Trip Ideas By Activity
There are so many ways to vacation with your children.
City explorations, museum sleepovers, condo-style rentals, road trips, mountain and lake cabins, beaches, cruises, and all-inclusive vacations stretch budgets. Resorts run the gamut from moderate to pricey. Staying midweek or during shoulder season saves money.
Dream trips—African safaris, Galapagos treks, polar bear watches—deliver the thrill of wildlife encounters but at a hefty price. Farmstays, state and national parks, and hikes through Costa Rican rain forests let you enjoy animal encounters at a fraction of the cost.
Time travel fascinates kids. At living history parks, march with the militia and meet pioneers. In Europe, tour centuries-old castles, climb atop medieval walls, and stroll streets laced with 18th-century buildings. Go back millions of years to the dinosaur era. Satisfy your kids’ curiosity by going on a dinosaur dig, walking in dinosaur footprints, and ogling fossils of these fierce critters in museums.
Build sandcastles at the beach, canoe and fish at a lake, get tossed, twirled, and dropped on rollercoasters at an amusement, ski downhill, or snowshoe through snowy woods.
Stay overnight, for a few days, or a week. Plan carefully, allow for spontaneity, know that things will go awry, and maintain your sense of humor. Have fun.
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Trip Ideas Sorted By Activity
All 415 /A Port Day 0 /Adventures 186 /Africa & Middle East Destinations 0 /Air Travel 0 /All-inclusive Vacations 26 /All-inclusives 0 /Amusement and Theme Parks 10 /Asia Destinations 0 /Australia & Pacific Destinations 0 /Babies to 2 Year-Olds 0 /Bargain Travel 13 /Beach Resorts 0 /Beaches 85 /Best Family Resorts 0 /By Activity 0 /By Age 0 /Canada 0 /Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Destinations 0 /Central & South America Destinations 0 /City and Cultural Vacations 88 /College Age & Adult 0 /Cruises 0 /Cruises & Resorts 0 /Cruising 56 /Destinations 0 /Europe & Scandinavia Destinations 0 /Family 231 /Family Travel Tips 0 /Featured News 0 /Grade-Schoolers Ages 6-9 0 /Historic 85 /International Parks, Non-U.S. 31 /Lake Vacations 17 /Lake, Mountain, and Ski Resorts 0 /Midwest United States Destinations 0 /More Lodging 0 /Multigenerational 0 /Museums 57 /National and State Parks in the US 57 /Nature Vacations 76 /Northeast United States Destinations 0 /Pet Travel 16 /Preschoolers Ages 3-5 0 /Relaxing Getaways 13 /Rent a House, Condo, Villa 8 /Restaurants 37 /Retirement - Where to Retire 10 /Road Trips 7 /Seasonal & Holiday Activities 18 /Ski and Mountain Vacations 25 /Southern United States Destinations 0 /Teens Ages 13-17 0 /Top Destinations 0 /Trip Ideas 0 /Tweens Ages 10-12 0 /Uncategorized 0 /United States Destinations 0 /Video 0 /Western United States Destinations 0 /What to Plan Now 0 /Wildlife and Safari Vacations 28
Take the Plunge: Great Water Parks With More Adventures
Creators Syndicate | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, Amusement and Theme Parks, Best Family Resorts, Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Destinations, Central & South America Destinations, Family, Featured News, Multigenerational, Northeast United States Destinations, Southern United States Destinations, United States DestinationsGetting sprayed, splashed and soaked at a water park is an exciting rite of spring and summer for families. These mega fantasies of all ways to get wet provide multiple opportunities to scream happily with — not at — your children. Think of racing down slippery slides, getting doused by bucket dumps and splashing in wave pools. Plus, the photos make for lively Facebook and Instagram posts.
While kids can play in the water until their fingers wrinkle and the sun sets, most parents and grandparents can’t. Like many adults, we prefer water parks at resorts that also offer out-of-the-pool adventures. At these four popular U.S., Bahamas and Caribbean destinations, add ziplines, obstacle courses, mountain coasters and other exciting ways to create a chorus of joyful shouts with the whole family.
In the off-season, ski resorts turn their mountains into moneymakers by luring travelers with outdoor activities and affordable lodging. For those residing in the Mid-Atlantic who want water parks plus more activities, Camelback Resort in Pennsylvania’s Poconos and Massanutten Resort in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley are good options.
Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark at Camelback Resort reigns as the biggest outdoor water park in Pennsylvania. The behemoth spans 30 acres and features 37 rides and attractions. For family thrills, tackle Titan, touted as the world’s largest slide of its type. Hold on as you and your kids swirl down the eight-story-tall, three-football-fields-long raft ride. On multiple lane Rival Race, battle to see who reaches the bottom first.
The gentler play at Pharoah’s Fortress includes bucket dumps and mild slides. And that’s just the outdoors. Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark grabs riders with its Venus Slydetrap, an award-winning raft ride that combines a steep drop with a half-pipe. Don’t miss the Storm Chaser Water coaster, reputed to be the world’s longest. Out of the water, zoom on ziplines, tackle a treetop obstacle course, go down the mountain on a coaster and drive a UTV along switchback mountain trails.
At Massanutten’s outdoor park, jump through 3-foot waves at White Cap, and savor a moment of weightlessness when you whiz down a nearly vertical section of MASS Mayhem, a 47-foot-long water slide. Youngsters toddle through sprays at Splash-A-Nutten. At the indoor WaterPark, hang 10 on a surf simulator, twirl on an inner-tube ride with waterfalls and sprays, and giggle on Massanutten Meltdown, a playhouse with water cannons, slides and waterfalls.
At the Kids’ Adventure Course, ages 12 and under cross a rope bridge, confront a climbing wall and tube down a dry slide. Teens and adults whoop and holler as they race on dueling ziplines, bump down mountain-biking trails and ride the new Mountain Mayhem. Virginia’s first mountain coaster, this ride reaches speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and features two 360-degree spirals. Get into nature by hiking some of the 30 trails.
My family loves the beach, especially if it’s in the Caribbean or the Bahamas and is palm-tree-lined with sugar-soft sands. Two megaresorts, Beaches Turks and Caicos and Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas, feature engaging water parks. At all-inclusive Beaches, a noted family resort, the 45,000-acre Pirate’s Island draws families with water cannons, dancing water jets and a lazy river. A complimentary kids’ camp caters to tots through teens. You don’t pay extra for kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing and sailing. Beaches recently debuted its sixth village, Treasure Beach, which offers oceanfront, multibedroom rooms and villas, is geared for large families and multigenerational vacationers.
At Aquaventure, the 141-acre water park at Atlantis the Bahamas, go wild or mild. On Leap of Faith, speed through a 60-foot clear tunnel submerged in a marine lagoon, and on the Abyss experience a nearly vertical drop in the darkness. The tamer Rapid River has just enough swirls to be fun.
Another showstopper is the resort’s marine habitat, among the largest open-air aquariums in the world. Hundreds of species live in the lagoons and saltwater tanks. Hammerhead, blacknose and reef tip sharks zigzag above you as you walk through an acrylic tunnel in the Predator Lagoon and get eyeball to eyeball with moray eels and other critters at The Dig, an aquarium.
Atlantis is not just for families, either. Gamblers try their luck at the casino, and foodies enjoy fine dining at celebrity chef restaurants.
When You Go
Camelback Resort, Tannersville, Pennsylvania: camelbackresort.com
Massanutten Resort, McGaheysville, Virginia: massresort.com
Beaches Turks and Caicos: beaches.com/resorts/turks-caicos
Atlantis Paradise Island, the Bahamas: atlantisbahamas.com
Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary in Washington, D.C.
Creators Syndicate | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: By Activity, City and Cultural Vacations, Destinations, Family, Featured News, Historic, Southern United States Destinations, Trip Ideas, United States DestinationsWashington, D.C., is not just any city. It’s the nation’s capital—and that makes all the difference. No other place will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary quite like it will be celebrated here. Many of the District of Columbia’s world-class museums, including 17 Smithsonian facilities, renowned art galleries and the National Mall, are blooming with exciting exhibits and special events for this most significant occasion.
The idea of freedom is what launched this country, and at the National Archives Museum visitors can view America’s three foundational documents—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In preparation for the big birthday, the facility debuted two new exhibits. In “American Story,” see George Washington’s edited copy of the Constitution, use AI to search 2 million historic records on topics of interest to you, and get a sense of the past through videos and oral histories. In the Discovery Center, kids and families can play games to learn history.
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness”—the artifacts displayed are the 1776 gunboat Philadelphia, the only surviving vessel of the rebels’ fleet, and the desk Thomas Jefferson used to draft the Declaration. The exhibit opens May 14. When visiting, don’t miss the flag that still flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 despite a major British bombardment. The sight inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which became the U.S. national anthem.
To celebrate two big July birthdays—America’s 250th and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s 50th—the popular Mall attraction reimagined 20 galleries, several of which debut July 1. Find out how American innovation in flight contributed to the nation’s defense, economic growth, and pride. Learn about spectrographs, special microwave probes, and other complex tools that led to new understandings of the cosmos. Get insights on the Hubble Space Telescope, satellites, missiles and the living conditions aboard Skylab, America’s first space station. Allow time for museum favorites such as the planetarium and IMAX theater shows.
Don’t overlook the Library of Congress. View Abraham Lincoln’s handwritten Gettysburg Address and Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence at the David M. Rubinstein Treasures Gallery starting July 3.
Along with grand ideas and great heroes, the American fiber is also woven by artists, craftspeople, and ordinary citizens. The National Gallery of Art’s “Dear America: Artists Explore the American Experience” presents more than 100 prints, photographs, and drawings themed around land, community and freedom. Artists include Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon, Margaret Bourke-White and others. The exhibit opens April 11.
Dedicated to American craft and decorative arts, the Renwick Gallery, a Smithsonian facility, presents “State Fairs: Growing American Craft.” Admire portraits of Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift created from seeds and grasses, size-96 cowboy boots crafted for a 55-foot statue and that state-fair staple, a life-size cow sculpted from butter. Then mosey on over to the National Mall to experience the Great American State Fair, featuring crafts, performances, a pie-eating contest and favorite state food from Maine lobster rolls to Texas-sized steaks between June 25 and July 10.
Take time to smell the roses, magnolias, orchids, and other state and territory flowers at the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, an often-overlooked find, as is the 2-acre Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens across the street.
A stroll of the Mall and the surrounding monuments is a must in the District of Columbia. On July 4 the iconic Lincoln Memorial will debut the Lincoln Undercroft. In the pillar-lined space underneath the monument, a 15,000-sqare-foot exhibit details the memorial’s construction and its significance as the site of civil rights and other peaceful protests.
In town for the Fourth of July weekend? Then don’t miss the sheer fun of the Capitol Fourth concert on the Capitol’s West Lawn. The National Symphony Orchestra, military band and chorus plus guest artists will perform patriotic and popular music. Then head to the nearby Mall for the piece de resistance: extravagant fireworks, a 17-minute display of booming and colorful bursts.
Washington, D.C., is the place to be for America’s 250th birthday celebration. As an added bonus: Events and most museums are free.
When You Go
washington.org
DC250.US
National Archives Museum: To reserve free tickets or pay $1 for time-entry tickets: archives.gov/visit/tickets.
National Museum of American History: americanhistory.si.edu. Admission is free. No tickets are required.
National Air and Space Museum: airandspace.si.edu. Reserve free timed-entry passes. Obtain paid tickets to IMAX shows and free and paid tickets to the planetarium shows ahead of time.
Library of Congress: loc.gov
Renwick Gallery: americanart.si.edu/visit/renwick
U.S. Botanic Garden: usdg.gov
National Gallery of Art: nga.gov
Enjoy a Multigenerational Ski Getaway at Massanutten Resort, Virginia
Creators Syndicate | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, Babies to 2 Year-Olds, College Age & Adult, Cruises & Resorts, Destinations, Family, Featured News, Grade-Schoolers Ages 6-9, Lake, Mountain, and Ski Resorts, Multigenerational, Preschoolers Ages 3-5, Ski and Mountain Vacations, Southern United States Destinations, Teens Ages 13-17, Tweens Ages 10-12, United States DestinationsNothing compares with a perfect ski day — cold and sunny with blue skies and the slopes covered with a blanket of early morning fresh powder. Skiers call these perfect conditions a “bluebird day.” We had almost canceled our multigenerational ski trip to Massanutten Resort in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains because the forecast predicted and delivered the total opposite — constant rain and daytime temperatures in the 50s. But not going would have been a mistake. We would have missed some wonderful, if wet, family fun.
Yes, lessons take place in the rain. A major goal of the getaway, besides time together, was introducing our grandchildren, James, age 8, and Charlotte, age 7, to skiing. Although my daughter stayed home with their sick dog, my son-in-law, Michael, my husband, David, the kids, and I drove the two and a half hours from Washington, D.C., to Massanutten Resort, a 6,000-acre property.
Despite the drizzles and downpours, the wannabe skiers kept smiles on their faces from the moment they tugged on their boots in the rental area. For me, introducing children to adventures from sports to special places is a joy. Their fortitude in the rain surprised us.
To start, I booked a semi-private lesson for Charlotte and James. The rest of us whipped out umbrellas and watched as we wiped the slanting spray from our faces. Amazingly, James and Charlotte never complained about the showers. Skiing proved too enthralling. When James mentioned that the rain felt cold as it dripped down his neck, I rolled up the hoods of his and Charlotte’s jackets to provide a makeshift shield. Neither child wanted to stop skiing.
Zachary, their instructor, radiated positive energy and friendliness. He bestowed high-fives and praise for trying, reassured the kids when they fell and encouraged them as they moved across the slippery surface. During the one-hour session, he taught them how to snowplow to stop, perform J turns to carve across the slope, and link S turns to get down the hill. By the end of the lesson, the kids were happy and soaking wet. Before lunch in the ski lodge, Michael drove back to our condo to get dry shirts and pants for James and Charlotte.
A funny thing happens at a ski resort when it rains: A special camaraderie develops. People joked with us in the lodge hall about being waterlogged. A teen snowboarder, rain streaming down his jacket, gleefully reported to his parents that he was drenched, and I met more than one woman in the bathroom who was bent under the automatic hand dryer to try and dry out her pants.
The unkind weather thinned the number of people in lessons and on the slopes. Just one other participant, a boy James’ age, joined their afternoon group lesson. After practicing the basics, the kids honed their skills on the bunny hill. Despite slick conditions, they mastered the new terrain. Toward the end of the two-hour session, the instructor gave them one more challenge and chance to shine. They rode the lift, a first for all, to the top of the Creekside run. Even with some falls, the kids came off the green slope proud, pleased and sopping wet.
As a multigenerational group with non-skiers, we had plenty to do. The first night, we tried the resort’s top-rated snow-tubing park. The 12-plus-lane facility drops riders 120 vertical feet during a 900-foot-long ride. The high daytime temperature melted some snow, while the evening cold created ice. We zoomed down, flying over the bumps. I screamed and giggled the entire way. James loved the run too. It’s important to reserve tickets in advance, as this popular activity often sells out.
The next night, after dinner at Campfire Gill, a casual restaurant serving salads and chicken along with pizza and burgers, we spent the evening at Perfect Break. Along with gaming consoles, the lounge features two Topgolf Swing Suites loaded with sports games to play on a wall-sized virtual screen. We laughed as we tested our skills in golf, dodgeball, soccer, hockey and carnival games. None of us wanted to leave, especially the kids, but their bedtime drew near.
During our weekend we didn’t have time for ice skating, trying the spa or playing at the resort’s indoor waterpark, which was packed with slides, bucket dumps, a lazy river and other features. Massanutten offers a range of condominiums and hotels, including a dog-friendly property. Our adjoining two-bedroom condos gave us plenty of room plus some privacy.
My advice: Ski at Massanutten Resort, even in the rain. The property offers a great multigenerational getaway, especially in winter. We can’t wait to go back, whatever the weather.
When You Go
Massanutten Resort: Rates for a one-bedroom condo start at $181 per night: massresort.com.