Where else with kids??

[patriciah2]

I don't know where you are from, but if it is not too far Niagara Falls and Toronto (you can do them both) are great. Lots to do If you go middle to late August the CNE takes place at Toronto - a huge fair and admission to a small amusemnt park included. Also we there is a large amusement park just north of Toronto and we went about 3 hours north to a Christmas Park - can't remember the name, but my 9 year old (at the time) decided she believed in Santa again after meeting the real Santa. There are forts and great stuff around Niagara Falls. We also did Washington DC twice in the last two years. What a great place with all the free museums - driving is horrible however. I'd stay someplace outside the belt way and take the metro in to the city.

 

[Stitch Inside]

not to mention mom and dad things like touring the French Quarter and eating as much cajun food as humanly possible!

Bring the Prilosec.

 

[torianne31]

I keep seeing people recommending family trips to Washington DC. Not to ruffle any feathers, but anyone going there on a vacation needs to do their research. Working with a travel agent or someone familiar with the area would be EXTREMELY beneficial. DH and I took our ds's there when they were 3 1/2 and 1. There was a convention in town at the time and a lot of the hotels were full. We didn't know alot about the area, so the hotel we were able to book was in a VERY bad part of town. I won't go into details....I'll just leave it at ..it was a VERY BAD part of town....

To make a long story short, an extremly NICE and upscale hotel learned of our plight and offered us a suite in their hotel at an EXTREMELY discounted rate just to get us out of that area. They were THAT concerned for our safety. After that, we had a WONDERFUL trip. I would recommend Washington DC to ANYONE as a MUST SEE for family vacations. Just be careful and don't make the same mistake we did. Do your research before you go.

 

[imsayin]

but anyone going there on a vacation needs to do their research. Working with a travel agent or someone familiar with the area would be EXTREMELY beneficial.

I would say the same thing about any big city - Chicago, LA, NY, etc. You're always going to have the "bad" neighborhoods in a large city.

 

[torianne31]

In our naivete (it was over 10 years ago) we found out the hard way. Luckily, things turned out for the best and we can count it as a lesson learned. We would go back to DC (the right way) again in a heartbeat and my sons are DYING to go to NY City...

 

[hilltopfamily]

oh, I just love this thread!!!! Travel is my passion but unfortunately being wealthy is not a part of my background, so.....I love to look forward to, plan for, and imagine great trips to take. We've had quite a few great ones, but I sure love reading about more places to consider here on this thread.

I have to agree that cruises are a truly fabulous family vacation. We've been on 3 and have had a great time with each one. My DS11 is disappointed that our summer vacation this year isn't on another cruise (we're doing WDW instead). He said to me, "why do we have to go to disney world instead of going on another cruise?". I tried to convince him he wasn't being "punished"!! LOL Anyway, that is just how much my 3 kids have loved going on cruises. They have had a blast at every port we've been to, and although it hasn't been "in their face", these have all been fairly educational, too! They've experienced (at least as much as a day tourist can) different cultures and seen how different life is away from their middle class, midwestern hometown.

 

[kikipug]

Boston to Bermuda via the NCL Majesty... wonderful trip, with 4 full days to enjoy Bermuda...

 

[cwnhokie]

We used to always go to Ocean City, Maryland, growing up near Baltimore. Last year we tried Myrtle Beach, it was our 2nd trip there, but the first one since we had kids. We had a blast. There are many things to do and it is very family oriented. Much more so than Ocean City. We arrived the same day as Hurricane Charley, but once it was gone we had beautiful weather. My kids loved the aquarium, the alligator adventure, dixie stampede, water park, and oh yeah, the beach was a big hit too! Have fun!

 

[torianne31]

OMG too funny... we always did Myrtle Beach as a child, because we grew up in Georgia.... had a ball in Ocean City MD on a vacation with our kids (vice versa from y'all). Haven't been to Myrtle Beach in AGES though (I'm talking 20 years!)....might need to give it a try since we are in the vicinity again..... I wonder if people will think I'm crazy for driving to Myrtle Beach, SC when I live in NC and there are beaches here ?

 

[becky7953]

CRUISE! It has something for everyone. Most cruise ships have kids clubs, this way they can have a nice vacation with you and also meet new friends. And not to mention the fun you would have

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We enjoy Washington DC--will enjoy it more when the kids are older though They like the metro and will put of with whatever destination as long as they get to ride the train.

I went to Hawaii with DD2 and was amazed at how fun it was--we plan on going back next year as DD4 wants her turn.

We've taken them overseas and they actually had a good time. There favorite was "shopping" at Harrod's and going to Disneyland Paris.

Williamsburg is on my list of must do's as well.

 

[keagansmom]

If you like outdoor activities Seattle, San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island are awesome! The aquarium in Seattle is great.

I was surpirsed by how much fun we had in St. Louis! Their children's museum is absolutly the best one I've ever seen! And it's not for little kids, lots of stuff for bigger kids to do. (I beleive it's ranked as the number one children's museum in the nation). Plus, a lot of stuff in St. Louis is free like their incredible zoo, the anheiser bush farm, the science museum. etc. I beleive 6 flags is around there somewhere. We didn't get to do it all because we were just passing through from another trip destination, but we packed a lot into the 3 days we were there.

And of course, Hawaii. We're an active family and we had a ball!

 

[keagansmom]

My husbands family is from the Springfield, Branson area and so we go there often. Silver Dollar city is fun, but don't expect Disney or 6 flags entertainment. another place you may want to visit is the Bass Pro shop in Springfield. It's really kind of fun and there's a neat animal exhibit museum attached. (warning: there are a lot of dead stuffed things here too.)

 

[shanleal]

My family (2 adults 3 teens) is going to Branson, Missouri for Spring Break...and then back again for another week in June. We've been there before and have seen many shows but this time we're buying season passes to Silver Dollar City, Celebration City and White Water (about $105 each total). We haven't gone to these three places before. They're not like anyplace else we've ever been as far as I can tell...and the accent is on clean family entertainment, country style.

Here's a link: http://www.silverdollarcity.com/portal/portal.html

There's way more than this to do in the area, but if this piques your interest it's a place to start. I have time share weeks that we aren't using this year so if anyone is really interested feel free to PM me, sometimes they offer me really good deals. Lol...that's why we're going in March and June already.

You will love Branson. We have been several times and my kids love Silver Dollar City, White Water Etc. We always rent a cabin on the lake. Its lots of fun!