Do you know your own backyard?

[DeniseMB]

Just wondering? Do you realize the treasures in your own backyard.

Everyone wants to get away. Do you live on the beach? Do you live in the city? Maybe a mountain nearby?

Maybe that vacation is in your own backyard.

[BMan62]

Just wondering? Do you realize the treasures in your own backyard.

Everyone wants to get away. Do you live on the beach? Do you live in the city? Maybe a mountain nearby?

Maybe that vacation is in your own backyard.

Are you trying to get people to stay away from WDW?

We have HersheyPark just about 45 minutes away; Baltimore's Inner Harbor a little over an hour; ballparks - Phillies, Orioles, Eagles, Ravens, etc. - within 2 hours; casinos within 45 minutes; Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry within easy driving distance --- plenty of places to visit, but we still go to WDW at least once per year.

[marylynne95]

Yup, I have the beach 4 miles from my apartment, plus much much more withn 2 hours from me!! But WDW is still an at least once a year trip, totally different experience then all the stuff I do around here!! 95 days and counting!!

[Lakin]

The town I live in has... an elementary school, a post office, and a park with some monkey bars and a broken swing. My town also has two bars, but yet, no restaurant.

I live in a town of people that aren't very smart, if you have not noticed.

Then, an hour away, we have an overpriced fair called Indiana Beach.

[Dakota Rose]

I live in North Dakota, we have plenty of treasures. Namely wheat, flax and sunflowers.

Our ride-on lawn mower is "ToMowOurLand."

[Erin C.]

The Saratoga Race Track is about 3 miles from my house and my office is a very short walk down the road....and I haven't been once this year!!!! But I will be going to Disney twice this year!!

[baby minnie's mommy]

We have a beach nearby, but I want to visit the mountains again!
On an ironic note, a lot of us that live close to a gorgeous beach hardly ever go! It is such a beautiful place, but the time spent getting on swimsuits, applying sunscreen, packing towels and drinks, then afterward washing same towels, vacuuming sand out of every crevice of the van, getting everyone a bath... it just tends to squash the desire to go.
Sure do love the seabreeze in the summer, though!
We do have some good science and nature attractions to take the kids to, plus fall festivals that we attend each year.

[MNNHFLTX]

I get what you're saying. Every time my family and I move to a new locale, we love traveling around the area and getting familiar with nearby attractions. And usually when we tell our neighbors where we're going or where we've gone, they shake their heads and say "You know, we've lived here for 20 years and haven't done that yet."

And you would be surprised to know how many people live in the Orlando area that never even go to Disney World! I know, because I used to live there and would run across many people who had never stepped foot onto Disney property.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) In our Northern Backyard
. . . Cedar Point about 55-min away
. . . The Cleveland Orchestra
. . . The Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame
. . . Lake Erie
2) In our Southern Backyard
. . . WDW 15-min away
. . . Universal Studios
. . . Sea World
. . . Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico

[jnfr2424]

let's see

To the East:
20 miles from Times Square (which I am going to see Mary Poppins today on B'way then make a trip on 5th to WOD) New York City

To the South
2hrs from the Jersey Shore including Atlantic City

1 hr from Six Flags Great Adventure (have season's passes)

and 45 mins from Newark Liberty Airport
which in 2 hours and 31 minutes I can be in Disney World!!!

[darthmacho]

I can walk to a beach in less than five minutes, but it is hardly a vacation resort. There are no hotels, restaurants, or attractions there, just sand, water, and a lot of weeds and rocks.

However, living in New England, there are a lot of destinations to choose from right in my "backyard." I just got back from the White Mountains, NH, which was about a three hour drive. We also went there in 2006. We took and overnighter in York, ME, in july, and a vacation there in 2007. It's only about 1 1/2 hours away. We went to Old Orchard Beach in 2008, and that was only about 2 1/2 hours away. We took a nice weekender in Mystic, CT this spring, and it was about 2 hours away. Also within easy driving distance, and in our future vacation plans are Bar Harbor, ME, Burlington, VT, and Cape Cod, MA, among others. Our next trip is definitely going to be WDW though!

[amd780]

We have lots of wonderful museums and parks in our area that can occupy an entire afternoon. I never get tired of them!

Farther away, we have the beach to the east (about 3 hours away) and the mountains to the west (about 3 1/2 hours' drive). The NC mountains are tied with WDW as my favorite vacation spot.

[the other micki]

Being homeschoolers, we have seen just about all there is to see in our area, considering we take 1 or 2 field trips every month. We do have New Orleans within a 1 1/2 hour drive. Lots to do there, but we only go once every two years or so. There are no mountains here and not a good beach, but they're all within a day's drive.

The exciting news is that it has been confirmed that Disney has purchased 1900 acres of land in our parish (that's county, for you non-Louisianians), and supposedly, they are looking to buy more land. Rumor is that the acreage may be used to build a movie studio, but I can always dream of an Epcot in my backyard, right?

[#1donaldfan]

....I play in my backyard all the time...just for my vacations I'd like to play in a FL resident's backyard....

....but..


within 10 minutes in any given direction I have two state parks, one national park, one lake, three rivers, and more mountains than you could ever traverse in a lifetime.....

....but....it's nice to get away and see 'ol Mickey....

[blondeinbrandon]

My backyard is Busch Gardens, Adventure island, slight drive to the Gulf beaches,
but 45 minutes is WDW!
Gotta love Florida!
I did grow up in Sturbridge MA near Old Sturbridge Village; I miss it, but not the snow!

[prprincess]

The OP has a really good point, and honestly, I'm guilty for taking the area that I live in for granted. There's so much to see and do! I work in Philadelphia and everyday when I walk to work I keep telling myself that I need to take a day off to just explore the city.

I also live within driving distance of Atlantic City, NYC, Boston, Baltimore, and DC and really need to take the time out to explore those places as well.

I guess we are just creatures of habit and don't feel complete unless we do WDW at least once a year or once every two years!

[DisneyDog]

Valley Forge National Park is within 5 minutes of my home. Mill Grove, home of John James Audubon is in my town, which is named for him. Almost as close is the King of Prussia mall, largest retail mall in the country. We are 40 minutes from Philadelphia, with all the history and culture that has to offer. We have it pretty good. I can't complain

[garymacd]

I live in North Dakota, we have plenty of treasures. Namely wheat, flax and sunflowers.

The only golden treasure in our backyard is the dandelion forest!

Actually, there are War of 1812 Battlefields, the greater than 100 waterfalls of Hamilton, Ontario, the two big ones in Niagara Falls, the Toronto International Film Festival, CN Tower, - Oooh, the Steamwhistle Brewery tour , a must-see part of the husbands/companions program I run for my wife while she and her friends are doing their Film Festival Tour.

The ladies don't actually go to the films, they just hang around Toronto looking for the stars - Johnny Depp, in particular; but every year, they seem to run into Sean Penn. Every year, he sees them and does the exact same thing - smiles, waves, shakes his head and walks away.

[teambricker04]

We just moved to Chicago from Denver. Our to see list in Denver was never completed, but we can go back as tourists and not need a map! We are starting to see the sites in our city, but love the daily life too. My DS who is 4 is getting the world's biggest kick out of being a "city kid like Steve from Curious George!" and the apartment features haven't worn thin (yet!) for my two little boys. It is fun to discover the things like taking the El or bus or checking out all the museums and shopping. I don't think I will ever run out of things to do here!!!

That being said... we could always use a trip to WDW to relieve the daily grind!

[gueli]

Yeah I know our backyard...

Beaches. 15 minutes away. Bigger beaches 30 minutes.
A waterpark (20 mins). An Aquarium. a not so great zoo nearby, but a world class zoo (Bronx) about an hour.
Decent museum nearby (30 mins or so), Fantastic museums just an hour away (NYC- guggenheim, Metropolitan museum of art, Museum of natural history, and the list goes on...). A better aquarium (Coney Island).
Fantastic ethnic eateries (Again- NYC).
Great Sushi (mmm), a great sushi buffet (Further away)... Greek festivals, polish festivals, Italian festivals... Parades (Think thanksgiving).
Fresh local veggies (ahh Long Island sweet corn)...
Local sports team (Baseball) not far away, 2 pro baseball teams (Bronx, Queeens), 2 pro Hockey teams (OK maybe only 1- sorry islanders (but it never stopped me from rooting for them)), 2 pro footbal teams (1 1/2 hours away - NJ Giants & Jets), Basketball team (knicks), multiple great concert venues (Jones beach, Nassau Colliseum, MSG and if you need to NJ(no diss intended I have seen plenty of fantastic shows at Giants stadium & whatever they now call the place where the NJ Devils play).
Whale Watching off montauk (1 1/2 hours away). Historical places.
A plentarium. 2 if you include NYC.
Parks, parks , parks (Local, county, state & National Seashore).
Hiking & biking trails.

But most importantly - friends and family.

and way too many kids who say that there is nothing to do around here...


Oh yeah, and in about 90 days, my next trip to disney...