Top spots to take family vacations for the next 8-10 years before kids leave the nest

This really depends on what you and your kids like. Our family does lots of camping. We also like to rent condos in different places rather than staying at hotels. Myrtle Beach is a favorite. Niagara Falls was a good trip. Washington DC was also a big hit. Universal Studios is good for older adventurous kids. A canoeing trip is always fun. Our next big plan is to take our 4 weeks vacation all at one time and head west from MA. What do you and your children like to do?

Love this post...and really love taking my kids places. Right now they are 11, 13 and 15. Places we've loved are London, Ireland(2004), Pacific Northwest(Mt. Ranier, Olympic NP, San Juan Islands), Grand Canyon & Arizona(2003), New Mexico(many times), Chicago(2002), New England(many times), Vancouver & Victoria(2002), Utah Skiing(2005) and other places that are Okay, but I wouldn't return (Disney, Vail, Vegas).

Places I want to take them, but time is running out...California Coast, Nova Scotia, Yellowstone, Italy, Germany(my daughter speaks German), Paris, Costa Rica are all tops on my list.

I just hope they will still want to travel with us once they are in college

Something that I haven't done yet with my own kids (not old enough yet) but that I did as a kid was travel through Arizona. Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Tombstone, the Desert Museum and Zoo...I loved it. I want to wait until they're old enough to appreciate the natural beauty of the area and also to spend some time at one of the dude ranches and do some horseback riding. Would love to take them into the Canyon. I was 10 the first time I went to AZ and 14 the second time.

Right now, we're focused on the Disney trips. My kids (7,5, and 2 1/2) love it. Our third trip with them is scheduled for later this year. But I'm thinking about San Diego for the not-too-distant future. I think they're a great age for that city.

It's really hard for me to narrow down family trips to our "top spots" since we always seem to have a good time.

As far as US travel goes, we've enjoyed San Francisco very, very much (probably my kids favorite destination). My boys were in their teens.

Chicago is a great city to visit.

We live in NY so we are often in the city.

I think Boston is fabulous for younger children.

We all want to make a trip out west to the Grand Canyon & Sedona -- maybe next year.

Here's the good news slipperblue...my sons are soon to be 19 and 22, and they still enjoy traveling with their parents and even do a little traveling on their own. And we even get to do a little traveling on our own. See, everyone can be happy!

Good luck planning and savor every moment

Hi slipperblue, one thing I loved very much when I was in middleschool and highschool (long time ago) was going to Yosemite. Still have fond memories of all those visits.

I do not know where you live but SanFrancisco is usually a delight for families as is San Diego. Our daughter also loved Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria Island as well as Vancouver Island. Actually all of California, Oregon and Washington and western Canada seemed to always make for wonderful family vacations.

Washington DC was a big hit with both girls as they had family there so got to spend a month each. Hawaiian Islands was also enjoyed and remembered, as was various parts off Florida (all over the state of FL actually).

Death Valley and New Mexico were also favorites (except for the sandstorm in Death Valley, LOL).

I think your plan to expose your children to the US is wonderful. I wish we could have explored more than we did but feel fortunate we were able to do what we did. Best wishes.

Our kids were 8 and 11 last year when we visited our first National Park, now we are planning several summer visits to other parks across the country. We took them to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, they loved it as much as we did. I was afraid they might be "natured out", but they thoroughly enjoyed it.

We also enjoyed Colorado, visited the Denver area and stayed a week in Breckenridge. Beautiful and lots of fun stuff to do.

We are going to Maui and the Big Island this summer, which the girls are especially excited about. I probably would not take small children on such a long flight.

Next summer, Alaskan cruise and Denali National Park.

Future plans include the national parks in Utah and also Olympic in Washington.

Just reading through the trip reports on this forum gets us excited to plan the next trip!

How could I forget Washington, D.C.! Never enough time to cover everything while there!

Toronto is a great place to take kids -- mine were I think 8 and 11. They enjoyed the Skydome!

Your post made me realize that our favorite places are really varied. Ones I can think of off the top of my head include:
Anywhere in the PNW (coast, high desert, mountains, and cities)
Canadian Rockies
San Francisco
San Diego
Vermont
NYC
Hiking/backpacking trips
Road trips

You mention that international travel will have to wait, but you did not say why. If you are thinking that cost makes it prohibitive, take another look. Many times those trips can be less than more elaborate ones stateside. We have taken our children to Portugal, Italy, Scotland, England and France so far. I will say that it has been great. Fun, but they also have learned so much about the areas and the citizens.

I love all the suggestions! Yes - I am thinking international travel would be too expensive for our family of 5. In the back of my mind, I think a trip to Europe would be a great HS graduation gift. But realistically - we might be glad to afford college room & board for our twins - ha!

Twins and college...yeah, that might make me put it off too! If you think you can go though, try traveling in the off season. We have found that is our favorite time actually. Fewer people, cheaper, and easier traveling overall.

We've always gone to National Parks on vacations. We started when the boys were just toddlers but here is what we did from the time our youngest was age 8.

8 & 11 Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion.

9 & 12 San Diego Zoo, Carlsbad Caverns, Petroglyph, El Morro, Bandilier, Lake Powell, Pipe Springs, Zion.

10 & 13 Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Dinosaur National Monument, Arches, Canyonlands, day raft trip on Colorado River, Capitol Reef, Zion.

11 & 14 Smoky Mountains, Appromattox, Williamsburg, Washington DC, Gettysburg, Niagra Falls, Mammoth Cave, Zion.

12 & 15 Ship Rock, Chaco Culture National Historic Site, Aztec Ruins, Mesa Verde, Canyonlands-Needles District, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion.

13 & 16 Drove the Alaska Highway to Alaska and back.

14 & 17 (our trailer was totaled in an accident so we didn't get much vacation in this year.) Zion

15 Yosemite and Glacier (18 year old stayed home

16 & 19 they wanted to stay home.

17 & 20 (They missed going on vacation!) Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay.

Almost every spring we went to Yosemite National Park so I guess it's no surprise that both our sons proposed marriage to their now wives at there.

Utahtea

We live in the Chicago suburbs. When our kids were very young we confined our trips to Michigan, Wisconsin and southern Illinois (where my husband's parents live).

In '99, when our oldest was 13 and our youngest was 9, we took our first road trip. For sentimental reasons, our first big trip was to Colorado. My mother's father had taken each of his three children on one trip when they were growing up. My mother's was to Colorado. When I was growing up, our first family trip was to Colorado. So, of course, that was where we took our kids on their first big trip. But, sentiment aside, what could possibly be more dramatic for a first big trip than the Rockies?!

We also visited Mesa Verde and Santa Fe, NM on that trip.

The next year we headed northeast. We went to Montreal, Quebec City, Bar Harbor, ME, Burlington, VT, Cooperstown, NY (which we managed to hit on our son's 11th birthday) and Niagara Falls on that trip.

The following year we went South. We spent a night in Arkansas, a night in Vicksburg, a night in Natchez and a night in Breaux Bridge, LA on our way to four nights in New Orleans. We then spent two nights in Orange Beach, AL and a night in Nashville on our way home.

The next year we went west again. We went back to Frisco, Colorado. But this time, we headed north into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower before heading over to South Dakota and Custer State Park. We also spent a night in the Badlands before heading home.

In 2003 we went East because our daughter was interested in a college in Massachusetts. We started in New York City (after a night in Pennsylvania en-route). After three nights there, we went to Mystic, CT (with a stop along the way to tour a college in New London, CT). From there we went to Newport, RI. And then on to Plymouth, MA for five nights as a base to tour the area. After that, we spent two nights in the "Five College Area" of Massachusetts so that our daughter could interview at and tour Hampshire College (where she just finished her first year).

We really enjoyed all of our family road trips. And, as you can see, it's possible to combine family travel and college searching!

I guess it's lucky for us that our daughter chose a college out east. We certainly can't afford to travel and send her to school. At least this way, we get a bit of a trip as we're taking her out!

Washington DC is a GREAT place for a family vacation!!! I loved it as a kid in my own family (back in 1958--yipes!) and in all the times since, with different ages of kids and adults. There's soooo much to see and learn, and the Smithsonian museums there (Air and Space, American History) are educational in a FUN way for children.

hmmm, i'm 33, my sis is 35 and other sis is 26 and we still go on family trips!!!!

there is our yearly trip to the adirondacks and then some random ones...getting less frequent as we all graduated college and got married and have kids, but still there... trip to italy 6 years ago, a New England/Canada Cruise a few years ago and now a resort in puerto rico in 2006

My son's all-time favorite family trip was last year's trip to San Diego and drive up the west coast when he was 13. My daughter's favorite vacation was Atlantis (Bahamas) when she was 13.

We also spent a lot of time at beach vacations when they were younger. They still love to visit Cape Cod and the Maine coast, although they no longer consider it a "trip."

We've all enjoyed our Disney visits, esp the first time to DW Fla when they were 5 & 7, which I considered the optimum age.

We took them to London and Paris when they were around 8 & 10, and they loved it. Many, many great memories... But somehow, that is not their "all time favorite family vacation," although they speak of different experiences there often.

I wonder if it is just coincidence that that both their fav vacas were at age 13, or perhaps it has more to do with maturity, and sense of adventure of the age.

With my daughter about to enter her senior year of HS, I feel your sense of urgency loud and clear. It's really reassuring to read SeetheWorld's comments!

1. Yellowstone
2. England
3. Germany (if your kids love castles!) & Austria
4. The Mayan Riviera (beaches & history, Mexico
5. Washington D.C.
6. New England
7. New York City
8. Banff, Canada
9. Yosemite
10. Chateau country, France

Places I'd skip: San Diego & Vegas

We took our kids to Wahington DC and Disney World. Other then that we always rented a house at the ocean for a week. My husband was in school and it was the most economical vacation we could do. We've stayed on the Ocean with our kids from Martha's Vinyard, Virginia Beach,Long Beach,Outer Banks,Myrtle Beach,Ft Lauderdale, Miami,Clearwater,Panama City, Pensacola,and Narvarre. Needless to say, now as adults with kids of their own, they love the Ocean!

Of all the family vacations my parents took us on the most memorable has to be when we drove cross country andn saw EVERYTHONG! We live on Long Island so it was a true coast to coast. It took about 2 months, but we went to Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore Yosimite (sp),Petrified Forest, Hollywood,Alcatraz, San Francisco, Monument Valley, Grand Tetons, Disneyland, Disney World, New Orleans....well, you get the picture we went everywhere.....

It was kinda like the movie "vacation"...my dad bought a new Lincoln continental and off we went. I was 14 and my brother was 11...it was the best vacation.

Two words: ROAD TRIP! And they're never too young to start.

Like seetheworld and ediegirl, our kids still love traveling with us, and i hope it continues. Both DH and i traveled with our families through college.

Our kids have been traveling since they were babies. Its sometimes a challenge between football, internships, cheerleading camps etc and they don't always like to leave 'significant others' (they're typical busy, 'cool' kids) but its well worth the effort.

Road trips ROCK because we have our kids allllll to ourselves. Amazing what can be discussed, discovered, and enjoyed when you're on the open road together with few distractions. Driving facilitates that and is half the fun!

We started our 3 week out-west road trips (Griswold style ) when the kids were in elementary school. Thinking we'd only do one trip, we made a huge sweep of america, from the midwest to California and back, for 3 weeks and over 6000 miles.
Turns out we all loved it so much that we did it again ..... then again, and again.... and we're doing our 9 th (ninth) next month. Between 6500 - 8000 miles each, doing and exploring as much as possible, nat'l parks, big cities, little villages, major leaque baseball games, presidential museums, historical homes, whale watching, jeep tours, rafting etc etc.

We also drive (occastionally fly) to WDW and / or a florida beach every spring break and often take long weekend trips to Williamsburg or other mid-atlantic cities (ocean city, annapolis, DC)

We did a big UK / europe trip a few years ago and while the kids loved it too, we let them choose where we'd go this summer, europe, hawaii or out west, and they chose another out-west road trip adventure!

The love of traveling is contagious. Wherever you end up going, if you're excited, the kids will be excited. Have a great time, take tons of pics and have the kids keep travel journals. They're great fun to read years later!

We did Disney World with them as children but I think now I would love to go again and get a different perspective. Two are in college now and one still in HS but we too had a list of places to see with them before life got too hectic and college schedlules got in the way. I'm glad to see so many "older" kids still traveling with parents, ours still do! We've been to the Grand Canyon twice but the last time we did a four day rafting trip down the Colorado and the hiking out of the Canyon. They ranged in ages 11-16 then and nothing bonds a family more than the breathtaking beauty of the Canyon and the wild freezing cold rapids! Not too many kids can say they've hiked out of the Canyon.
Right after the oldest one graduated from high school we took a trip throughout Spain for three weeks. We visited all the "must see" cathedrals and castles and played in the Mediteranean Sea.
I don't think it much matters where you go as much as it matters that you do something that will forever bond you with your family. Travel makes that possible!

We started our kids out very young. With first son, we did camping trips in Michigan and nearby Canada. At 2 1/2 we drove to Washington, seeing Black Hills and Yellowstone on the way.

Once we added first daughter, we started to expand a bit. We did WDW and beaches, New England, Colorado,RMNP, YNP, GTNP,Isle Royale NP, DC, camping in Canada, and many places in between.

In the teen years, we added ski trips, Hawaii, cruises, and a few more national parks.

My kids are good travelers. We started them young and they still love to go!

Some of the best places to go don't have to be 100s or even 1000s of miles away. Search your local area to see if you are missing out on attractions, or amusement park within 1-3 hrs drive of your area. I would agree Niagara Falls is a great trip for children! Lots of walking, haunted houses on Clifton Hills, cave under the falls and walking up the falls along with Maid of the Mist.

As a kid my parents and/or grandparents took us all through Oregon and Washington (lived in Salem at the time. When we moved to the Bay Area we did other vacations (always driving) to Grand Canyon, Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon (lotta holes in the ground LOL), Death Valley (stayed at Scotty's Castle-loved it), went through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and "did" Glacier, Yellowstone, Grant Tetons (one of my very favorite places). Of course we did Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, Las Vegas (for my mom the city girl). All these trips were done during the time I was about 6 years old til about 16. I really liked most of it. I remember being hot and sticky (no air in the car in those days) and whinning sometimes, but for the most part I loved it. My grandfather taught me the names of all the mountains and the wildflowers. He knew about the history of a lot of the places. My dad loved nature and most of all the mountains. My mom was the "city girl" so we got a taste of that once in awhile, but she mostly went where my dad wanted to go. So I guess what I'm getting at is, I visited all those places when I was about the age of your kidss and I really enjoyed all those places. It's really hard to go wrong I think. My dad was born and raised in Portland Maine and my parents lived in New York for years. I didn't make it to the east until my late teens and by that time my dad had passed away so even though I enjoyed the trip with my mom, I really missed being able to go back to Maine with my dad. His heart never left there. I got to go to D.C. on that east coast trip also and it was wonderful. You probably could mix it up a bit like we did to try to give everyone a "taste" of what they like during your visits to where ever you decide to go. I think I liked the city stuff better as I got older. I just have always liked seeing any kind of place that was new to me and I can't really ever remember anyplace that I just hated. So pick your places and just do it. It will be so good for your kids and will begin to open their eyes to the world around them and your kids are very lucky that you are interested in giving them this exposure and starting at a young age.

Preferably someplace outside of the US.

Oh crefloors, the road trips without any a/c in the cars. My how you bring back memories. After WWII we took a few vacations to ClearLake and after that to Lake Tahoe every summer. My dear father wanted to stretch his vacation out to the very last moment. Soooo, we would leave Lake Tahoe at the end of the afternoon, which meant driving down to Sacramento (where he always took us to a great Italian restaurant) with the sun shining in the windshield of the car. It was like being in a sauna. By the time we got to Sacramento (and you know how hot it is there) I felt like a baked potato, LOL. But dinner was always wonderful (although I am sure we were a rumpled looking mess), cesaer salad prepared table side etc.

And after dinner a cool ride down to the Bay Area. Thank you for the memories :

So, Laguna..pray tell why? Never mind..don't think I really want to go there.

LoveItaly..remember the orange juice stands along the highway in SACTO? When we were living in Oregon I got my first trip to Calif. I was about 8 I think. Went from SF to Tahoe. I say PALM TREES!!!!! Oh yea...the "tropics"!! I was sooo excited and the OJ stands..fresh squeezed, right off the trees. It was all orchards through there in those days.

because it is more enlightening and more interesting to go outside the US.

We went to Florida every year when the kids were very young because one set of grandparents lived in Punta Gorda. So we Disneyed ourselves silly and went to various beaches and other parts of FLA.

In 93 at ages 13 and 9 we took a trip out west to Colorado Springs and Estes Park, Fort Collins and fell in love with the west.
94, we went to Utah, Jackson Hole, (Snake River whitewater trip ) ,Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Badlands. That was a 3000 mile road trip we will never forget.
95, we went to the Smoky Mountains area, that was ok, at least we were all together!
96 we went to California- Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Monterey Bay Peninsula, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. We had a great time.
We had another Florida trip to Disneyworld and Sanibel somewhere in there when my daughter played in the Disneyworld parade with her H.S. band.
Our last family vacation was to Glacier National Park, including Waterton in Canada, Yellowstone again, Sawtooth Mountains and a Salmon River trip in Idaho.
Since then it is just me and hubby and we have been to Vancouver and the Pacific Rim, New Mexico several times, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest and Sedona, California Wine Country and San Francisco, and Italy.
We are going to New Mexico again this summer and are considering a vacation home there.

Don't forget Hawaii!

hi slipperblue, i think i can narrow this down for you alot. i was going to tell you about our family train trip to denver from phila,then dude ranch in wyoming, etc but i have read through all these posts and one thing is crystal clear. everybody who's been anywhere with their family has loving memories - and isn't that really the point.

My boys are only 2 and 5, but I have a list of places I'd like to go with them, also when their ages are appropriate.

Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Yellowstone, Banff, Canadian Rockies, Pacific Northwest, Olympic, Arches and maybe Alaska

NYC, New Orleans, Wash DC, San Francsico, Seattle

WDW (several times), Hawaii (Several times), Phoenix and Palm Springs (we live in San Diego and these are nice 3 or 4 day trips in the spring)

Caribbean when the little one is old enough for kids clubs

Europe and Australia and New Zealand when older

Hope you find some good ideas you hadn't thought of. Happy planning!

Today I asked my sons to name their favorite vacation spot and they couldn't. All they could talk about were the memories -- the time one of them got lost (yes, it's true) or when they slept together and someone had an "accident" in their sleep, or the time we had to bring one of them to the hospital during a beach vacation. We look back at those times and all of the other experiences we shared while together and smile. Over the years, we have had lots of laughs but what I think is so special is the fact that our memories still make us laugh.

I agree Virginia...loving memories are what matter the most.

crefloors, the orange stands, omg yes!!! Also, A&W Rootbeer drive in's along with their chili dogs! BTW, I just read about 6 months ago there is still an original orange juice stand in Dixon. I must check that out. That would be a fun thing to do this summer.

IMHO any family trip is something that everyone will remember. The good and the bad memories. The kid getting lost, the kid having an accident, the kid throwing up in the car, the dumpy hotel etc., even those memories can give a families good chuckles forever. It is the family being together that everyone will remember.
Happy family summer trips to all!

Hello LoveItaly, nice to "see" you! Having a fun visit with your grandson, I hope

Our oldest son is going off to college this fall, so wanting him all to ourselves(and our younger 3 kids), we rented a villa in st john(desolate east end of all places) and had a great time just being together. We snorkeled and fished daily, and played cards,yahtzee at night. My husband and I laughed saying he can't escape us here. We have also gone to hawaii,caymans and colorado skiing. Next year his schedule will not allow all this travel we have enjoyed in the past.












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What a great post, and wonderful responses. Our kids have really loved our family vacations, and we look forward to years more of them. Probably the optimum age for most places to visit is when the kids are old enough to appreciate them - but I'm not sure what age that is!

We live in the Rocky Mountains, and get lots of wilderness time on the weekends (hiking, biking, canoeing, rafting, fishing, etc.), so we've found our vacations tend to be to more urban spots (and to expose our kids to experiencees they don't get at home). Here's where we've been so far with the kids:

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, 1 1/2 and 5 years old: One of my favorites, the geysers are great.

Boston and the Maine coast, 2 1/2 and 6 years old: Our oldest loved the Freedom Trail and eating lobster in Maine, which we picked up every night from the lobster pound down the road from our rental house.

Washington, D.C. and Virginia, 4 1/2 and 7 years old: We spent more time in Williamsburg than we planned, lots of times in museums, and even the youngest remembers dinner at the Ethiopian restaurant.

San Francisco and Carmel/Monterey area, California, 5 1/2 and 8 years old: S.F. is a favorite of the whole family, we've been there several times, and they loved hanging out on the beaches on the coast and visiting the Monterey Aquarium.

New Orleans, two trips, one at infancy and 4 years old, the other at 6 1/2 and 9 years old: They loved Cafe du Monde, the Mississippi River, the Zoo, and we love the food (they liked that too).

San Diego, 4 and 7 years old: A kid-oriented trip, we visited Legoland, SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo. They enjoyed it; I would have liked more time on the beaches.

New Mexico, various ages: An easy weekend trip for us, we focus on Taos and Santa Fe, but there's much more to see in New Mexico.

Chicago, various ages: We grownups used to live here, so we go back every couple of years. The kids love it, and never tire of riding the El, love the Art Institute and Museum of Science and Industry, and eating pizza.

Plus misc. visits to relatives in various places.

On my list of places still to take the kids to: Pacific Northwest, Grand Canyon, New York City, back to Yellowstone, National Parks in Utah, Mt. Rushmore, more time in New Hampshire and Vermont, all those places in our own state that we never seem to get to (doesn't everyone have those).

The bottom line is, experience as a family whatever your family enjoys, and they will be memories for a lifetime.

EmilySD,

There is no need to wait to go to the National parks with your young sons. I started my list of the places we took our sons starting with the age that the orginal poster wanted to know about...but it's never to early!

By the time my first born son was 3 and before he had a little brother he had already been to Yosemite, Carlsbad Caverns, Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley, Monument Valley, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Cedar Breaks, Lassen, Lava Beds, Mt. Rainer, North Cascades, Olympic, Victoria Island, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison (when it was just a national monument), Colorado National Monument, Dinosuar, and Lehman Caves (before it was Big Basin National Park).

He might not remember the parks, but he was with mom and dad and was having a blast! It also gave him an early appreciation for nature and travel.

Utahtea

Once our kids reached middle school age, they had better vacation ideas than we did - so let them dream as well. For example, we were planning a trip to London and our 14 year old son said he wanted to go to Egypt instead. We at first dismissed the idea for cost and logistical reasons - but went and have no regrets. (I said to my husband, "would you rather have X amount more money when we retire or have touched a pyramid with our kids?")

Successful trips (from Boston area) over last few years (kids now 14 and 19) are:
Bar Harbor/Acadia/ferry to Nova Scotia
Washington, DC
Seattle and drive coast to San Francisco
Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon and drive to San Diego
Cruise to Bermuda (this one was last year and idea of 19 year old son who hates to get dressed up - he had a great time - they are so unpredictable)
Baseball Hall of Fame, Niagara Falls, Toronto

Our kids have each taken a trip with a school group over vacation (school-endorsed and chaperoned, but not a class trip) - one to Italy and one to Scandinavia.

Travel is not over when they go to college - although cost gets to be a more major factor. This year we are planning to go to Yellowstone but we need to work out schedule because of summer jobs, college schedule, HS sports starting time, etc.

Beware - if you travel with your kids, they may want to go far away to college - our son is 1000 miles away in Savannah (at least he picked a nice city)

One long trip to the West--it is unique in the world for its natural wonders. And of course, San Francisco and LA.
Ski trips, beach trips.
Trips to Washington, NYC. These trips were during some significant museum exhibits (Tut in DC and Picasso in NYC).
Philadelphia. Finally, Europe, when old enough to appreciate it (graduation trip for oldest son). And we returned with children and their spouses to Paris this past fall. If you take them early and have fun, they will always love to travel with you--a true blessing for us.
Let them have a budget to spend when travelling so they learn to handle their own money--not an unlimited pocketbook from DAD.

We started flying with our oldest when she was 2 and our youngest when she was 1.
Here are some of the places we took them, in some sort of chronological order to get an idea of the ages.

1. Sanibel Island
2. Big Red Boat Cruise / Disney World
3. Aruba
4. Jersey Shore
5. Puerto Rico
6. Disney World
7. Caribbean Cruise on Carnival (fave)
8. Cape Cod (fave)
9. Panama
10. Ft. Lauderdale/ Fl. Keys
11. Puerto Vallarta - they loved this
12.California- LA/Santa Monica/Disneland
fave - they liked it better than Fla.
13.Hawaii Big Island and Oahu (all time fave and begging to go back)
14.Disney Cruise - another fave

This year it will be d.c. and Charleston and next year Alaska! Needless to say, they love to travel. They have already racked up enough FF miles on their own.

I agree international they can do on their own.

ttt

I've got five kids ranging from 4 to 21. Over the last ten years, we've been to Disneyworld (twice), St. John USVI, St. Thomas, the Maine Coast, Hawaii (Maui, Kauai & Oahu), SF & the Moneteray Peninsula, LA & SD, Bryce, Zion & Grand Canyon, Baltimore & DC, and Charlottesville, VA (multiple times - Grandpa lives there on a lake & golf course) - we haven't found a place yet that the older kids didn't like - this year we will torment by going back to Hawaii - Big Island & Maui

We take our kids on a summer trip every year, and we all take turns choosing the place. So far HANDS DOWN the kids absolutely loved a cruise to the Caribbean. Cave tubing in Belize, Snorkeling in Cozumel - they loved the ship more than anything, though! At the time they were 14 and 8. It has been 2 years now, and they have been begging to go on another one ever since.
Chile

We tend to like just a sprinkle of disaster with our vacations. We actually drove up to an amusement park that we thought opened at 8 am, empty parking lot. The "moose" said it would open at 11. LOL

Vacations may not have to stop when they are in college and you can even use the college town they choose as mini-vactaions.

My younger daughter (19) chose Univ of MN/twin cities and a couple of times this year we picked up older daughter (21)from her college and spent a long weekend checking out the museums, Mall of America, Ft. Snelling and caught a live show of a Jesus Christ Superstar production on Good Friday.

Like one of the above posters said, being together is part of the fun.

Older daughter says our vacation last fall was one of her favorites, camping in the Tetons & Yellowstone.

We've also done:
San Francisco bay area
Cancun/Chichen Itza
Disney World & Cocoa Beach
Washington DC
Wisconsin Dells & Door County (camping & tornado!)
2 St. Louis Rams games, one in a luxury box
Colorado camping (YD fell head first out of the whitewater raft, I caught her by the ankle)

Lots of Black Hills camping & boating

Just pick a place and enjoy your family and make those memories.

My kids liked west coast trips (from San Diego up to Vancouver, BC), Yellowstone/ Grand Tetons, Maui and Oahu. Also, they both enjoyed our trip to Austin TX six years ago, and my daughter decided to attend law school there.

Our son will be 12, next month.

High on our list has been the following:

Paris
London
Amsterdam
Germany
Portland, Oregon
Colorado (all over, live here)
Baltimore, MD
Washington, D.C.
San Francisco
Glenwood Springs Hot Springs

Places that want to take our son to visit before he graduates:

Yellowstone
Grand Canyon (we went as newlyweds, but son hasn't been)
New York City
Chicago
Beach vacations, likely North Carolina (something we never made time for)
Italy
Hawaii

My son is 16. Places I have taken him are:

Disney World, Maine, New Hampshire, Turks and Caicos, Ireland, Italy, France, Arizona, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, New York City, Washington, DC, Western Caribbean Cruise, Costa Rica.

great question now that my second and last is leaving home for college in the fall. we spent years going to sanibel island for beach front vacations and had a great time. but as time went on, they all flowed together. so when my son hit about 13 and my daughter eight, we started taking winter vacations to europe. london paris italy spain prices were very reasonable, no lines anywhere, weather moderate and the memories that we have were fabulous

LoveItaly: We may have rubbed shoulders and not even known it. My ex-wife's family owned a beachfront house on the east side of Clearlake between the towns of Clearlake Oaks and Lucerne and we would visit them often. She now owns a home in Kelseyville with a great lake view and I visited often until a few years ago when she remarried.

To answer the original posters questions, as my kids were growing up, I wanted to impart the same love and sense of history that I have so most of our trips involved visits to historic sites of one kind or another. They are both now in their forties but still talk about trips we made to civil war battlefields, the California and Nevada gold and silver rush towns, Washington, DC, and the California missions. We did more touristy things on our trips also (Disneyland, the beach, etc) but they remember the history more vividly even if they didn't appreciate it as much at the time.

I read this entire thread, because ironically I was just putting together the formation question to a post along similar subject lines.

I'm trying to organize a trip with all my kids and all their kids. 12 people today and the smallest will be 5 next summer when it happens with the kids at 7, 10, 11, 13 (remaining ages).

You all gave me so much to think about.

Drive vacations really are the best, but I can't think with these people how we could do that in caravan. It wouldn't work.

Look for a thread in about 2 weeks from me with some specific information, especially about Western dude ranches or Colorado summer favorite locations.

I've traveled many cities with one son, but it is going to be DIFFICULT to get some of these people to travel at all. One family is strictly campers and the biggest, family of 5, has been more places than I. So it will be a challenge.

All of these USA locations are terrific and I would an Alaskan cruise but that time frame is just not in the picture.

I would like out West, since most of my kids know east of the Mississippi far, far more than West of it.

I would LOVE, LOVE Sedona and a Slide Rock day, but the logistics of that for us aren't good. I would also myself prefer San Diego or D.C.

Those two are tremendous vacations with a family right now.

We do road trips every year with our boys.
2005 5/9 LA, Sedona, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, San Francisco and down the coast to LA
2006 6/10 Alaska, Washington, Olympic Peninsula, HOH Rainforest, and Oregon Coast
2007 7/10 Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, Arches and Capitol Reef
This summer 7/11 Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, BadLands, Montana and Idaho.

We'd love some fun suggestions for the boys. Plan on doing some camping and some motels. It's our first adventure in camping. Have fun. e

What an absolute delight to read all of these messages! We are a couple with only 1 child (age 16)and we have traveled various places in this world. We traveled before our son's unexpected arrival and still do. We love to travel and sometimes feel like we are a rarity as so many people seem to go to WDW and that is it. Like WDW is the real world. Traveling is not only fun family time, but very educational! As a former teacher I enjoy reading that people know that vacations with the kids are more than a vacation. We are sad to think our son will be out of high school in 2 years, as that means our travel time together will be even more compromised than by high school vacation time. Seeing the world through his eyes has really opened our eyes to sights and sounds that we might have overlooked. We have done many things that we probably as adults would not have done. He knows how lucky he has been to visit Alaska, Mexico, numerous Caribbean Islands, many US states, big cities and little cities! Enjoy your family time!

I am reading all these wonderful stories and wishing that I could have taken our children on these unbelieveable vacations. We actually didn't have a lot of extra money for vacations and oh how I wished that we had, but, the Lord provided us with a lot of wonderful memories with the places we were able to afford. Mainly, the vacations were spent at a beautiful fishing lake in Wisconsin with the expenses being paid by my in-laws. The little town provided some entertainment and the Fish Frys at local restaurants were always delicious.

I had always wanted to take them to Disney World, hearing the stories of all the trips that my friends had taken there. So, I went ahead and charged everything that summer to finally give them that experience. We loved it and will always remember the fun we had. We even took them on their first airplane ride in doing so. They were like 8, 11, and 13 on their first plane ride and trip to Disney World!

We had also taken them for two nights at the Wisconsin Dells which they really enjoyed, especially Noah's Ark water park and Paul Bunyan's Restaurant.

Today, my daughter works for the airlines and travels everywhere. My son is taking his children, ages 5 and 7 to visit my younger son in LA and will take them to Disneyland for a day.

Princess - we also took our kids "up north" every summer. The fact that we couldn't afford anything else isn't as important as the fact that we went somewhere together every year.
Guess what - not one summer goes by that feels right to them if they don't go up to the lake.

I agree with ange. We didn't have a lot of extra money growing up and the family went camping in the mountains every year. Those are some of my favorite memories of growing up. It doesn't matter how much the vacation costs. To this day, I love the mountains and always feel "at home" in mountains everywhere.

Or places closer to home too- they work!

I am shocked at how many people take their kids to WDW or Europe exclusively, without ever visiting the next state in particular. And in this country the immense differences in landscape and culture do exist one from another in not that much disparity of distance.

Illinois is a perfect example. You need not exit the state. Go straight south on I-57 and onwards- and it's an entirely different language sound and cadence (just one aspect) before you hit Missouri or KY. And the topography changes too, before the name of the state does.

I have to also second the absolute value in experience of far flung USA
drive vacations with children. It's the most uniquely educational experience, IMHO, not just about continental topography and cultural variance, but about each other. You get the good and the bad and everything in between and you take on an adventure as a family unit.

JJ5 - Have you heard of the YMCA of the Rockies? It might be perfect for a group like you'll have. It is near Denver - in the Rockies - and has activities available. A friend told us about it and we enjoyed it.

Budget Travel had a list of 15 spots to see before age 15 that is another place to start for ideas:

• Grand Canyon
• Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
• Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
• Freedom Trail, Boston
• The Alamo, San Antonio
• Niagara Falls, N.Y.
• Gettysburg, Pa.
• Monticello, Va.
• Independence Hall, Philadelphia
• Disney World, Orlando
• Colonial Williamsburg
• Redwoods National Park, Calif.
• Alcatraz, San Francisco
• Ground Zero, New York City
• Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

We've traveled a lot with our 16 year old, but haven't hit all 15 yet.

Debbie

We take a family vacation every summer--the kids will be 19 & 17 this year. They have been to all of the lower 48 states. We started the trips when our oldest was 3 yrs. old (after 2-1/2 yrs. of visiting Grandma in Las Vegas). We live in the middle of the country, so we're never more than 1/2 a country away!
The favorites (somewhat in order, starting with the best):
Mt. Rushmore/Yellowstone/Grand Tetons
Bar Harbor, ME/Vermont/New Hampshire
San Francisco
New York City
Keystone, CO (skiing & summer)
Chicago
California coast
Seattle/Vancouver
Outer Banks, NC
Bryce Canyon/Zion Nat'l Park

We've had some "intersting" adventures, but never a truly bad trip. Next stop...Niagara Falls, Toronto & Montreal.

Washington, DC for sure
NYC
Myrtle Beach, SC
Tampa, FLA
Orlando, FLA (can be combined with Tampa)
San Fransico, CA
Boston, MA and day trips around
Chicago

My children have "left the nest." Above are some of the family trips we have taken. Both of my oldest children went to Europe in their senior year of high school. Now my youngest has graduated; we are getting ready to go to Europe together.

I recommend Fort Desoto Park (near Tampa, FL) if you are camping people. Some of the best trips of my youth were there. It's not too expensive, and you can get camper or tent camping spots ON THE WATER. Clean, great bathrooms, close to shopping, great for fishing, boating or kayaking. An all around great time. You can book online about 7 months in advance--- PLAN AHEAD. The best spots book out EARLY. Their website: http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm

Thanks, traveler2005, I will absolutely look up the YMCA of the Rockies.

LoveItaly and others, your road trip discriptions brought back lots of memories as well. We didn't do anything other than drive vacations and only a couple in my youth- but one was to NYC and in my twenties we drove to FL en masse a couple of times.

How many of you remember Stuckies signs and "See Rock City" for over 1000 miles? I never see a pecan without remembering those yes also, non-a.c. trips. Talk about no seat belts- I can remember laying down on the back window ledge to sleep.

All the road trip vacations through the states of less density will give your kids an awareness of USA logistics and identity, far more than any book or cultural enlightenment- especially if it lasts 4 or 5 hours between bathroom stops.

My oldest son who does immense drive vacations with 3 kids, wife- often and usually starting with rented car after a flight- started the pattern with a 15 day old baby driving to see Mt. Rushmore from Chicago. It was 101 degrees when they got there. The pictures shows his wife Tricia and this infant looking out at a rock through the air cond. car window. I really laughed at that one. But do you know, they bought remember it as pivotal and tell Jessica about it as family lore. LOL!

This gives his kids such a sense of who THEY are, not just who or what another culture is.

Sorry, laguna92688, as I do not agree with you at all. You need to see and know quite a bit of your own, and where your feet stand first, before you can enlighten or relate context of difference to another realistically.

I absolutely love European, Asian etc. travel but when the kids are open and so full of energy there are 3000 plus miles of complex differences to see here first.

Growing up as a Navy Brat, we always traveled to Wisconsin every summer to visit family -- no matter where we lived. Even California. 3 kids and a dog in the back seat, and no air conditioning. We loved it. Road Trips still get me excited. I love to fly, but you see SO MUCH of the U.S. by car.
Since my daughter was born I have been taking her somewhere on vacation every single year. She needs to see the U.S. (And Europe when we can afford it). When I got remarried my then 10-yr old stepdaughter had never been out of Wisconsin. She and my new husband were brought along in my "Travel Every Year" plan, and she now has the travel bug in her blood!
Every year the 4 of us take turns choosing the summer vacation. They are now 10 and 16. This is where we have gone:

Orlando, FL
Pensacola Beach, FL
San Antonio and Corpus Christi, TX
New Orleans
1 Caribbean cruise
Minneapolis (Spring Break)
Upper Michigan (fishing trip)
Gatlinburg, TN

We have no idea where we are going next summer. Husband's turn, and he's keeping it a surprise!

My son is 4 and so far we've been to

Disney (twice)
San Diego - loved Legoland and Coronado
Washington DC

We're going to NYC this summer and the following places are what I'd like to do before he turns 18.

Seattle/Vancouver
Cape Cod + Martha's Vineyard
Oahu + Hawaii
Italy
Yellowstone + Grand Tetons
New Mexico
Bar Harbor Maine
Outerbanks NC
Niagara Falls

Definately the South west. We have done an RV trip Bryce, Zion, and GC. My kids then 8 loved it! We are and active outdoor family. Also PEI and Cape Breton Island have been huge. Don't miss out on the pure luxury of a Carribean vacation (they can be less than travelling in the US. Also I am a New Englander at heart, so the White Mountians of NH are spectacular

You can see by my screen name that I'm biased, but check out tamarackidaho.com. I love it and my kids love it, too

-Vail; in the summer- perfect weather, cheap rates, horse back riding, bike riding, hiking, rafting.
-San Diego; zoo, Legoland, -short drive to L.A. and Disney-good beaches along the way.
-Niagara Falls; Maid of the Mist,Cave of the Winds, also see Fort Niagara and Toronto.
-D.C.; with day trip to Monticello.
-Lake Tahoe; in winter,with day trips
around area.
-San Antonio (Alamo)& Houston (NASA);- same trip with short drive between.

Although I have no children, I do know my hometown .... Baltimore (also known as Bawlmer). Bawlmer offers a lot for kids of all ages. There is the Port Discovery Kids Museum, the National Aquarium, the Baltimore Zoo, the Maryland Science Center (with IMAX theatre), the Inner Harbor with paddle boats, Fort McHenry, the Flag House, the Oriole's in the summer, the Ravens in the fall/winter, the Hippodrome Theatre for Broadway shows, ghost tours in Fells Point, boat rides on the Inner Harbor, the Baltimore Ducks ride (which is an amphibius land/water machine), and downright nice people. If you have never had steamed crabs, that is a whole experience in itself ... try Obrycki's. Come and visit us, or as our stupid slogan says, "Get in on it!!" Washington, D.C. is only about 35 miles from Bawlmer, so that opens up lots of new possibilities previously stated by other Fodor's members.

I forgot one really special place to visit ... The B&O Railroad Museum.

Eupore

Alaska

Bryce/Zion

I'm hoping my kids still want to travel with us when they are older - my oldest is 14 and shows no signs of not wanting to continue - in fact he keeps recommending new places!

Here's our list of some of our more memorable vacations:

London and England
Cape Cod (every other year - favorite)
Colorado - (3 loop trips of state)
San Francisco
San Diego
NYC - lots of day trips
St. John
Zion/Bryce/Sedona
Washington DC
North Captiva Island

They did not love Disney (liked Universal a lot better) or Yellowstone (perhaps we took them a bit too young), but we had a good time - just not as great as the above.

Here's on our list:

South Dakota
Germany/Switzerland
Costa Rica
Alaska (this is a bit further down the list; the above 3 are greater priorities).

You have the same goal as I do!
First famiy trip now yearly is Wisconsin Dells good for all ages and only a 3hr trip from home.
Second and most loved Disney World.I'd say 7 and older is optimum age.My are teens and still love it.Didnt care for Universal or Sea World but a must.
Third San Antonio Texas lots of history(Alamo) beauty and fun.Mexico is just a few hours drive.
State capitals.We live in Illinois and they loved all the Abe Lincoln history and pioneer villages.
Washington Dc,Gettysburg,Williams burg,Niagra falls.
It doest matter where you go just drive there and stop along the way and take pics in every state.We have hit 27 states by driving in 5yrs,I set aside 2weeks per year and drive.One day we droove to Michigan for lunch,hit the beach and drove home.

drivergirl, I am so glad you brought this one up to the top. I loved reading this! Our children are 8 and 12 1/2 and have been to:
*Disney World (more times than I can count)
*Disney Cruise
*Outer Banks (3 times)
*NYC daytrips (live close for a while)
*Turks & Caicos
*Baltimore
*VA Beach
This summer we are headed to Hawaii (Oahu, Kauai, Maui). We also plan to take each of the children separately to experience different cities - DH and DS are headed to NYC (haven't been in ages), while DD and I are headed to Chicago.

While driving back from our holiday visits to family this year, the four of us made a list of places to put on our short list - but it ended up pretty long! The kids came up with some great ideas: Alaska, California, Grand Canyon, white water rafting in WV, anywhere in the Caribbean, Italy, Germany, Ireland, China, ...
It really doesn't matter where we go, but it is great to be able to share learning about a new place together. It is almost overwhelming trying to decide where to go, as there are just so many wonderful places in the world, many of them right here in the U.S. And planning together is part of the fun

Costa Rica!!!!!!