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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Candyce H. Stapen2026-04-18 11:15:302026-04-24 11:31:22Family Adventures in the Florida Keys on IslamoradaActivities
Trip Ideas Sorted By Activity
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Three Generations Adore Antigua
Creators | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Beaches, By Activity, By Age, Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Destinations, Destinations, Featured News, Multigenerational, Trip IdeasPlanning a multigenerational family vacation can feel as challenging as correctly aligning all the squares in a Rubik’s Cube. Although we agreed on the Caribbean, the puzzle was how to satisfy everyone’s wishes.
At Carlisle Bay, Antigua, we found our solution — a resort with an all-inclusive meal option for my son-in-law, a room big enough for two adults and two kids for my daughter, good food for my husband and onsite activities for the grandchildren. All of us craved a beautiful beach, calm water for swimming, plus an island with interesting activities. I ruled out megaresorts, places where somebody — likely me — would have to rise at 6 a.m. to plunk towels down on lounge chairs to claim them. I wanted low-key, comforting and Caribbean.
Antigua and the Carlisle Bay Resort more than met our collective wishes. A large koi pond with a fountain at the resort’s entrance began our transformation from weary travelers to stress-free vacationers. The fish swarming the railing, popping their mouths open for food, charmed the 7- and 9-year-olds. To reach our rooms, the restaurants and the kids’ club, we walked a long path edged by lush sea grapes and tall palms whose leaves rustled in the breeze, relaxing us even further.
Situated in the eastern Caribbean, Antigua served as a strategic port for the British in the 18th and 19th centuries. Nelson’s Dockyard, the only continuously operating Georgian-era shipyard in the world, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A pretty place to visit, it features a yacht marina and historic buildings turned into a museum, hotels and restaurants.
To travel seamlessly to attractions, we booked Roger Taxi Tours. As Roger Roberts drove us, he told us about the island, whetting our interest in Antigua Black Pineapple, touted as the world’s sweetest.
As an animal-loving family, we appreciated Stingray City and Laviscount Island. Both create safe encounters for critters and visitors. Since we could stand on the shallow sandbar, we easily saw the southern stingrays. When we held squid just below the surface, the diamond-shaped rays, free to go anywhere, swam toward us, vacuuming up their treats.
At nearby Laviscount Island, a sanctuary for giant Aldabra tortoises, we offered carrot sticks to the prehistoric-looking creatures known to live to 200 years and weigh 600 pounds. Touching their mammoth shells and their scratchy necks delighted us and the kids. Seventy-year-old Jeffrey is the island’s oldest and biggest at 200 pounds. James and Charlotte also liked the colorful macaws. We listened carefully to Harley, who says “Hello” and then an unprintable phrase that made us laugh. Afterward, Roger drove us to Loose Cannon Beach Bar, a waterfront eatery he recommended for lunch that served tasty pizza, salads and jerk chicken.
James and Charlotte took advantage of Carlisle Bay’s complimentary Cool Kids Club, divided into three groups for ages 2 to 12. During the camp’s Hobie Cat outing, the budding sailors learned about rigging and tacking and felt the rush of wind power. Since nonmotorized activities are free, we followed up with a sailing outing captained by the watersports staff.
With only 87 suites, the resort never felt crowded. Ample lounge chairs and umbrellas ribbon the half-mile-long beach. We managed to leave that soothing perch for excellent spa massages.
All Carlisle rates include an ample breakfast plus afternoon tea that servers bring to guests. We indulged while savoring the panorama of white sand, turquoise sea and green hills. Among the four restaurants on property, we favored East, a mix of Asian flavors, plus Indigo’s Caribbean buffet and extensive breakfasts. We mentioned to the Indigo staff that we’d like to sample Antigua black pineapple. Mostly grown by locals for their own use, the delectable treat is difficult to buy. But the next morning, Jim Lafraichere, Indigo’s manager, surprised us with a plate. The staff at Carlisle Bay Resort is like that.
On our last evening, our family walked together on the beach, admiring the glowing stars and listening to the lapping waves. The puzzle pieces had fit.
When You Go
Visit Antigua and Barbuda: visitantiguabarbuda.com
Carlisle Bay Resort: carlisle-bay.com
Roger Taxi Tours, Rogertaxitours.com
Stingray City Antigua and Laviscount Island: stingraycityantigua.com
Loose Cannon Beach B: loosecannonbeachbar.com.
A Rural Reset in Bath County, Virginia
Creators | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Family, Featured News, Historic, Lake, Mountain, and Ski Resorts, Nature Vacations, Southern United States Destinations, United States DestinationsRiver walks, lowing cows and mineral soaks in a centuries-old bathhouse anchored our restorative getaway in the Allegheny Mountains of Bath County, Virginia. My husband and I wanted a quiet nature retreat within a four-hour drive of the noisy politics and population of Washington, D.C. We chose Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm in Millboro. Situated in a mountain valley, the 3,300-acre cattle farm unfurls as a patchwork of grasslands and woods cut through by the Cowpasture River and partially bordered by the George Washington National Forest.
Virginia’s Bath County, long known for its healing springs, has attracted “wellness” visitors for 250 years. In 1818, Thomas Jefferson, hoping to relieve his rheumatism, spent three weeks “taking the waters” in Warm Springs. He stayed five miles away in Hot Springs at the Bullitt Hotel, the forerunner of the Omni Homestead Resort. That 483-room luxury property, Bath County’s most noted, features a waterpark, spa, multiple restaurants and two golf courses. Lovely as the prestigious resort is, we sought simple — the other Bath County.
Instead of fairways, when we raised the shades in our Fort Lewis Lodge cottage, we saw bulls. The Black Angus beauties grazed in the fenced pasture near our room. As we admired them from our deck, they all ignored us except for the dominant male. He eyed us, then issued a guttural bellow before resuming his munching. The deep, throaty rattle, a sound we’d never heard before, amazed us.
Fort Lewis Lodge proved a relaxing nature getaway. With just 20 rooms in the main area, split between historic log cabins, a silo, a lodge and contemporary cottages, we enjoyed space and privacy to explore the forests and fields. We strolled woodsy paths; visited the pigs, goats and horses; and admired the cows. Playing disc golf took us along the river. Vacationers can also paddle kayaks, float on inner tubes, splash in the swimming hole, fly-fish on the river, and borrow bikes to pedal the back roads. Rates include ample breakfasts and dinners.
Not to miss is a soak in Bath County’s historic Warm Spring Pools. The mineral-rich enclosures, rehabilitated by the Omni Homestead Resort, naturally heat to 98 F. Dating to 1761, the Gentlemen’s Bathhouse is reputed to be the first spa structure in the United States.
We chose the 1875 Ladies’ Bathhouse because light streams in from the oculus at the top. Seeing the clouds pass as we floated added to the sense of peace. Both bathhouses are coed except for the late-afternoon swimsuit-optional session. The apres-soak sense of ease stayed with us through dinner at The Tavern at the Inn, across the street from the pools, and into the next day.
At the Warm Springs Gallery and Cafe, another town gem, we perused an interesting collection of paintings, prints, glass vases and sculpture from local, national and international artists. We lunched on tasty salads and sandwiches at the facility’s cafe.
In June and July, the hillsides at Moseymore Lavender Farm, Millboro, billow with purple blooms. In those months, the property hosts sessions on all things lavender —fashioning wreaths, understanding calming oils and creating botanical cards. At the gift shop, we browsed soaps and salves and purchased soothing lavender tea and natural lavender bug-off.
Another country comfort is Troddenvale, the cidery at Oakley Farm, Warm Springs. Made from the farm’s more than 2,000 apple trees, the cider focuses on the fruit’s natural flavor without added enhancements. Our flight of four drinks took us from bright to aromatic to bubbly. Light snacks include cheeses and a very tasty Tom Kha Kai Thai coconut vegetable soup. On summer Fridays, Troddenvale features food from local purveyors as well as music.
Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm takes its name from Fort Lewis, the stockade raised on the site in 1756 to defend settlers during the French and Indian War. The fort’s exact footprint, however, has not yet been discovered.
Our spacious contemporary cottage, a haven for relaxation, featured a 14-foot arched ceiling, a fireplace, a live-edge wooden headboard and woven baskets. The room could have been featured in a modern country magazine. While perched on our deck, we sipped coffee, watched the bulls and caught the morning mist on the mountains. City stress seemed worlds away.
When You Go
Visit Bath Virginia: visitbathva.com
Fort Lewis Farm and Lodge is open April through early November and includes 20 rooms plus three rental houses a few miles away: fortlewislodge.com.
Omni Homestead Resort and Spa, which features Warm Spring Pools: omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia.com.
The Tavern at the Inn: theinnatwarmsprings.com/the-tavern
Moseymore Lavender Farm: moseymore.com
Warm Springs Gallery: warmspringsgallery.com
Troddenvale Cidery is open Thursday to Sunday: troddenvale.com.
A Guide to U.S. Virgin Islands Beaches and Snorkeling
Afar.com||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Babies to 2 Year-Olds, Beach Resorts, By Activity, By Age, Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda Destinations, City and Cultural Vacations, College Age & Adult, Destinations, Family, Featured News, Grade-Schoolers Ages 6-9, Multigenerational, Preschoolers Ages 3-5, Restaurants, Southern United States Destinations, Teens Ages 13-17, Tweens Ages 10-12, United States DestinationsFrom St. Croix to St. John and St. Thomas, explore standout beaches and snorkeling spots across the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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