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All right fellas, I need some help from the Duck South Brain Trust to get me out of some hot water at the homestead. I will be at a conference in San Diego throughout much of this year's spring break so this logistical fact has gone over just great with my wife. The spring break week in Washington D.C. we envisioned went out the window when I realized the conflict (as I mistakenly assumed spring break would be the previous week). Consequently, our "get out of town for a few days" options will be much more limited than if we had an entire week. We will have Thursday through Sunday to work with, which essentially rules out a drive down to the beach or any marathon road trip excursion from the Nashville, TN area. We were thinking about renting a cabin up in the Smokies so we can take our lab with us, but there are literally thousands of options and you really don't know what you're getting until you get there and lay eyes on the place. All that to say, do any of you creative-thinking folks have any suggestions or recommendations for a place our family of five (children's ages 10 through 15) can go to get away, have some good hang-out time, and not spend a fortune? Any places you have personally gone to or stay you can recommend? I'm not really the planning type so it drives my lovely bride crazy when these things aren't planned way in advance. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Waverly Lodge in Maggie Valley NC. Awesome place!!!! Close to some fun things!

I'd steer someplace away from the SM Nat'l Park, because there are only a few places you can have a dog with you there. We spent a few days up there over New Years and had fun, but we were limited on where we could go with the pooch - we had my lab and my wife's doxie. They did have a blast when we did get out, though.

I've never stayed at Waverly Lodge but Maggie Valley is an old favorite of our family.

Take them to San Diego! That place is awesome!

San Diego Zoo....your kids will be fascinated !!!

Have them fly out and meet you after your prior engagement is over. Bet it would be cool for them to see the Pacific!!

Blue ridge GA. Rent a cabin. Beautiful country, cool atmosphere, cheap. We always rent from mountain laurel cabins. There is a neat down town, with plenty of shops and restaurants and its about 20 minutes from the ocoee and 5 minutes from the tacoa if rafting/tubing/flyfishing interests you. Lots of hiking, ect. nearby also. Me and the wife can take a weekend trip there for a few hundred dollars, plus its only about 4.5 hours from home.