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What was your favorite summer family vacation with young children?....Looking for ideas.

What was your favorite summer family vacation with young children?....Looking for ideas.

Old Jan 8th, 2003, 03:48 PM
  #21  
mommydearest
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don't call yourself a good mom until you take your kids to Yellowstone for a real family vacation. It'll make disneyland look like what it is -- shallow and plastic. Take them to somewhere worthwhile for gods sake and start with Yellowstone...
 
Old Jan 8th, 2003, 05:31 PM
  #22  
mona
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Another vote for the mountains of Colorado or New Mexico. Horseback riding, rafting, hiking, etc. Our other favorite so far has been to the beach, specifically Gulf Shores, Alabama.
 
Old Jan 8th, 2003, 05:58 PM
  #23  
Maureen
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I am also a mother of 4 kids ages 16, 13, 9 and 3. Last March we took the kids to Kauai, which is a very long plane ride from Phila., but well worth it. Since it seems like your children are well-traveled (as mine are) you shouldn't have problems with flights. When deplaning in HI, I actually had people come up to me and remark how well behaved the young ones were. The older ones can help entertain and it's a matter of planning. We have always taken the kids everywhere since they were infants and they are used to taking 16-20 hour car rides. I laugh at friends who say,"my kids are horrible after an hour". Train them early. My husband has traveled around the world, and thinks Kauai is the closest to paradise. There is lots to do there, and we even took a helicopter ride where my then 2 1/2 year old fell asleep. It's very pricey but worth every penny. My kids can't wait to go back. If you go, go in the summer and stay on the North side. Other places we have been that the kids loved, LA - especially the teens - lots of action and excitement; Vermont - beautiful mountains with many activities; Lake Placid - they esp. liked the Olympic Village area; Beaches in the Florida Panhandle; Kiawah Beach in South Carolina - lush with lots of activities; Sanibel and Captiva Islands in Florida - again lush with great shelling; Kingston, Ontario and 1000 Island Region - great prices and beautiful uncrowded area; Estes Park and Rocky Mountains - breathtaking scenery; Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA - appeals to all ages. We are hoping to go within the next few years to Paris, Spain and St. Johns, USVI. Hope this helps.
 
Old Jan 8th, 2003, 07:57 PM
  #24  
realistic
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To all of you people suggesting hiking, rafting, horseback riding, etc., what do you suggest this family do with the two little ones? Those kind of vacations sound great, but not for a family with very young children.
 
Old Jan 8th, 2003, 08:29 PM
  #25  
we went there!!
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We did the Niagara Falls/Toronto thing, my kids, loved the CNTower goes up 1800 feet and you can have lunch at the top, Niagara has Maid of the Mist and Journey Behind the Falls, many parks and things to do, dinner at the Skylon at sunset should not be missed. There is a fireworks display over thefalls on Fridays.
 
Old Jan 8th, 2003, 08:37 PM
  #26  
xxx
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Take them. Those of us that are suggesting this have done it with our own families. We took babies in backpacks on hikes and horseback. Little kids can also go on the rafting trips. Obviously they don't take on the wild rapids but it is still fun. You can rent a little caboose that seats two to pull behind a bike. I also have four children. If you wait for the baby to be old enough to do everything the oldest kids will miss out on a lot of fun. They're are teenagers and working and you miss some great opportunities to make good memories. Plus it also seems like "mom" is planning for next summer when the babies will be older since she already has a disney cruise planned for this summer. I wouldn't suggest Colorado as my favorite with young kids if I hadn't done it. No lines to stand in, no crowds to fight, just pure fun.
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 07:50 AM
  #27  
Theresa
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My kids - now 17 & 20 - always want to go back to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. When they were 7 and 10, we took them the first time. We've taken them several times since. We rent big family houses and from all the rental houses and villas we've done - they're the best. They also have smaller homes. We like to rent the ones directly on the beach - most have their own pools, hot tubs, outside showers and direct access to the beach. They loved flying kites, swimming, crab hunting, etc. We've gone alone and also with other family. They've asked to go back again this year. Check out houses at www.carolinadesigns.com or www.sunrealty.com. There are many to choose from. You can cook in the house or there are plenty of restaurants.
Theresa
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 08:16 AM
  #28  
Robin
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About ten years ago we went to a real neat family resort in Vermont, "The Tyler Place". This lakeside resort (Lake Champlaign) is extraordinarily popular with families who want to abandon the ratrace, recharge their energies as a couple, and provide a superb program for the younguns. We rented one of their comfy cottages and RELAXED. We enjoyed extravagant dining in their main lodge (inclusive in the price)and met up with other folks for games of volleyball and such. The kids, age 2 and 5 at the time, enjoyed some time of their own within age specific activity groups, and had a fabulous time. Our 5 year old talked everyday about this vacation for no less than 3 weeks straight!!! Afternoons gave plenty of time for family sidetrips to bike, canoe, or even visit Montreal (1 1/2 hours away). There are other kid-friendly vacations out there---Smugglers' Notch ski resort also has a great summer getaway in Vermont. And you will really enjoy the scenery and temperatures of New England in the summertime.
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 01:14 PM
  #29  
alias
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I loved to think about this. Came up with 2 choices.

An East Coast Beach Town - Rent a house near the ocean for a week and be a beach bum. Some spots I am familiar with are still good for the pre teens to bike by themselves. Oceans are fun. The family can play in/near the water - and there will be many others with similar age composition. Kids find a way to play together. Rent bikes, play mini golf, shop, eat in (and out). The place I love is so nice I don't want to say to the world. The OBX are ok, but not conducive to kids able to bike or go to the ice cream store or mini golf by themselves (IMHO).

Bermuda - I don't know anybody who has said anything bad about their Bermuda vacation. And all I ever hear is how family oriented it is; how clean it is and how relaxing it is.

 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 01:28 PM
  #30  
Jennifer
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Hey, mom, when our children were younger, the beach is about one of the best vacations yet. I am a biased Carolinian and our beaches are wonderfule for children. They are flat to the water and when the tides go out there are small tidal pools, shallow and hours of fun for llittle hands. The days are lazy and usually in June the nights still have a cool breeze. I recommnend anywhere but Myrtle Beach. Try Sunset, Wrightsville, Hilton Head (night life for the preteens), and for a true resort (complete with babysitter lists and wonderful spots to dine out with your spouse) Kiawah Island. Good luck!
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 05:31 PM
  #31  
mom
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WOW!!! What great ideas. Thanks for all of your suggestions. Any other thoughts???
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 07:28 PM
  #32  
Jodi
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Our kids have been on a disney cruise, yellowstone, colorado (skiing, summer), etc and their favorite was staying on Kiawah Island, SC at a resort where they could just hang out. Their were some organized kid activities, nature walks, games, ice cream socials, crafts... but they just liked the beaches, roller blade trails and basketball court the best. The older ones (12, 15) liked the freedom to sample lots of stuff, somewhat on their own...
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 07:47 PM
  #33  
jo
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We always took our family of 8 to a cottage on Lake Michigan. Now the 2nd generation is coming. (I rent the cottage). They bring their kids, we swim, play in the sand, some golf, go to Saugatuck for a day. Also used to spend summers on the Outer banks -loved it, would go back if I were in the East. When our kids were older than yours, we did Yellowstone, Disney, etc.
Haave fun
 
Old Jan 9th, 2003, 08:26 PM
  #34  
kalena
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Vail and Whistler.
 
Old Jan 10th, 2003, 10:57 AM
  #35  
travellyn
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My two kids' favorite so far has been a week camping at Rocky Mountain National Park. They were 7 and 9 years old. In addition to family activities, my husband and I each took a long hike on our own while the other one watched the kids. The kids really liked going to ranger activities as well as taking walks, especially walks that allowed for a little climbing on big boulders.

I remember how much trouble it was to take mine anywhere at 18 months. I call that time the point of maximum mobility, because at that age they are very active and don't really pay attention. I can't remember any vacation taken at that time in either of their lives that I remember fondly.
 
Old Jan 10th, 2003, 04:24 PM
  #36  
cARLA
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When our sons were 12 and 16 we took a trip to Colorado. When school started that year, I had occasion to read an essay my then 7th grader had to write about the best vacation he had ever had. He wrote "....we went to Colorado and it was okay. It had lots of trees and stuff, but the best vacation we ever had was at Kings Dominion." We had hauled our sons over some of the most spectacular places in America but he loved a theme park 2 hours from our house the best.
 
Old Jan 10th, 2003, 04:44 PM
  #37  
Frank
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We travel all over. But our kids have always preferred the time share condo we use every June for a week in Florida (anywhere along a beach gulf blvd) from St. Pete Beach to Clearwater Beach. Kids of all ages love it. My daughter now brings HER kids to the same spot. Plenty to do, including excellent base for day trips.
 
Old Jan 10th, 2003, 04:51 PM
  #38  
xxx
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What the previous posters have written about having fun two hours from home hit the nail on the head. It doesn't really matter where you go, it's being together and having fun that the kids remember. The theme here seems to being together in an unstructured natural environment with plenty of options for fun.
 
Old Jan 11th, 2003, 04:26 AM
  #39  
a
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Mom

I second J Correa. My favorite as a kid was a cabin on a lake in Maine. It was actually a family vacation where the family was a family rather than individuals being entertained but never interacting. Other trips that would be similar include Amtrak across America, Canal Boating in France, River Rafting, etc
 
Old Jan 17th, 2003, 12:42 PM
  #40  
topper
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Topping for the other recent post re: ideas for vacations including children.
 

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