Vacation for 35?!

My father has decided he wants to take the entire family on vacation next summer to celebrate my parents 60th wedding anniversary. It would be my parents, all their kids, grandkids and great grandkids. Age range from an active 84 yo down to 1. Call it 30 people over 18 and 5 that are 12 and under.

Where would you take 35 people for a week. Preferably continental USA. Canada is possible but we are worried about border closures. Preferable somewhere cool. Mountains are a plus. Lakes are also good. Seeing things and doing things is a plus. History and nature are a plus. Not a car oriented family so the race track is out. Not a amusement park crowd either so Disney and such are out.

Looking for ideas. 

I might consider a cruise.  Someone else is responsible for producing stuff to do and there's plenty of opportunities for group activities as well as getting-away-from-the-group activities.  We've done group vacations with friends before and cruises seemed to work out the best.

Where are you starting from ?  

5 vans with 7 people in each ?

or your own Greyhound bus ?

Sounds interesting and maybe a reality TV show !

I'd see if I could rent a summer camp :) Might have to go a little early or late. 

Maybe a big dude ranch?  Excitement for those that want it and scenery for those that want to hang out on the porch?

I would go to "the other west coast" of the United States...Western Northern Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan. Every night the sun sets right into the water. 

Airbnb could lead you to Lakefront homes so large you can all stay at the same place.  

Currently having a similar discussion for my parents 50th.  It would be a much smaller group tho.

In a non-COVID world, I probably would have said Cruise depending upon the budget, but too many variables in the cruising world currently to start planning a cruise next summer for 35.   That was my first instinct, but vaccination requirements,  pre-testing requirements, etc. would make portions of the family too nervous about the trip. 

History plus mountains limits the options, cause when I think American history, I think mostly the 13 colonies.  But I was reminded yet again while in Copenhagen last that week, that what is deemed history here, is barely broken in yet in other places :-)

This has got "Grand Canyon" written all over it. 

Yellow Stone national park and nearby Grand Tetons.  Beautiful

A cruise, specifically a small boat Alaskan cruise.

At one time they werent really expensive and seemed pretty cool

In the spirit of looking outside of what has been mentioned, and they are some good suggestions,  DC?  Enough museums there you could visit a new one every day for a week and not see everything.  Great food, all sorts of interesting stuff to see, and you can go hurl abuse at your favorite representative to hate!

St Augustine would do about half a week, shove a day to drive down to Cape Canaveral somewhere in there.  Could time it for a launch?

Monument Valley is about 3 hours from the Grand Canyon.

We are leaning toward a ranch in Southern Wyoming. They would be willing to put together a package. The travel times are a bit of a pain. It's 4 hours away from the nearest major airport.

Another possibility is a is a Lodge near Yellowstone. It is more of a VRBO. Any additional excursions are on us to plan. Houses that sleep 35+ are few and far between.

Cruises would be tough because of scheduling. We have some that can't stay for the entire trip. 

We have also decided that a traveling vacation with 35 would be like hearding cats. 

Researching vacations for this number of people brings up lots of corporate style events. Not much is out there for families this size. 

Keep the ideas coming. 

We considered DC, but my mother has requested no large cities. 

Where ever a nutso Bush pilot can squeeze this bird in. 35 seat in troop transport is a cinch.

In reply to Appleseed :

We thought about that. Bush pilots into the Alaskan outback. While that would appeal to some, there are a few that won't be interested in roughing it at all. 

My family did a meet up in Pigeon Forge, Tn.  Most of us could do without the miles of tourist stuff along the main strip but it is close to Gatlinburg and Smokey Mtn Nat Park.  We found a "cabin" that slept 12 or 14 people, in reality it was a 3 story log cabin on a nice sloped lot with woods behind it.  The whole street was individually owned vacation homes and you could book a few and all be within walking distance of each other.

We spent days hiking and evenings eating and drinking. Groups split off and did different activities and nobody from 12 years old to 85 was ever bored.

Here is the place

https://www.vrbo.com/2448049?adultsCount=10&childrenCount=2&noDates=true&unitId=3016510

You aren't that far but there have been some beach houses on the outer banks that are big enough for everyone.

Toyman01 + Sized and said:

In reply to Appleseed :

We thought about that. Bush pilots into the Alaskan outback. While that would appeal to some, there are a few that won't be interested in roughing it at all. 

They won't have any choice once they'be been dropped off.

In reply to Toyman01 + Sized and :

Check out The Dallenbach Ranch in Basalt CO, then give 'em a call at 210-336-2613. Ask for Jake, tell him you're a friend of Patrick from the SAE classes at BMW. It probably won't get you a discount, but it's still fun to drop names. 

YMCA camp in Colorado, snow mountain ranch and the one in Estes Park. 

Both have cabins that can be rented or dorm style rooms

they have scheduled activities like crafts and archery as well as nearby towns to check out.

yoi can do meal plans or cook your own.

My in-laws coordinated a Montana trip this summer and it was nice.  We had 1/2-2/3 the size of group you had.  Indy-guy mentioned Yellowstone and that was part of what we saw.

They rented a couple houses in Big Sky.  I didn't really much appreciate Big Sky (It had a weird history (or lack of) and vibe and we had to drive an hour or two to get to where we wanted to do stuff) but Montana on the hole was great.  If you're an outdoorsy lot, it's fantastic.  I don't know if indoorsy types last long in Montana, honestly.

A word of caution on Yellowstone.  It's great...but crowded.  You see some really cool stuff, shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of other yayhoos.  There's a traffic jam lined up to get into the park, even.  We spent one day there on a whirlwind bus tour of part of the park.  I'm glad we did but it could easily be a week-long vacation of its own.

Oh...and of course, fire up the Canyanero for this trip.  I think it has the right capacity for you.

Everyone purchases a sub $1500 car sight unseen and meets at The Firm, which you will have rented out for the week.

We'll have a list of challenges for you all to complete once everyone has arrived. 

Colorado and multiple cabins.

Herding cats is an apt phrase. When I was 18 my dad family did a week at Disney world. 27 bodies from 6 months to 73 years. One ambitious aunt had paid some firm for a "see-everything" itinerary. Start at x at 8:30 then go to y at 9:13 and you can do z at 9:27... she bought group shirts and had everyone a bag with a planner and a map and that plan lasted exactly 4 minutes before falling apart. We all had a blast except for my poor aunt. 
 

As for suggestions, I'd lean towards renting a camp as suggested above. Something with real sinks and toilets. And a staffed kitchen. Out here in the Rockies there are a bunch though nothing I can personally recommend. You could easily kill a week between the Grand Canyon and Zion canyon. It's about 3 hours between the two. Ish. But if folks don't like dirt it's not great.
Personally I could kill a week at a cabin at 10k feet, but much more than 10 people would ruin it for me. I like hiking and exploring and getting lost, but I also like not having to bury my turds and a real shower is super great even if the water is cold. 

Trying to please 35 is going to be very difficult for a week. Heck, for two days, likely.

I liked the DC idea, but Im biased, I go there at least once a year. But no cities.

Outer Banks would be my next idea, one huge house.