A good vacation should leave you feeling like you need another one when you come back. If the vacations you've been going on don't meet this standard, perhaps you should be looking around at some other options. Let's take a look at some off the beaten path ideas.

The Winter Olympics provided some pretty obvious evidence that Vancouver and the surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful. While few of us had a chance to physically go there during the Olympics, a big secret is Vancouver is a great place to go in the summer. The city is amazing in and of itself with a huge cosmopolitan flair you'll love. When you are ready to get out in the open, beautiful mountains offering every outdoor opportunity you can think of are just minutes away. Vancouver is often touted as the best place to live in the world and one trip will quickly reveal why.

Prefer something a bit warmer? Want to wake and bake on the beach? Well, we need to think contrarian . Mexico has been getting some seriously bad public relations the last few years. I've certainly written a few pieces on the devastation caused by the drug war. The area around the border is still a complete mess, but the same can't be true for some of the resort areas down south. Cabo San Lucas has no problems on the Pacific side and the Mexican Riviera on the Caribbean side is very safe and also insanely beautiful. Prices are generally low right now, which makes a trip to these locations the best deal it has been in years.

What about something a bit closer that won't break the bank? Well, run out and rent City Slickers to get an idea! Yes, I am talking about dude ranches. They offer a host of experiences, aren't packed with people and are very family friendly. They provide everything from horseback riding to beautiful scenery that will have you gushing. Dude ranches exist all around the United States, even in some locations on the east coast.

You need not do the same old boring thing on your vacation this year. Any of the above ideas would be a blast, but try to think outside the box when coming up with something you can tailor to yourself.

Thomas Ajava writes about <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.resortspadestinations.com/Dude-Ranch-Vacations">dude ranch vacations</a> for ResortSpaDestinations.com - where you can get information on dude ranches on the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.resortspadestinations.com/dude-ranch/dude-ranches-on-the-east-coast">east coast of the United States</a>.