Your children under 10’s favorite trips!

[Anonymous]

We live in CA and haven’t traveled a ton with the kids outside a 5 hour drive radius, it trips to the east coast to visit family. Our most recent bigger trip was actually going back to DC to see friends - we lived there for years and our older DD was born there. But we have a few trips we keep repeating. Kids are now 8 and 12 but these worked well when they were younger too:

- San Diego. We’ve gone twice (7 years ago I went alone with older DD, we all went 2 years ago) and we’re about to return. It’s a short flight for us and really easy because my kids both love animals, the beach, and the pool.

- Point Reyes: the kids love going and spending a weekend in nature. Last time a bobcat came into the yard and we saw the Milky Way while star gazing. (We actually only started doing there in the past year or so, so I haven’t tried it with really young kids, but it worked well at 7 and 11 / 8 and 12)

- Sun Valley, Idaho. I have family there, so some of the appeal is the kids get to be with their cousins, so it’s different, but the kids love feeding horses, fishing, playing in streams, going to the lake etc. Surprisingly my younger daughter really likes going to the outdoor summer symphony and snuggling ir eating a picnic while we listen to the concerts.

- “family vacation center” in Santa Barbara. Basically a camp where you stay in dorms. Not the most adventurous or glamorous, but it’s a beautiful campus, childcare and food are taken care of, and we’ve been twice and the kids are begging to return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:San Diego was hands down our kids favorite trip at that age. We went to Lego Land, the Zoo, La Jolla Cove to watch Sea Lions, Coronado Beach, etc. We walked the board walk, ate at some fun restaurants, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. We were there at Christmas time, so the holiday decorations were also really fun.

I’m the Pp who is planning to return to San Diego very soon. My kids are creatures of habit so I think we’ll do some repeat activities, but I’ve set aside a day this time for La Jolla and maybe Torrey Pines. I’d love any animal / nature focused recs for La Jolla (like best place to watch sea lions). Other days we’ll do the zoo, maybe the safari park, and sea world. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:San Diego was hands down our kids favorite trip at that age. We went to Lego Land, the Zoo, La Jolla Cove to watch Sea Lions, Coronado Beach, etc. We walked the board walk, ate at some fun restaurants, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. We were there at Christmas time, so the holiday decorations were also really fun.

I’m the Pp who is planning to return to San Diego very soon. My kids are creatures of habit so I think we’ll do some repeat activities, but I’ve set aside a day this time for La Jolla and maybe Torrey Pines. I’d love any animal / nature focused recs for La Jolla (like best place to watch sea lions). Other days we’ll do the zoo, maybe the safari park, and sea world. Thanks!

NP We went to Children’s beach to see Sea Lions. It did not disappoint

[Anonymous]

My kids haven’t done anything outside of North America but these trips got high marks: Montreal (bakeries, Science Center, beautiful parks, great weather in summer); Lido Key (warm, safe beach for swimming; zoo); Lake Placid (boating, nice trails).

[Anonymous]

Drowsy Water Dude Ranch--the place 9 year olds' dreams are made of!

[Anonymous]

They loved ski and beach trips at that age. They still do. If you ask them, Stowe and Anguilla were favorites.

[Anonymous]

We've been traveling with our handful of kids for the last 20 years and we've enjoyed every trip.

The most important thing to know is what kind of travelers your kids are.

Do they like to sightsee? Enjoy museums? Do they prefer city trips, beach trips, lakes/mountains, etc.?

With a handful of kids, I know their limitations and plan accordingly because I don't want anyone to be miserable.

Post back to let us know what kinds of things your family likes to do on vacation and we can point you in the right direction.

[Anonymous]

LEGOLAND Florida and stay in a themed room at their hotel on the premises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jackson Hole was fantastic - hiking, trail rides, a float trip, rafting, fishing, all in a gorgeous landscape, under a huge sky, with no humidity!

You don’t realize how cranky the humidity makes everyone until you’re someplace with no humidity!

[Anonymous]

SF
Maine
Disney
Camping State Parks
London
NYC
Alaska land not cruise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been traveling with our handful of kids for the last 20 years and we've enjoyed every trip.

The most important thing to know is what kind of travelers your kids are.

Do they like to sightsee? Enjoy museums? Do they prefer city trips, beach trips, lakes/mountains, etc.?

With a handful of kids, I know their limitations and plan accordingly because I don't want anyone to be miserable.

Post back to let us know what kinds of things your family likes to do on vacation and we can point you in the right direction.

What is a “handful” of kids? You use that term twice. Why don’t you just say my four kids or my six kids or my twelve kids?

[Anonymous]

Boy likes trains, so Strasburg PA and the Strasburg RR. Or Baltimore, see B&O train museum and inner harbor.

[Anonymous]

Best trip ever with our kids was Costa Rica. Beaches, jungle hikes, ziplines, river floats, monkeys, scarlet macaws and other wildlife everywhere. We’ve been back three times and have stayed on the Pacific Coast, at Arenal and on the Osa Peninsula. It’s all great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:San Diego was hands down our kids favorite trip at that age. We went to Lego Land, the Zoo, La Jolla Cove to watch Sea Lions, Coronado Beach, etc. We walked the board walk, ate at some fun restaurants, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. We were there at Christmas time, so the holiday decorations were also really fun.

I’m the Pp who is planning to return to San Diego very soon. My kids are creatures of habit so I think we’ll do some repeat activities, but I’ve set aside a day this time for La Jolla and maybe Torrey Pines. I’d love any animal / nature focused recs for La Jolla (like best place to watch sea lions). Other days we’ll do the zoo, maybe the safari park, and sea world. Thanks!

There is a sea lion kayaking trip you can do with kids in the cave. google it.

[Anonymous]

These are the trips we have done with them, looking for ideas!

San Diego
Colorado Ski Trip
Telluride Summer
Big Island Hawaii
Costa Rica
Alaska
Carmel + Monterey
Boston + Martha's Vineyard
NYC
Philly
Disneyworld/ Orlando
San Francisco
Texas Dude Ranch
Seattle + San Juan Islands
LA/Disneyland
Palm Beach
Grand Canyon
New Mexico