I will try to get to the point and just state the facts! We have two wonderful kids 3 & 5 years old, we are both elementary teachers so we don't have much off "peak" time. Not avid travellers by any means but we planned a great vac. last summer went to San Diego and had a ball. We fortunately got bumped, 4 free tickets any where Alaska Airlines flies. We live in Rainy Washington State so we would like to go somewhere sunny. We had planned on Cancun (we were so excited!) But lo and behold I am much more fertile than we thought. We are very excited to be due on May 23rd. So there goes Cancun and that is great but now we are trying to figure something else out. Such as Arizona, Los Cabos etc.. We can't get flights to Cancun at the end of December but we can get to Cabo. But I have read a LOT of negative things. I don't know what to do! It is a nice problem to have but I don't want the tickets to go to waste as we don't often get this opportunity. We are just looking for a nice clean sunny place to take the kids and enjoy being with them. If any of you have any advice we REALLY would appreciate it. By reading this board it sounds like there is SO many wonderful travel savvy people any help is appreciated! So much for short. Thank you in advance for any help.
Sincerely,
Dave

Dave, help us out here. Can you tell us where Alaska air flies? What are your off times( standard school summers?), we don`t live in your school district, and are you now considering your Christmas break instead? It`s a little hard to know what you are asking, exactly.

Alaska Air now flies to Miami out of Seattle. You couldn't ask for a sunnier place for some family fun at the beach.

I also have friends who go down to Cabo every year and absolutely love it. Great resorts at reasonable rates.

Congratulations on the new addition to the family.

Dave, you can only travel where the airlines goes, and when seats are available. If you want warm and the beach the obvious choice is Florida. I would start planning very soon. So Miami, or Sanibel/Captiva Islands would be a wonderful place to go in Florida. Give them a thought. You can fly into Ft. Myers.

Honestly, we've keep skipping Mexico with our kids (8&5), but a woman I was recently talking to, took her two daughters to Cabo (8&5) for Spring Break this year and had a great time. Her situation was this: Her husband couldn't get away (he was leaving for Sydney, Aus in 2 weeks), and she promised the girls a "hot" Spring Break. She said that the whole family goes every year, and that of all the places that she'd been, she felt safest there (by herself/with daughters). Personnaly, I thought she was NUTS, but she swears that it is extremely safe and they had a great time. Also, you could stay at an all-inclusive on the outskirts/on beach...... there are alot of pretty ones there.

Very sorry I was vague. About the only time we can go will be over this X-mas break. Dec. 19- Jan. 5. Alaska Airline does now fly to Miami but that and Cancun are booked. I guess our options are Cabo, Tucson, Phoenix, San Diego (which we were just at and loved it), Palm Springs and Las Vegas. Thank all of you SO much for taking the time to respond. My wife and I really appreciate it. I am looking at Cabo now but I am so scared about her or the kids getting sick! Thanks again for the insight the Good Lord knows I need it!
Dave

DEFINITELY not Palm Springs over Christmas with a 3 & 5 year old, and Vegas will be too cold, with pools closed.

San Diego is your best bet, especially since you love it there. Maybe fly INTO San Diego and OUT OF Los Angeles, renting a car to travel between the two cities, stopping at Disneyland, or Knott's Berry Farm, or the L.A. Zoo, whatever attractions you skipped on your last trip. Knott's has an especially nice toddler-friendly area with petting zoo etc.

Nice short plane trip with the kids, decent weather hopefully, you'll have a fine time. Southern Californians are especially festive over the holidays, no snow but lots of great light displays, the kids will enjoy just driving through the neighborhoods.

I would agree with the San Diego idea. Its an easy trip with the kids, lots to do there and you do not need to spend a lot of money. We fly Alaska all the time as we are in WA also. Our children enjoy just playing on the beaches there since it is so different from home.

I have never heard one word in my life against Cabo until this thread! The Mexicans are just the loveliest people ever and the place is gorgeous and first class and filled mostly with Americans. Of course that is where you should go, you could run into rotten weather at Xmas time in San Diego-LA (cold, rainy, overcast) though of course it could be totally sunny. But who wants to risk it? Standards at nice hotels in Cabo won't be a problem. However EVERYONE on the planet should be innoculated against Hepatitis A, which by the way the only person I ever knew who had it, got it in Palm Springs. You are just as likely to get it in Seattle but since you mention Mexico and given other people's comments I know it is a good idea to get these shots. I have been to Mexico many times and never have had a single problem. I have actually had taxi drivers in Mexico City in tears when they dropped me off at the airport because we had such a nice chat in the cab and because they love Americans so much!!! I had another guy in tears in a 5 star hotel when my room wasn't ready and I was in a huge rush and had just come in after a 12 hour flight. The Mexicans bend over backwards and beyond to offer hospitality. The food there is just so wonderful and you will get your great weather. Palm Springs is totally inappropriate for children and Florida you said is booked up and also chilly at this time of year (you won't be going in the ocean there, that is for sure). Get on the Latin American forum to get some specific hotel recs in Cabo and you won't regret it.

As a parent of two young children, I can say that Palm Springs and the surrounding area is a wonderful choice for a family. There are a number of resort style hotels, many with kiddie pools. The kids would love the "Living Desert" which is deocrated for the holidays. There's also a great Children's Museum which my kids love. I'd highly recommend that you consider flying into Palm Springs and look into a resort in Palm Desert.