I'd go to a Beaches Family Resort and take my son for some SERIOUS 'mars time'. My 9yo is my favorite travel buddy.
Or up to Sun Peaks (family ski resort right next to Whistler; snowboarding, dogsledding, outdoor pool, iceskating, snowshoeing, marshmallows, etc.)
((I classify any resort as a Mars Trip... because going to a resort you could be anywhere in the universe. Resorts are sculpted places that have little to anything to do with local culture/ customs/ education/ etc. You could be on Mars.))
The trips I'm actually planning, however are places where I have family/friends so we wouldn't be paying for a hotel, just airfare and spending money... (except the NZ trip, which is a summer field school):
- Argentina (2500 - 6 weeks) (cancelled due to illness)
- UK, EU, Balkans (4k - 8 weeks)
- East Coast Colonization (3 weeks)
- South Island NZ (3 months)
Which I just bring up as an option B. Put that money towards a bigger/longer trip.