What's the best trip you've ever taken with your kids?
March 28, 2022 10:35 AM Subscribe
My kids' childhoods are starting to blow past me at a terrifying speed and I know that if I'm not more intentional about our time together, I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning and be sitting at their high school graduations. To that end, I want to know: what are the best trips you've ever taken with your kids and why?
Now that they are 4.5 and 8.5 and we're less embroiled in survival mode, I really want to make more memories together. BUT I'm also fried AF from the last few years and flat out of brainpower to come up with ideas on where to go or potential activities might bring us shared joy so I'm turning to you all.
We're in the Twin Cities, Minnesota with a preference for direct flights or anything within a one-day drive. Open to anything as short as a weekend or as long as a week. Cities are great, beaches are great, etc., just not particularly interested in camping or Disney. Most importantly, I am a solo parent so any locations or activities that require multiple adults to be safe and fun for everyone are less desirable (e.g. something like a waterpark where it's difficult for me to have eyes on two kids at once feels like a no-go right now).
Choosing lodging is something I find difficult at the best of times so specific recommendations for places you loved are a considerable bonus! Thanks all.
Now that they are 4.5 and 8.5 and we're less embroiled in survival mode, I really want to make more memories together. BUT I'm also fried AF from the last few years and flat out of brainpower to come up with ideas on where to go or potential activities might bring us shared joy so I'm turning to you all.
We're in the Twin Cities, Minnesota with a preference for direct flights or anything within a one-day drive. Open to anything as short as a weekend or as long as a week. Cities are great, beaches are great, etc., just not particularly interested in camping or Disney. Most importantly, I am a solo parent so any locations or activities that require multiple adults to be safe and fun for everyone are less desirable (e.g. something like a waterpark where it's difficult for me to have eyes on two kids at once feels like a no-go right now).
Choosing lodging is something I find difficult at the best of times so specific recommendations for places you loved are a considerable bonus! Thanks all.
Best answer: If they're into Lego, San Diego is a good destination. Legoland is nearby and there's an amazing zoo. There are nice beaches and you can do day trips to the Anza-Borrego Desert or Joshua Tree, among other places. I think there was a really huge model train display too but I don't remember the specifics. It was one of the most fun trips I did with my kid before she got to the age where we could go anywhere as long as she had a signal on her phone.
posted by bondcliff at 10:58 AM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 10:58 AM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
I would do something / go somewhere that is entirely new to both of you, so you can experience something new together. Or, some challenge (for me this would be camping, sorry for the cliché).
Signed
Mom of 6.5 and 3yo who in the past week suddenly feels the same intense childhood impermanence HARD.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:04 AM on March 28, 2022
Signed
Mom of 6.5 and 3yo who in the past week suddenly feels the same intense childhood impermanence HARD.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:04 AM on March 28, 2022
Everything is new to kids. I think sometimes we adults forget that. They don't need to go exotic places or see "rare" sights in order to have amazing new-to-them experiences. Where you take them does not matter at all.
For me, the goals of traveling with my kids are mainly along these lines:
- discovering their likes and dislikes, finding out what makes them come alive: what flavors & foods excite them? do they like the outdoors or indoors better? what styles of art and music do they seem to appreciate, and what do they hate? etc. I have a 13 year old who positively crows when there is a label he can apply to himself: "I hate art museums!" "I love hiking!" And from my end, it's very, very useful to know that this kid loves to swim and I can make her happy on a grumpy day by taking her to swim in any kind of lake or river or beach, easy peasy. This also fits with one of the larger goals of parenting: helping the kids draw a map of their own inner terrain, so to speak, so that they know who they are and have a solid ground to stand on ito their own identity when they go out into the world.
- giving them the opportunity to learn and use some higher-order life skills: put them in charge of navigation/ map reading / the compass when we go on that day long hike; let the younger child call all the shots on what we will do today so that she gets a rare opportunity to lead; always leave it to the kids to ask strangers for directions or help so they are practiced in dealing with the world at large; and so on.
- being present with the kids, slowing down, enjoying even the mundane moments or the times when things go wrong. Our family's fondest travel memories are often of how we took the wrong train one time or how we spent an entire afternoon throwing pebbles at a tree because our car broke down.
Most importantly, though, I focus on keeping myself happy and relaxed, because it's the only way the kids can be happy and relaxed. Change is always stressful, and it's much more stressful for kids than for adults! They are not practiced in being away from home and navigating all new things all day for a week or two, with no soothing home routines. So while traveling, kids will tend to have more meltdowns, more arguments, shorter fuses, more tantrums, etc. .... half the time because of the stress of change, and half the time because travel is so tiring.
In order to have a good trip, I have to be able to anticipate their needs, keep a watchful eye on when they're getting tired or cranky or overwhelmed or hungry, have all kinds of creative ideas on how to head off tantrums or fights, plan ahead with extra naps, whatever. If I am stressed out by the travel myself - like if I'm worried I've overstretched my budget or if I'm packing too much sightseeing into one day or if I'm unhappy about the restaurant we picked or heck if I'm unhappy with the place we are traveling to., there is no way I would be able to deal with stressed out children too well.
Not to mention, I won't be any fun!! The whole point of the vacation is to have fun with my kids, and the best way to enable that is for me to do A LOT of self care (picking places and restaurants and activities which ***I*** like even if that feels selfish, lots of advance planning, lowering expectations, making everything easy for myself, giving myself room to fuck up plans, etc) so that I am relaxed, emotionally grounded, and psychologically resourceful to handle it all.
posted by MiraK at 11:06 AM on March 28, 2022 [19 favorites]
For me, the goals of traveling with my kids are mainly along these lines:
- discovering their likes and dislikes, finding out what makes them come alive: what flavors & foods excite them? do they like the outdoors or indoors better? what styles of art and music do they seem to appreciate, and what do they hate? etc. I have a 13 year old who positively crows when there is a label he can apply to himself: "I hate art museums!" "I love hiking!" And from my end, it's very, very useful to know that this kid loves to swim and I can make her happy on a grumpy day by taking her to swim in any kind of lake or river or beach, easy peasy. This also fits with one of the larger goals of parenting: helping the kids draw a map of their own inner terrain, so to speak, so that they know who they are and have a solid ground to stand on ito their own identity when they go out into the world.
- giving them the opportunity to learn and use some higher-order life skills: put them in charge of navigation/ map reading / the compass when we go on that day long hike; let the younger child call all the shots on what we will do today so that she gets a rare opportunity to lead; always leave it to the kids to ask strangers for directions or help so they are practiced in dealing with the world at large; and so on.
- being present with the kids, slowing down, enjoying even the mundane moments or the times when things go wrong. Our family's fondest travel memories are often of how we took the wrong train one time or how we spent an entire afternoon throwing pebbles at a tree because our car broke down.
Most importantly, though, I focus on keeping myself happy and relaxed, because it's the only way the kids can be happy and relaxed. Change is always stressful, and it's much more stressful for kids than for adults! They are not practiced in being away from home and navigating all new things all day for a week or two, with no soothing home routines. So while traveling, kids will tend to have more meltdowns, more arguments, shorter fuses, more tantrums, etc. .... half the time because of the stress of change, and half the time because travel is so tiring.
In order to have a good trip, I have to be able to anticipate their needs, keep a watchful eye on when they're getting tired or cranky or overwhelmed or hungry, have all kinds of creative ideas on how to head off tantrums or fights, plan ahead with extra naps, whatever. If I am stressed out by the travel myself - like if I'm worried I've overstretched my budget or if I'm packing too much sightseeing into one day or if I'm unhappy about the restaurant we picked or heck if I'm unhappy with the place we are traveling to., there is no way I would be able to deal with stressed out children too well.
Not to mention, I won't be any fun!! The whole point of the vacation is to have fun with my kids, and the best way to enable that is for me to do A LOT of self care (picking places and restaurants and activities which ***I*** like even if that feels selfish, lots of advance planning, lowering expectations, making everything easy for myself, giving myself room to fuck up plans, etc) so that I am relaxed, emotionally grounded, and psychologically resourceful to handle it all.
posted by MiraK at 11:06 AM on March 28, 2022 [19 favorites]
Best answer: I think you should wait a couple of years, but when your younger one hits about 7, start incorporating National Parks or similar outdoorsy vistas into the travel rotation. You don't have to rough it or back country camp (some lodging in NPs is downright luxurious) but for myself, my siblings, and my now 16 year old daughter, experiencing the wonder of natural beauty is pretty life altering and memorable. Our trips to Montana and Colorado and California are shared touchstones.
Separately, having a traditional place you go regularly will help build those shared memories. Rent a house on a lake for Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend every year - it doesn't have to be the same house in the same place - but the practice of an annual or semi-annual trip means a lot to kids as they grow up.
posted by RajahKing at 11:06 AM on March 28, 2022 [13 favorites]
Separately, having a traditional place you go regularly will help build those shared memories. Rent a house on a lake for Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend every year - it doesn't have to be the same house in the same place - but the practice of an annual or semi-annual trip means a lot to kids as they grow up.
posted by RajahKing at 11:06 AM on March 28, 2022 [13 favorites]
I loved the trip to Washington DC we did with our boys when they were 8 and 11. They were old enough to understand the history and not cynical yet. We stayed at a hotel close to a Metro station and never drove. Which was also relaxing.
posted by elmay at 11:21 AM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by elmay at 11:21 AM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: During the May long weekend we usually go on a small trip. Nowhere exotic, just some place we can drive to in a couple of hours. The main thing is that we stay in a hotel and prioritize having fun over doing something in particular so there's no schedule and if we're enjoying doing something we won't cut it short because we have to do something else. One year we went to Niagara Falls and the hotel we were at had a breakfast buffet that my kids still talk about. It wasn't anything that special but just the fact that they could get whatever they wanted and had a really nice view of the falls from our table made it memorable for them.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:37 AM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:37 AM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yosemite and Costa Rica. In general, places where the things to see and do are all outdoors and away from vehicular traffic.
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:21 PM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:21 PM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
We spend a week camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula every summer. It is our family's happy place.
posted by hessie at 12:23 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hessie at 12:23 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
FWIW I think your kids are at a great age to go on Real Big Trips if you are so inclined. My kids were 5 and 8 years old when I took them to Switzerland and Italy for 10 days (from USA), no guides or package tours, on my own as a (female) solo parent. Lots of people told me it was too dangerous for me to travel with young children, or that it would be too inconvenient, or that they were too young to appreciate it, etc. etc. etc. but they were wrong. We had a blast, and the kids talk about that amazing trip to this day, five years later. You know yourself and your kids better than anyone else. If you think you can travel with them and have fun, you're right! You can trust yourself on this.
The best logistical tip I have for you, if you want to do something similar (going from town to town, not staying put in one place), is to plan and book the "hardscape" in advance as much as possible, but leave your meals and at least a few hours every day open for spontaneity. I booked all the hotels, trains, public transport passes, and museum tickets in advance and put the addresses, phone numbers, confirmation #s, and copies of QR codes or downloaded/scanned passes, etc on a separate shared Google Calendar at the correct dates/times - so we'd never lose anything & have it all on hand at the right moment, AND so that our emergency contacts back home would know exactly where we were at all times in case something bad happened. Heck I even downloaded audio guides on my phone in advance, and brought an audio splitter along so we were all listening to the guide as we walked around the Vatican museums. It was fabulous, it kept the kids engaged and interested much more than just a walkthrough.
We've also done camping and stayed in little lakeside cabins and beach vacations. That's a whole lot easier, not much planning or logistics required!
Oh, and lastly: always be ready to drop your plans in favor of food or naps. This goes for all kinds of vacations. I once ate lunch at McDonald's when we were in fucking Rome because the kids were cranky from the heat and needed an air conditioned space to eat. You, too, will have commit such atrocities out of necessity. Embrace it.
posted by MiraK at 12:52 PM on March 28, 2022 [17 favorites]
The best logistical tip I have for you, if you want to do something similar (going from town to town, not staying put in one place), is to plan and book the "hardscape" in advance as much as possible, but leave your meals and at least a few hours every day open for spontaneity. I booked all the hotels, trains, public transport passes, and museum tickets in advance and put the addresses, phone numbers, confirmation #s, and copies of QR codes or downloaded/scanned passes, etc on a separate shared Google Calendar at the correct dates/times - so we'd never lose anything & have it all on hand at the right moment, AND so that our emergency contacts back home would know exactly where we were at all times in case something bad happened. Heck I even downloaded audio guides on my phone in advance, and brought an audio splitter along so we were all listening to the guide as we walked around the Vatican museums. It was fabulous, it kept the kids engaged and interested much more than just a walkthrough.
We've also done camping and stayed in little lakeside cabins and beach vacations. That's a whole lot easier, not much planning or logistics required!
Oh, and lastly: always be ready to drop your plans in favor of food or naps. This goes for all kinds of vacations. I once ate lunch at McDonald's when we were in fucking Rome because the kids were cranky from the heat and needed an air conditioned space to eat. You, too, will have commit such atrocities out of necessity. Embrace it.
posted by MiraK at 12:52 PM on March 28, 2022 [17 favorites]
I loved taking my kids to Niagara Falls, but the things I loved about it don't exactly apply to your situation due to location. I appreciated that we could do it as a road trip without the stress of flights or it needing to last more than a few days, there was plenty in town we COULD do but nothing other than the falls that it felt MANDATORY to do so we could just relax and explore, we could park our car and walk everywhere after that, and our hotel had both indoor and outdoor pools for my kids to enjoy regardless of weather.
So if there are corny tourist-trap sorts of places within a reasonable driving distance of you, consider them even if they don't include something as gorgeous as Niagara Falls.
posted by metasarah at 1:00 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
So if there are corny tourist-trap sorts of places within a reasonable driving distance of you, consider them even if they don't include something as gorgeous as Niagara Falls.
posted by metasarah at 1:00 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: My parents loved sailing and skiing, so we did both as a family, and the sailing, especially, holds good memories for me, more so than vacations. I took my son camping with friends with kids and that was great. The side-by-side doing fun stuff, or even unusual tasks. Camping involves flashlights, running around, building a fire, sitting around a fire toasting sausages, (pre-partly-cooked), potatoes, and, of course, marshmallows, telling stories, singing. My kid loves being outdoors, so hiking was popular. Local state parks are a great resource. You don't need to go anyplace really special. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon, by all means, Go, but I'd work on frequent fun over destinations.
Or. Start going to National Parks; they are all fantastic, some more than others, but all worth the trip. Get guides and learn plants, birds, constellations. Go to Ranger Talks. We did an extended family trip to Grand Teton/ Yellowstone; my son loved white water rafting and seeing geysers. So, some destinations are a big deal. We saw Old Faithful go off under a full moon, with a backdrop of a lightning stuck over the mountains. Just spectacularly beautiful. Seeing Old Faithful erupt by moonlight was a suggestion form a park worker; always ask them for ideas.
posted by theora55 at 1:08 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Or. Start going to National Parks; they are all fantastic, some more than others, but all worth the trip. Get guides and learn plants, birds, constellations. Go to Ranger Talks. We did an extended family trip to Grand Teton/ Yellowstone; my son loved white water rafting and seeing geysers. So, some destinations are a big deal. We saw Old Faithful go off under a full moon, with a backdrop of a lightning stuck over the mountains. Just spectacularly beautiful. Seeing Old Faithful erupt by moonlight was a suggestion form a park worker; always ask them for ideas.
posted by theora55 at 1:08 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: So if there are corny tourist-trap sorts of places within a reasonable driving distance of you...
I know you said no waterparks, but Wisconsin Dells is not too far away, and has other stuff.
posted by chbrooks at 1:09 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
I know you said no waterparks, but Wisconsin Dells is not too far away, and has other stuff.
posted by chbrooks at 1:09 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I asked my teenage kids what the best trip we ever took was, and they agreed it was Arizona. We've been there three times. Part of what made it a great destination for us is that it's very different from where we live (northern New England.) Just seeing cactus growing wild was super exciting to the kids. And there were all kinds of other things that were exotic to us - javelinas, road runners, scorpions - not to mention the Grand Canyon. It was also pretty exciting when we went to Florida and saw things like palm trees, alligators and manatees. I definitely recommend going somewhere very different from where you live if you can.
But having said that, I also have to add that a lot of my kids' best memories from our vacations are things they could have experienced anywhere. For instance, one of the highlights of our Florida trip for my son was our visit to Olive Garden. He still remembers what he got and how good it was. (Yes, there is an Olive Garden near us, but we had never been there because the first time I ever went to Olive Garden I was not impressed, so I never went back. Until we were in Florida and it was right by our hotel. It was actually surprisingly good.) So you can probably go to any random place at all and as long as you do and see some things that aren't exactly what you would do or see at home, your kids will end up with happy memories.
posted by Redstart at 1:36 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
But having said that, I also have to add that a lot of my kids' best memories from our vacations are things they could have experienced anywhere. For instance, one of the highlights of our Florida trip for my son was our visit to Olive Garden. He still remembers what he got and how good it was. (Yes, there is an Olive Garden near us, but we had never been there because the first time I ever went to Olive Garden I was not impressed, so I never went back. Until we were in Florida and it was right by our hotel. It was actually surprisingly good.) So you can probably go to any random place at all and as long as you do and see some things that aren't exactly what you would do or see at home, your kids will end up with happy memories.
posted by Redstart at 1:36 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The best trip that I ever took with my son (also as a single parent) was to Watkins Glen, NY in October. We stayed in the cabins at Farm Sanctuary (like the biggest, nicest petting zoo that you can imagine), hiked the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail, and toured the Corning Museum of Glass.
posted by mezzanayne at 1:43 PM on March 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by mezzanayne at 1:43 PM on March 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
I've brought my kids on a lot of vacations -- cities, baseball games, resorts, etc. Fun factor vote is for cruise and theme parks. If you are up for a cruise, pick a family friendly cruise line like Disney or Royal Caribbean -- there are kids activities galore and other kids to play with. Theme parks like Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios are by boys' favorite but I know you are not up for Disney/theme park.
If you go to a beach find a hotel or a resort that has kids club activities during the day that they can participate in if they wish. Often these are done on the pool deck. The parent can relax in the chair if they wish while the kids are doing their hula hoop contests and whatnot.
Activities where there are other kids present, even if they don't want to necessarily hang out with other kids, always makes for fun kid time in my opinion. Think lively and active.
posted by loveandhappiness at 1:45 PM on March 28, 2022
If you go to a beach find a hotel or a resort that has kids club activities during the day that they can participate in if they wish. Often these are done on the pool deck. The parent can relax in the chair if they wish while the kids are doing their hula hoop contests and whatnot.
Activities where there are other kids present, even if they don't want to necessarily hang out with other kids, always makes for fun kid time in my opinion. Think lively and active.
posted by loveandhappiness at 1:45 PM on March 28, 2022
Best trips when my kids were your kids age - All inclusives in Mexico and Fun Valley, Colorado Places were just running around, riding bikes, playing in the ocean or a river, maybe fishing were the focus.
Best trips in three or four years - the rockies (think breckenridge with a side trip to denver) and again all inclusives in mexico, this time with more added trips to cenotes and small villages.
Best family trips in their teens. Boston - no contest, favorite place for all of us. the activities just change as they get older.
posted by domino at 1:53 PM on March 28, 2022
Best trips in three or four years - the rockies (think breckenridge with a side trip to denver) and again all inclusives in mexico, this time with more added trips to cenotes and small villages.
Best family trips in their teens. Boston - no contest, favorite place for all of us. the activities just change as they get older.
posted by domino at 1:53 PM on March 28, 2022
Best answer: Iceland. It may seem counterintuitive, but a big element of Icelandic culture (at least as of 2010) was the community pool/hot tubs. I drove the ringroad to see the sights, and every town we stopped in had heated public pool, various temps of hot tubs, and crazy fun slides, trampolines/climbing walls in and over the heated pool for the kids.
It was like a new, warm, fun waterpark every day. It costs very little for entry and a locker rental/towel, and all of the locals were friendly and the local kids had a new friend to play with.
We went midday/midweek in Heimaey and my son (age 8) was invited to join the local school swim/PE class once we had established that he was a good strong swimmer.
In addition we went on float tour of the iceberg lagoon, and trekked to cool waterfalls and glaciers. he was game for all of it, especially knowing there was a warm pool at the end of the day.
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:06 PM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
It was like a new, warm, fun waterpark every day. It costs very little for entry and a locker rental/towel, and all of the locals were friendly and the local kids had a new friend to play with.
We went midday/midweek in Heimaey and my son (age 8) was invited to join the local school swim/PE class once we had established that he was a good strong swimmer.
In addition we went on float tour of the iceberg lagoon, and trekked to cool waterfalls and glaciers. he was game for all of it, especially knowing there was a warm pool at the end of the day.
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:06 PM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
Best answer: +1 for Yellowstone. Absolutely magical for adults and kids alike.
posted by rouftop at 2:12 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by rouftop at 2:12 PM on March 28, 2022
I’d consider a cruise to Alaska. Amazing things to experience and all cruise lines have ‘kid clubs’ that you can take advantage of if they’re kids that aren’t terribly shy. Some ships have covered pools so you/the kids could swim in shallowish water. I’m sure there are plenty of nonstop flights from Minneapolis to Seattle would make pre and post travel fairly easy.
posted by kittygrandma at 2:21 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by kittygrandma at 2:21 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
We had a fine time visiting the historic sites in Boston. One of the highlights was, when we were walking to the Paul Revere House, my daughter asked if he knew we were coming.
I bring this up as an illustration that kids often need some preparation for whatever the destination.
posted by SemiSalt at 2:33 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
I bring this up as an illustration that kids often need some preparation for whatever the destination.
posted by SemiSalt at 2:33 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
I agree with those who suggested a trip that allows you to be relaxed and where everyone can have fun. The vacations we took as a child that were most enjoyable were probably less about the actual destination and more about my folks' approach. They loosened up and we got a break from the usual rules and routine. We got to swim in a hotel pool. Eat special breakfast (I remember a hotel omelet and waffle station to this day. Pick music in the car/find new radio stations on driving trips. Get a magazine at a gas station. I still smile thinking about it. What might be new and out of the norm for your kids?
All that said, the places I enjoyed the very most as a kid under 12 (apart from Disneyworld) were probably Kentucky caverns, Niagra Falls, and Memphis.
posted by fies at 2:48 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
All that said, the places I enjoyed the very most as a kid under 12 (apart from Disneyworld) were probably Kentucky caverns, Niagra Falls, and Memphis.
posted by fies at 2:48 PM on March 28, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: "Choosing lodging is something I find difficult at the best of times "
When traveling with kids, we've had good luck with Drury Hotels, which not only have a free hot breakfast, but have a free "5:30 kickback" consisting of munchies, a hot food bar (hot dogs, baked potatoes, soup, etc.), and usually 2 alcoholic beverages for the adults. It's a little more expensive than a budget hotel, buuuuut you can get two meals a day out of them. We would eat breakfast, go do activities, return to the hotel around 5 or 6 as the kids were wearing out anyway, have dinner at the hot bar, and then let them enjoy cable TV in the room.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:28 PM on March 28, 2022 [5 favorites]
When traveling with kids, we've had good luck with Drury Hotels, which not only have a free hot breakfast, but have a free "5:30 kickback" consisting of munchies, a hot food bar (hot dogs, baked potatoes, soup, etc.), and usually 2 alcoholic beverages for the adults. It's a little more expensive than a budget hotel, buuuuut you can get two meals a day out of them. We would eat breakfast, go do activities, return to the hotel around 5 or 6 as the kids were wearing out anyway, have dinner at the hot bar, and then let them enjoy cable TV in the room.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:28 PM on March 28, 2022 [5 favorites]
My best memory of a vacation was visiting the Gloucester whaling museum on February vacation. February, in Massachusetts, in a bitter cold snap on the off season for tourists - it was freezing cold and desolate and I have no idea what my parents were thinking. Probably that it was cheap (we lived only an hour's drive away - I'm from MA. And it was February.)
And I loved it.
This is to say, it may not matter where you go or even when. It's about having an experience together.
posted by epanalepsis at 3:45 PM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
And I loved it.
This is to say, it may not matter where you go or even when. It's about having an experience together.
posted by epanalepsis at 3:45 PM on March 28, 2022 [4 favorites]
We loved camping and hiking, and learning how to start a fire, what to pack for camping, reading trail maps and looking for trail markers on the hike. Pre-GPS, I loved when my mom would sit with me to plan out the road trip on the map, highlight the route, and would let me navigate when I was old enough for the passenger seat. It might be more about what you allow them to experience and learn instead of where you take them. Is there anything like that you can incorporate into the trips you decide to take?
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 3:45 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 3:45 PM on March 28, 2022
We had a pretty magical time skiing with our 6 year old on a long weekend in Tahoe recently (and I was kind of dreading it ahead of time, but it ended up being great and I wished we had more time). That specific trip might be a bit much for you but the best part was that she spent a day in lessons while grownups reacquainted themselves with skiing (we each took an hour-long lesson, we are an advanced beginner and intermediate skiier) and then we got to ski with her the next day. Plus we were outside in a beautiful place. So I'm kind of into a trip where you can go to a place, learn a thing from another person, then do a thing? Dude Ranch? Rafting? Family camp?
posted by vunder at 4:03 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by vunder at 4:03 PM on March 28, 2022
The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Go there.
posted by shadygrove at 4:19 PM on March 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by shadygrove at 4:19 PM on March 28, 2022 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Chicago in general has been excellent! Get yourselves membership with an ASTC passport participant and Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and MSI are free. Among many other fine options, there's Maggie Daley Park for outdoors time, plus of course trains and busses (get 24hr passes for you and the older one, $5ea and easy to reload as needed) and food! Best Western Plus Hyde Park is convenient to all of the above, serves breakfast, and has free garage parking with in-and-out privileges and everything.
posted by teremala at 5:13 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by teremala at 5:13 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
Oh my God, YES, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is incredible. I would bet real money that it's not possible for a child to become sick of that place if you spent the whole day there (and everything there is awesome enough that you will need the day!)
posted by MiraK at 5:53 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by MiraK at 5:53 PM on March 28, 2022
Best answer: We've really enjoyed "farm tourism" with kids around/spanning that age range! I.e., just finding a working farm with animals on AirBNB where the owners rent out an apartment. That provides plenty of ready-made, wholesome, memorable activities that do not require intense parental supervision. The kids can spend a lot of time just observing the animals, plus "helping" with farm chores to various degrees if the farmers are up for that sort of thing.
posted by cogitron at 6:24 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by cogitron at 6:24 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: There's reasonably cheap cabin rentals in whitewater state Park, an hour and a half or so south of Minneapolis. Really nice quick and comfortable place to stay in the driftless region which is way different from the rest of MN.
posted by Ferreous at 6:59 PM on March 28, 2022
posted by Ferreous at 6:59 PM on March 28, 2022
Best answer: My parents were not big vacationers, and my dad would mostly only tolerate going camping. So once or twice a year my mom and I just went and stayed in a hotel, usually within two hours of home. She always found one new cool thing to do - ice skating rink, big zoo, science museum - but really mostly the trip was about staying in a hotel (pool! breakfast! room service!), eating in restaurants, and usually this was combined with back-to-school clothes shopping.
I don't know if she knew it at the time, but she was teaching me how to travel. We had a lot of good bonding time and I had fun that felt exotic to me, but I also kinda had my feet under me to deal with a couple of fancier trips and in fact did a ton of travel as a teen and young adult because I had a lot of confidence about handling the travel process.
So I just want to say you don't have to blow it out of the water on your first try, and in fact you might have a much better experience in a year or two doing a big Grand Canyon or whatever trip if your kids feel confident with stuff like sleeping/bathing/bathroom in a hotel, appreciating the joys of the free breakfast and hotel pool, and knowing how to entertain themselves and follow serious safety rules in transit. It's okay to just google "kid friendly hotel" and the name of a town you feel is a reasonable drive - which might be 20 minutes - away.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:20 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
I don't know if she knew it at the time, but she was teaching me how to travel. We had a lot of good bonding time and I had fun that felt exotic to me, but I also kinda had my feet under me to deal with a couple of fancier trips and in fact did a ton of travel as a teen and young adult because I had a lot of confidence about handling the travel process.
So I just want to say you don't have to blow it out of the water on your first try, and in fact you might have a much better experience in a year or two doing a big Grand Canyon or whatever trip if your kids feel confident with stuff like sleeping/bathing/bathroom in a hotel, appreciating the joys of the free breakfast and hotel pool, and knowing how to entertain themselves and follow serious safety rules in transit. It's okay to just google "kid friendly hotel" and the name of a town you feel is a reasonable drive - which might be 20 minutes - away.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:20 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
Rent a cottage on the north shore of Prince Edward Island. The beaches are nice and not crowded, the water is warm enough to swim, there are gentle and beautiful trails to hike in the parks, and it makes for a wonderful relaxing vacation. If you want you can also do all the touristy Anne of Green Gables stuff.
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:23 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:23 PM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Agree with much is what has been said above. We have 4 kids, ranging in ages from 16-29. So many great trips were only with some of them. Yellowstone, Arches, Dinosaur, my wife's college reunion in southern Minnesota. It's about the experiences, and the vacation aspect more that what was done.
I can only think of two major vacations we have taken as a full "family unit'. One to Hawaii, and one to Barcelona->Carcassonne-> Italian west coast->Venice-> Rome...
Both were pretty awesome. But those are big commitments.
Door County? Boundary Waters? Wisconsin Dells? Camping is some work, but given your kids ages, they won't complain too much. It's a cool new thing. Sleeping in a tent in the woods!
Just do things and hope for the best. Pretty solid overall parenting rule TBH. They will remember those experiences.
posted by Windopaene at 8:48 PM on March 28, 2022
I can only think of two major vacations we have taken as a full "family unit'. One to Hawaii, and one to Barcelona->Carcassonne-> Italian west coast->Venice-> Rome...
Both were pretty awesome. But those are big commitments.
Door County? Boundary Waters? Wisconsin Dells? Camping is some work, but given your kids ages, they won't complain too much. It's a cool new thing. Sleeping in a tent in the woods!
Just do things and hope for the best. Pretty solid overall parenting rule TBH. They will remember those experiences.
posted by Windopaene at 8:48 PM on March 28, 2022
My kids still talk about the time I rented a conversation van and we drove to see two sets of grandparents. The real fun was in the hotel and the grandparents giving them milkshakes for breakfast and whatever they wanted for dinner. The late night to them dips in the hotel pool and running to the ice machine.
Just being kids and deviating from their routines were a great time for them and me. I didn't worry about schedules, getting them to activities or what to eat. We just laughed and had a good time.
I think just spending unstructured time with the kids doing fun and goofy things is a great vacation.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:58 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
Just being kids and deviating from their routines were a great time for them and me. I didn't worry about schedules, getting them to activities or what to eat. We just laughed and had a good time.
I think just spending unstructured time with the kids doing fun and goofy things is a great vacation.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:58 PM on March 28, 2022 [3 favorites]
Ok, so I am in Europe and so I cannot give you specific recommendations, but here goes. Since me and my brother were able to walk our parents draged us all around Europe, on long peripatetical vacations, historical cities, museums, hanging out by the Danube, camping, no hicking.
I got in to the whole museum and history stick, my brother not so much. But after twenty years we can still perfectly recall places and experiences and the food and the animals.
The important thing is to have the experiences that are DIFFERENT from what you would have at home, and to have them as an involved family, not to delegate to organized entertainment. Not perfect, not to everyone's taste, but exiting.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 11:49 PM on March 28, 2022
I got in to the whole museum and history stick, my brother not so much. But after twenty years we can still perfectly recall places and experiences and the food and the animals.
The important thing is to have the experiences that are DIFFERENT from what you would have at home, and to have them as an involved family, not to delegate to organized entertainment. Not perfect, not to everyone's taste, but exiting.
posted by thegirlwiththehat at 11:49 PM on March 28, 2022
One answer, one recommendation
Answer: We took an Amtrak trip across the Southwest (starting in Chicago), stopped for three days at the Grand Canyon, then to Los Angeles. From there to Sequioas and then to San Francisco.
Recommendation, given your location: Mt. Rushmore, and both Wall Drug and Badlands National Park on the way there or back.
posted by yclipse at 4:05 AM on March 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Answer: We took an Amtrak trip across the Southwest (starting in Chicago), stopped for three days at the Grand Canyon, then to Los Angeles. From there to Sequioas and then to San Francisco.
Recommendation, given your location: Mt. Rushmore, and both Wall Drug and Badlands National Park on the way there or back.
posted by yclipse at 4:05 AM on March 29, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: +1 to MiraK. The approach to having a good vacation was more important than where we went -- for our family at least. Perhaps you've got that down already though.
Best vacations we've had as a family so far: (daughters are 12 & 10)
- Road trip through southwest in an RV - good mix of downtime & activity - flexible
- all inclusive in mexico - something for everyone. pool + beach + hikes + food easy button
- yellowstone - crazy sights + flexible. we stayed in west yellowstone so there was a bit of driving, but that was good downtime to recover
- utah farmcation - airbnb on a farm. volunteered at best friends animal sanctuary, visited a goat farm and helped herd them.
I think the key to those was our girls were very interested in parts/all of the trip and we made sure to do them, and flexible schedules.
posted by escher at 8:15 AM on March 29, 2022
Best vacations we've had as a family so far: (daughters are 12 & 10)
- Road trip through southwest in an RV - good mix of downtime & activity - flexible
- all inclusive in mexico - something for everyone. pool + beach + hikes + food easy button
- yellowstone - crazy sights + flexible. we stayed in west yellowstone so there was a bit of driving, but that was good downtime to recover
- utah farmcation - airbnb on a farm. volunteered at best friends animal sanctuary, visited a goat farm and helped herd them.
I think the key to those was our girls were very interested in parts/all of the trip and we made sure to do them, and flexible schedules.
posted by escher at 8:15 AM on March 29, 2022
Response by poster: Thank you all! Some excellent ideas here. I'm an experienced traveler and totally comfortable with the notion that some of my kids' most abiding memories of these trips are going to be the ice machine at the hotel and chasing ducks across a parking lot rather than whatever we ostensibly came to see, haha. I am more looking for destinations and ideas I may not have considered rather vacation mindset or tips on traveling with kids, so please keep them coming!
posted by anderjen at 10:24 AM on March 29, 2022
posted by anderjen at 10:24 AM on March 29, 2022
4 years ago when my son was 7, I built a long weekend in St Louis around all day at the City Museum . The Arch is there, baseball if you schedule it right, and some great museums, zoo etc. Public transit was underutilized but very accessible, we flew in and didn’t rent a car. That museum is spectacular
posted by Unioncat at 6:36 PM on April 8, 2022
posted by Unioncat at 6:36 PM on April 8, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
We went in February (schools in the Northeast have a break then; see a recent Ask MeFi about this...), so the weather was relatively mild; we did have to deal with snow getting to the Grand Canyon, though! We flew in and out of Vegas; there is a decent amount of driving involved here, but it's through some gorgeous scenery.
posted by damayanti at 10:58 AM on March 28, 2022 [1 favorite]