We want to start by providing you with some great options for family vacations and trips. Some of these are more expensive than others are but all are choices that would create a fun time for everyone. As you read further in the book, you will find specific options for each of these suggestions.
FAMILY CRUISE
If you are looking for something different, something that does not include a long car ride, or standing in the heat just to enjoy a five-minute ride at an amusement park, then a cruise is an excellent solution. Today, a number of cruise lines have designed special trips just for families. With this, the parents and children will be pampered to while having a great fun time in the sun.
During the day, mom and dad can lay out by the pool, take golf lessons, gamble in the casino, or be treated like royalty at the spa while the children are catered to with special children’s programs. With so many activities, a family cruise offers many different dynamics so everyone has a great time.
With so many different destinations, lengths of cruises, and price ranges, you can be sure there is something perfect for you and your family. From the moment, that you walk onto the ship until the day that you go home you will be impressed! The ship has dancing for young and old, Broadway type shows, unbelievable excursions, swimming, and food, food, and more food.
Family cruises offer programs starting out for children as young as three years of age and daycare for little ones as young as six months. This way, if you decide to do some grownup things, you know your precious cargo is in the hands of trained professionals. This peace of mind and the time the family will spend together onboard the ship makes the family cruise our number one recommendation.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
This category encompasses a number of things such as hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, and other favorites. More and more, we see families choosing outdoor activities for their family vacation. In addition to being a great time together, outdoor activities are an excellent way to promote health and fitness within the family unit.
Depending on the type of activity you choose, you may need to make an upfront investment in gear. However, if you choose a sport such as camping, then the one-time investment in a tent, sleeping bags, stove, heater, and other necessities would be well worth the price. Now, if you find yourself on a budget, you will find a number of outdoor activities where you can simply rent equipment.
Of course, in this case, you want to make sure the equipment is in tip-top shape and designed specifically for the age of children in your family. If you have existing outdoor equipment for camping or backpacking but have not used it in several years, it is probably time to do some replacements. After all, if you are going to make this a part of your family time, you want it to be quality time where you are comfortable and safe.
You will need to decide on the type of outdoor activities you would like to incorporate into your family life so you can begin the process of buying the things you need. Let us say that everyone wants to fish. If you live near a lake, all you would need is some good fishing poles, a tackle box, and bait but if you need to travel to a lake, and then you might add camping into the mix. With this, you could invest in a good tent and sleeping bags along with the fishing gear to create a memorable occasion for the entire family.
The interesting thing about outdoor activities such as camping and backpacking is that you will find gear designed for a child as young as six months of age. In other words, just because you have a small child does not mean you cannot enjoy time in the wilderness. Now, if you have concerns over safety, then camp at a protected campsite where you can purchase wood and have a private camping area with other people nearby.
The possibilities are endless and teaching your children about the outdoors and nature is a huge benefit to them that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Spending time with the family in an outdoor setting provides fun while building stronger family bonds.
Outdoor activities are adventurous, memorable, relaxing, exciting, and something to teach the children how to have a better appreciation for the simple things in life. Therefore, if you want to give your children an experience of a lifetime, do not overlook outdoor activities for your next family vacation.
THEME PARKS
Both adults and kids alike love theme parks. Whether traveling to Disney World or Six Flags, you can be sure this will be a trip not soon forgotten. Remember, while most theme parks are tons of fun, they all offer different things. Therefore, start by choosing the best theme park for your family’s needs.
Many times, you can purchase package deals that will include hotel and theme park admission, thus saving you money. Since many theme parks are so large, you could easily spend two to four days exploring all the rides and shows without seeing the same thing twice. Theme park vacations are a great way to entertain children of all ages. In other words, teenagers will enjoy the high-energy thrill rides, the younger children the tamer rides and animal shows, and the adults, a little bit of both.
Although there are theme parks located around the country, those located in California are among the most popular. In fact, four out of ten theme parks in California are vacation spots for families, even more so than beaches or other types of vacations.
In this state alone, you will find incredible places such as Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain Vallejo, Legoland, San Diego Zoo, California Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain Southern California, Golden Gate Park, and the list goes one. Considering this is just a few of the theme parks in the state of California and just one of 51 states, you can only imagine the vast number of theme parks to consider.
To enjoy theme parks the most and get the most out of your money, check out various vacation packages, which can be found online through resources such as Expedia.com and Orbitz.com. However, you could also work with a travel agent where you live to find even more options.
NATIONAL PARKS
In addition to being a great outdoor option, national parks also offer a tremendous amount of history. With wide-open spaces, national parks offer a ton of exploration such as caves, dry desert hills, caverns, dunes, canyons, and more. You will also discover a variety of plants, vegetation, flowers, and wildlife, making national parks a great place for family vacations.
Now, when you consider there are 388 national parks in the United States, you can be sure you will never run out of places to visit. You and your family will have so many wonderful opportunities to walk along winding trails, standing in awe of cascading waterfalls, visiting volcanoes, getting excited about the spew of geysers, and learning all the magnificent history associated with each park.
Some national parks offer excellent hiking and backpacking, some boating, some camping, and some make the perfect place for a day trip. To make your visit to any national park successful, you would need to do a little bit of research to find the one that offers things most important to you. However, we will provide you with some of our picks later in the book.
SKI TRIPS
Another great option for family vacation is the ski trip. Even if you have smaller children, many ski resorts offer special programs for small children even as young as two years of age. That means if you have small children but love time on the slopes, you do not have go forego skiing.
You will find amazing ski resorts around the country with Colorado being one of the best. For instance, take Breckenridge as an example. Rated as one of the best locations for family vacations, you will find one of the most picturesque places in the world.
Skiing is affordable and the accommodations varied. You could also travel to other ski resort nearby such as Beaver Creek and Vail, all a short drive away. You can easily find a number of great ski packages that provide accommodations and lift tickets for a price easy to afford.
In addition to skiing, you and the entire family will have a chance to try your hand at snowboarding as well. Then of course, there is always shopping and great dining. Therefore, if you love winter sports, you might consider skiing at your choice of hundreds of resorts that cater to families.
BEACHES
You can never go wrong taking the family to the beach for vacation. You can take some time on the east coast to swim, fish, boat, visit lighthouses, or head out to the west coast to bike ride, or just collect seashells from the seashore.
Spending time at the beach is a great vacation. The children will have a blast playing beach volleyball, tossing a beach ball around, building sandcastles, or simply wading in the water as the tide chases them back into shore.
The great thing about spending time at the beach is that you will find a number of locations perfect all year round. Then, with some suntan lotion and a couple of large beach blankets, you can sit back to enjoy warm, tropical breezes and the cool splash of the water. If your kids have never been to the ocean before, then this type of family vacation is highly recommended.
You can see the ocean on television or in books but standing there before water, as far as the eye can see is truly mesmerizing. The children will have such a great time; they will want to go to the beach time after time. If you choose a month in the off-season, you will be able to find some great deals on cottages right on the beach.
The nice thing about taking the family on a beach vacation is that the children can roam and have fun without you losing sight of them. You will find quiet beaches away from crowds or busy beaches lined with body after body. Regardless, you will create a memory of fun in the sun that the entire family will remember for a lifetime.
EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURES
Another option for family vacations is to take an educational trip. While kids may snub their noses at first, once they arrive and see how incredible these adventures are, they will be glad they went.
While there are literally thousands of places to consider, many provided further in the next chapter of this book, we are talking about places such as the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, The Museum of Natural History in Denver, Colorado, the Earthwatch Institute in Maynard, Massachusetts, or the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida.
This type of family vacation is unique, sure to leave a lasting impression. In most cases, you would need to stay about a week to enjoy all there is to see. Most of these educational locations have special programs whereby the entire family would get involved with dinosaur hunts, operating space mock spaceships, searching for s, and so on. While the children will have a blast as they learn, the adults will too.
You can visit any of these educational locations throughout the year so if you want a winter break, this would be an ideal opportunity. Children can visit interactive zoos in Louisiana, be introduced to caving at various save the earth type programs, or go through reef and rainforest tours. Educational activities include space, land, and sea, which means the chances of discover are endless.
RESORTS
Finally, think about family resorts for your next family vacation, which are designed for entertainment and fun. You will find resorts on islands that include all types of land and water sports.
Other family resorts are located near sites with exceptional programs for the whole family. Again, by shopping around, you will find a wide array of choices to ensure no one becomes bored. An exceptional option is the all-inclusive family resort. With this, you would pay one price that would include your food, entertainment, transportation, and literally, everything needed for a great trip.
In addition to saving you money, these all-inclusive family resorts also provide convenience when it comes to planning. You could spend time in the United States on an all-inclusive package or take a trip to Mexico, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. Then, many family resorts will offer room and meals free to children under a certain age.
Therefore, you pay for the adults but have the advantage of taking the children along without paying extra. Depending on the package you choose, some will also include things such as free scuba diving lessons or windsurfing, which is great for the older kids.
Again, we will provide you with some of our favorite family resorts to get you started but there are thousands just waiting to be discovered. With many resorts being on or near the water, you will also benefit from the beach. As you can see, your opportunities go on and on, ensuring you and your family will spend quality time together for your next vacation.
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