Where should we go?
 

My family is trying to come up with out summer 2020 vacation. We were going to go to Yellowstone NP but have now decided that a 10 day vacation centered largely around hiking and scenery was not a good move with a fresh 3 year old. We are now back to the drawing board.

We are looking for something that would have a combination of water activities, some light hiking and family activities. We definitely prefer nature to cities. This year we are going to Maui because it has a great mix of activities to keep entertained but would not exhaust us like a national park trip would. We are thinking a cabin by a lake possibly or an ocean town by a state park.

Would prefer to stay in North America but we are not ruling out Eastern Europe, Central America or the Caribbean.

Two ideas in the Pacific Northwest (or the Canadian Southwest ;) )

1. Fly to Vancouver BC and spend a couple of days in the city - tons of fun things for kids and parents. Then do a 7-night round trip cruise to Southeast Alaska. The cruise lines all offer kids' programs, have baby sitting services, and the ports of call have lots of options including short hikes, whale watching... Cruises can be VERY economical if you avoid overpriced shore excursions and stay away from the casino, and the Inside Passage scenery - islands, forests, mountains, glaciers, historic towns - is terrific.

2. Fly to Portland and spend a week or so in the Columbia River Gorge area. See the waterfalls (lots of trails) on the Gorge walls, visit Herman the Sturgeon at the Bonneville fish hatchery, take a chairlift up to the snow fields on Mount Hood, go to U-pick farms or orchards in the glorious Hood River Valley, visit the fun Maryhill Museum and Stonehenge replica overlooking the big river... It's all within an hour or 90 min. of Portland airport... terrific variety in a very compact region.

Thank you for your ideas, they are both great! We went to Alaska on our honeymoon and had a fantastic time, we hope to take our son there when he is a bit older. I LOVE the Portland idea! I will have to get to researching.

How about Bar Harbor, Maine, and Acadia National Park, one of the most beautiful places in the country? We spent so much time with our kids there when they were small, we eventually moved there. Not there anymore because winters felt too remote and cold, but we sure miss it. Hiking, serious and light, and, of course, scenery will be found. But Sand Beach and many other park activities are great for kids. Picnic on top of cadillac Mt. (you can drive there); popovers at the lakefront Jordan Pond House. Boat trips to see whales or simply hop to a couple of small islands. Great memories for our family.

Consider Devil's Thumb Ranch.
https://www.devilsthumbranch.com

A gorgeous, authentic, eco-friendly ranch with all the amenities, great restaurants, and fantastic service.

Fly to Denver, drive or take the train to Tabernash, CO. In Grand County, near Winter Park.

I second whitehall’s advice with one small correction: Acadia National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world, not just in the country😊. I have been to 34 countries, to many of them several times, but for me there is no corner in the world more stunning than Acadia. We keep going there every year twice a year... it has become our routine for the past 15 years. You will see a unique combination of the open ocean, mighty mountains, emerald forest, islands, bays with typical New England lighthouses... Acadia is a treasure of New England, our country and the whole world. Go there - you will not regret.