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Great ideas for the best family
vacation
you will ever have!
You're probably thinking, how could
vacation time be any different? We like traveling with our
children, and wish the same to you. Well, it can be if you follow
a few tips. It is the most difficult age for
parents to deal with. Many would just like to let their teens be and not bother
with them. But there has to be a time for family unity, so why not create a time during vacation? "You mean
you want to travel with your children this summer? Why not send them off to
camp and go just the two of you?"- advised your friend. "You'll have a much
better time."
In truth, my husband and I like traveling with
our children. Don't tell them, but our trips during the past 15 years across
North America, Europe and the Caribbean have been as much fun for us as for
them.
Traveling with kids offers a new perspective. Your children
will open up new things to you as you travel. Kids love both the mystery and
history. Our daughter once wrote in a school composition: "I enjoy
traveling with my family because my mom is like a little girl, we have so much
fun when we go out." We still love Disneyland
and enjoy it as much as the kids! And we will go back in a few years
even with the crowds, if only to watch the sheer joy on our children's
faces. We remember the fun things we did and the great places we visited.
We remember the first time our elder daughter saw a Disney
character, and how as she grew the fear of the first time went away and
then character pictures were important to her. We recently took our small
daughter Natasha to the “ Happiest Place on Earth” and
introduced her to the joys of meeting the characters and riding their first
roller coaster.
Children, even little ones, learn there's something beyond their own homes and
families. The practicalities may change as the children grow.
But the memories made during any trip will remain long after
the vacation is over. Our own kids were skeptical when Jamaican youngsters asked for money to buy
breakfast because there was nothing to eat at home. They followed them and were
amazed that the money went for bread and meat, not candy.
Memories are
made through family travel. We still laugh about a waiter in
New
York who would not let us order the Chinese
food we wanted. He insisted on bringing us the dishes that he liked
instead, spaghetti included. Or during our Italian
vacation, the kids were ecstatic when gypsy women tried to
rob us. They heard my husband shout words they'd never heard him use
before... New York... "The city that
never sleeps" - our son Sasha said. This is the
perfect place for teens to visit. Kids of all ages love New York - it's a city
full of dinosaurs, parks, ships, the world's greatest toy stores, ballerinas,
space shows, tigers, speedboat rides, circuses, great stuff to eat, hands-on
museums, and so much more.
One of our dreams has always been to
travel to an exotic island. We thought Puerto
Rico would be an ideal place. It was more beautiful than
we imagined. It was like paradise – the tropical climate,
the picture-perfect island and the up-beat people. Puerto
Rico
is home to some
of the most beautiful beaches at Culebra,
Ocean
Park and Isla
Verde. The waters are crystal clear and there are
beautiful birds and wildlife everywhere. We would definitely recommend Puerto
Rico to anyone who wants to learn about a different culture, even if you don't speak Spanish. Many people
speak English or have a working knowledge of it.
You feel so much more of the country's culture when you
live right along with its people. Things are not the same everywhere.
People think, eat, play and complain in different ways.
Transatlantic trips are less popular, because not many American
or Canadian people want to travel this far with younger children. We were
taking our kids, ages 8, 10, and 11 to Europe for two
weeks. Europe is a wonderful place for
travelling. They say Europe is a world
museum . For instance, discover Italy.
Discover antiquity in Ancient
Rome and the Forum.
Toss a coin over your shoulder at the Trevi
Fountain to see if you will return to
Rome. Visit the Colosseum
and pretend you are a gladiator.
St.
Peter's Basilica and the Vatican
Museums are awesome whatever your religious background.
Yes, kids love both the mystery and
history
...
The Piazza
Di Spagna is a favorite hangout for people of all ages.
With children it is best visited in the afternoon or early evening, when the
musicians, artists and Italian families are at their most
entertaining. The 137 steps are located just below one exit from the Borghese
Gardens, so the two can be seen in tandem. A short walk
away is Pizzeria Le Grotte, one of the best family
restaurants in Rome.
There are many things to see and do in Italy. Go to see San Marco in
Venice!
Florence
is fabulous... One of the great museums of the world, the
Uffizi
houses the premier collection of Italian Renaissance art,
featuring works by such masters as Botticelli,
Titian, Michelangelo and Da
Vinci.
The
major thing that we saw in Siena
was the church
(Duomo
cathedral of the city of Siena). Everywhere you go in Italy there are churches. We saw maybe
15 churches in 15 minutes while wandering through Siena. In fact, one of Italy's
problems that still has to be solved is the maintaining of all the churches
there. Anyway, the church was a massive structure of pure carvings and
decorations. This church set our hearts on fire. If you stared at it
for all your life, and looked around at it, you still wouldn't see half of the
details. This church was utterly beautiful, and it probably isn't worth only a
detour, but a trip in itself to see. It was utterly magnificent. A real church
of the kingdom of heaven. The three major attractions within
Siena are the main public spot - the Piazza
del Campo
- and the adjacent Palazzo Publico, with its museum, and three
blocks west, the Duomo, one of the world's most
beautiful cathedrals. During the over 200 years it took to build the Duomo, it
was worked on by some of Italy's most reknowned artists including
Pisano, Michelangelo,
Pinturicchio, Duccio,
Donatello and Bernini.
We
wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed Italy. Italy is worth
it. Now is a great time to be traveling as a
family. Resorts and kid
cruises offer programs for kids from two to 17.
Kiddie travel
has become big business.
Creating a travel diary is a wonderful activity that
will not only keep your children busy on a long trip, but it will preserve their
memories for a lifetime. Each day of the trip, or for each event
along the way, have your child draw a picture of what they did that day, and
write about it. You can also paste in souvenirs such as brochures, ticket stubs
and other momentous. Our daughter Maria still has a trip diary that
she made on a big family trip when she was 11 years old. The memories
in this journal are priceless, and her spelling is hilarious.
Remember, your next vacation can be a great one if
you just take a bit of advice from someone who understands. Yes, years later,
family trips are often our best memories of our kids' young years and just may
be the most perfect family vacation ever! The years pass
quickly, so enjoy your time together now. It's easy to plan
the perfect family vacation...
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