My oldest son is about to graduate high school and we would love to take the family on a nice trip. Any ideas for a great location for a family of 6 that is cost effective but still fun and family friendly? I have all boys and they are 18, 13, 11 and 9.
THanks,
M. T
You have 4 boys, how about a cruise? Activities to do separately and as a family, all inclusive pricing, and.... unlimited amounts of food.
I'd go to a National Park...it's always memorable to see a different part of the US. The Grand Canyon? Yosemite? Yellowstone? Joshua Tree? Arches? Big Bend? There are so many it is hard to choose! One place I have always wanted to vacation to is the Florida Keys...for the nature, canoeing in a wilderness area, manatees, dolphins, the ocean, etc.
I don't have a destination suggestion, but I recently found about this website called VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner) and it's amazing!! We used it last summer and found a very nice house at a very reasonable rate. We had 4 adults and 6 kids and it was great! It was way cheaper than staying in a hotel and they have places all around the country near (and far) from fun things and tourist attractions.
Colorado hands down. Gorgeous and lots to do.
you don't say how much money or what time of year.....
skiing in colorado is always fabulous. snow is not great this year so I'd plan on no later than the 3rd week of march.
another option for spring break is Mesa Verde - the weather is nice that time of year AND there's a ski resort near Durango too.
if they like baseball - hit Phoenix and the cactus league in March.
colorado springs in the summer has a wide range of activities including caves, hiking, feeding giraffes at the zoo, and lots and lots of touristy stuff.
mountain resorts in Colorado have mountain biking (the ski lift takes you to the top), rafting, hiking, etc. but wait for mid-June most years to get out of mud season.
black hills in South Dakota has tons of stuff. the national parks there are wonderful. the mammoth site/museum is wonderful. and if you want the touristy stuff, stay in Rapid City.
I'd second national parks - pick one or two and go.
have fun!
Go on a cruise. Many leave out of Galveston, so if that is driving distance, you'd save on airfare. There will be plenty of on-board entertainment for all four boys. Food is included so you don't have to worry about spending a lot of extra money on snacks and meals. Because most of the ports will be beach resort types of places, you don't need to spend a lot on shore excursions either, just hang out on the beach, relax and have fun. If you've got a little extra spending money, you could do a fun excursion with snorkeling, ziplining, or some kind of boating.
What's your budget like? And what do you consider fun?
A cruise is what we did for my graduation, we got a great deal out of Houston/Galveston.
For my brother's graduation we went to the beach and did some para-sailing a deep-sea fishing trip (his request).
How old are the other kids? We like to visit San Antonio, Branson, MO, Memphis, Pigeon Forge, TN, Destin/Ft Walton Beach, FL, Disney and the National Parks.
When our son graduated from HS, we took the family to an all inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. We went to Punta Cana. Very nice. It is pricy to fly but the resort was not too bad.
One of my family's favorite vacation spots is Colorado. Love the mountains, hiking, nature and just being out in the open.
Look for a local, all inclusive resorts.
Check VRBO.com for a rental home in the Carolina's outerbanks. If not, take a cruise, it is theeeee best way to travel when you've got kids. Disney, Norwegian. Excellent!
I've always enjoyed the coastal Carolinas - Outer Banks, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, etc.
Not sure about "cost effective" but what about Disney World, a Disney Cruise, or another cruise line? Disney has had some cruises sailing out of Galveston where kids sail free!
My ss was meh on a cruise at 18 (SD was 14). I suggest renting a house somewhere fun and doing things like going to amusement parks and other day trips or getting out on the water and getting in some water tubing. A powerful pontoon boat can haul a tube and carry the family. And you can buy groceries so that you eat out less (I know how growing boys can eat!).
However, I will say that SS and SD both loved when the boat docked in Bermuda and they got to snorkel and see lots of fish. If we ever go back, we will fly in. And don't do the cruise tours. Find a local. I think the one we went to was Crystal Beach.
