When Andy calls me from work, it usually means one of two things.
I’m looking at our Dish bill, and who ordered an Adam Sandler movie on pay per view four days in a row?
Did you pay that one bill that was due and super important to pay or everyone would die blah *snooorrrrreeeee*… (I’m paraphrasing, the real life statement is way more boring than that.)
But when he called me yesterday, and I answered sounding all breathless so he thinks I was just doing something super manual, like vacuuming or milking a cow, it was to tell me he had accumulated 23 vacation days left to use this year, and he had to turn in the dates by Monday.
Ok great, except um…what?
We love traveling with our kids, and as they get older, it becomes way easier and less suicidal.
But where do we go? It be great if it would be drivable, OBVIOUSLY, because it’s hard to travel with kids while I’m partially high and mostly unconscious.
So, aside from Disney, which we are doing in the fall…because we’re experts as masochism, where is your favorite place to vacation with your family within the continental US?
Since I know you are in northern Ohio, have you considered Niagara Falls? It’s not too terribly far. I went there with family when I was 12 and it was pretty neat. Also: Washington D.C. was a favorite family vacation we took, but I don’t know how far you are willing to go with the kiddos. Have fun whatever you end up doing!
OH! These are good ideas, and totally going on our list!
As a Canadian, I have to point out that the Canadian side of Niagara Falls is WAY better (Plus, it’s not just the falls.. there is Clifton Hill with tons of great museums like Ripley’s believe it or not and Guinness.. and Marine Land with killer whales and dolphins and belugas and the like… SO FUN!)
I went to Niagara Falls for work one time and was so in awe of it that I was determined to go back… and then I had children and I am terrified that the will find some way to fall over the edge. Yes. I am that paranoid.
I have to throw in Lake Placid too… it’s gorgeous up there!! Romantic too ; )
I hear that Missouri is really fantastic this time of year…
Well, i know Andy really wants to talk to Ryan soooo…
Branson is a great place to take kids, while you are in Missouri.
There is a really great kid’s museum in St. Louis. I have personally never been there, but my niece and nephew absolutely LOVED it when they went. There are cool things like old planes that you can climb on, giant slides, and a school bus hanging off the side of the old industrial building that houses the museum. Hope you have fun!
New Orleans!
I do not understand why this is even a question.
TORONTO = driveable + Alimartell
ha! ali, you’re my new favorite person.
Only 4 hours away!!!! YAY!
I second Toronto!! it has the science center and Ontario Place both great places to do with kids. Really anywhere in Ontario would be an awesome vacation. But if you were able/willing drive an extra 6-8 hours I recommend Quebec City (the rest of Quebec sucks) it is this an amazing old world style town. There is so much to do: Forts, battle reenactments, parks, kick-ass music festivals, amazing shopping, a boardwalk, a naval yard, amazing food and wine for sale in the gas stations! It is a French speaking city but most people there also speak English and will gladly help you (not so much in other parts of the province). I hope that helps!!
I’m not sure where you are but my favorite trip so far with my kids was New Orleans. I know most people think “NOLA? With KIDS?” but there’s an amazing zoo, a great aquarium, and Bourbon Street during the day is pretty interesting. We really had fun exploring. My son was 4 at the time and loved every minute of it. (Especially when the stripper on a smoke break kissed his cheek and told him he was “so handsome!” )
Really? I will have to look into this, I went solo but was drunk the ENTIRE TIME, but I know Andy is dying to go, so it’s going on our list!
I’ll second NOLA as a suggestion. My hubby and I hit it up for our honeymoon and while we certainly did a bit of Bourbon Street drinking at night and such, there was plenty that was totally family friendly like just walking the French Quarter and checking out shops during the day.
No help, but we want to plan a Disney trip for next year so any tips you have, I’ll take!
Chicago! There is Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, the Sears Tower, AMERICAN GIRL PLACE!, LegoLand…. all kinds of stuff. It’s not a cheap place, but it’s a fun place for kids.
Chicago is super close and fun by train, great idea, that is a def!
You should Griswold totally this. Load up the family truckster and just drive, man. Hit the midwest hotspots and get honkey lips spray painted on the side of your car in Gary, Indiana. Yeah, you’re welcome.
Oh we are totally Griswold’ing this shit.
Roll ’em up!
Or totally Griswold this. I mean, I might be dyslexic.
My favorite place to go is Mackinac Island in northern Michigan. Seriously, it’s the most kid friendly place, but also really fun for adults. You drive up to Mackinaw City, leave your car, hop on a ferry for around 20 mins, and you’re there. There are no cars on the island, so you can bring bikes or you can rent them there. The other way you get around is in a carriage pulled by a horse. I’m not kidding. The summer is gorgeous- not too hot, not too cold. It’s very affordable, there are tons of nice hotels and restaurants, historical things to do/see, trails for the kids to play on, and horses everywhere. It’s AMAZING. Do it. (and if you need tips, hit me up)
I hear amazing things about that place, I am going to check out how far it is!
I’m going to second taking a trip Up North as we call it in Michigan. If not Mackinac Island, anywhere along Lake Michigan is gorgeous: Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Petosky, Glen Arbor or even take a drive up into the U.P. and see the Tahquamenon Falls.
Here, watch a commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ8Sj-ow_wI&NR=1
“Up North” in Michigan is the place to be! Ludington is beautiful and has great beaches but you can’t go wrong anywhere along Lake Michigan!
Those Pure Michigan commercials get me every time!
I am going to Vail, CO in October and I’m pretty excited about it..I don’t know how much there is to do with kids, but it appears they have stuff for all ages. I would imagine going when there is snow on the ground is better, only because you can do the snow tubing and possibly skiing..Little kids are so good at skiing, it’s scary! I hope you enjoy whatever vacation you decide to take. Yall deserve it!
I grew up in Northwest Ohio too, and my parents were the gods of the road trip. We’ve been everywhere. My absolute favorite was Hershey PA. It’s pretty near Harrisburg, so about a 6 hour drive or so.
THE WHOLE TOWN SMELLS LIKE CHOCOLATE.
How could you go wrong?
Hershey, PA is really cool! They have Hershey’s Chocolate World, so it would definitely be fun for kids.
Hershey, PA is awesomeness. Amusement park with an awesome water park, Chocolate World with a “factory tour” of how they make chocolate (my kid’s fave!), Butterfly Garden, museums, theaters, shopping, food, and of course CHOCOLATE!! Harrisburg has some great museums for kids, and Lancaster, PA isn’t far from there either – PA Dutch Country – tons of fun stuff there to see and do, as well as some of the best food on the planet!
Amish country! I grew up there and love it!
We just did Lancaster with our two year old and it was the best trip! Your kids are the perfect ages for Dutch Wonderland and there was so much great stuff to do. It’s close to Hershey, Sesame Place, good food and lots of outdoor activities too. Good luck!
Born and raised in York County here! Hershey IS a great place for the kiddos.
The water park there isn’t my favorite and gets SUPER crowded there, but if you’re coming in the fall you won’t have to worry about that.
Chocolate World is really neat and you get a piece of free chocolate at the end of the tour.
Yes you heard me…FREE CHOCOLATE!
And I cannot agree enough that Lancaster has some of the best food in the world!!
Make sure to try some real Pot Pie while you’re there…and some chicken corn soup.
Yum!!
And grab some Middleswarth chips, tasty cakes and wege of hanover sourdough broken pretzels and mail them too me pleasssseeeee, I would be FOREVER grateful!
Colorado-pretty much anywhere. It is all beautiful.
Tell him to take all 23 days consecutively and then leave the kids with Andy, learn to say “baño” and “cerveza” and go lay in a tropical paradise with your toes in the sand and an adult beverage in your hand for 20 days. You are going to need 2 days for travel back and forth and 1 more for catching up on sleep. I mean you all are going to disney together in the fall so it should be fine…right?
This… was hilarious to read! I totally giggled out loud! Great idea Michele :)
Perfect idea. I’ll drop my two babies off with Andy and we can go together. You’ll need a guide through the airport because you’ll be so drugged up. It’s for your safety. I’m sure your insurance will cover my flight and hotel for this reason. Tell me what day we leave and I’ll be packed.
Wilmington NC. Hippy college vibe with upscale vibe too. Plus they have a donut place that will make you question life as you know it. That and you can totally pretend to be on One Tree Hill because it’s filmed there.
Upstate NY is beautiful! And we have a lot of wineries! Lakes, festivals, camping, etc. A few hours from Niagara Falls and Toronto. You used to be able to take a ferry from Rochester, NY to Toronto and back, where they sold duty free alcohol, had bars, and then let people out in their cars to drive. Good times, but it got shut down. For some reason they don’t like people drinking and driving.
I digress.
We were thinking this summer of touring Upstate/Western NY and then hitting up Canada. The people are friendly there.
Good luck whatever you decide!
If you come to St. Louis, I can be your tour guide!!
Destin, FL is a-MAZ-ing but a bit of a drive. Just wanted to throw that one out there!
I’d have to say New York City. At first thought it would seem like “woah, take the KIDS through NYC….what??” but really- if it’s at all chaotic, you’ll either 1. Fit right in or 2. Probably not be nearly as chaotic as the zillion other things going on around you so you’d actually be the “organized” ones…. just a thought but I know if you guys went to NY, I’d be pasted to my computer looking for the blog entry during/following that trip. :)
Venice, Florida. The Gosselins went there for vacation, and clearly they knew what they were doing.
Outer Banks, NC or Bar Harbor, Maine!
–>I agree on the Outer Banks!
It’s definitely a serious drive for you, but have you considered the Northwest. I grew up in Ft. Lewis, Washington and even though we did get some rain, it was beautiful country to see. You’ve got the Seattle Aquarium, the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, Seattle Science Center, Mt. Rainier National Park, Ocean Shores Park, Northwest Trek, just to name a few. It really is lovely if you can ever visit.
Closer to you though, I was reading about the Great Wolf Lodge in PA and Hershey Park and thinking about that for a family vacation for us from Florida. I have a friend in VA who took his little boys recently and highly recommended the lodge for the little ones.
I’m sure it will be great no matter where you go.
Smokies. The kids love it. And its closer and cheaper than Disney.
Myrtle Beach. A little farther, but driveable and cheaper than Disney.
Put-n-Bay/South Bass Island. It’s A LOT closer and driveable and not too expensive.
We did a 15 day road trip out west last year. My fave was Carlsbad Caverns especially staying for the bat flight. Mind you I hate car trips, bats, and caves. We did so many great places in one trip and stayed at the Trump in Vegas at the half-way mark. Hit the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, stood on a corner in Winslow , Az (Eagles ref.) on the way back to Fl. Last big stop was The Cadillac Ranch and that steak place from Man vs. Food in Amarillo, Tx. It is a trip none of us will ever forget.
Pittsburgh!!!!! There is the childrens meseaum, station square, the incline, the zoo, aviary, phipps and the science center! All great family vacay spots!
You should pick somewhere cool to go but then take like 5 days driving there. Stop at all the really weird non famous tourist attractions. We had a app on my phone called roadside america that gives you great usually free things to see along the way. Best trip ever! And it is nice so the kids can get out of the car often.
The beach. Rent a house, just relax.
DC is really nice. It is kinda painful hot now, but there is a LOT to do and see. Zoos, museums, etc. All free and all SUPER kid friendly. It’s nice. It is a bit of a drive though. Plus Baltimore is really near by. An hour drive maybe. And their aquarium is AMAZING. And they also have the BEST breakfast place. CAPTAIN CRUNCH FRENCH TOAST! If you go a little south to Williamsburg you can hit the multiple water parks, theme parks and an AMAZING outlet mall.
I live in Baltimore. It is MISERABLY hot and humid on the east coast right now, but fall is really nice! The captain crunch french toast place you’re talking about is called Blue Moon Cafe, and yes it is delicious.
I second DC in the fall. So much to do and you can do the city for awhile then head out to WV for some rustic fun. We are doing Disney this fall too. Five kids. Disney. Yikes!
NOLA, DC, Chi-town are all great ideas. A-mazing, all. What about http://news.travel.aol.com/2009/11/15/ten-places-to-see-in-the-u-s-before-you-die/
I know you’ve been to some of them, but I can attest to the beaches on the East Coast, as I live there. And while The Cape is fun, you know, P-Town and all, I really like Maine. We got married there, so I’m biased, but still awesome.
I live 2 hours from New Orleans. Have been there many, many times but my husband and I just took our 4 year old there for the first time a few weekends ago. (I work in publishing and was there for a book conference; so basically I worked and they played.) They did a few things, but before we left I sent my husband this great link so he could pick out some things to do: http://www.wejustgotback.com/default.aspx?mod=sponcon_neworleans.
The only thing I disliked about having my child with me is that I stressed out a little too much over where to eat that was 1) affordable, 2) casual AND 3) kid-friendly, so we just ate at the big chain restaurants down there.
Also something to keep in mind about coming down here…it’s HOT! Super HOT!
How about a White Trash Tour? Find out where the world’s largest ball of twine is, and where the bible museum that the Duggar’s went is, etc…But you must rent a station wagon so that Jude and Wyatt are facing backwards and staring awkwardly at all of the people behind them. ;)
OR…Graceland??
Philadelphia + Rehobeth Beach…Zoo, Franklin Institute, Science Museum, Please Touch Museum, Liberty Bell, Art Museum and lots of great restaurants and Fairmount Park…then if you get tired of the city its just a couple of hours to Rehobeth – adorable beach, great for families and as an added bonus, home of Dogfish Head Brewery!
Gatlinburg in Tennessee is a pretty cool place to visit.. Holiday world in Santa Claus, Indiana was really awesome as well.. One of my best memories as a kid was when mom ad dad took a week off and we stayed at home but did something every day that was no more than 2 hours away from home.. We went out of town to a movie, went to some local caverns, visited the state Capitol and different stuff like that.. It was cheap and it was fun! Good luck and have fun!!
I second Gatlinburg. In the winter you can ski there in the non-winter you can see animals and there is a amusment park. Dollywood is right there, and Pigeon Forge (right next door) is full of touristy stuff. Smokey Mountains run through Gatlinburg so even more stuff to do.
When you come to disney, go to Tampa also. Big amusment park, huge aquarium, tons of stuff.
And look at St. Augistine, Florida. So much history, real live fort, flat beaches, awesomeness.
Wisconsin Dells too.. And the Mall of America.. :)
Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge Tennessee is wonderful – particularly if you go at the end of August/beginning of September when all the schools are back in session so it’s less touristy. There is one of the most amazing outlet malls ever, Dollywood, Dolly’s Splash Country, Ripley’s museum and aquarium, some really great food, indoor year round ice skating at Ober, and all the wilderness you can muster. And you can get a snazzy cabin that will be fun for the family and Mommy and Daddy when the kids pass out.
I second L. Mackinaw City is awesome and then you can go to other local places like Mackinac Island and Traverse City isn’t too far either. Northern Michigan is soo awesome and pretty and filled with the most delicious fudge and pasties. Plus there are some pretty sweet wineries in case you get sick of sugar. :)
I’m originally from Boston – it’s a GREAT city with a ton to do for both adults and kids. It’s also a great temp this time of the year and near the beach! :)
I live in Charleston, SC which is awesome too. Renting a beach house here is incredibly reasonably priced and better than being stuck in a hotel room with 3 kids :)
TEXAS Y’ALL! Austin and San Antonio are great!
I would second Texas because I’m one of our fine state’s most adamant proponents, however it’s hot as balls, y’all! If you’re going somewhere cool (as in not 103 degrees at 10 A.M.WTF?) I’d like to tag along and stay until, like the end of September or whenever the new season of Desperate Housewives starts. That’s how I measure the end of summer.
I’m from Texas, and it is too damn hot to come here in the summer. For future planning? August, November, March and April.
I don’t have kids, so I can’t attest to the ease of it for parents – but when I was a kid, one of my favorite vacations with family was renting a condo right on the beach in Destin, FL. We played in the pool, built sand castles, and ate sand-filled turkey sandwiches and cheetos. And I expect my parents spent a good amount of time drinking at the beach, at the pool, on the balcony, etc…
You could do the I-90 road trip. Head west and stop at all the wierd road side places along the way. Drive until you hit Wall Drug, Rushmore and the black hills. Then drop south a bit and hit Yellowstone and the grand tetons. It would be especially nice if you could rent or borrow a camp trailer for your travels.
Next summer we are taking the kids to that national park in Tennessee (I think it’s Tennessee) where you can renting mining tools and start mining and any jewels you find are yours!
Dollywood.
Hershey, PA.. We took our 3 year old and 10 month old last summer and had a blast. It was an 8 hr drive from mid Ohio, tons of things for the kids, & fairly inexpensive. Dutch Wunderland (a kiddie amuesment park), Hershey Park, Hershey Gardens, Hershey Factory Tour, Amish Country, the Crayola Factory and Seasame Place are 2 hours away
NYC! The Toys R Us has a ferris wheel and the Hershey’s store is amaaaazing! Also Chicago is always fun! Myrtle Beach or Virginia Beach are pretty easy drives too.
Myrtle Beach!! Beautiful beaches, nice weather, tacky t-shirt shops, and water slides and stuff for the kids, if they are into that. It isn’t summer without a trip to the redneck riviera.
I’ve decided that my favorite way to vacation with young kids is to get a rental house on the ocean or a lake or something. So nice to have a house instead of a hotel room – space to relax and nap and all of that. A hotel room feels more trapped to me. Being in walking distance of the beach is even better – takes some of the hassle out of packing everyone up since you don’t actually have to get into the car.
–>We do a week in the Outer Banks every summer. I Love It. It’s only a two hour drive for us but it’s 12 hours for the Cincinnati part of the family.
Bonus: Wild Ponies ON The Beach.
Seriously, look here:
http://www.websavvymom.com/2011/06/run-for-your-lives-our-beach-vacation.html
I second Amish country! Dutch Wonderland is a great amusement park for little kids with a nice water park and I’m sure your boys would love the Stasburg Railroad. Hershey, Philidelphia, and Baltimore are all within an hour or two’s drive, plus, I just really want to read your take on getting a tour of the area on a horse & buggy driven by an Amish guy.
Missouri…Branson in particular is a fun place to visit. Also, Washington DC is a great vacation spot. Chicago…they have Navy Pier, Kiddie Land, the Sears Tower, and Six Flags Great America. The Wisconsin Dells is a whole lot of fun! Universal Studios! Several places in Florida are fun! New Orleans! During the day there are cool things to see in Las Vegas. Have Fun! July 30th me and Jeremiah are leaving for Chicago for two weeks. Enjoy your vacation wherever you may go!
we drove to Indy last year and there was lots to do with the little guy…the zoo, the children’s museum, the fair (if you’re there the right week), etc. plus there were some pretty cool bloggers to hang out with.
Niagara is Ok. Sort of boring if that is your only destination, but Toronto is a great place and maybe you could hit Niagara during that trip?
I got nothing. I noticed a lot of people mentioned Hershey, PA. I have a couple or three friends that go there almost every year and swear by it.
Sevierville and/or Pigeon Forge, TN. Close enough to Knoxville to do day trips too! Do it. You can thank me later.