While we love scouting great
vacation destinations, sometimes the best advice comes from other families. So
we asked seven travel-savvy parents to tell us about one of their favorite
family vacations—from local getaways to cross-Atlantic adventures!
Aruba
We had a great family vacation in Aruba last April. We stayed
at the very family-friendly Marriott Surf Club. We love all Aruba has to offer—great
sunsets, warm water, fabulous food, friendly people and near-perfect 82-degree
weather. A great spot to visit is Baby Beach, with shallow water and
great snorkeling, and Palm Island is a must! — Carla
Hunt
Hawaii
Taking a family trip to a faraway island with a young child seemed
daunting at first, but Hawaii was the perfect destination. We
arrived at our hotel along Waikiki Beach in O’ahu and immediately headed out
to the warm ocean. Island hopping was literally a breeze; we took a 20-minute
plane ride to Maui and experienced the cool touch of
the clouds as we ascended 10,000 feet to the summit of Haleakala National Park. Back in O’ahu, we snorkeled in Hanahuma Bay, hiked to the top of Diamond Head
Crater and topped it off with a luau—all with a three-year-old! — Angely
Hahm
England
Our daughter was almost three when we went to England, and our son was 16 months. They
loved running around Cambridge University. They seemed thrilled with the
London Eye and the Changing of the Guard. But what we relished most was
following our ordinary routines in a new locale: going to playgrounds, taking
strolls, buying food and looking for the night’s first star—letting them notice
how it was all different in this foreign place, and how it was all the same. —
Andrew Solomon
Photo by Aurelijus Varna
New
Orleans, LA
This past summer my family and I hit the road to discover the South. Of the
many places we visited, one of the most memorable was New Orleans. From the French
Quarter, where we stayed, you can walk to places like The Aquarium and The
Insectarium. A short trolley ride takes you to “The Cities of the Dead”—the
local cemeteries where the centuries-old, above-ground tombs can be found. Live jazz
performances can be found in many kid-friendly establishments, and often on
street corners. You can take the kids to enjoy some great food as well, like
beignets at Cafe du Monde, crawfish pizza at Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, or a
great big bowl of gumbo at Deanie’s Seafood. — Carol Cain, blogger, The
Adventures of a NY City Mama (nycitymama.com)
The Dakotas
We took our first major family road trip a few summers ago. On the way, we
visited Laura Ingalls Wilder’s hometown of Walnut Grove, took a scenic drive
through the Badlands, watched a family-style shootout at the Circle B Ranch
outside Rapid City, gawked at Mount Rushmore, encountered a herd of buffalo at
Custer State Park, panned for gold in Deadwood, and even participated in a
paleontology dig. We celebrated with a special dinner at Bonanza Steak House in
Dickinson, North Dakota—where the salad bar costs $2.99 and
if you want a burger it’s an extra 40 cents. To this day it remains my kids’
number one favorite restaurant.
— Andrea Fisher
Caribbean Cruise
We did a lot of research before going on our Royal Caribbean Cruise, and it
paid off. It was so convenient to simply drive to New Jersey and board the ship. We were at sea
for two days, in Bermuda for two days, then returned to New Jersey. It was the perfect amount of
time for our first vacation with our 11-month-old. Ian sat through a show in
the ice skating rink, we played Ms. PacMan in the arcade and there was a
fantastic baby pool where he got to splash around. During our two days in Bermuda, we played on the beach and took
the ferry into town to see the sights and do some shopping. We
highly recommend this trip to families with young children. — Lainie Gutterman
Bear Mountain, NY
Last February, our family went to Bear Mountain. Only an hour away from
the city by car, the Mountain served as a welcome retreat from the bustling
city. We stayed at the Overlook Lodge, which is very affordable, especially if
you go during the week. Our family went on a scenic family hike that was
really relaxing—until the snowball fight! We also rode on the indoor
merry-go-round, played hotel football, had pillow fights, made snow-angels and
went sledding. We highly recommend a trip to Bear Mountain, where city kids can experience
a bit of nature and unobstructed sky! — Kimberly Coleman
