Where to Vacation ( with children) that is NOT Disney or Florida?
We are trying to plan for a family vacation for next winter with our 4 children ( ages 4,6,12,15 ). We want to go somewhere
1) Warm
2) Fun for all ages
3) NOT Disney or other Florida major theme parks or attractions.
Any ideas, folks?
September 12th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Houston or LA…
September 12th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Rio Grande Valley in Texas. There are warm, sunny beaches on South Padre Island; fun restaurants such as Mr. Gattis; a terrific artist colony in Port Isabel; plenty of shopping in McAllen, Harlingen, and Brownsville.
September 12th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
ohio for family
The Akron Zoo: It’s not very big, but they’re making improvements all the time. They have a carousel and a kiddie train (each cost $2 per ride). And they have a play area inside the jellyfish building with a rock climbing wall and other fun things to do. My daughter spends at least an hour in this area every time we go.
There is the Akron Art Museum and the beautiful new Akron Public Library. Parking is free for both on the weekends, and if you go on the first Sunday of the month admission to the Museum is free also.
There is the Nature Realm in Bath. They have a nature center that always has a naturalist on duty, it has a bird watching area, play area with coloring sheets and stuffed animals and a number of other areas for the kids to learn and play. There are splash pads in Medina and Cuyahoga Falls which are free. In Cuyahoga Falls there’s the Natatorium (fitness center & pool) and Waterworks park (water park with slides and inner tubes) Many of Cuyahoga Falls’ parks have splash pools for the little kids, and most have picnic tables with grills. They’re very well maintained.
There is also a really nice public park behind Waterworks that a lot of people outside the city don’t know about. It has a long circular paved walking trail, picnic areas, large playground and it’s a great place to feed the ducks.
September 12th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
There is plenty to do in Florida other than theme parks. Check out Hawks Cay Resort or the Sandestin Resort. Both resorts are built for families and offers some really fun things to do. Check out http://www.topfloridaresorts.com/Family.html for a top 10 list of resorts for families in Florida.
September 12th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
1. All-inclusive family resort in the Caribbean – snorkeling, beach, boating, activities for kids, teens and adults, nighttime fun
2. Family cruise
3. Arizona – see the Grand Canyon, Native American ruins, camp in the desert, go horseback riding, see an Old West town, etc.
4. Mexico
September 12th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
San Diego is one of the nicest cities in the country. It’s a major tourist destination and there are tons of things to do.
Some must see attractions are the world famous Zoo, Sea World, and Balboa Park. Balboa Park is the largest urban cultural park in the country. You can get a park passport which allows you entry to a dozen museums as well as the zoo.
http://www.balboapark.org/info/passport.php
Other attractions in the park are the Air and Space Museum, Ruben H. Fleet Science Center, the Natural History Museum, the Model Railroad Museum, the Museum of Man, the Automotive Museum, the Old Globe Theatre, the Hall of Champions, the Botanical Gardens, and the largest outdoor pipe organ in the world (free concerts on Sunday).
North County San Diego is home to the Zoo’s Safari Park. There are multi acre enclosures where herds of wild animals roam plus lots of hiking trails. It’s worth the visit and is a different experience from the zoo. You can ride a zip line, tour the park on a Segway, or take a photo caravan into the enclosures and feed the giraffes.
http://www.sdzsafaripark.org/
La Jolla offers great views, great surfing, great food, great theater, and great shopping.
Check out the surfers at historic Windansea Beach. At low tide you can walk out onto the tide pools. Walk along the Cove and check out the caves. Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. Take a stroll on Prospect St and check out the shops, galleries, and have some authentic Mexican food at Alfonso’s. Then head to the Birch Aquarium at The Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It has a spectacular view of the bluffs over the Pacific Ocean. The Tony award winning La Jolla Playhouse is located nearby on the campus of UCSD.
http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/
http://www.a-zsandiegobeaches.com/windansea.htm
Take the trolley from Downtown to Old Town. There is a state park there that recreates life in the Mexican and early American periods of 1821 to 1872.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse at the Cabrillo National Monument offers great views of the downtown skyline, San Diego Harbor and the Pacific Ocean. On a clear day you can see all the way to Mexico.
The USS Midway is an aircraft carrier turned into a museum
http://www.midway.org/
Check out these sites for discount coupons and other info
http://www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors
http://thebestplacesinsandiego.com/