion Cardinals with their new stadium downtown easily reached by Metro. In fact who would consider driving downtown on a day the Cardinals are scheduled to play. There are outstanding hotels and restaurants that are less expensive than their counterparts in other major cities
Posted By Dorothy Saunders on April 18, 2007, 1:27 PM
what is URL ? Also I would love to send you an article, but have no writing experience and must leave that to the professional writers or travel consultants. There are many other interesting places in the area that could be included so I hope someone does write an article. I am just an elderly retired lady and still have problems using a computer.
Posted By Dorothy Saunders on April 18, 2007, 1:38 PM
I don't understand the previous critics of this list. With the exception of Pearl Harbor and Niagara Falls, I took my kids, now 37 & 38, to all those places. Expensive? We're not talking cruises or flying first class here. These are just some places with historical or cultural appeal that all people, whatever the age, should be familiar with.
My family is by no means wealthy; I'm a retired teacher. I take my grandson on a roadtrip every summer. So far we've hit the Chattanooga Aquarium, Huntsville Space Museum, the Freedom Trail in Boston, Philadelphia, the Brooklyn Bridge (instead of Ground Zero), Cape Cod, DisneyWorld and Universal in Florida. His parents took him to Baltimore, Washington DC, Williamsburg, St. Louis, Nashville, the Smokies and New Orleans. This year's road trip includes Savannah, St. Augustine, and a cruise to Key West and the Bahamas.
I live on a teacher's pension and what my still employed salesman husband makes, which is not that much. However, travel and education are priorities with our family, and I save all year for the trip.
Yes, most of the list is on the east coast; I agree that there is much to see on the west coast as well. Next year's road trip will include the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Taos Pueblo, White Sands, Sedona, the Durango Railway through the Rockies, Oklahoma City, and Dallas/Ft. Worth.
I'm not a professional writer, but if anyone would like to find out how our family was able to afford those trips, feel free to contact me.
Posted By Brenda Kukla on April 23, 2007, 10:01 AM