Any other great family trips????

[kcand sunshine]

I am a single mom and took my 2 kids ages 7&9 on the 7 day cruise and they absolutely loved it! I was just curious if anyone has taken any other great reasonable family trips (excluding Disney). I'm already thinking about next spring break.We are not big skiiers and it needs to be somewhere where I'll be comfortable taking them by myself. We're from Alabama. Thanks for any suggestions!!!!!!

 

[TeensMom]

Disney's Hilton Head Island resort is great. The resort is not on the ocean which at first seems like a detriment. But, it is on a tidal creek (I think its Broad Creek). There is a long dock. When the tide is in, it seems way out into the water. When the tide is out, it is barely in. As the waters move, you can see little crabs scurrying about. My kids loved crabbing and fishing off the dock. We also did a kayaking tour and saw neat wildlife. They have bikes to rent by the week. Over at the ocean, they have the Beach Club - another pool, restaurant, beach access, game rooms, etc. It is maybe a mile - easy bike ride, drive, or they run a bus. We LOVE it. With Easter being as late as it is, spring break is probably warm enough to swim down there.

 

[nedleycan]

Your kids may be a little too old for this, but I thought I would add it to the thread for anyone else who is reading this. We went there last December, and had the best time. I would suggest it for parents with kids 7 and under. When you arrive you are given a Nanny for your family. She takes care of your children all day 9 - 5 (with 1 hour off at lunch) and also cleans your room. If your kids nap, she will stay with them in your room while they nap. Because these women need extra money, they all want to babysit at night. So, we took the kids for lunch, returned them to the Nanny, then at 5:00 p.m. we took them again to swim, play, etc. and eat dinner. Then, the Nanny came back at 7:00 so that we could have dinner with the adults. She would play with them (there was always organized activities day and night that the Nanny took them to) and then she would put them into bed at around 9:00 and watch TV until we got back. All the rooms are either 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms, and because the resort wasn't busy in December, everyone was upgraded to at least a 2 bedroom.
We met some fantastic people and had a great family time and adult time.

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

We just finished a great vacation in Colorado Springs/Denver. I'm sure during spring break you'll be in the minority if you aren't skiing, but we found plenty to do earlier this month with no snow on the ground!

Some of our highlights included: Pike's Peak, Royal Gorge, Focus on the Family, Garden of the Gods and several good restaurants in and around Colorado Springs and;

Lakeside Amusement Park, Coors Field (both of which probably wouldn't be available during spring break), 16th Street Mall, Casa Benita, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and several good restaurants in and around Denver.

 

[randytenn]

I have two very fond vacation memories from childhood. One was Disneyland, the other Yosemite National Park.

If you have never seen Yosemite, you are truly missing a breathtaking experience. The valley is so beautiful, surrounded by granite walls, waterfalls, and gorgeous tall trees. The valley has the crystal clear Merced river running through it, perfect for swimming. You can go horseback riding, hiking, bicycling, nature walks, rock climbing (or scrambling for the little ones); you can see deer, squirrels, bears (on occasion) and other kinds of wildlife. And at night, when the fresh mountain air comes down into the valley, and it mixes with the smoke from the campfires . . . man, there is nothing like that smell. It's one of the few places I can totally relax.

Ok, so I gush a little when I talk about Yosemite. In my humble opinion, it is something that should not be missed by any family.

 

[outahere]

We (myself, DW DS 8) enjoyed our trips to Hawks Cay (www.hawkscay.com) in the Florida Keys and Sanibel Harbour (www.sanibelharbour.com) in Sanibel, FL. Both have kid's programs, but IMHO the one at Sanibel was better (it was in the top 10, according to Family Fun Magazine, a couple years ago). We are headed back to Sanibel Harbour next week, before our Wonder cruise.

I know you said "except Disney", but the Marriott Grande Vista and Cypress Harbour Resorts in Orlando are very nice. Grande Vista also has a kid's program. They are both timeshare resorts, but it is very easy to get a rental if you book in advance. We have stayed at both of them several times.

 

[disboo]

One of our favorite family trips was to Canyon De Chelly (pronounced de-SHAY) in Arizona. It is a Navajo historic site, with excellent interpretive ranger programs, easy hikes, and lots of Native American hostory. It is a real change from the East Coast - an unforgettable trip.

 

[minniegidget]

Last year DM and I went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tentons. Wow what a trip.Bufflo's,Elk's Old Faithful and Mother Nature. It was wonderful. We also made it to Cody Wy. Home of Bufflo Bill. Lost of history.

 

[liza]

Rosemary Beach (near Destin), Fla., is a good destination for a family trip. It's a new, planned community, something like Seaside but not overbuilt yet. New urbanism. There's a website -- www.rosemarybeach.com. You could drive there, take the kids' bikes, and have a great time. The only downside is if your spring break is in March, the weather can be iffy then.

Two other families we know recently returned from separate family vacations at the Jackson Lake Lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Everyone had a great time. They highly recommend it, especially if children are 8 and up so they can enjoy the horses. There's lots of hiking, rafting, wildlife and beautiful views.

Our favorite family vacations are skiing (with children, we've been to Deer Valley, Utah twice -- it has an excellent ski school for children and very nice beginner runs, plus snowmobiling, etc.) and the beach, and now the Disney cruise.

 

[abitjaded]

Do you subscribe to Family Fun magazine? It IS put out by Disney but it always has great suggestions for family vacations, as does Frommer's Budget Travel. Two places that are always mentioned are the two YMCAs in Colorado, Snow Mountain Ranch, Estes Park. They are funky and fairly reasonable in price. Wonderful locations, one near Winter Park and the other near Rocky Mountain National Park. You can skate, swim, hike, ski, veg, summer and winter. Stay in a cabin or large family room. There are family dining spots (but for fancy, go elsewhere). Members get first crack at the primo times, but the membership is cheap. Book well in advance.

www.epcenter.org

 

[Diz-Me]

We had a wonderful and VERY INEXPENSIVE trip to Washington, DC when DD and DS were 10 and 8 years old. We were amazed at how much there is to do and see and just about everything is FREE admission. The transportation systems are great and there is no need for a car. We spent 5 days in DC and would highly recommend a trip there to anyone.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Here's a link to the Franklyn D. Resort in Jamaica, which provides vacation nanny service...

www.fdrholidays.com

 

[kcand sunshine]

Thanks so much for everyone's ideas. My mother just informed me that she's taking all the family to Jackson Hole next June for their big anniversary. I'm so excited. I do get Family Fun and save all their big trip destinations just haven't looked at them lately. Thanks again !!!

 

[kcand sunshine]

Thanks again everyone but I asked my kids for suggestions and they want to go skiing. I have several books checked out from the library. I know we'll go to Colorado but there are so many different places. I think Winter Park is supposed to be the most reasonable and good for beginners. If anyone has any suggestions of where they've been or friends that have been ,please reply!!!

 

[TootyJane]

Originally posted by kcand sunshine
Thanks again everyone but I asked my kids for suggestions and they want to go skiing. I have several books checked out from the library. I know we'll go to Colorado but there are so many different places. I think Winter Park is supposed to be the most reasonable and good for beginners. If anyone has any suggestions of where they've been or friends that have been ,please reply!!!

My girlfriend and her husband taught skiing in Winter Park. It is supposed to be a great place to learn to ski. HTH

 

[nedleycan]

Have you ever considered Whistler, BC, Canada? With the Canadian dollar so weak, Whistler is a bargain for Americans. Plus, it is rated the number one ski resort in North America many years. There is a fantastic ski school (and even a kids camp, if you are interested). The restaurants are second to none and the village is beautiful with lots of fun stuff for kids to do.
My husband and I have been skiing many places (including Utah, Colorado, Europe) and nothing can compare to Whistler.
... had to suggest it!

 

[kcand sunshine]

Yes, I have considered Whistler but thought I would wait till they were older since we don't want to go for a whole week. We are going for our first ever trip and I worry that they will get tired of skiing. Also, Whistler is too far to go for just 5 days. I heard it is just beautiful. Thanks so much!!