kasuel

We are a family of 4 (2 dds who will be 5.5 at time of trip) looking for input on August family vacation destinations (7-10 days in mid August). I have read quite a bit, but it can be hard to tell which places are worth flying across the country for, and which are nice if you happen to be in the area!

We live in central Texas and prefer a direct flight. We would like mainly a relaxing trip. We like outdoor activities, swimming, light hikes, and some activities like aquariums, museums, zoos, etc. Total budget 5000 (including airfare). The kids like the beach, mom (me) doesn't love it, but can deal with it. We would want to rent a condo or suite hotel or similar. Prefer 1 destination, but willing to do 2 stops. I would appreciate input on the following (or other suggestions).

Fly into Denver and spend some time in 1 or 2 spots in CO.

San Diego - is the beach good for swimming or not? I read conflicting info on the Southern CA beaches.

New Hampshire (fly into Boston and stay in White Mtns - do Santa's Village or Storyland. Can't tell if it is worth flying from Texas)

Northern Cal - San Fran/Santa Cruz/ Tahoe/yosemite (not all but some combination).

Florida beach trip? Is August too miserable?

Any input on any of those thoughts or other suggestions? TIA!

boom_boom

In August the SoCal beaches should be fine for swimming. If you get north of LA it can be a different story. Much to do in San Diego....in addition to the beaches you;ve got Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park (a few miles north), Old Town, GasLamp District, USS Midway Museum and also a bit north, Legoland.
Personal choice would be NorCal, Yosemite, etc but the dds might like San Diego area better.

Jaya

If you come to NH (that's where I live), you can do and see so much here. It's an easily drivable state and you can do lots of day trips.

But, try to fly into Manchester, NH (MHT) and not Boston. Check Southwest airlines. They have several departure points in TX. The Manchester airport is much more pleasant and manageable than Boston's Logan.

321go

August in Florida will be hot and humid. I would guess that you're accustomed to heat/humidity in the summer? We often have afternoon thunderstorms which would interrupt your beach plans, but if you were to come to Florida, I'd suggest staying near Tampa/St. Petersburg. Good beaches, the Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo (an excellent zoo for families - lots to do there), Busch Gardens, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Salvador Dali Museum are located in the area.

kasuel

Thanks for the quick responses!

I couldn't find a direct flight into New Hampshire, but it was a quick search.

San Diego does sound like it has a lot also... DH seems to think we should wait until the girls are older for that. I would love to do Yosemite, etc, but I am can't decide if that would be a great trip for us now. DH and I have been to San Francisco and Monterey and loved it, though.

I am worried that FL will be too hot. Texas of course gets hot, and I would like to escape that. But the kids do love beaches. We have been to SanDestin and enjoyed it, but that was in June.

I have much to think about! Thank you for the great replies!

kasuel

Sorry I was in a rush and part of that didn't make sense. I am not sure why DH thinks San Diego should wait, and I can talk him out of that unless others agree with him. So it is definitely in the running, I was just letting you know the reasons why it is a maybe, not a definite. Thanks!

gail

NH is a nice place for a vacation, but I am not sure it is worth flying across the country with 2 kids - and also not sure it meets all your requirements. You could find plenty of outdoor activities, lake beach (even day trip to ocean) - but not a great deal in way of museums-zoos-aquariums unless you build in a few days in Boston (an idea worth considering but might be a budget-buster). Santa's Village or Storyland are certainly not worth a cross-country flight.

While Southwest does fly into Manchester, I would opt for non-stop into Boston rather than changing planes with kids.

Florida is very miserable in August.

I might vote for San Diego. There are beaches, nearby outdoor activities, and enough indoor museum-type things to keep you happy. The weather is almost guaranteed to be wonderful.

kasuel

I think we will save Boston until the girls are a bit older, so I wasn't planning on spending much time there if we went to New Hampshire.

It sounds like FL is not a great idea.

Any votes for Colorado? (Denver is a cheap flight?)

It sounds like San Diego is in the lead, but we are open to other suggestions!

Thanks for all the input!

Orlando_Vic

"Florida is very miserable in August."

Yes, that is true. But (as a native Californian) I can honestly say that Florida has nicer beaches with warmer water. Just spend your mornings at the beach and stay inside when the afternoon thunderstorms roll in.

_____________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Littleman

Everyone in Texas, LA, TN, AR, AL and GA goes to Destin, FL in the summer. Fly to Destin and spend a week at The Sandestin Hilton where there is plenty to keep the young kids busy. The beach is white sand and the water is clear blue.

The Sandestin Hilton @ 4000 S Sandestin Boulevard, Destin, FL 850 - 267 - 9500.
http://www.sandestinbeachhilton.com/

janisj

"We live in central Texas and prefer a direct flight."

You've mentioned 'direct' flights several times. I'm pretty sure what you mean are non-stop flights. Direct and non-stop are not the same thing.

IMO San Diego wouldbe perfect for a family w/ kids the ages of yours.

The wild animal park, zoo, LegoLand, beaches, Sea World - plus DisneyLand is a 90 minute drive north. You won't find better weather anywhere. The beaches are good for swimming but if you find the water too cold, most hotels also have heated swimming pools.

Yosemite is magnificent -- but August is about the worst month to visit. Massive crowds and hot/dry conditions w/barely a trickle in the waterfalls.

martym

Colorado is lovely in August--warm temps, very blue skies and very low humidity. Denver has a zoo http://www.denverzoo.org/, aquarium http://tinyurl.com/27stucp, the Museum of Nature and Science, a couple of water parks (no beaches in Denver!!) http://www.waterworldcolorado.com/ http://www.elitchgardens.com/attractions.aspx

The Colorado Rockies are wonderful in the summer. Estes Park, the eastern gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/ is about 1 1/2 hr from Denver, Glenwood Springs http://www.hotspringspool.com/, with its huge hot springs pool, as a 3 1/2 hour drive. Aspen is about 45 min from Aspen and gorgeous in the summer.

If you don't want to go all the way to Glenwood, Mt Princeton Hot Springs are a couple of hours from Denver--http://www.mtprinceton.com/

Actually any of the ski resort areas of Colorado have lots going on the in the summer. So it is easy to do a few days in Denver then the rest of the time somewhere in the mountains.

A personal note: Gowing up in southern Illinois in the summer heat and humidity, Colorado always seemed like paradise to me when I was young--with the dry air, no mosquitos and bright sunshine--so much so that I've now lived here for 32 years!

Have fun choosing where to go this summer!

kasuel

Thanks for more suggestions!

Yes, I did mean non-stop, sorry for the confusion. I just want to minimize travel time with the kids.

I think we will narrow it down to CO and San Diego and take a family vote (mountains v. beach). I am sure I will have more specific questions once we have picked a destination. Thank you all for your help!

gail

The reason some of us get so picky about non-stop versus direct terminology is that if you were to call an airline and specify direct, they might put you on a flight that stops somewhere - which we know is not what you want.

kasuel

That is good to know, thanks!

stumpworks73

Monterey, CA fits many of your requirements.

You can get direct flights to San Jose, about 90 minutes from Monterey. The aquarium, hiking and biking paths are world class. The beach is beautiful, but the water is never inviting even in August. Nearby Pacific Grove and Carmel are pleasant visits a short bike trip or drive away. Great restaurants abound.

You can day trip to San Francisco to do the cable cars, Golden Gate or Alcatraz for a couple hour drive. Or split your week between San Francisco and Monterey.

zootsi

Here's another thought - how about Quebec City? QC is a 1600's walled city overlooking the St. Laurence. Very European, extremely picturesque. The surrounding countryside is like a combination of New England and France. Lots of opportunities for hiking, biking, wineries, lakes, etc,etc.

kasuel

Ooh - more suggestions!

I love the idea of Canada/Quebec City, but I think it should wait until the girls are a bit older.

dh and I loved Monterey and San Francisco (pre-kids). I will definitely give it some more thought for this trip.

Thanks!

dfrostnh

August is just about the most perfect month in NH. We have been on camping weekends with GDs in that age group. It is ideal to go someplace where children can play with each other while parents lounge in the shade with a good book and rest up for activities like light hiking, trips to Santa's Village, etc. Ski area condos or a cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee might work well. Storyland is maybe an hour north of the lake depending on what area you stay in. Perhaps there is a cottage colony that would work. When DS was that age, we found a place like that for winter vacations. Kids playing with other kids during beach time.
I get extra adrenalin when we vacation so DH had to negotiate a plan of doing nothing every third day so we could actually relax.
Check Squam Lakes science center in Holderness for a "zoo" activity. You can get a guide to hiking in the White Mountains with children but visitors usually opt for The Flume, Lost River and/or Polar Caves. There are two or 3 summer theaters in the Lake W region, one in Meredith, one in Tamworth. They might have children's theater during the day. I know the one in New London NH does. Many schools and towns have nice playgrounds, DS takes our GDs to playgrounds for special play times. Have not been to the children's science center in Norwich VT since DS was young but it's on my list of places to take our GDs. Also check Big Apple Circus schedule. They are usually in the Hanover area in July or August and that is a GREAT event for kids. Friends have recommended a local acrobatic circus called Circus Smirkus. A cottage or ski condo in the Lake Sunapee area would be more convenient for Norwich VT and Hanover also New London summer theater. Huge, upscale craft fair every August in Sunapee by League of NH Crafts usually has various craft activities for children.

Basically, I think there are a lot of activities for children in NH that aren't as well known as places like Santa's Village. I think what is key is smaller venues for that age group and more time interacting with other kids that age. Last summer I loved the pool at Gunstock because it had a shallow section for young children. Wherever you decide to stay, check into how suitable the pool or lake area is for young children. Not all cottages have shallow beaches, some have deeper water/boat docks.