Best family vacations

[raeoflyte]

Where are these best places/trips you've been and that you'd do again? I'm looking for ideas to do with the kids but a bucket list of grown up vacations would be great too.

We mostly camp, and before covid visit family (in the midwest). We aren't dropping those, but I'd like to get a few "real" trips in.

[giramomma]

We drove from the midwest to Maine via Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec. We spent 2.5 weeks on the trip. Best trip we've ever had, hands down. We saw a little bit of everything. We did not have time to go to Boston, which I regret. But, we couldn't spend 3 weeks on the road.

We also are likely never getting an opportunity to do that again. I'm glad we did, even if we shouldn't have spent the money. Once my kids hit 7th/8th grade it's too hard to schedule around them.  But, it is also too hard to tell them "no, you can't go abroad with school" or "no, you can't go backpacking with your troop for 10 days" either.

While it's not the end of the world, I'm not sure we can find a Sat afternoon to throw a party for everyone's milestones this summer. And I don't think we're going to be able to scrape a family vacation together. We were planning on going to DC.

[plugginaway22]

Niagra Falls, Canadian side
Camping in various northeast locations
Disney for 3 days then driving trip to Key West
Grand Canyon
Sedona
Yellowstone
Grand Tetons
Colorado
Utah/Moab
Outer Banks NC
Myrtle Beach SC
Puerto Rico

We had 3 kids and took them on so many fun driving and flying trips. Our first big empty-nester trip was to Greece. So ready to get back to more travel!

[steph08]

So far, the big vacations that my kids have gone on are Disney for a week and to Colorado multiple times (I know you live there!). They loved going to the YMCA of the Rocky Mountains with everything there is to do there - swim, crafts, games, golf, rock climbing, etc.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Pretty much every trip I've ever taken with the kids I'd do again.  Several National Parks road trips, (Yellowstone, Tetons, hiking in UT is amazing, Mammoth Caves in KY, Gatlinburg, Smokey Mountains NP, my kids love the Black Hills area and there is tons to do there, we've done several trips just staying at vacation resorts in places like Key West and San Antonio, I've also taken my oldest to Hawaii a couple times (not sure this would be a redo one if I didn't have family there).  Alaskan cruise I would do over with the kids in a heartbeat (especially now that Carrot won't get us kicked off the plane anymore!). We took a 5 hour train ride in Alaska to get to our ship that was amazing in itself. 

I'm hoping I can get the kids somewhere this year.  I have zero funds saved up to do so, but this is probably the last summer my oldest will be living at home, so I want to try and make something work. Maybe Glacier National Park. My oldest would love to go to the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, but not sure I want to do that in the Summer.

[TheOtherMe]

I have fond memories of our family car trips from when I was a kid.

We twice went to Disneyland.  One time we went with an aunt, uncle and their kids.  That was really fun.  From southern California, we headed north when they went home to see my half sister.  

The other time we started north and ended up in southern California.

Those were the two most memorable great American car trips.

I did enjoy my car trip last summer to Toronto and then to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and a slow trip home from there.

I would love to do the Midwest to Maine trip giramomma took.  I might do that this summer.

[NoNamePerson]

minnesotapaintlady  I admit that I have no idea what you consider hot since I do know you live up North. And I am on the Gulf Coast so to me 80's average in summer is "cold"    We did the space center many years ago and it was well worth the trip. Think my son was a little younger than yours but he still was impressed. I admit that as an adult it was a learning experience too.

The hot season lasts for 3.9 months, from May 25 to September 21, with an average daily high temperature above 81°F. The hottest month of the year in Huntsville is July, with an average high of 88°F and low of 70°F.

weatherspark.com/y/14628/Average-Weather-in-Huntsville-Alabama-United-States-Year-Round#:~:text=Average%20Temperature%20in%20Huntsville,low%20of%2070%C2%B0F.

[thyme4change]

My second favorite vacation was Vancouver - we went when the kids were 12&14. We went kayaking, rode bikes around Stanley Park to see the totem poles, and all over the city to see everything - stopping often for snacks and fun stuff. On Granville island they had a market where we ate lunch, little touristy shops and the improv club was open to kids - that is where Ryan Stiles and Colin Mockery started. We spent a day at the suspension bridge and tree top walk - that was so cool! We loved going to all the bakeries for breakfast every morning. We went to the science museum and split up one night where the boys went to a soccer game and the girls went to Shakespeare in the park. Loved it.

We also took a whale watching boat to Victoria and spent a few days over there. We did a horse carriage ride and went to Craigdarroch castle. We drove up to the Butchart Gardens and stopped at Mount Douglas on the way. We took a sea plane back to Vancouver- which was frickin' cool (but pricey).

My family is excellent at vacationing - but that one was highly rated among a pile of great vacations. Everyone loved it all.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Feb 1, 2022 10:11:00 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

minnesotapaintlady   I admit that I have no idea what you consider hot since I do know you live up North. And I am on the Gulf Coast so to me 80's average in summer is "cold"    We did the space center many years ago and it was well worth the trip. Think my son was a little younger than yours but he still was impressed. I admit that as an adult it was a learning experience too.

The hot season lasts for 3.9 months, from May 25 to September 21, with an average daily high temperature above 81°F. The hottest month of the year in Huntsville is July, with an average high of 88°F and low of 70°F.

weatherspark.com/y/14628/Average-Weather-in-Huntsville-Alabama-United-States-Year-Round#:~:text=Average%20Temperature%20in%20Huntsville,low%20of%2070%C2%B0F.

An AVERAGE of 88 and average humidity for that month is 76%.   88 degrees and 76% humidity has a "feel like" of 107 degrees!

[jerseygirl]

Sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands with me and Jerseyguy, our DD DSIL and 2 boys and older son and girlfriend. Jerseyguy was captain and we had a great time swimming snorkeling and exploring islands.
In July we’re going again , chartered 2 boats, a catamaran and a monohull. We’re getting captains this time cause it’s been almost 20 years.
Going with younger son, wife and 3 kids none of whom have been sailing. They’ll be in the catamaran and DD DSIL and their 2 boys now grown with wives in the monohull. Looking forward to also racing the 2 boats
The kiddos will be reading Treasure Island that is supposed to be based on Norman Island. It’s still unoccupied- just goats and a floating restaurant in the bay.

[NoNamePerson]

Feb 1, 2022 10:21:03 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Feb 1, 2022 10:11:00 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

minnesotapaintlady   I admit that I have no idea what you consider hot since I do know you live up North. And I am on the Gulf Coast so to me 80's average in summer is "cold"    We did the space center many years ago and it was well worth the trip. Think my son was a little younger than yours but he still was impressed. I admit that as an adult it was a learning experience too.


weatherspark.com/y/14628/Average-Weather-in-Huntsville-Alabama-United-States-Year-Round#:~:text=Average%20Temperature%20in%20Huntsville,low%20of%2070%C2%B0F.

An AVERAGE of 88 and average humidity for that month is 76%.   88 degrees and 76% humidity has a "feel like" of 107 degrees!

Then scratch that off your list     I didn't factor in the humidity since I learned to breath under water long ago     

[Tennesseer]

Feb 1, 2022 8:28:12 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Where are these best places/trips you've been and that you'd do again? I'm looking for ideas to do with the kids but a bucket list of grown up vacations would be great too.

We mostly camp, and before covid visit family (in the midwest). We aren't dropping those, but I'd like to get a few "real" trips in.

Back in the summer of 1966, my parents poured myself, my three siblings and our pet dog into the car for a six-week cross-coutry trip visiting relatives in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wyoming also national parks and major cities from Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. While we kids would have preferred remaining home to summer with our friends, we appreciated the trip with all the sights and people we visited. My favorite was Grand Teton National Park.

Not every adult can take six weeks away from work.. My dad was a dentist so he was able to step away from work for the time period. His office remained open with his hygienists taking care of non-critical patient needs.

[irishpad]

Feb 1, 2022 11:43:22 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Feb 1, 2022 8:28:12 GMT -5 raeoflyte said:

Where are these best places/trips you've been and that you'd do again? I'm looking for ideas to do with the kids but a bucket list of grown up vacations would be great too.

We mostly camp, and before covid visit family (in the midwest). We aren't dropping those, but I'd like to get a few "real" trips in.

Back in the summer of 1966, my parents poured myself, my three siblings and our pet dog into the car for a six-week cross-coutry trip visiting relatives in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wyoming also national parks and major cities from Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. While we kids would have preferred remaining home to summer with our friends, we appreciated the trip with all the sights and people we visited. My favorite was Grand Teton National Park.

Not every adult can take six weeks away from work.. My dad was a dentist so he was able to step away from work for the time period. His office remained open with his hygienists taking care of non-critical patient needs.

What!!!  You told me your favorite was the Buffalo Statue in Jamestown, ND  

[Tennesseer]

Feb 1, 2022 11:58:56 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Feb 1, 2022 11:43:22 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Back in the summer of 1966, my parents poured myself, my three siblings and our pet dog into the car for a six-week cross-coutry trip visiting relatives in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wyoming also national parks and major cities from Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

It was the summer after my freshman year of high school. While we kids would have preferred remaining home to summer with our friends, we appreciated the trip with all the sights and people we visited. My favorite was Grand Teton National Park.

Not every adult can take six weeks away from work.. My dad was a dentist so he was able to step away from work for the time period. His office remained open with his hygienists taking care of non-critical patient needs.

What!!!  You told me your favorite was the Buffalo Statue in Jamestown, ND  

I secretly hold the buffalo statue and Jamestown in my .

Having now just posted that....'Bless me father for I have told a really, really, really big lie!'

[seriousthistime]

Fly to Anchorage and rent an RV.  You can drive all around, and don't have to pack up all your stuff every time you change locations. The kids can move about the RV and are not stuck next to each other for long periods of time. 

[minnesotapaintlady]

Feb 1, 2022 10:41:21 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Feb 1, 2022 10:21:03 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

An AVERAGE of 88 and average humidity for that month is 76%.   88 degrees and 76% humidity has a "feel like" of 107 degrees!

Then scratch that off your list     I didn't factor in the humidity since I learned to breath under water long ago     

Oh, it's still on the list.  I'm sure there's AC in Alabama.  I think most of that Rocket center stuff is indoors?  We went to the Grand Canyon last summer when it was 105 and lived...but were much happier when we got into the 60-70 degree mountain weather.

[Opti]

All my birth family's trips were car trips. I'm going to go with the Dakotas, the corn palace, and seeing the badlands. No one was sick and we arrived after the storm devastation near Mom's brother. Uprooted trees, etc.

I liked Yellowstone.
Disney, was good. Stayed at my godfather's who I basically never saw because he lived in Fl. Do not recommend going in high summer as the foray into the top of the Keys was miserable. Huge flying bugs. High humidity and high temps. 

[tractor]

My boys loved going on a cruise. If/when I sell my extra house, I thought I'd try to get us all together one more time and head out on an Alaskan cruise.

Other than that, Disney World is the place to be, my wife and I have been there many, many times and hope to get back soon (it's almost been 9 months 👍)

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

When my mom was working in MD, her boss had a condo on the beach in Ocean City, MD that he loaned her for a week during peak season, plus any weekends off season where it was free.  This went on for a couple years, until we moved.  

One of my best friends from college and her DH bought a condo on the beach in Myrtle Beach and invited TD and me for a week.  Those were great too.  Her DH is a foodie and would research places to go for dinner (which was pretty much our only expense other than groceries).  The rest of the time we hung out with friends.  

[travelnut11]

Feb 1, 2022 8:37:42 GMT -5 giramomma said:

We drove from the midwest to Maine via Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec. We spent 2.5 weeks on the trip. Best trip we've ever had, hands down. We saw a little bit of everything. We did not have time to go to Boston, which I regret. But, we couldn't spend 3 weeks on the road.

We also are likely never getting an opportunity to do that again. I'm glad we did, even if we shouldn't have spent the money. Once my kids hit 7th/8th grade it's too hard to schedule around them.  But, it is also too hard to tell them "no, you can't go abroad with school" or "no, you can't go backpacking with your troop for 10 days" either.

While it's not the end of the world, I'm not sure we can find a Sat afternoon to throw a party for everyone's milestones this summer. And I don't think we're going to be able to scrape a family vacation together. We were planning on going to DC.

Midwest to Maine via Canada sounds like the trip I'm hoping to take this summer if the border situation isn't totally annoying.

I will definitely take tips on favorite places/activities especially for the 5 and 7 year-old crowd. I'm thinking more the Sault Ste. Marie/Ottawa/Quebec City route as I've been to Toronto/Niagara/Montreal before.

Also, I have tons of size 5 stuff for the Missy. I'll message you.

[Happy prose]

My favorite for family trips are cruises. There's something for all ages. If you're not into cruising, another favorite of mine is the Florida Keys. 

[TheOtherMe]

I will preface this by saying we didn't have a car until I was in 3rd grade.  As far as I know, we had only taken one vacation before we got a car.  We took the train to Chicago.  That was back when trains were nice and reliable transportation.  We got waited on and were so excited to sit in the upper deck and see everything.  We probably hadn't been more than 100 miles from home at that time.

So going to Chicago was a really big deal.  My dad had lived there during the war.  We had to take the El and buses to get where we were going.  I remember it as a fun trip.  My sister doesn't remember it.  The maid in our hotel could tell we had never stayed at a hotel and she brought us all kinds of extra things.  We had a room connected to mom and dad's room.  I thought it was great that we could hear the El.  Mom did not agree.

I've been to Chicago many times since, some for work and some for pleasure.  That will be the trip I remember the most.

Our first car trip was to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills.  No interstates.  We stopped at a gas station that had a covered wagon.  So after I used the facilities, I went to look at the covered wagon.  When I finally go looking for the car, it's gone.  There is no car.  My sister hadn't told my parents I wasn't in the car!  One of my friends has always said that is when I should have known that she didn't care about me.  

The guy working at the gas station has a crying kid on his hands as I thought I had been abandoned.  He was giving me all the soda and candy I wanted to try to get me to stop crying.  At some point my mom looked in the back seat and realized I wasn't there, so they turned around and came back to get me.  The guy at the gas station was thanked a million times for taking such good care of me.

From then on there was a back seat check before we left.

I laugh about it now but I was scared out of my mind while I was at the gas station.

[stillmovingforward]

My favorite was an rv trip up the al-can hwy. Up thru British Columbia, into the Yukon, and then over to Alaska. So many animals! It was all just amazing.

[justme]

As a kid we did a 6 week camping trip out west. Texas, new Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado. We didn't hit all the national parks in those states but hit a lot and state parks too. Got to go to Sedona and go down sliding rock before it got over run. We toured ancient sites in I think Mesa that they don't let you get a up close as we did anymore.

I probably would have done something similar by now if I had a partner. Don't really want to drive that much solo at the moment.

[TheOtherMe]

justme   I totally get you on the solo driving.  I did find out last summer I preferred the solo driving over being accompanied by my sister who when asked if she was going to buy a tank of gas said she wasn't spending money on this trip.

I like going at my own pace and seeing what I want to see.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

As a kid, we drove to Wisconsin dells and Chicago one summer. It was amazing in the dells... like the movie The Great Outdoors. We even camped and went on water slides, duck rides, go karts, etc. very fun!

Another area that was fun as a kid was the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area. We flew to Norfolk and went to VA beach, Jamestown, Busch gardens... that whole area is full of family fun! We also drive across the Chesapeake bay bridge and up the eastern shore to chinciteague/assateague and Maryland. Really nice if you are into nature and horses. We wanted to go down the North Carolina to the outer banks but ran out of time...