When you’re a new family, choosing a vacation destination is about more than affordability and convenience (although those are important). This is also the time when you’ll be establishing traditions. Sometimes the best traditions happen by a spur of the moment road trip—in which case you’ll want to schedule a service check to make sure your vehicle is ready for the road while sticking to a budget.
Some families, especially when welcoming newborns into the home, tend to hole up for a few months or even years. That might seem like a solution for keeping things as easy as possible, but nobody benefits from cabin fever. For your first vacation destination, choose somewhere relatively close. Flights should be kept short and road trips simple. Here are five ideas for vacation destinations that will make the whole family happy:
- A local campground. No matter where you live, there’s probably an accessible campground with a variety of amenities. Many families, even if they were formerly avid campers, might want to choose a space with showers and other conveniences nearby. The earlier you introduce children to the joys of camping, the easier it will ultimately be to pass on this tradition. Stay only a night or two for your first outing, just to feel it out. If it’s just not working, you’ll also want to choose a campground that’s drivable to home or a hotel.
- A cottage at the beach. If you worry about little ones keeping up fellow hotel guests throughout the night, there are plenty of house shares near beaches or lakes. You can still enjoy the great outdoors while taking advantage of all the comforts of home. It’s also a way to introduce children to water sports or simply enjoying the views or sea breeze.
- Amusement parks. It’s a tradition and rite of passage for kids, but adults usually groan at the idea of heading to Disneyland or other major parks. To make things a little easier, check out a small local amusement park or a carnival that stops in town. As children get older, they’ll be attracted (and able to enjoy!) different rides. However, if you do go for a big park, go all out. The fast passes are a must and getting there as soon as the doors open will let you have the park to yourselves a little longer. Choose the autumn or spring for mild weather and if possible go on a non-holiday week.
- Ski resorts. If you want your kids to fall in love with snow sports, it’s best to start them young. There are lessons for virtually all ages, or check out the snow parks. From tubing to indulging in hot cocoa by a lodge fire, there’s nothing like a proper introduction to a child’s first snow. However, ski or snowboarding gear can be costly. Rent first or head to REI’s annual sale for some great deals.
- Animal conservation parks. Although many zoos in the US are thankfully starting to prioritize conservation, nothing beats a smaller conservation park. Being able to interact with animals who are rescues or specifically being bred to boost an ailing population is guaranteed to make memories.
Don’t let the new dynamics of your family keep you from the vacations you deserve. You can still get away, but there will be some changes to how you travel, when, and where. Make your holiday memories last forever and make your own phone case with GoCustomized. At GoCustomized, you can print your favorite pictures of you and your family or your favorite picture of the beach right on your custom phone case. What a special way to remember your vacation and also share it with the people around you. Their customizer is easy to use and you can choose from an array of different cases. Between wallet cases, tough cases, slim cases, wooden cases, and more they have something for you. Custom phone cases! Think of it as new strategic musts and you’ll likely experience vacations in an entirely new way, too.
