Young family travel ideas

[onthemove]

I am anxious to start planning something, not having a trip on the books is hard for me! But also, I am about to have kid #2 so the way we travel will change (again).

Anyone have ideas for a trip - I am thinking next January, after the holidays, to relax and get away. I would like it to be warm enough someplace to swim, at least in a pool.

Other info:
Prefer direct flights - max about 3-4 hours? Leaving from any of the DC airports.
Will have a 3.5 and 7 month old
We thought about an AI (never done one before), but I don’t know that we will get our money’s worth- we are not huge drinkers, and other than babysitting, I don’t know that we would have the time/energy to do all the activities - I’m not opposed to using the babysitting services, but we like to have the kids most of the time.
We don’t mind doing car rental/air bnb if that is more suitable, although all those car seats and strollers is annoying!
We did Disney with my then 20 mth old 2 weeks before the shutdown because I had a work trip there. It was more fun than I thought it would be, and I’m sure my 3.5 year old would enjoy it more now, but not so sure about the infant. Maybe do that for a couple days with something else in the area? I may also be romanticizing our time there because it was the last normal thing we did!

Thanks!

[gardengal]

Well, my suggestion isn't winter friendly but might be helpful for later in the year?

But, when it's warmer & if you're in the DC area, we had a lot of good trips with our really young kids in Lancaster, PA. Your oldest would enjoy Dutch Wonderland & probably the Strasburg train. I think there was a family fun farm with corn maze called Cherry Hill or something? And the drive wasn't terrible. We did an Airbnb that had a pack & play so we didn't have to bring one.

We also had a really great Labor Day weekend with wee kids in Snowshoe, WV. The place was kind of dead. And cheap! We were the only people at the pool, it was easy to do some short hikes, we took the chairlift down to the lake (you'd need to wear the baby) & there was a small 'beach' there the kids had fun playing in, etc.

[jamaicam]

When mine were that age, I wasnt keen on hotels or AIs. I found that we all had a much better time if we had a villa or Airbnb so the kids had their own rooms! I also like to be able to eat/have a drink/enjoy a patio or soemthign after they are in bed at night.

I love places like the villas at mysilversands.com with small kids. They come with someone to cook and clean so you dont have to do that, the beach is awesome and you have a nice space to relax after the kdsi are in bed. Also you can usually get the cook/housekeeper to babysit in an evening if you want a dinner out one night.

[onthemove]

May 19, 2021 14:56:26 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

When mine were that age, I wasnt keen on hotels or AIs. I found that we all had a much better time if we had a villa or Airbnb so the kids had their own rooms! I also like to be able to eat/have a drink/enjoy a patio or soemthign after they are in bed at night.

I love places like the villas at mysilversands.com with small kids. They come with someone to cook and clean so you dont have to do that, the beach is awesome and you have a nice space to relax after the kdsi are in bed. Also you can usually get the cook/housekeeper to babysit in an evening if you want a dinner out one night.

that sounds like a great option, thanks!

[sandandsea]

When the kids were toddlers/baby we did a drivable beach (zoo/beach), Disneyland, Mexico AI, Aulani, Hawaii, and rented a cabin (fishing/hiking/etc ) for our family vacations. All were great honestly and our kids have been good travelers. We bring lots of toys and snacks for the plane and their tablets with headphones. The white noise almost always ensures a good nap too.