spinesrgn

Any recommendations for a 10 day summer trip with a 9 and 6 year old ? We are open to any part ot the U.S..

Budman

Wow. Are your children girls or boys? What are your interests? Beaches, mountains, boating, hiking? Where are you traveling from, because if you live in Myrtle Beach, we wouldn't want to recommend a beach/golf location.

Give us some help.

utahtea

Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons.

Utahtea

wtm003

I second utahtea's suggestion.

capxxx

Quoting my son (at the GC): Mom, let me tell you something about 8-year olds. We don't like looking at scenery.

I say go to the beach: Cape Cod, Jersey Shore, Hilton Head, Golden islands, Florida (and that's just the east coast).

If you live near a beach, then go to a lake: N. Hampshire, Adirondacks, Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, ...

amwosu

I agree that planting yourself at the beach is a great way to spend time with kids that age. You might want to break the trip into two different places if you don't mind a bit of driving.

You could start in a town like Charleston or Savannah for great history for three days then go farther south to St. Augustine for a week at the beach (and more history) or even farther south to Cocoa Beach or Ft. Lauderdale for pure fun in the sun beachtime.

utahtea

Not all sons are like capxxx. We started taking our boys to national parks when they were toddlers and they love nature and scenery. We went every year and they didn't get tired of going to these kinds of places. Now that they are grown men with families of their own, they choose to go back to these places. My older son took my grandson when he was 15 months old and he even said & I quote: Pretty!

In other words...it depends on the kids....and maybe a little to do with how the parents prepare the kids.

Utahtea

xrae

When I was a kid I liked cities and amusement parks and science museums. I loved the St. Louis Arch. Every kid is different. Plan some activities around their interests, and let them help pick out places to visit.

spinesrgn

Thanks for the ideas. We live in South Florida and were planning a trip north or west. My kids tend to like cities.

jayne1973

You can't beat the old west. This is a pretty touristy plan, but one that I think would work with kids that age.

Since you mentioned liking cities, you could fly into Denver and see some of that (including a great museum with lots of dinosaurs), then drive down to Colorado Springs (plenty of kid-friendly attractions, including Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and Seven Falls.)

From there, you could stop by the Royal Gorge (ultra touristy but still awesome) on your way to Durango, where you can catch the nightly melodrama that's great for all ages. You could also reserve seats on the famous train up the mountain to Silverton. There's an option to take a bus on either the route up or down to save time. The train is a slow ride but fun.

While in the Durango area, you could also see the famous ruins of Mesa Verde.

gail

Fly into Boston - various airlines have really good deals from Florida in the summer (or try JetBlue or Southwest - into Manchesater, NH). Spend some time seeing Bosto sites and then head to beach, either Cape Cod or Cape Ann (north of Boston) or Southern Maine.

Two cautions - Boston hotel rates will negate any savings on air and then some; if your kids are used to Florida warm water, they will feel refrigerated in New England ocean, even in summer.

karens

Ah Utahtea, believe me, we've prepared our boys and they do NOT like scenery. That's to our dismay.

Spinesgn, I would recommend San Diego, San Francisco or Colorado. There are lots of fun family stuff in both San Diego and San Francisco. We've done two Colorado vacations and are heading back next summer for our third. There's a lot of variety - small towns, amazing scenery, alpine slides and summer activities at the ski resorts.

We also did Yellowstone and Grand Teton with the boys. They liked it, but, in their eyes, it was not as fun as SD, SF or Colorado.

stevefrat

Do your kids like baseball? Why not plan to catch a game in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York?

Sarah

capex depends on the 8year old. I went to Hawaii with 8-11-13 year old that loved hiking because mom and dad loved hiking. Trust me if its a family event and everyone is laughing in our case, eating too, the 8 year old will enjoy. We did balance outdoor activities so its not all hiking, driving or swimming but a mix of stuff.

Also
went with other kids where mom loved the idea of hiking but not the actual hiking LOL. She bought hiking boots and walking sticks but never really used them outside of the house. These kids followed suit and only hit the trails with me when I begged.

capxxx

Of course it depends on the kid. I was trying to pass along an amusing quote about his sense of certainty over that issue.

And he wasn't objecting to hiking (which our family does frequently), just to having to look at scenery.

I think kids tend to grow from inward-looking toddlers (who don't care about scenery at all) to outward-looking adults (who can savor a good view); and I would save the scenery for the older kids. Active vacations are a separate issue.

garyt22

Head up north to Niagara Falls where you can get a great mix of Nature and kid friendly fun... besides the Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist and Gorge hiking, you will never get a greater thrill than Whirlpool Jet Boats (Watch Amazing Race tonight for a look)...

Follow the falls with a few days in Toronto where you can do the CN Tower,a great Zoo, Canada Wonderland and much more...... You cant miss!!!

Sarah

No offense capex I was trying to share a funny experience too. That was a funny story about your 8yr old. I am sure everyone enjoyed it. Made me laugh out loud. Did make me think of my niece though who was 8 too. ...Did just get what GC stands for and our 8 year old was totally blown away by Waimea Canyon. This was not a drive by though, we hiked it. I assumed it was because Dad is very science oriented, put all the layers into context for them, mom wants to have her ashes spread here. Not many eight year olds rebelling against that kind of family enthusiasm lol.

Hey they are not my kids so I really don't have bragging rights here just pointing out what I observed.

Other part of my family are the kids that did not want to leave the Alamoana Mall for the north Shore LOL. Mom was a bit bewildered to leave Honolulu too. Everyone is different, sometimes and of course I should say sometimes parents have a hand in that.


spinsgrin....I would pick a trip that introduces them to something new. I have just found that rewarding but I am the aunt maybe that is not true for moms and dads that introduce kids to new things year round.

Sarah

spinesrgn, What do you think about San Diego if they cities? You would be so close to Mexico for a day trip, San Diego Zoo, a ton of other stuff. You could hike I mean drive up to LA?