We have 3 young girls, 5, 2 1/2 and 1 1/2. We want to take a great summer vacation this year with them. We live in Clearwater, FL, so we are so lucky to be able to do the beaches and Disney World all the time. We also do Busch Gardens with the whole Sesame Street land in it. They are too little to do any water parks just yet. I checked through old posts, but they are mostly beach related. So, what is your best vacation that doesn't involve Disney, Sesame Street or beaches?? I am thinking something mountainous, maybe on a lake. Up for any ideas. No NYC or Washington D.C., we have already done those as well. Oh, we are on a budget, so must be in the US! Thanks for all your suggestions!
We love to tour the caves/caverns along the eastern US. What about the Smokies? Poconos?
I've been looking over the same information. We have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and while we must go to the beach at least once a year, we also want to show them (and see ourselves) some other places. I'm leaning heavily toward Estes Park, CO. It's home to Rocky Mountain National Park, and gets VERY high remarks and ratings for families, small children and that sort of thing. It's absolutely gorgeous and there are lots of hikes that are suitable for young kids and for parents wearing a kid in a backpack. Bike rentals with child carriers are available as well and there's a large lake there. It's also not far from Wyoming and we're considering taking the boys to Frontier Days in Cheyenne as a side trip. I went as a little girl and was absolutely amazed!
Other considerations -we're checking flight prices, rental car prices, gas, etc. but we have a nice pop-up camper, and we may drive the Blue Ridge Parkway up to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Eye-popping scenery, campgrounds, lodges and tons of kid stuff on that trip. You can hit Great Smoky Mountain Nat'l park at the beginning and Asheville on the way.
How about Yellowstone? You can camp there or nearby in Island Park, Idaho, which is maybe 30 min away. Island Park is BEAUTIFUL. Coffeepot campground is a nice one; it has bathrooms with flushing toilets and a mirror. There are also showers about 10 min away. There is a lot to do up there- fishing, canoeing, hiking, lots of cool waterfalls. You can put the smaller kids in a stroller at Yellowstone. It is beautiful there and very interesting. The kids would probably enjoy seeing the wildlife.
Another WONDERFUL place is Bear Lake, Utah. We are lucky enough to live within driving distance. You can rent cabins but probably the most reasonable place to stay is Ideal Beach. They have condos for rent. The condos are right on the beach, and there are 2 swimming pools and hot tubs, tennis courts, mini golf, tons of grass and BBQ grills, volleyball, waverunners for rent, a giant park, and of course the beach and lake!. The lake is nestled in the mountains and is gorgeous. There is golfing about 5 min away, lots of hiking, you can rent bikes, also there is Minnetonka cave nearby. Here is the site for Ideal Beach resort. http://idealbeach.net/new_web.asp
I would check out the Tennesse! We haven't spent much time there, but drove thru on a trip home from FL to MI and it looked interesting. You can find some mountain areas with waterfalls! Maybe find a cabin in the woods to rent? When they get a little older, I strongly suggest Mammouth Caves in KY - our kids were 4 and 6 when we went and it was awesome! We're going back soon now that they are older and we can do a longer cave tour. Have Fun!!!
Go see the mermaids- it is a State park now, I loved it when I was a kid, and in turn my grandkids fell in love too.
best, k
Do you have a Great Wolf Lodge nearby? Have you done Williamsburg? If you did DC, what about Baltimore?
What we like to do is rent a condo or house (sometimes with relatives) and have that as our "station" and then we can decide from there what to do. Last year we did Deep Creek Lake and took our toddler to a toddler program at the nature center and also did a farm tour.
I don't know if it would be in your budget, but what about a short cruise? We did a 5 day cruise with our family when our youngest was 1.
How about a Cruise? There are 3-4 days ones or you can go longer. Being as you are in Florida, you can drive right to the port! You get a lot of bang for your buck on a Cruise. Carnival is great for kids and adults. Wait for your youngest to turn 2 and then they can all enjoy the FREE Kids Camp while you and your husband have some adult time. Our kids LOVE spending a couple hours a day there. There are mult pools and some of the ships now have very cool looking splash pads which we will book next time we go. There are formal dining areas or buffet style eating if you like to eat and run,...this is usually our preference. 24 free room service. Bars, Casinos, Shows, entertainment by the pool, Spa, Workout area. We have taken our 3 & 5 old on 2 now and they LOVE it and so do we!!
Have fun!
