Issues with planning our vacation?

MY husband and I have no children, but take our dogs on vacation with us due to boarding them being so expensive. This year, with gas and everything being so high we're limited in where we can go. I suggested staying at my mother's, and using her house as sort of a home base and take a few overnight trips from there. Also since she lives near Chicago, there's a ton of things we can go out and do.

Now a friend of his who has been working in the amercian embassy in Russia is planning on coming home for a visit during the first 4 days of our vacation, and my husband wants to stay home and hang out with him. I'm totally against leaving 4 days late, we only have 1 week.

What should I do? Personally, I'm all for me going up to my mom's with the dogs and let him follow on the train when he wants to. Me and the dogs can go to indiana beach every day that he's not there. Then when he catches up we can do other things.