Any vacation ideas for a mom and son? (camping, hotel, hotel)

[princesspolamalu]

Does anyone have vacation ideas for a mom and five year old son other than disney? My son is a little young for disney yet imo. I have worked there and I think it is geared and better suited for those 8 and older. I want to do something next summer but I have no idea whats good for kids. Maybe you guys know of some attractions in your areas.

[yellowsnow]

Someone else was talking about a Disney Cruise. You could have fun with your son and have some alone time as well. Another idea is the San Diego Zoo. There's also the ocean and a Seaworld too. It would also be a plane trip and that in itself is exciting for a 6yo.

[Arcticthaw]

Well I think 5 is a little young to need a vacation, but how about something simple and close to home, like camping, even if it is in the back yard or living room. Yes I mean set up a tent in the living room and blankets and such. Any fishing locally? What about trains? Any train museums or airplane museums? Of course a good zoo. Collecting sea shells and playing in the sand?

[Mooseketeer]

A seaside holiday is something which kids love, swimming, building sand castles. Somewhere like Maine sounds like a wonderful place for kids. Take him to an Aquarium whilst there too.
I have really fond memories of my holiday by the sea when I was small, going in the rock pools with my dad , looking at starfish and crabs...

In Maine I would recommend Whale Watching, the kids love it, it's exciting and a big adventure they will remember forever.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Well I think 5 is a little young to need a vacation

Maybe it's mom who needs the vacation, and the son just gets to trundle along.
I agree with the seaside. Most kids can't get enough of it, and a seaside vacation can be as structured or unstructured as you want it to be.
I loved our family trips to Maine. For me, the big thing was seeing the seals and lobsters, picking blueberries, and yes, the fascination of tidepools.

[pirate girl]

When my son was 9 I took him to Yellowstone. We live not far from Disney so we have visited there several times but Yellowstone by far blew Disney away. Everything you see there was created by Mother Nature. Theres tons of wildlife including bears, bison, eagles, moose and elk. Old Faithful, short hikes to waterfalls, the clay pots, it's tremendous.

He had the time of his life there- we flew into Salt Lake and rented a car for the 4 hour drive to Jackson WY and spent two days at Grand Teton Park. There are short hikes, boat rides and lots of animals there too. We then drove about 1 hr north of there into Yellowstone and spent 3 days.

There is nothing better than asking your son what he wants to do and him saying "Lets go find a bear!" and being able to say "OK!"

And it was very reasonably priced- try the Holiday Inn West Yellowstone- it's around $150 per night. We stayed in a condo in Jackson for about $200 per night. Park entry is $20 per car for a full week and that fee covers Teton and Yellowstone!

We hit a grocery store and had sandwiches and snacks in the car to save money on lunches.

I did this alone with him- and its something we will both remember forever. If you want more information send me a PM.

[Padgett2]

It depends on what's in your area. We took ours for day trips. Anything within a three hour drive was feasible. No packing, sleep in your own bed....suited me just fine!

We went to the Okefenokee swamp with allagators, two big dams, a fish hatchery, several forts, and a zoo. I think they enjoyed it. They seem to have a good time. The driving was a little hard. If we could have managed a week at a time, I think we could have hit all those places in one big circle trip.

The problem with any vacation is what to do if it rains three days in a row. If it's something you can do under an umbrella, it's an adventure for one that age. They LIKE getting wet.

[maggiekate]

where do you live? If you live in the North, maybe a trip to Cape Cod,
and the Beach would be fun. Kids love the Beach, you also could take a boat trip to Nantucket, or the Vineyard. Just even do day trips with and overnite at a hotel could be fun. I always enjoyed the Zoo, Beach, and a train ride also might be nice. You also could plan with that a stay at home camping
adventure, with fun things to do.Even on the beach, and finding sea shells was great fun. I just saw you are in Pittsburg,
so that is not too far from Boston and Cape Cod. Boston has lots of places to see also. You could stay outside the city
Braintree, motel 6 and take the T into Boston. I just knew some people who did this, and it worked out real good.
I bet you could get a great airfair to Boston.

[Hatless Wonder]

New York City has a lot of great stuff for kids, including museums (Manhattan has 3 children's museums) , Coney Island, zoos, the Bronx and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and the Staten Island Ferry. It has beaches and parks. Kids under 44 inches can ride the subway free with an adult, and riding the subway is part of the fun. The New York Transit Website has a lot of great links.

[sunflower53072]

The beach(Obx) or a lake vacation(new england). There are some great all inclusives in Riveria Maya, Mexico you might both enjoy as well.