Which summer vacation would you pick?
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Anonymous
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I would do San Diego and Legoland for kids ages 3 and 6. There is a TON in San Diego that is appropriate for kids that age (more than Legoland). We did that trip when our son was 6 and it remains a highlight of our family vacations. (We did San Francisco and Yosemite when he was 9, which was very great, but the Yosemite side s a more physical trip.)
San Diego has some good outdoorsy / nature areas that don't have to occupy a huge amount of time if you don't want them to. Torrey Pines State Park has some easy, great hiking in it and it's by the beach, too. La Jolla caves are very cool, too. We spent a full day at LegoLand with our son and another full day at the Wild Animal Park (now called "Zoo Safari Park" - it's a larger branch of the San Diego Zoo). I do think your kids are a little young for Yosemite and RMNP. |
Anonymous
This was our itinerary if this helps--we did not do legoland but you could easily fit it in. Day 1-travel DC-LAX Day 2 Disney Adventure Park Day 3 Anaheim-SD drive; stop at Torrey Pines, hike the trails/visit the golf course; stopped in Lajolla to see the seals, continue driving to SD and check in at our house, beach PM Day 4 Surfing lessons for kids (loved), beach day Day 5 Aquatica Waterpark (ehh, but kids loved it) Day 6 Zoo (awesome!) Day 7 Balboa Park museums (drizzling in AM), Beach PM Day 8 Safari Park (very hot, not as good as zoo) Day 9 Balboa Park, Belmont Park in evening (kids loved, touristy) Day 10 Drive to Orange county to see family, and visit a beach there Day 11 Travel LAX-DC We stayed at a VRBO property in Pacific beach within walking distance to the beach. Perfect location and off the beaten path (residential area). We could have stayed another week in SD as we did not get to rent bikes and ride around Mission Bay, see Coronado, etc...Lots to do there! |
Anonymous
| San Diego |
Anonymous
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San Diego. Especially if you go in July/Aug and avoid June gloom.
I agree with another PP to work on liking nature closer to home before making it a big part of a summer vacation. |
Anonymous
Thank you - that's very helpful! What month did you go? Was Disney super crowded or bearably crowded? |
Anonymous
Huh? My two year old LOVED Yosemite (and GCNP). Won't remember it, but loved it. |
Anonymous
| I would do either CA option. We've done all of those choices you've list with your kids. Really depends on what they like best. |
Anonymous
| I am the CA poster above. We were up early due to the time change so we were there at the gate well before rope drop. We stayed at the Howard Johnson across the street (cute water playground) so we were able to walk to breakfast at a restaurant and the park, basically being first in line. Went to back for fast passes to Cars immediately and then started riding stuff. Don't remember all the details but it wasn't terribly crowded. From what I recall people said Disney across the street was twice as crowded. Don't know why. We were there in mid august. It was hot but not bad. Torrey Pines and SD Safari Park were hotter. |
Anonymous
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I live in San Diego and I'll be damned if I can figure out why all you crazy tourists like the zoo. It's hot, run down, expensive and freaking mobbed. Go to the safari park, which is just as hot but at least the animals have some room. You can go kayaking or snorkelling at La Jolla, do pirate ships and submarines at the harbour, which is also near Little Italy for lunch and a really cool playground. The aquarium in La Jolla is nice if its really hot, some of the slightly farther out beaches are nice. Most of the beach towns have good restaurants---you should hit one of the 'bertos for good fast food Mexican, and there's a million good Asian restaurants as well---yum real sushi and Thai! Even the little kids can do surfing lessons, and for a couple hours drive you can go to Joshua Tree for the oddest rocks ever. Bonus if you climb, because you can hire a guide and yes, your 3 year old can too---my granddaughter does!
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Anonymous
| 3 and 6 is tough for long flights. I would just pack up the car and drive to Providence/Boston/Cape Cod. Skip Acadia until they are older. |
Anonymous
| I vote RMNP with Snow Mountain Ranch as your home base. It's is the most family friendly place ever- we stayed last summer. We did canoeing, white water rafting, fishing, zip lining, biking, archery, and trail rides. Can't speak highly enough of it! |
Anonymous
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We DISA SoCal road trip last year when the kids were 3 and 7, including SD beach, paddle boarding, Disneyland/California adventures, drive up PCH, stayed at lodge at Big Sur, ended in SF with Paul McCartney concert and touring city. We had friends is SF and SD that really made the trip great. It was a lot to do in about 10 days and it was a great trip!
This year, we went to NYC, Boston, and Acadia. We had a great time in NYC and Boston, but the drive to Acadia was long and youngest is not a great hiker etc. We did not like Bar Harbor that much. So, between the two, I think San Diego and parks in Annaheim were the best bet. |
Anonymous
| Boston/Acadia. We did 3 days in Boston and 7 days in Acadia when my son was 5. It was perfect. |