bluesphee

We have a trip booked to Siesta Key with our 8 and 5 year old boys but we are having second thoughts about doing a beach vacation. We have done Disney World with them and had an incredible time. With COVID we are hesitant to push it. Has anyone done an incredible trip with 2 young boys that they'd recommend that COVID would not prohibit us from enjoying?

williamscb13

Why would Covid prevent you from enjoying the beach? Outdoors is the best place to be for Covid. Is it Florida? Then go to a beach somewhere else like California.

I think your boys are the perfect age for the beach.

bluesphee

Wrote this quickly and clearly not very well . We are 100% ok with the beach and did not mean to imply concerns with a beach trip and COVID. It will be awesome for them but what I am second guessing is doing something "ho hum" like a beach vacation. I'd love to do Costa Rica or something more adventurous with them but don't really want to go international with COVID so that is when I started thinking maybe there is a better adventure to go on with them rather than "just a beach". I was looking for ideas of trips people have gone on with that young of kids that were super memorable and also somewhat adventurous.

williamscb13

ahhh, I went to Jordan with my 5 year old and it was fantastic. Different place every day and a different period of history. Dead Sea, Petra, Jerash. we loved it all.

If Jordan is open, I'd go there in a heartbeat.

I've been to Anna Maria Island and Sarasota and really liked it. I bet you could find some adventures there.

I have also taken my child to NYC and to the Mystic Seaport.

But he still really likes the beach and the pool and we are going to 30A for our vacation this year.

Gretchen

We did a dinosaur trip with our 3 grands several years ago in Colorado. We did day trips from Denver because 2 live there, but had originally looked at a little DIY tour around Colorado. If that is interesting, I'll do a little outline.

bluesphee

Gretchen, the dino trip sounds really cool. My boys love them. If it's quick to write it up I would definitely love to see it.

Gretchen

I don't have a trip report but can give you some ideas to follow up on yourself. They are the perfect age. I would suggest that wherever you stop for the night has a pool and stuff for them to do there. That was why being able to just do it from Denver was good. And maybe you will think my idea of Denver is OK too.
You could stay in Denver and drive south to Colorado Springs. See the Air Force academy. Then just 25 miles west is Woodland that has a wonderful smallish but very inclusive dinosaur exhibit. They even have a lab where they are cleaning new bones etc.
Then just along the south side of Denver leading into Morrison is Dinosaur Ridge. There is another very small museum there. And then another one in Morrison. In the yard there they even have a big rock that they can pound on to reveal fossils and bone.
There are a LOT of dinosaur sites further west also but sometimes more is less with that age--I know it was for us!!
We even bought a book called Denver's Oceans--all that area was once under water!!
Denver has lots to do for them--and you. The zoo is good. There is the museum of Natural History which should have a dinosaur content as well as others. The Denver Art Museum has a WONderful Native American exhibit--many tribes and cultures. The Botanic gardens are so good. DO NOT go to the Children's Museum. The Aquarium I think is still open. And because as grandparents (and parents) we will do anything to entertain little ones, you could eat at Casa Bonita--Mexican food with cliff divers and lots of other kitsch.
And there are things to do in Manitou Springs--and the Garden of the Gods
A shortish drive into the mountains takes you to Idaho Springs and a gold mine tour and a railroad ride.
I'm sure other can add to this. There is plenty to do. HOpe this helps

bluesphee

appreciate all the suggestions! Thanks so much.

Gretchen

There are hotels along the south side of Denver that serve the Denver Tech Center--that are very reasonable and have suites, etc.

williamscb13

I'll chime in on Denver. the children's part of the Botanical Gardens is fantastic. We spent hours there. It's got a little stream so your kids might get wet. There's a great history museum in Littleton. The Littleton Museum. They have two working farms showing what farming was like years ago, a children's area and animals to see. Denver also has some great playgrounds. There's one in Centennial called Centennial Center Park which is great.

It's a totally different trip than the beach but I love the mountains in the summer.

bluesphee

nice! love all the suggestions. Definitely a different trip than a beach vacation which I love. I started a thread about what we could do in Siesta Key and got some good answers so we are going to keep that trip in tact, but I like this plan so much that I'm going to start planning this as a possible spring break trip for next year.

williamscb13

Just remember if your spring break is in March, Denver could be sunny or it could have snow.

Gretchen

Yes--it was always our favorite time to go skiing.