If you are considering doing some traveling you may want to know what the best trips to take your family on are. While it’s hard to narrow it down to just five, today I want to share with you some really cool trips your family will love.
When I was growing up I didn’t do much travelling. Honestly, I believed it was something only rich people did, and we definitely weren’t in that category. So, I never envisioned myself going on vacations or trips, and I definitely didn’t envision taking my kids on trips either.
But, as I got older I discovered that travelling was actually in the realm of possibility, even with a tight budget! And, I didn’t really realize this until AFTER we had kids.
Those early years when our kids were young we were dirt-poor, yet, even then we managed to do some travelling. I learned to budget hard, and we took the kids to some pretty cool places.
As the kids got older and the budget had a little more room we were able to do a few bigger trips. While we’ve only been in Canada and the United States so far, we’ve made some pretty awesome memories.
And you can too! So, if you are looking for some ideas on where to travel to this year, I’ve got some ideas for you.
The 5 Most Memorable Trips to Take your Family On
The Mountains
There are a few options when it comes to mountain ranges, but I’m telling you, the look on your children’s faces (and your own) if they’ve never seen the mountains is worth it all.
We’ve gone to both the rocky mountains in Alberta and BC, Canada, and we’ve also gone to Colorado. A favorite area of ours was Ouray, Colorado, and Silverton Colorado.
When we think of family vacations it’s easy to lean towards amusement parks and busy activities like that, but kids LOVE open spaces. We did age appropriate trail hikes, had picnics by teal, spring-fed lakes, and just enjoyed being outside in the mountain air.
Our kids have grown an appreciation for the outdoors because of trips like this. One child wants to move to the mountains when they go off to college because of our vacations.
Florida
This is one we have planned this coming year. I’ve only been to Florida one other time before kids, and for someone who lives in snowy Canada, it was quite a trip. To walk outside in the heat in the middle of January, to see the palm trees, flamingos, and even some gators was absolutely amazing for me.
And so, naturally, I want to give my kids the same experience.
And, if you DO like theme parks, there’s no shortage of those in sunshine state. However, don’t feel like you HAVE to do theme parks if you are a family that doesn’t love that kind of thing. Some of the plans we have is to go fishing in the ocean, go-karting, check out an aquarium, and take in dinner and a show at Medieval Times.
And let’s not forget, for some families like ours who doesn’t live anywhere near the ocean, watching the kids at the beach, picking up shells and seeing things like a sand dollar or star fish for the first time is pretty memorable.
Camping
Taking your kids camping at least once will leave lasting memories. We go camping once a year at different places and the kids always enjoy it. If sleeping in a tent sounds like a horrible time for you, there’s other options. We’ve definitely done plenty of camping in a tent, but we’ve also camped in a trailer, a cabin, and a cottage. I guess that’s what they call “glamping” these days.
We’ve camped on crown land, but personally I prefer camping a provincial or state park. In parks you can find trails, rentals for canoes or other watercraft, sandy beaches, and more.
My kids love roasting marshmallows over the fire, staring up at the stars, and exploring the woods. I won’t be surprised if they carry on this tradition of camping yearly with their own families one day.
Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor themed waterpark that is fun for the whole family. Kids of all ages have a blast. You can stay in a room on the premises, and come and go to the waterpark as you want. If you wonder if you can handle a whole weekend at a waterpark, don’t worry, there’s a whole lot of things to do at Great Wolf Lodge that don’t include getting wet.
They also have restaurants on site, and it’s a great way to spend a weekend with your kids. When we went I was able to find a lot of ways to save money, which I cover here.
They have multiple locations, so find the one closest to you if that’s what works best!
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster was a quaint, memorable trip for all of us. It’s here you’ll find Amish country. We loved simple things in this area, like driving through the country and stopping to buy home made root bear from the Amish, or stopping at a working Amish farm. The kids loved seeing the buggies being pulled by horses everywhere we went.
There’s also Hershey Park nearby, which is an amusement park. You can also check out a railroad museum if you have kids who love trains.
Our absolutely favorite thing to do while we visited Lancaster was the Sight & Sound theatre which are live Bible stories on stage, in Musicals form. They have live animals that walk down the aisles right next to you and it’s exciting to watch.
Ever since we went 8 years ago I’ve been itching to go back and take in another show. They also have a Sight & Sound location in Branson, Missouri.
Make time for a family trip
I know it’s cliche to say, but you’ll blink and your kids will be all grown and you will have wished you took the trips. My oldest just turned 16 this past summer and I can hardly believe we are already here. I find myself counting down the years I have left with her as she inches closer and closer to going off on her own.
Now that my kids are older they often talk about memories from trips we took over the years. At the time I didn’t know if it’s something they’d remember or cherish, but as they grow into young adults their conversations about our travels tells me they really value those moments we had.
Even at this stage I realize that we probably only have a few more family trips left together. Summers get busy with teenagers working, and it becomes harder and harder to co-ordinate everyone’s schedule to take a trip together.
You don’t need a ton of money to take a trip, either. You can take a staycation, or go camping, or take a trip during off-season when everything is just a little cheaper. Kids enjoy free activities on family vacations like trail walks, or watching boats come into a harbor, or building sandcastles on the beach.
It’s all about the time they get to spend with you in a location where there are no other distractions.
So, plan the trip. Make the memories. You won’t regret it and there’s a good chance you’ll look back on it over the years with happiness.
