ok,I know Summer is wayover and Fall is here, but about this time of year I start thinking of places to go on vacation with my family, we have done Disney 2 years in a row, im seriously burned out on MIckey. We thought about going to Las Vegas, now keep in mind my kids will be 10 and 9, we have never flown on a plane, that is the whole family..lol so we have mixed reservations about the plane thing, but we really want to go. So i woulsdlike to know some ideas about family vacations around the US that a moderatly non expensive, and just some ideas about where everyone goes.
PLus if you have been to Vegas where are some places you stayed and what you types of activities you did, and what types of things did you take on the plane to keep your kids entertained. We thinking of going during April next year for the kids spring break.
A couple of years ago, my kids and I took a road trip to Charleston SC and then on to St Augustine, FL. They had a blast and they were 10 and 11...close to your kids ages. My son didn't think he would have fun in Charleston since we would be looking at "a bunch of old houses". But once there our self guided walking tour(AAA has some great guides online) turned out to be his favorite part and our most memorable time. Best way to see the historic area. Just wear comfortable shoes and be flexible with your schedule. There are also guided carriage rides if you don't want to walk but they are expensive and not very long. Other things to see with kids is the South Carolina Aquarium(sign up before you go for the behind the scenes tours), Patriot Point and Fort Sumter. There are more things to do but we just didn't have time to do everything. We stayed at the Days Inn across from Meeting Place which was the most reasonable priced place and right in the middle of everything. Charleston is expensive so make sure and research restaurants and tours before you go so you don't end up over budget.
St Augustine is a very inexpensive town to visit and there are tons of things to do especially with kids. A small portion of what you don't want to miss if you go is walk St George St for shops and tours, Castillo de San Marcos(old fort/castle), Alligator Farm, St Augustine Lighthouse, Old St Augustine Village(which surprisedly my kids loved...my daughter played tour guide with the brochure), and Ripley's Believe it or not Museum. Ripley's also has trolley tours of the city with trolley stops throughout town(like bus stops) and they have a Ghost Train Adventure at night. The Ghost Train is really geared for kids who want to hunt ghosts but not too scary. They take you to haunted places throughout the city and provide kids with their own disposable cameras and emf meters. I think my kids just liked having their own camera and walking around in the dark after some places had closed. lol. If you are into that sort of thing, there are also a ton of ghost tours available for night activities. I would also recommend taking a day and a very short drive(less than 30 min) on Anastasia Island to Marineland and Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Washington Oaks is beautiful and there is beach access across the A1A from the park. Marineland is a dolphin conservation center. They were renovating when we were there so we were just able to visit the tanks and see the dolphins but normally they have other programs geared for kids to interact with the dolphins. And it is a gorgeous drive down A1A. We stayed at the Sleep Inn just across the Lions Bridge on Anastasia Island. It was a very nice hotel with large rooms and very reasonable rates. Call them directly to make reservations as I got a better rate this way. It only took us a 2 min drive to be back in downtown where everything is(parking can be a problem but there is a parking garage that I got into and out easily every day) and only a 5 min drive to St Augustine beach(you are allowed to drive your car onto the beach here). Anastasia Island is also less touristy and more down to earth so they have fast food joints(McD's less than a mile away) so you don't have to eat out all the time. If you do want to eat out, there are some inexpensive restaurants there too.
Gosh sorry I am so long winded. I didn't realize it was going to this long. Can you tell we loved this trip? LOL. I have taken my kids to theme parks and to the beach and to the mountains but this trip is still the one they talk about 2 yrs later. We were there right after Christmas to after New Years and the weather was a little chilly in Charleston but gorgeous in St Augustine so April would be a good month to go to either. The best part is this entire trip with both cities and tons of activities cost me less than $2,000 for 8 days. And this was splurging and eating at some expensive restaurants. I spent way too much on food and we could have done it a lot cheaper. Another option is to add a stop in Savannah GA to your trip. We were going to spend a night in Savannah on the way to St Augustine but realized we would be too straped for time if we did. If you have the time that is another option for you. If you decide to investigate further and have any questions, feel free to ask me.
I personally don't recommend Vegas for kids. It used to be more family friendly, but isn't so much anymore. During the day you can visit the different casinos, but that doesn't take long and then hang out at the pool or at the Circus Circus amusement park. At night you can take the kids to a few of the shows, like Mystere or Lance Burton and see the strip at night. We used to live in Vegas and my husband still has to work there occasionally, so we took the kids a couple of years ago (13 & 11 years) and we only spent about two days on the strip. Seems to me like an expensive trip for just a couple of days.
When are you thinking of going, next summer? To me that is a big consideration. Nobody wants to Visit Vegas when it is 110 degrees or visit Florida during hurricane season. If you don't want to fly, give us an area that is in your driving radius and we can give better ideas. We always try to mix up our vacations. One year doing something just fun ~ like Disney, the next something educational or historic ~ like DC, and then something outdoors ~ like the Grand Canyon. That way they are being exposed to different things and we don't get burned out on a certain type of vacation.
Here's a blog I wrote about doing Las Vegas with kids: http://www.travelmamas.com/wordpress/?p=44 If you go, definitely visit Ethel M's Chocolate Factory & Cactus Garden - about 15 min off strip.
How about Washington DC? I went when I was 13 & loved it!
San Francisco is fun with kids, especially for tweens like yours! Here are my tips on San Fran with children http://www.travelmamas.com/wordpress/?p=34
I live in San Diego & there is a TON to do with kids here! San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Legoland, Seaworld, Quail Botanical Garden with 2 children's gardens, the beach, Birch Aquarium. Here's a link to 101 Things To Do San Diego for ideas: http://101sandiego.com/content/region/default.aspx and here is a story I did on the best of the best at the San Diego Zoo: http://www.travelmamas.com/wordpress/?p=360
Have you considered taking a cruise with the kids? Cruise pricing is very affordable right now! Best cruise lines for kids are Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norweigian Cruise Line. Check out www.CruiseCritic.com for articles on which lines are best for different age groups, etc.
Hope that helps! Let us know what you choose!
Colleen Lanin
The Travel Mama
www.TravelMamas.com
I did Dc and it was inexpensive and fun. We went to the museums and did a tour of the capital. Ask your congress man early for tickets to see the white house and they are free and you and do that and the kids will learn something and have fun.
You have to request the White House tour six months in advance through your congressman. You have to give them several dates that you can go, so I would look into this now if you plan to go.
National Parks are always nice to do in any state. The National Parks system has a National Parks Passport and everytime you go to a new park, you get your passport stamped. This is neat for children and adults. The White House is maintained by the National Parks system, so you can get a stamp from there as well. A lot of the other monuments in DC are also part of the National Parks system.
Hi, I have a question. When can you bring a child to Disney, what age? My husband and I have gone there plenty of times alone and look forward to bringing our own son but he is only nine months old now.
Hello!
I hve planned a trip to Universal Orlando this year. My 8 year old loves the Harry Potter movies and they are opening a Harry Potter section this spring. I was able to book with a special they have buy 3 nights get 2 nights free if you stay on site. I booked 5 nights airfare and park tickets for under 1000 for the two of us. Universal is very different than WDW, they have alot for everyone. You should try to check it out before superbowl, thats when they are running the first ad for "The Wizarrding World of Harry Potter" so rooms will go quickly after that.
Good Luck!
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- sndy34
on Oct. 26, 2009 at 10:42 AM