Favorite Family Vacation?

How long will you be traveling? Do you want to fly or drive?

Favorite non-Disney trips have included renting a beach house in the Outer Banks, renting a house on the lake, and taking a trip to west coast (we live on east coast and flew). Tops trips we have discussed:
National Park road trip
Europe (would have the kids help plan after doing a bit of research)
Cruise
Costa Rica

They also want to do a FL trip and go to Universal.

We also do a short 4 or 5 night trip to a state park each year. There is a man-made beach and there are tennis courts and hiking trails. During summer months there are nature tours. It is close to a resort area, but we love our non-wifi rustic cabin. We play board games, read in hammocks, canoe and kayak, and hike. It is so relaxing and the kids have asked to go every summer.
 


Cruise, Disney World, Disneyland, any combination thereof.

Surprisingly inexpensive vacation was Washington DC. Flights and hotels free on points. And all of the museums and monuments we visited were free, including the zoo! We did a couple Free Tours by Foot (tip the guide what you thought it was worth at the end), used Lyft when too far or tired to walk, and paid for food. Awesome budget trip!
 


This year we’re renting a beach house on a barrier island off of Charleston, SC. We enjoyed it so much a few years ago we’re going back.
 
That will vary greatly on what it is you and your family are interested in. For us, a cultural or historic vacation such as Williamsburg, Boston, etc...would be as exciting as watching paint dry. Ugh, no thanks. Beaches are great, but me and my boys fry after half a day in the sun, so we couldn't spend an entire week on the beach. Besides, we'd get bored. Notice a theme? :D At the same time, we don't want to go, go, go on vacation either. I guess it's sort of a mix. We want a ton of options of things to do, but at our own pace. That's why we love WDW. Other other favorite destination has been Atlantis, in the Bahamas. Haven't been there in many years though, wish we could afford to go back.
 
We normally go to Disney World every year and wanted to do something different one year so we drove to Niagara Falls, that was the best trip we ever had. Had so much fun and so much to do/see
 
Hopetown, Abacos - great for kids who are not needing to be tethered to electronics. boating, fishing, snorkling, great beaches for exploring. Lots of dessert islands to check out.
 
Obviously Disney World, but probably our FAVORITE trip was last summer to San Francisco and Northern California. We spent two nights in SF, rented a car and drove north to Eureka, spent three nights there exploring the redwood trees and coast, then drove back to SF, returned the rental car, and spent three more nights.

We also enjoyed our trip to Disneyland, Southern CA beaches, and LA.
 
We like Outer Banks, NC (mostly Corolla, and then drive for other activities nearby). We usually take the truck for the 4x4 beach to get up early to see the horses. Go see the lighthouses. Hang out on the beach. Head back to the main land and go to the aquarium and the outlets. Play tennis, bike, fish, etc.

Camping (either tent or Cabins) -- mostly local/within an hour or two drive of us, so like Letchworth, Finger Lakes, and other NYS state parks these days. When I was younger, I used to go in a 5th wheel with a friend of mine, places like Gettysburg PA (fun night time "ghost tours", battlefield stuff, etc), and Cherrystone Virginia.

Indoor water parks are good for quick weekend trips -- Great Wolf Lodge in Ontario, Canada, but it's pricey, so we also have done Splash Lagoon in Erie PA.

Growing up, we went to Ocean City, MD pretty much every summer. Very built up and I prefer the pace in Outer Banks more these days, but I miss Thrasher's fries and Dumser's ice cream. :) There's also Bethany Beach DE and Rehobeth DE nearby. Cape May NJ was also nice but I haven't been there in eons and don't remember a ton.

I also grew up visiting Colonial Williamsburg -- plenty to do there, I enjoy historic tours, and there's also theme parks nearby like Busch Gardens and King's Dominion. Also the Shenadoah Valley area of Virginia, Lurray Caverns, etc.

I also enjoy "staycations".... I think we tend to overlook sights and activities in our own backyard -- so for me I have a few backyards including Baltimore (Inner Harbor, Poe's grave, the zoo, the aquarium, etc), Niagara Falls (NY and Ontario), and Buffalo NY.

I liked all of our vacations both growing up as well as with my own family now, but for different reasons since they are all so different.

And of course WDW, but I don't go there every year (absence makes the heart grow fonder), plus we may be out-priced eventually so... Would love to get out to the western US (Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado, California), and also Europe -- Italy and get back to England again, but probably not until the kids are older. And in a more pipe dream sense, would like to visit Japan and Australia, but unsure I could handle the long flights.
 

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