Can anyone recommend a nice, family-friendly place to vacation with nine month old twins out West. We are in San Francisco and would like to go somewhere that is just a short plane trip away.

Beautiful scenery and relaxing environment are the priorities. Ideally, we'd like to stay at a hotel or resort that offers babysitting services.

Thank you very much for your suggestions.

Palm Springs would be nice.

How about Coeur D'alene Idaho, where everyone is welcome!

www.coeurdaleneidaho.org

Whoopeee! I want to go to Idaho on my summer vacation!

Yes, Idaho IS beautiful...that would be a nice place to go.

Also, try Sunriver Resort in Oregon...lots of outdoors stuff to do, and very family oriented and babysitting services.

San Diego would be nice. I have 2 1/2 yr old and I have been taking him to Seaworld since he was 4 months old. The dolphins, whales, sharks & penguins are easy for babies to watch them swimming. Zoos are still difficult because the animals are farther away, and rarely moving. You could go to the beach & dip their toes in the ocean. There is a playground in Del Mar overlooking the ocean with a grassy area that slopes down to the beach.

Why on earth would you voluntarily undertake a vacation that requires flying with infants? Why not stay closer to home until they're more portable? Isn't there somewhere closer to SF that would be just as fun, and a lot less taxing for you? Traveling with infants and toddlers can't really be counted as a vacation, no matter how relaxing the basic environment is. As an experienced mom, I'm just suggesting that something less ambitious might be more fun.

I disagree with Suzy. A short flight is very manageable. I have flown from San Diego to Cincinnati with my son alone, several times a year since he was 3 months old. Don't worry about it. Bring Cheerios and Vegee crackers, books with buttons that play songs & you will be fine. Now is the time to go somewhere you want to go. You won't have the luxury much longer. Last yr I went to SF with my Dad & 1 1/2 yr old son went along for the ride. But this year we decided to take him to Disneyworld & he loved it, so did we. Have a wonderful time!

Sure - Go to Idaho - as long as you're not Jewish, gay, black, or Democrats, everyone is welcome.

How about driving down to Monterey? Nice weather, laid back and pretty kid friendly. The Monterey Plaza must be able to provide babysitting help. It would save you the agony of a plane ride. If we're talking about summer, Palm Springs could be hell on earth for babies. If the fall, it's something to consider. Fly into Ontario and rent a car. Good luck.

I was thinking Monterey as well. The kids would probably enjoy the aquarium and chaising seagulls on the beach. There are also several companies that give boat tours from the wharf. The kids would probably have fun on a short tour that goes past where the sea otters and sea lions hang out. Also, there are a lot of casual restaurants in Monterey.

Susan,

"It would save you the agony of a plane ride."

It would also save all of the passengers on the plane the agony as well.

Flyer

Why fly into Ontario when you can fly directly into Palm Springs International Airport? If you book ahead, you can often fly into that airport for the same fares as Ontario which is over an hour away.