4Yr Old Boy and 13 Yr Old Girl Where to Go on Vacation!

Hi C. I don't know where you live but my kids love to go to Kentucky Down Under. They have animals, birds all kinds of animals and they have a guide in each station to give information about the place they are at. In the Averary you can feed the birds they also have a place to eat and a gift shop. We have gone several times and learn more each time we go. Have a good vacation wherever you go.

Inside the US, Disney is probably the most memorable experience there is.

However, if you are willing to spend a little to get passport cards, Niagara Falls, Canada is pretty memorable also. There is A LOT to do there. I have been there several times and still have not managed to do it all. Marine Land is right there. It is an amusement park that also has marine animals. Port Dahlousie is very close where there is a historic carousel that only costs a nickel per ride. But the real excitement is on Clifton Hill ... there is just so much to do there for people of all ages.

You should definitely look into the Disney Cruises. We took grandparents, my husband and myself, and kids aged 17, 13, 6, 6, & 6. EVERYONE had fun! All the kids keep asking when we'll do it again. We have traveled extensively and taken other cruises, but this was by far our favorite vacation.

Good luck and have fun!

www.thosecrazybeans.blogspot.com

Take a cruise. There are great deals out there. Try vacationstogo.com or cruiseguy.com (something like that). I've been on two...courtesy of my parents, to Alaska and the Caribbean and they were memorable trips!! The nice thing is meals are taken care of--no prep for you and there are kid clubs on the cruise for 3 and up so you could take your 4 year old there, once, if you wanted to have one on one time with your 13 year old and go play ping pong, do some kind of class together, etc. There's lots to do with both your kids such as swim, mini golf, shows, etc. Keep in mind the money needed on excursions in various ports if interested and tips at the end of the cruise. The cruise lines are not all the same, so check it out carefully. We thoroughly enjoyed Royal Caribbean. Enjoy!

GO TO A BEACH!!!! My family scrimped when I was young so we could go on great vacations. The ones I remembered the most are the beach trips. You are never too old or too young to enjoy sand, ocean and sun. Disney is great but crowded and not really time spent enjoying each other- just spending lots of money. I recommend the Bahamas, close enough that airfare isn't crazy, but gorgeous. We have been to Abaco and Nassau. I vote for the less crowded islands- go and really get immersed in the culture- you will not regret it!

I would suggest a cruise. They are very affordable and have activities for all ages. Carnival is the fun ship (we really enjoyed them). Your 13 yr old can sign up for teen programs where they will meet other teens and offer activities that are age appropriate for them. They also have programs for tiny tots as well.

What is nice about a cruise is that you will have a little freedom and don't feel like you have to stick together the entire time. Whenever your teen is hungry, she can go grab something to eat. Likewise for you and your little one.

Good luck and let us know what you end up choosing.

Well it you want to put your trip off til warmer weather, Hershey Park in Hershey Pennsylvania is a blast. I was taken there as a teenager and had a ball. We toured the chocolate factory to see how the chocolate was made, rode paddle boats, water rides, and just really had a nice time. While there, we went on bus tours of Gettysburg and got to see some of the buildings damaged during the war. You can still see the bullet holes and such. That area mixes a great deal of fun with education. You can picnic in the parks. There is one place called Devils Den that we climbed on and we looked at all of the statues, etc. If you travel on to Maryland, you can visit Ocean City and have a day at the beach. We even went to a race track where you drove your own cars (they were mini cars)they even had a slick track. That would take some research cause I'm not sure where it was. I really did have fun on my trip to Pennsylvania and would love to take my own children there someday. Please let us know what you decide to do. Enjoy your vacation! Kudos to you for wanting to spend this money doing something with your family. I use to vacation with my grandparents and those are some of the best memories I have! T. M.

Hi C.,

I like the beach idea, there are lots of places to choose from, depending if you want ocean beaches or lake beaches.

You don't have to take your vacation in the winter. summer is a good time too, and it might work better with your schedules, since you and the 13 yo are in school.

Think about some of the national parks. We ( my parents, brother and I) liked Yellowstone so much that we made a detour on a subsequent vacation to go see it again. GRand Teton Nat'l Park is beautiful; also Mammoth Cave, Grand Canyon, Acadia--lots of them!

Ohio has some nice state parks too, where you can rent cabins (tents in some, if you want to try camping), or stay in a lodge (like a hotel). I particularly like Lake Hope and the Hocking Hills area--very pretty, woodsy, hilly; Geneva State Park is close to Geneva-on-the-Lake which is a family-friendly place (bills itself as being one of the oldest family resorts on Lake Erie, I believe).

We (my DH and two boys) enjoyed a few days by the ocean in Old Orchard Beach, Maine; although the boys were 5 and 2 at the time, not same age as yours).

If you really feel the need for a break during the winter you could take a weekend and go to an indoor water park like Splash Lagoon in Erie PA, or there are several in Sandusky OH (I don't know where you live). You'd still have money left over for a longer trip.

Do you have AAA? you could ask them for suggestions.

Don't try to cram too much in, save some time for just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. Pack a deck of cards and maybe some small games for some low-tech fun.

Don't forget the cameras! Have a great time!

K. Z.

You could look into disney cruises. Or you could save it for a bit until it warms up and plan something around then. That will give you more time to plan and pay for it
S.

Okay, About 3 years ago we went on a Disney cruise. The prices are really(comparatively) cheap during JAnuary and February. Flight and 7 day cruise was about 4,500 and then about 500 extra for tips and a dolphin excursion for my daughter and I. We didn't spend much else and IT was AMAZING. Perfect for the WHOLE family get a free DVD from the site.Its all inclusive(except alcholic drinks) Icried for weeks after we got back. An older couple was there with their son and grand-daughter and they cruise a couple of times a year and they would go on the Disney cruise again even without a child BEcause the ship was one of the best they've been on, it was sooooo nice. Spoil yourself and DO IT :) YEs there are Disney Characters around but it is still VERY adult and Teen Friendly. A "loft" teen area with games and slumber parties especially for the 13 yo and a place to leave the boy for a while while you(and significant other?) enjoy some adult time. And no one will feel left out or like they are missing fun.

Disney World, Disney Land, are really a great idea. They have some great deals going on you can take advantage of them by registering in advance. Remember there are other places to go and see in the Orlando area as well. Get a great deal on the Disney package and then take a day for Sea World and for Univeral which are both there as well if you don't want to spend the whole time at Disney. If you plan it all out in advance you should have plenty of money to see it through and Disney is a combination of Educational because of Epcot and fun because of the other parks!
My grandson went at 4 and Epcot was more a favorite and memory for him than Magic Kingdom and MGM. He still talks about Sea World as well. Disney has a great section in the Safari area with Manaties in it as well which he really loved. He still talks about getting to pet and feed the rays at Sea World.
Have a great time.

What a great opportunity!

i would think about taking an educational vacation. My fondest vacation memories from childhood (I was the baby) are of our trips to Williamsburg, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, etc. It would be fun for your little boy just because it's not home and you're staying in hotels (lol), and your daughter will learn a lot while having some great family bonding time with you and her little brother.

Wherever you decide to go, have a wonderful time!

Kennedy Space Center, San Diego Zoo & Sea World.....I'd pick a location where there are MULTIPLE things to do, some might interest the younger one more and some the older (like the space center) but ALL can still enjoy.

We went to disney earlier this year. We booked through AAA our biggest cost was the park ticket which were ove $400 each for all four. We did go with the park hopper option as we wanted to see the animal kingdom and it closes at 5pm so we spent the rest of the night at Epcot. If you don't go with this option you'll save about $65 per ticket. Look aroung for deals. We stayed off the grounds and saved over $1000. Plus our hotel offered free shuttles to and from the park, saving us $10 per day on parking. Other places to visit are Washington DC and the Smithsonian. San Francisco, the grand canyon, Hawaii, a family cruise to alaska, yellowstone national park. Good luck and have fun.