Family Vacations Introduction

For people of a certain age, an American rite of passage was the long (at the time, interminable) summer journey in a packed station wagon, with an annoying sibling constantly poking and provoking you. Although parts of it seemed anything but enjoyable at the time, these family vacations provide the kind of shared experiences—both the good and the bad—that parents and kids remember their entire lives, and often joke about decades later. These days, station wagons have given way to minivans and families are more inclined to travel to exotic locales, but the reasons for embarking on family getaways are as compelling as ever. They include:

• Exposure to new things. Of course school is important, but some of the most indelible lessons we learn, both as kids and as adults, come about when we can see something in person, rather than read about it in a book. Getting up close to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.; Independence Hall in Philadelphia; or mountain goats roaming Glacier National Park in Montana provides a kind of instruction that’s invaluable.
• Cementing extended family relationships. As families have spread out geographically, nieces and nephews—and their parents—have had less and less chance to interact. Utilizing Groople.com to plan a vacation that brings family members to interesting new locations is a way for brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and parents and grandparents to tighten their relationships.
• Pick up a new skill or hobby. City slickers who take their family to a farm or ranch for a vacation may find that they and their kids have an aptitude and a passion for riding horses or milking cows. How cool!

Suggested Destinations:

Of course, the first step in planning your family vacation is figuring out where you’d like to go. We’ve broken it down into several categories to help you decide. Whether your family likes to ski, swim or sightsee, here are many year-round destinations across the country.

Some of the best urban destinations—great for culture, history and fun.

1. Washington D.C.
2. San Francisco, California
3. Boston, Massachusetts
4. New York City
5. Las Vegas, Nevada

For the family that wants an active vacation where they can teach their children about the natural beauty of their country, there’s nothing better than one of our great national parks.

1. Yellowstone, Wyoming
2. Yosemite, California
3. Grand Canyon, Arizona
4. The Black Hills, South Dakota
5. Moab, Utah
6. Denali, Alaska

If you’ll be taking your vacation in the winter and love the outdoors, here are some family friendly ski resorts around the country.

1. Apex Mountain, British Columbia
2. Copper Mountain, Colorado
3. Okemo, Vermont
4. Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
5. Snowmass, Colorado

If non-stop thrills are what you’re after, your kids certainly won’t complain about a theme park vacation.

1. Walt Disney World/Disneyland
2. Universal Studios, Florida or California
3. SeaWorld, Florida, California or Texas
4. Six Flags, multiple locations
5. Cedar Point, Ohio

Off the Beaten Path. Smaller crowds but with plenty of family friendly activities.

1. Hershey, Pennsylvania
2. Wisconsin Dells
3. The Outer Banks, North Carolina
4. The Great Smokey Mountains

No vacation will make you feel more fulfilled than one where you help others. Here are some ideas for volunteer vacations that can be fun and fulfilling!

1. Work on a farm
2. Build a home for the underprivileged
3. Help with a conservation project
4. Teach English in a foreign country

Plan Your Family Vacation:

Groople.com can’t stop Billy from pinching Joanne in the back seat, but we can help you plan the kind of family vacation where they’ll have a lot more interesting things to do. Well, at least most of the time. A few suggestions:

• Create a Groopvine page. Nothing can turn a functional family into a dysfunctional one like a lack of communication. If you’re planning a vacation with extended family, set up a Groopvine page so everyone has a say on where you’ll go and what you’ll do; share information about your chosen location; and even share pictures from the trip once you’re back.
• Decide what kind of getaway you want to take. Check out Groople’s Where to Go: Great Ideas for Family Vacations for suggestions.
• Find a hotel or resort. Groople will help you find a hotel within your price range featuring all the amenities you’ll want for your family vacation. Remember, a pool is usually essential when you’re traveling with kids, and laundry facilities and a kitchenette sure can be helpful. Groople can find the best group rates for your trip, and will enable everyone in your group to pay separately.
• Decide on your itinerary. Communicate via Groopvine to make plans ahead of time for activities you’ll want to book before you go.

Tips for Planning your Family Vacation:

Family vacations, particularly if they include cousins and uncles, require a good deal of advanced planning if you want everyone to have a good time and not break the bank. Groople can help you pull it all off, but as you set about making plans keep these tips in mind:

• Be sure to ask about family-friendly rooms and deals. Groople will help you get the very best deals for your family vacation, but remember that many hotels—like Holiday Inn and Hyatt—have policies that can make travel cheaper, more convenient and more fun. Some of the best deals include a second, children’s room for half price; adult rooms which also have bunk beds; and DVD and game libraries so you can pack a little lighter.
• Location matters. It’s almost always an ordeal when you have to round up the kids and load them into the car, even if it’s just for a short drive. Cut down on car trips by letting Groople find your family a hotel within walking distance of parks, museums, stadiums and other attractions your family will want to see. Not only does this cut down on hassle, walking allows you to get a perspective on a location that you can’t get from a car; it also helps to move a bit more when you’re eating a lot of restaurant meals.
• Consider an all-inclusive vacation. There are plenty of resorts and cruise lines that offer family vacations where everything is included. These can be attractive to people who want to know the entire cost of a vacation upfront, but it’s also enticing because these destinations usually have plenty of kid-friendly activities, which can give adults an opportunity for some alone time.