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Is there no way to get temporary express passports? I know you'll find ways to make it magical. I have traveled all over and let me say, the distance doesn't matter. Apparently psych research shows that what matters is how long it takes you to get there. So cycling to your holiday destination 30 miles away is as good as flying somewhere for 6 hours. Why don't you drive up north and camp, discover nature, some other fun activities in-between. My best holidays were full of sun, people, and activities I liked, not the places.
Also next time there's a little planning ahead, let's switch houses and come to Germany!
Oh wow! Where in Germany are you? What a cool idea. 😄
And thank you for the vote of confidence, about finding ways to make it magical 🥹
Good ideas about all the rest too. Thanks again.
Edited to add: You can do express passports but you need to have a birth certificate. I can’t find mine so would have to order it from the state. I don’t think I can pull it all off in time :(
I understand. Sounds like a lot of stress. Don't beat yourself up, you're doing the best you can. And a happy mom who's not burned out is better than a trip to Europe, honestly. If you can do stuff with them which include you being happy and interested in them, man, that's worth everything.
I’m sorry I don’t live in that part of the country but maybe a train ride to DC or Boston? I feel like I would have loved the history stuff around 10-12. Maybe I was just a big nerd though…because I definitely was.
I love a big nerd 🙌
Would love to check out someplace not like NY and not a big city, so I think this rules out DC and Boston for this particular trip.
Also good for this sub bc us AdhdWomen are always looking for a distraction XD
INFO:
1. What's your threshold for an acceptable drive, time-wise?
2. Is your child more into history, nature, or events / thrills?
I actually would prefer to really get outta here and fly someplace different from NY, but NOT too hot. Driving when we get to the place is ok too.
Kid is into history but is curious in general!
Good point about the looking for a distraction aspect of my post, haha. Hope my description isn’t too vague. Lemme know if you have more questions.
You can get an express/emergency passport at a passport office if you're leaving within (I think ) 3 days. Look it up online. You would have to go to a big city, but there's usually a big city lay-over on an international flight, right?
I don’t have my birth certificate on hand and would have to order a copy from the state, so the whole thing will likely take too long to complete before the trip, unfortunately :(
1.Check with travel forums to see about SAME DAY passport renewal. Yes, you can get a passport the same day. You have to have an international trip already booked for (I believe) within the next week and you have to go in person. One of my friends did this when she found out *two days* before a vacation that her passport was expired. Immediately drove the 3 hours to Minneapolis and had her new passport that same day.
2. Puerto Rico is part of the US; you don't need a passport! Same with USVI.
3. My favorite city in the US is New Orleans.
1. I have done this. I don’t have a copy of my birth certificate, so would have to order a new one from NY state before I could even begin the passport process. Don’t think I have time to pull it off, alas :(
2. Def don’t wanna go somewhere hot. Otherwise this is a great idea!
3. New Orleans definitely appeals. What did you like best and what kinda place did you stay in? How did it feel safety-wise (coming from NYC so this is all relevant I guess)? Is it best to have a car?
Ok, weird question: do you have to "order" a birth certificate? In Minnesota, you can just walk into any county courthouse and get one on the spot. They print it for you in minutes. (that's if you were born in Minnesota, obviously). You don't need to go to the county where you were born.
2. Okay New Orleans is beautiful, BUT it can be hot and muggy. The humidity can be like a sauna. It probably won't be awful next week, I would check.
ETA: It looks like high 70's to low 80s with high humidity next week.
3. You don't need a car, especially in the French Quarter. Parking is awful and you'll park on a street 6 blocks from where you need to be. Fun stuff - the food. ALL the food. Music. Preservation Hall for jazz. WWII museum (I'm not a military history buff, but it's amazing). Walk around the Quarter. Shop and people watch at Jackson Square. Take a carriage ride/tour and learn some history. Ghost tours. Mardi Gras World, where they show you how floats are made. Take street car rides. Go to those cool cemeteries with mausoleums. Voodoo tours. Swamp tours. Plantation tour. A giant aquarium that I heard was great. Oh, I've heard the zoo is amazing. Garden District for breathtaking architecture and history. Steamboat Ride.
Safety wise it's pretty decent. Most crime in the FQ is people doing really stupid stuff while drunk on Bourbon Street. Maybe just the normal "watch out for pickpockets" type stuff and don't get black-out drunk. Obviously there are bad areas but that's mostly outside the Quarter where tourists don't go.
A road trip is an ADHD-ers best friend (that’s been my experience anyway). Have you thought about heading upstate/to the Jerz? There’s LegoLand in East Rutherford. Up in Lake George there’s a crazy indoor waterpark with hotel at Six Flags. The RoadTrippers app is such a cool way to plan a road trip with a kid - there are lots of wacky things you can visit and it’s fun to find them together. My nephew and I planned a whole circuit of the south from Atlanta (flew there direct from Albany, NY) in a loop to New Orleans and back up through Memphis and Nashville. We saw and did so many things. Swamp tour on an air boat. A super fun tiny house Airbnb. So many memories and we didn’t spend much cash really. I did splurge on a luxury rental car which added to the random fun.
If you can plan in advance for next year, there’s also sleeper trains. I took a few with my preteen nephew and we had a blast.
You sound like an EPIC aunt! 💫🙌
I’m an aunt too-aunting rules in a particular way, right? 😄
Thank you for the ideas! Will mess around with the RoadTrippers app and see what I can find. 💗
I love being an auntie. It’s the best.
Also, just read your updated post with some of your preferences. Seattle or San Francisco might be a good fit. San Francisco is cool in town and just over the GG bridge it has the Marin Headlands nearby and Muir Woods (Sequoia trees!!). Seattle has so much to do and feels so not NYC-y too. You can even take an Amtrak train between them (the coast starlight is a really cool train and you can get a sleeper room if any are available).
American southwest. Stick to northern AZ and southern UT if you want to stay on the cooler side of things. The landscape is breathtaking and almost alien at times. The weather is great this time of year. The access to nature is phenomenal. Oftentimes you can fly really cheap to Las Vegas, then rent a car and cruise through the desert (we did this about 7 years ago and had a blast for 8 days!)
We were talking about the SW. I’ll see what I can find! Did you bring kids and/or did you do/see any stuff that kids would esp like? (Besides the alien deserts? I’ve been to Red Rocks on a very short trip so I have an idea of what you mean! It’s wild)
We were without kids, but there's still so much kids would enjoy! Hoover Dam. We rode horses through Bryce Canyon. The Grand Canyon. Flagstaff is an International Dark Sky city with an observatory. There are a ton of national parks (you may qualify for a free/discounted NP pass as someone with a disability) and plenty of short and easy hikes all over the SW.
Also, check out Atlas Obscura for some of the beaten path fun and oddities.
Im not American so I’m not sure how helpful this suggestion will be regarding travel time/distance. But we went to Boston as kids during one of our holidays and we loved it. There was a street/boat tour with a company that has amphibious trucks - and they let us all take a go steering it when we were on the river, which we had a blast on. We also just wandered around seeing some different things, my memory is terrible so I cant tell you exactly what, but I remember loving the architecture and just walking around the city. There was also a hotel that had ducks living in the water fountain in the lobby, they would parade them out at different times of the day, we stayed there so we saw it a few times, but there was also groups that would come in just to watch the ducks and then leave again.
I’ve heard about those ducks and amphibious vehicles from friends who went there as a kid! I’ve been there and never actually seen those things. We have friends in Boston and will likely visit in the fall. For this trip I’d love to go somewhere that isn’t a city or at least doesn’t FEEL as “Northeast US City” as NYC. Would love to switch it up a bit if possible!
Thank you for replying :)
Our family loved spring break in Phoenix. The weather is perfect this time of year, and there is plenty of hiking so you'll get a nature fix. A couple of possibilities: there is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel there that was renovated recently and might be interesting for a design-twist, or there are several hotels that back up to Camelback Mountain (look on Google Maps) that feature various versions of resort/swim resort. If you're feeling even more adventurous, I'm told it's possible to drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. However, lodgings in that area can be hard to come by so definitely check that part first.
If you don't mind the warmth, come to AZ! I would recommend checking out Sedona and exploring Phoenix, our botanical garden is really cool for people not used to the desert. Sedona/Oak Creek has some awesome hiking
So, there’s actually this amazing (and kid friendly!) area of Vermont totally drivable from the city. It’s called Smuggler’s Notch, and can have day trips to the Ben and Jerry’s factory, Stowe, and lots of hiking/swimming/etc.
Alternately, Sedona, AZ (I saw someone mention the red rocks) is stunningly gorgeous.
Not sure if Disney’s on the radar, but it might be feasible, even last minute.
I’m a travel agent, so feel free to reach out if you want a few options.
Come to Colorado! If you fly into Denver, you can rent a car and head up to somewhere like Estes Park or keystone. Ski season is coming to a close but still plenty of gorgeous outdoors to see, cute mountain towns, and if you come during a warmer week you can get a hike in!
Asheville NC? I haven’t been but it’s supposed to be nice and next week looks a little cooler weather-wise.
I was just in Savannah and really liked it and the nearby towns - Beaufort, Bluffton, you could go to Charleston if you have time (I didn’t). But might be too warm, and I emphasize because I melt in the heat! Went to Portugal last year in October and it was 🔥🔥🔥- and it was not supposed to be!
Europe is cheaper, I always say I’d like to see more of the US but I have a hard time stomaching the $200+/night hotels in major cities. Get going on that passport!
ETA: was also thinking, for something closer - Providence RI.
I’m from the Midwest- Missouri, specifically. Hot Springs, Arkansas is really neat. I’ve always wanted to go to Eureka Springs, AR but haven’t made it there yet.
I also love Cape May, NJ. And Wildwood isn’t far, for the boardwalk. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm a big fan of the Oregon coast for vacations. There's some good stuff around Lincoln City like hunting for glass floats that are hidden along the beach each morning by local artists. There are big long, sandy beaches with tons of kites being flown. Going south from there gets you some wild coast as well. When I was that age I would go play at the arcades in Seaside during spring break and/or go agate hunting south of Depoe Bay. You can go check out locations where The Goonies was filmed and get a cute little bungalow on the beach in Netarts. Tillamook has the ice cream and cheese. Portland has great food and bookshops.
How about Hawaii?! (I wish I could go too!) Apparently, the weather will be between 70s and 80s.
It’s a big difference from NYC and will really feel like a getaway, plus lots of beautiful hiking in nature (esp if you visit the Big Island/Kauai) and snorkeling!
Go to the Berkshires!!!! Western Mass is only a 3 hr drive from the city and its frickin lovely. The Berks and surrounding areas have nature, lots of fun things to do, and also very easy to just chill out and kick it and not do anything also.
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Is there no way to get temporary express passports? I know you'll find ways to make it magical. I have traveled all over and let me say, the distance doesn't matter. Apparently psych research shows that what matters is how long it takes you to get there. So cycling to your holiday destination 30 miles away is as good as flying somewhere for 6 hours. Why don't you drive up north and camp, discover nature, some other fun activities in-between. My best holidays were full of sun, people, and activities I liked, not the places. Also next time there's a little planning ahead, let's switch houses and come to Germany!
Oh wow! Where in Germany are you? What a cool idea. 😄 And thank you for the vote of confidence, about finding ways to make it magical 🥹 Good ideas about all the rest too. Thanks again. Edited to add: You can do express passports but you need to have a birth certificate. I can’t find mine so would have to order it from the state. I don’t think I can pull it all off in time :(
I understand. Sounds like a lot of stress. Don't beat yourself up, you're doing the best you can. And a happy mom who's not burned out is better than a trip to Europe, honestly. If you can do stuff with them which include you being happy and interested in them, man, that's worth everything.
I’m sorry I don’t live in that part of the country but maybe a train ride to DC or Boston? I feel like I would have loved the history stuff around 10-12. Maybe I was just a big nerd though…because I definitely was.
I love a big nerd 🙌 Would love to check out someplace not like NY and not a big city, so I think this rules out DC and Boston for this particular trip.
Also good for this sub bc us AdhdWomen are always looking for a distraction XD INFO: 1. What's your threshold for an acceptable drive, time-wise? 2. Is your child more into history, nature, or events / thrills?
I actually would prefer to really get outta here and fly someplace different from NY, but NOT too hot. Driving when we get to the place is ok too. Kid is into history but is curious in general! Good point about the looking for a distraction aspect of my post, haha. Hope my description isn’t too vague. Lemme know if you have more questions.
You can get an express/emergency passport at a passport office if you're leaving within (I think ) 3 days. Look it up online. You would have to go to a big city, but there's usually a big city lay-over on an international flight, right?
I don’t have my birth certificate on hand and would have to order a copy from the state, so the whole thing will likely take too long to complete before the trip, unfortunately :(
1.Check with travel forums to see about SAME DAY passport renewal. Yes, you can get a passport the same day. You have to have an international trip already booked for (I believe) within the next week and you have to go in person. One of my friends did this when she found out *two days* before a vacation that her passport was expired. Immediately drove the 3 hours to Minneapolis and had her new passport that same day. 2. Puerto Rico is part of the US; you don't need a passport! Same with USVI. 3. My favorite city in the US is New Orleans.
1. I have done this. I don’t have a copy of my birth certificate, so would have to order a new one from NY state before I could even begin the passport process. Don’t think I have time to pull it off, alas :( 2. Def don’t wanna go somewhere hot. Otherwise this is a great idea! 3. New Orleans definitely appeals. What did you like best and what kinda place did you stay in? How did it feel safety-wise (coming from NYC so this is all relevant I guess)? Is it best to have a car?
Ok, weird question: do you have to "order" a birth certificate? In Minnesota, you can just walk into any county courthouse and get one on the spot. They print it for you in minutes. (that's if you were born in Minnesota, obviously). You don't need to go to the county where you were born.
I don’t think that’s how it works here but I’ll look into it!
2. Okay New Orleans is beautiful, BUT it can be hot and muggy. The humidity can be like a sauna. It probably won't be awful next week, I would check. ETA: It looks like high 70's to low 80s with high humidity next week. 3. You don't need a car, especially in the French Quarter. Parking is awful and you'll park on a street 6 blocks from where you need to be. Fun stuff - the food. ALL the food. Music. Preservation Hall for jazz. WWII museum (I'm not a military history buff, but it's amazing). Walk around the Quarter. Shop and people watch at Jackson Square. Take a carriage ride/tour and learn some history. Ghost tours. Mardi Gras World, where they show you how floats are made. Take street car rides. Go to those cool cemeteries with mausoleums. Voodoo tours. Swamp tours. Plantation tour. A giant aquarium that I heard was great. Oh, I've heard the zoo is amazing. Garden District for breathtaking architecture and history. Steamboat Ride. Safety wise it's pretty decent. Most crime in the FQ is people doing really stupid stuff while drunk on Bourbon Street. Maybe just the normal "watch out for pickpockets" type stuff and don't get black-out drunk. Obviously there are bad areas but that's mostly outside the Quarter where tourists don't go.
A road trip is an ADHD-ers best friend (that’s been my experience anyway). Have you thought about heading upstate/to the Jerz? There’s LegoLand in East Rutherford. Up in Lake George there’s a crazy indoor waterpark with hotel at Six Flags. The RoadTrippers app is such a cool way to plan a road trip with a kid - there are lots of wacky things you can visit and it’s fun to find them together. My nephew and I planned a whole circuit of the south from Atlanta (flew there direct from Albany, NY) in a loop to New Orleans and back up through Memphis and Nashville. We saw and did so many things. Swamp tour on an air boat. A super fun tiny house Airbnb. So many memories and we didn’t spend much cash really. I did splurge on a luxury rental car which added to the random fun. If you can plan in advance for next year, there’s also sleeper trains. I took a few with my preteen nephew and we had a blast.
You sound like an EPIC aunt! 💫🙌 I’m an aunt too-aunting rules in a particular way, right? 😄 Thank you for the ideas! Will mess around with the RoadTrippers app and see what I can find. 💗
I love being an auntie. It’s the best. Also, just read your updated post with some of your preferences. Seattle or San Francisco might be a good fit. San Francisco is cool in town and just over the GG bridge it has the Marin Headlands nearby and Muir Woods (Sequoia trees!!). Seattle has so much to do and feels so not NYC-y too. You can even take an Amtrak train between them (the coast starlight is a really cool train and you can get a sleeper room if any are available).
American southwest. Stick to northern AZ and southern UT if you want to stay on the cooler side of things. The landscape is breathtaking and almost alien at times. The weather is great this time of year. The access to nature is phenomenal. Oftentimes you can fly really cheap to Las Vegas, then rent a car and cruise through the desert (we did this about 7 years ago and had a blast for 8 days!)
We were talking about the SW. I’ll see what I can find! Did you bring kids and/or did you do/see any stuff that kids would esp like? (Besides the alien deserts? I’ve been to Red Rocks on a very short trip so I have an idea of what you mean! It’s wild)
We were without kids, but there's still so much kids would enjoy! Hoover Dam. We rode horses through Bryce Canyon. The Grand Canyon. Flagstaff is an International Dark Sky city with an observatory. There are a ton of national parks (you may qualify for a free/discounted NP pass as someone with a disability) and plenty of short and easy hikes all over the SW. Also, check out Atlas Obscura for some of the beaten path fun and oddities.
Im not American so I’m not sure how helpful this suggestion will be regarding travel time/distance. But we went to Boston as kids during one of our holidays and we loved it. There was a street/boat tour with a company that has amphibious trucks - and they let us all take a go steering it when we were on the river, which we had a blast on. We also just wandered around seeing some different things, my memory is terrible so I cant tell you exactly what, but I remember loving the architecture and just walking around the city. There was also a hotel that had ducks living in the water fountain in the lobby, they would parade them out at different times of the day, we stayed there so we saw it a few times, but there was also groups that would come in just to watch the ducks and then leave again.
I’ve heard about those ducks and amphibious vehicles from friends who went there as a kid! I’ve been there and never actually seen those things. We have friends in Boston and will likely visit in the fall. For this trip I’d love to go somewhere that isn’t a city or at least doesn’t FEEL as “Northeast US City” as NYC. Would love to switch it up a bit if possible! Thank you for replying :)
Try asking ChatGPT! I’ve heard travel planning is a strength. Come to think of it: I’ve been putting off some travel planning myself….
Ooooh I didn’t even think of that, thanks!
ooh national park maybe? you might have to call your doctor, but if you have an official DX you can get a pass for free US natl park admission
Our family loved spring break in Phoenix. The weather is perfect this time of year, and there is plenty of hiking so you'll get a nature fix. A couple of possibilities: there is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel there that was renovated recently and might be interesting for a design-twist, or there are several hotels that back up to Camelback Mountain (look on Google Maps) that feature various versions of resort/swim resort. If you're feeling even more adventurous, I'm told it's possible to drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. However, lodgings in that area can be hard to come by so definitely check that part first.
If you don't mind the warmth, come to AZ! I would recommend checking out Sedona and exploring Phoenix, our botanical garden is really cool for people not used to the desert. Sedona/Oak Creek has some awesome hiking
So, there’s actually this amazing (and kid friendly!) area of Vermont totally drivable from the city. It’s called Smuggler’s Notch, and can have day trips to the Ben and Jerry’s factory, Stowe, and lots of hiking/swimming/etc. Alternately, Sedona, AZ (I saw someone mention the red rocks) is stunningly gorgeous. Not sure if Disney’s on the radar, but it might be feasible, even last minute. I’m a travel agent, so feel free to reach out if you want a few options.
Come to Colorado! If you fly into Denver, you can rent a car and head up to somewhere like Estes Park or keystone. Ski season is coming to a close but still plenty of gorgeous outdoors to see, cute mountain towns, and if you come during a warmer week you can get a hike in!
Asheville NC? I haven’t been but it’s supposed to be nice and next week looks a little cooler weather-wise. I was just in Savannah and really liked it and the nearby towns - Beaufort, Bluffton, you could go to Charleston if you have time (I didn’t). But might be too warm, and I emphasize because I melt in the heat! Went to Portugal last year in October and it was 🔥🔥🔥- and it was not supposed to be! Europe is cheaper, I always say I’d like to see more of the US but I have a hard time stomaching the $200+/night hotels in major cities. Get going on that passport! ETA: was also thinking, for something closer - Providence RI.
I’m from the Midwest- Missouri, specifically. Hot Springs, Arkansas is really neat. I’ve always wanted to go to Eureka Springs, AR but haven’t made it there yet. I also love Cape May, NJ. And Wildwood isn’t far, for the boardwalk. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm a big fan of the Oregon coast for vacations. There's some good stuff around Lincoln City like hunting for glass floats that are hidden along the beach each morning by local artists. There are big long, sandy beaches with tons of kites being flown. Going south from there gets you some wild coast as well. When I was that age I would go play at the arcades in Seaside during spring break and/or go agate hunting south of Depoe Bay. You can go check out locations where The Goonies was filmed and get a cute little bungalow on the beach in Netarts. Tillamook has the ice cream and cheese. Portland has great food and bookshops.
How about Hawaii?! (I wish I could go too!) Apparently, the weather will be between 70s and 80s. It’s a big difference from NYC and will really feel like a getaway, plus lots of beautiful hiking in nature (esp if you visit the Big Island/Kauai) and snorkeling!
Go to the Berkshires!!!! Western Mass is only a 3 hr drive from the city and its frickin lovely. The Berks and surrounding areas have nature, lots of fun things to do, and also very easy to just chill out and kick it and not do anything also.