Recommend a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

[Philster]

Ok, rule numero uno: No Disneyworld (or Disneyland)

Wife and I, plus four kids. 9 y/o girl; 10 y/o girl; 12 y/o boy; 14 y/o boy

We are very active people; we love the outdoors and we want to make sure everyone keeps busy and not have them be bored. We've heard there are some family-oriented cruises, but holy cow it's hard to make sense of them all, and we are afraid they might be too 'young'. We don't want to 'sight see' as the main vacation purpose, and food is very low on the list (we don't look forward to or get excited by an opportunity to stuff our faces).

Been to Disney, so we don't care to see it again, and we have a beach place, so we don't long for the beach... but certainly a world class beach place is in play if there is a good reputation and activities. I mean, hey, we'd love to make waves in the Caribbean if the vaca fit us.

I feel like we are missing something, or maybe we just are not considering enough. We need some ideas. Anything from 5-7 days seems right and it'd be in summer. Any personal experiences would be great and a bonus.

Help.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

I don't know your feelings on the "mexican drug war" but if you go to a place called "Aventura Spa Palace" in Puerta Aventura, MX you won't be dissapointed.

There are activities for the family, for the adults (the resort is seperated adults only side, where you and wife can get away from kids, and then a kids side as well (although I saw some kids on the adult only side so if you are nice to the 5star staff they will accomodate you.)

If you and the kids land in the pool, talk to Hugo Hidalgo and tell him Kory from MN sent you.

They have great food, pool side snacks, activities on the resort, and of course the infamous xcaret just 15min away that will certainly AWW you and your family.

Plus they have an amazing spa at the resort. You really cannot go wrong here.

Let me know if you want to hear more, I've been to this resort 3x.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

You haven't mentioned your budget, but we rented a canal boat in Germany a few years ago and loved it. A week of relaxation and a bit of history thown in.

 

[sasto]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

A cheap place in the Carib would be the Dominican Republic. They have everything from beaches, to deserts, to rainforest, to mountains.

Summertime? The mountains of West Virginia! Check out this place. Very family orentated. We love it! http://barnettcabins.com/

BTW....My lady is from Slower Lower DE.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

We loved the Historic Triangle in Williamsburg, VA - probably our best vacation ever. Big sailing ships in Jamestown!

Plenty of outdoorsy stuff in East TN in the Smokys & Dollywood is supposed to be pretty cool (never been).

 

[eavega]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

One of the best trips I have taken was to Costa Rica. It is absolutely beautiful. It is politically stable. The best thing is that there is all kinds of outdoorsy adventures. You can go whitewater rafting, do canopy tours in the rainforest. There is a resort and spa within site of an active volcano which puts on night time displays of lava flows. There is east coast gulf beaches, there is west coast pacific beaches. The list goes on and on. One of the best trips I have ever taken, and I hope to take it again when my girls get a little older.

Rgds

 

[sasto]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

One of the best trips I have taken was to Costa Rica. It is absolutely beautiful.

Rgds

+1.....

 

[Philster]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Honestly, this is incredibly helpful stuff. Saving different links in folders and the wife and I are going to look them over tonight.

Keep 'em coming. Reading every word!

Budget: I don't even know if we considered this, but we're a typical family on budget that would allow for six in Disney or a cruise for a week. So far, I'd say those posted seem within range.

 

[Philster]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

BTW....My lady is from Slower Lower DE.

Nice! :facepalm: Haha.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

You can rent my house in Lake Tahoe!

You like hiking?

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Come see me on St. George Island, Florida (Google it). I do private chefing and have a BOAT for whatever you need!

 

[aspeck]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

We loved the Historic Triangle in Williamsburg, VA - probably our best vacation ever. Big sailing ships in Jamestown!

Plenty of outdoorsy stuff in East TN in the Smokys & Dollywood is supposed to be pretty cool (never been).

My youngest loves history and the Historic Triangle in Williamsburg, VA. We will be headed back there again in June. Definitely lots to do, Water Country USA, Busch Gardens, lots of military stuff with all the bases around, some cool museums and aquarium in VA Beach, lots of rivers, lakes, and ocean not to far for fishing, boating, etc.

We also enjoy Tenn, especially Gatlinburg area. Lots of things to do there also. Plenty of hiking, arts and crafts, great vistas, and relaxing. Alot of touristy things also if you are so inclined.

Gettysburg and several days around the battlefield are a great learning and fun adventure also. Feeling the reverence for the ground where so many brothers gave their lives is stirring. The new Battlefield museum is more organized than the old one, but you don't get to see near the stuff the old one had. It is all locked away for safe storage, but out of eyesight for the public to see, which is sad, IMHO. After 3 or 4 days there you can travel a little further north and east to Amish Country or to the center of the state to enjoy the largest manmade lake wholy in PA (Lake Raystown) where you can rent a houseboat and swim and explore the 118 miles of shoreline to your hearts content.

We enjoyed the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT in the summer. Cool, great trout fishing, lots of hiking and outdoor stuff. Again, a fun, relaxing time.

FL you can do beach AND everglade fun. Kids have always thought the airboats were cool and they have loved the interaction with the gators! Between fishing, NASA, Everglades, beaches, have never been at a loss for things to do (and can usually keep the women out of the malls!).

Colorado Rockies are nice ... cool in the summer and lots of hiking and outdoor activities available.

Southern AZ is beautiful, as is Desert Palm, CA, but in the summer I don't care what the locals say, heat is heat, dry or not. In fact, with the dry heat you have to be even more careful about dehydration! We did enjoy the cooler mornings and outings in the desert at that time (especially the jeep tours which were fun AND educational), but in the middle of the afternoon it was too hot to even sit by the pool. If you weren't in the pool you needed to be in the A/C.

Those are some of my recommendations based on personal experience. If you want specific places to go/stay and things to do, I can do that also.

My poor kids get some type of science or history lesson out of every vacation we do ... all themed around something specific for the local (Civil War History, Ecology of a swamp, space science, etc.).

 

[southkogs]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

My youngest loves history and the Historic Triangle in Williamsburg, VA. We will be headed back there again in June.

We'll actually be back there in March ... too bad we'll miss ya'

We enjoyed the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT in the summer.

Haven't done that yet ... my girls would go ape!

Southern AZ is beautiful...

... or the Grand Canyon was pretty cool too. My Grandparents used to live in Phoenix and the drive from one end of AZ to the other was crazy - every ecosystem you can think of, even snow

My poor kids get some type of science or history lesson out of every vacation we do ... all themed around something specific for the local (Civil War History, Ecology of a swamp, space science, etc.).

We do the same thing ... razafracken-bracken-shnacken home-schooling parents

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Go North young man, to Newfoundland. Whale watching, deep sea fishing, trout and salmon fishing, great site seeing, icebergs and Gros Morne Park on the west side and Terra Nova Park on the east and the European French islands of St.Pierre and Miguellon. Real friendly people and no crowds.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Yellowstone

 

[CC245]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Whitewater rafting the Grand Canyon. I have done it twice and it is awsome. Great for the whole family.

 

[FunInDuhSun]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Got a few suggestions:
- Anywhere in the Michigan UP- summer.
- Canada. TONS of variety, left or right coast.- summer.
- A motorhome vacation out west. You can fly into Vegas (yeah the kids would enjoy it) and rent an RV to travel to Hoover Dam, Havasu, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, etc.
- The Bahamas. spring or fall.
- The Florida keys. spring, winter or fall.

 

[QC]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Ok Phil, you've got to be kidding . . .

First year new boat right? I can't imagine not having my vacation built around that. HOUSEBOAT!!!!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

"Normally" I would push VT and snow skiing however.......... we have had a dismal (nearly nonexistent) snowfall this year

I would probably vote for Newfoundland or Grand Canyon.

Now not trying to be funny but, get all the kids involved in the research and it will make for a great family project. Where do they want to go?

 

[Philster]

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Re: Reccommened a family vacation for my family! Need opinions!

Right now, korygrandy's suggestion in post #2 is getting serious attention, as well as the Bahamas. I really like some of the other ideas for vacation next year. For now... I think images of the Caribbean/Mexico have hypnotized my wife.

Boating vacation: We've done that umpteen times already! We are all about the water. We live near the water, have a getaway home on the Chesapeake and one on the Atlantic, so everything we do is boating... vacations and all. I think we want to be pampered and just show up, instead of actually working on anything except a suitcase!

I like most of the suggestions here.