My family & I are trying to come up with a destination for our summer vacation that we all agree on, with out much luck. none of my children have flown before so they have insisted on that - where seems to be the issue. husband wants to go to the Grand Canyons; 14 year old daughter wants to go to a city (ny, boston, etc.) 15 year old son wants a beach and my youngest son, 11 years old, who also happens to have down syndrome & I do not care. He is not up to hiking but loves any "thrill rides", like amusement parks, helicopter rides, etc - not much on animals. He & I both would prefer someplace not scorching hot. We live in KY. any suggestions? also looking for affordable vacation - nothing "over the top" $$ wise.

What about Chicago? It would fulfill the wish for a city, and it is a wonderful one at that. Also, there is a huge amusement park nearby. Chicago is also right next to Lake Michigan, and the city has some beaches right on the lake, as well as a great walking/biking/blading path right along the lakeshore. Nothing similar to the Grand Canyon, although you can go to the top of the Sears Tower or John Hancock Building for some great views!! Good luck deciding!

I was thinking of the San Diego area Coronado Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla. Plus Balboa Park museums and the zoo, Midway aircraft carrier. There are several places in driving range also Big Bear and the Canyon.

Rent a house on Cape Cod - while no thrill rides, perhaps arcades, trampolines and a visit to water park in Wareham might interest 11 year old. Coast Guard Beach (Eastham) has enough big waves to qualify as a natural thrill ride. Fly into/out of Boston and spend some time there for 14 year old.

Can't help with husband, although I do empathize. Two years ago I wanted to go to London and we ended up at Grand Canyon.

Do you want someplace where you can go and be in the same place and take day trips, or are you interested in moving around a bit?

If you came to California, you could have some of everything you are looking for.

San Diego has already been mentioned, which I think it a terrific choice and one you could do without moving around a lot. It is also striking distance to the Grand Canyon.

If you go to northern and central California, SF would fit the bill for a city vacation to satisfy your daughter. Several places along the California coast would satisfy your older son's desire for a beach location. Santa Cruz has a cool Boardwalk with rides for your younger son. Although this is area is far from the Grand Canyon, there is a lot of natural beauty here and outdoor things to do and see for your husband. This would entail more moving around, but you could split the vacation into 3 segments.

The California coast wont be scorching hot, so that is good. SF will probably be a little chilly due to the marine layer. If you go into the CA central valley, it can get pretty warm and anywhere in the desert away from the coast can get hot too.

I also think San Diego is a perfect choice for your family:

Great beaches, great city life, great amusement parks. There are some very nice areas just outside the city as well. It is NOT scorching hot but quite pleasant year round and no humidity. Lots of affordable hotel options too.

We also have 3 kids, 15, 13, and 10. We live in Orange County, Cal. You could stay near the beach (Huntington, Newport, Seal) and drive to amusement parks, Disney, Cal. Adventure, Knott's, Water parks, and check out Hollywood, Universal studios etc. It is about a 1 1/2 hr. drive to San Diego, 30-45 min. to Anaheim, 1-1 1/2 to L.A. We also took our kids to Chicago last June, and they loved it! Museums, pier, shopping, Sears Tower, etc.

the grand canyon will be very hot in summer but a combination trip of san diego (fabulous city) and a drive to the grand canyon might meet everyones desires.

how far away is the Grand Canyon from SanDiego? also where can we find the cheapest airfare & hotel rates? 5 x anything is pretty steep. we want to be able to afford to do something in addition to flying!

Williamsburg/Washington DC might fit the bill (though the heat may be a problem).

Daughter gets a city (DC)
15yo Son gets beach - Virginia Beach is just over an hour away, if I recall correctly
11yo Son gets Amusement park - Busch Gardens is great (very few animals) and Water Country

Affordable and you may be able to drive from Kentucky or fly into DC and rent car.

Another alternative may be the White Mountains of NH. Cooler than Williamsburg. Fly into Boston, spend a night. Drive up to Portsmouth, hit the beach one day, and Water Country the next. Continue up to the mountains until ready to come home.

Niagara Falls, Kingston, Montreal, Quebec City, Tadoussac, Ottawa. Will never forget those places. Literally a thrill a minute in these places if you want one. I’ve been to Grand Canyon and I don't think kids would get enough sight and sound input. $$ = camping.

ps. My family trip this summer is to your Kentucky! Mammoth Cave, Corvette, Kentucky Horse Park.

Go to LA and/or San Diego. You have city, beach and them parks. The weather is always pleasant and rarely too hot. Go to www.sidestep.com. It's one of my favorite search engines for airfares. It also has a hotel option. You should be able to find lodging in any price range. If your husband likes nature, you can appease him by taking him to Palm Springs where you can take a tram to the mountains from the desert floor. It's less than 3 hours from LA. I never drove from LA to the Grand Canyon, but I would think it's quite a distance.

For how long can you be away? What's your nearest airport? What's your budget?

I think you've gotten great suggestions so far. Most major cities have some sort of beach location in or nearby, but your time and budget may affect how realistic that is. I agree with San Diego or a combo of San Diego/Los Angeles or just LA/Orange county for Disneyland.

Washington DC/ plus a beach stop is also good.

You could combine a visit to NYC with a few days at a beach area, but NYC may be too expensive. Boston plus one of their nearby beaches might also work.

If you drove straight through from San Diego it would probably be 6 and half to 8 hours. There are sights along the way and the route makes a difference.
A couple of other search engines are kayak.com and mobissimo. You maybe able to find a air,car and hotel package as mentioned there are several places close to San Diego that maybe a little more budget friendly. Hotel circle has alot of rooms in an area with easy interstate access, Point Loma has a few budget hotels. Our last stay was in Encinatas just north of San Diego.

Forgot to mention to lookup TahitiTams on Fodors she has alot of local info for the San Diego area.

I'd stick with San Diego (zoo, aquarium, La Jolla Cove) or possibly add LA area beach towns of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa which are likely to appeal to both teens (fun, funky shopping, nice beach, great strand for walking and riding bikes for miles and miles). An afternoon with your daughter on Rodeo Dr. would be possible from the MB area also.

Disneyland & Universal are a good stop between Dan Diego and LA.

Save the Grand Canyon for a romantic trip alone with your husband. You fly into Phoenix or Vegas and drive to the canyon...

I like flying Southwest Airlines from the midwest to LA and San Diego. You can do an open jaw flight (actually two one ways on Southwest) into San Diego and out of LA and it is pretty economical.

Southwest flights don't usually come up on sites like orbitz, travelocity, etc. You have to look directly on their website. They also only allow you to book about 5 months out (right now only booking through mid May).

Ditto to San Diego -- Your daughter gets some city, your son gets the beach (Cornonado Island is great) and you still could drive to the Grand Canyon. If you felt like it you could also go to Disneyland and other LA attractions for your thrill riding son. Check out familytravelforum.com for plenty of ideas of places to visit in those areas, and hotel suggestions.

I have a very large extended family with many opionated members and an assortment of ages from 2-60, and one niece with special needs. We try to get together every few years. We have found North Myrtle Beach to be a great place to go. There is something for everyone, and although it's not a big city, there is a lot of activities. Good luck and most of all have fun. You daughter may get excited about it if you find some websites and let her plan one of the days.

suggest splitting your time between San Francisco and Yosemite. Yosemite is about a 4 hour drive from SF. Lots of gorgeous scenery can be seen without hiking. For instance, you can catch a wagon ride up the trail at Mariposa to see the magnificent sequoia trees instead of hiking it