vacation worlds are boring to me

Zerbu has a venue changes mod that can turn destination worlds into normal worlds and normal worlds into destination worlds (of your choosing). I often use it to take my sims on vacation to Sulani. I honestly love OR, I know a lot of people find it boring. I often take my families there. I put in an upscale family house retreat, a spa, two restaurants, and I replace the park with a huge activity center/retail store. It's like a nightclub, childrens activity center, arcade, cafe, bar, ice skating rink park. I find it interesting likely because I only stay there a maximum of 3 days at a time and I dont rush to do everything possible. Family dynamics also change, one time it might be a family with their older children meeting up in the morning, heading out for breakfast, coming back to the vacation home, relaxing and fishing or hiking, then heading out to the spa for massages or yoga classes, going back home to eat some barbeque for dinner, lighting fireworks, calling it a night. Waking up eating breakfast inside, watching tv or a movie together, then they can head out to the activity center, returning home to sing around the campfire and take photos together and then head out for dinner and call it a night.
Another time I might head out with grandparents and grandkids , or a young group of friends. The kids might play chess with grandparents of finish up homework together, the teens might go off to a nightclub and sneak some juice. Some might stay home and roast marshmallows while others are out dancing or throwing water balloons. It's all about enjoying the vacation for me instead of thoroughly exploring the pack each time so that it stays fresh. I still find throwing horseshoes or randomly finding a new insect cool. Kids becoming grandparents one day and eventually telling the same stories that they were told to their grandchildren. I have never camped out alone or explored true herbalism (I plan to do that soon though with my farmer sim's son). I truly love it and enjoy the vacation alongside my sims.
Side note: I truly recommend the mod for changing destination worlds. I usually put down a karaoke bar, some restaurants, a spa, a cafe, a beach/boardwalk area and either a hotel lot, or vacation home to go to. There is also a kawaiistacie mod for making lots rentable businesses (I suppose you might be able to leave the mod and just make it a generic lot) so that you can sleep there without getting kicked out.

Whenever my Sims go on vacation I rarely have them use the lots as such, I just let them explore the surroundings. Selvadorada is obviously far more interesting than Granite Falls, but I do like gathering all the herbs and insects - I also know exactly how to get to the hermit's house.

Nevertheless, I have completely made over both vacation worlds (as well as the three smaller non-vacation worlds).

For Granite Falls I added a restaurant and a spa (clothing optional) and I gave the national forest a makeover to a nature education centre that has more stuff for kids to do.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/90efb90be8ebed2f51f08c00f80d9b30/tumblr_pwj84rkqPo1v8k7elo10_1280.jpg
You can find more info and download links on my simblr - here.
A few more pictures...


For Selvadorada I rebuilt everything. The museum is now a proper museum with Omiscan artifacts and relics on display. I turned the cantina into a mini village with a bar/hotel, a "souvenir" shop and the headquarters of the archaeological society - makes it a versatile location for storytelling. Besides new rentals I also made a replacement for the Omiscan Royal Baths (one of the hidden lots in the jungle), so that Sims can stay there longer without needing camping equipment. The trailhead park I changed into an overgrown temple ruin, it's not much different, but has a slightly different atmosphere (and is a little more sheltered from the rain).
https://66.media.tumblr.com/0d74364368057050d97b3da0b816ce4a/tumblr_pn2vf6aUFd1v8k7elo1_1280.jpg
Again, more info on my simblr here.
And some more pictures...


I did change my gallery/username since make the above lots/pictures, but it should still be easy to find.

I have changed all the lots in the holiday worlds. I have made Granite Falls a login cabin type world with a bar, restaurant, campsite and 2 log cabins. Selvadaorada is a bar, nightclub, 2 parks, campsite, 1 holiday home and 1 spa/wellness type retreat.

"Sharonia;c-17425920" wrote:
I forget they exist. My sims rarely ever visit either of them. I miss vacations like they were in the Sims 2 where sims would stay in hotels and there was actually something fun for sims to do. Picking flowers or hiking alone is so completely boring.

Yeah, this is the big problem with Sims 4's vacation worlds. They're not vacation destinations - they're questlines in a new location. If you're not doing the quest, there's absolutely nothing to do in those locations.

On the thread's topic, I had to overhaul a lot of the worlds to make them somewhat passable. Granite Falls is now a relaxing get-away with a breakfast diner, an upscale spa, and fancier living spaces. The idea is that Granite Falls is about pampering yourself, living in comfort and being able to enjoy nature without having to get too close. Sims can still venture through the forests and camp, though.

Selvadorada didn't change much, since it's so small and I don't want to change the pretty houses. But I converted one rental into a Selvadoradian restaurant, so people can enjoy the food and learn about the country's culture. I want to expand the museum with relics, so it feels less like a tiny storage locker and more like a grand, respectable bastion of history. I don't know what to do with that empty forest/park lot, though. Maybe turn it into a nightclub?

@MDianaSims Fantastic makeovers. I tend to forget about this vacation spots my sims are so busy doing everything else lol. I will have to down load your worlds and give them a try. Might be time to play on longer life again.

"Frn0731;c-17425896" wrote:
I've made Granite falls into a Christmas village where the houses are all festively decorated. So whenever I want my sims to celebrate winterfest I take them on vacation to granite falls. This way I don't have to decorate my house for winterfest everytime.

Excuse me while I pick my brains up off the floor because you JUST BLEW MY MIND.

They should feel like playgrounds for our sims, with all sorts of cool and interesting things to do, but in the end they just feel like less versatile versions of regular neighbourhoods.

I added a restaurant and a hotel to Granite Falls (hotel as in "a community lot with beds my sims can spend the night in"). As for Selvadorada, I didn't change anything at all, because I usually only send one sim there for exploring, I don't really see the point of bringing a whole family there when I'll only focus on one sim exploring anyway.

I use them occasionally, when I want my Sims to get away from work/school, but agree they are boring. I added a restaurant, which helps, but I wish we had more lot types. It is a shame the bowling and movies packs didn't include lot types. I wish we had a proper arcade lot and also a casino type lot. You could turn Granite Falls into a Lake Tahoe type vacation if we had casinos, and skiing. Instead we have a bunch of different types of club lots, which are pretty similar, and don't make vacations interesting, because "been there done that". It would be nice to get some new entertainment lots.

Towards the end of Sims 3 the Store got so many cool items, roller coaster, merry go round, a Venice style water ride, plus it had tons of arcade games. Ah but Sims 3 had so much more stuff. Of course it has it's flaws, but I miss being able to build really cool lots for my Sims.

"Frn0731;c-17425896" wrote:
I've made Granite falls into a Christmas village where the houses are all festively decorated. So whenever I want my sims to celebrate winterfest I take them on vacation to granite falls. This way I don't have to decorate my house for winterfest everytime.

Oh, I love that idea!
Can we build retaillots in GF? that way I could add a christmas market.