Do your family vacation plans need a jump-start? Here are five destinations to consider.
Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney, Australia
Whether you plan to visit Sydney for Fashion Week, VIVID Sydney (an annual celebration of creativity and innovation) or simply to explore Down Under, why not take the kids? The Four Seasons Sydney welcomes families to their central location in the historic Rocks district overlooking the iconic harbor, and within walking distance of top restaurants, shopping, the ferry terminal and can’t-miss sites including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. A Family Fun package includes a welcome gift for kids, daily breakfast, passes to Taronga Zoo, in-room movies and movie snacks, and kid-friendly bath amenities. You’ll want to up the festive factor with a cozy in-room tent.
For more: Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
Sandy Pines, Kennebunkport, Maine
Elevate a warm-weather camping experience with a stay in beautiful, natural surroundings at Sandy Pines, where you’ll choose from family cottages or glamping tents spacious enough to accommodate your clan. Spend your leisure time in the heated saltwater pool, playing lawn games or on the playground with the little ones.
A short walk or bike ride away, you’ll find Goose Rocks Beach, popular with families for its 3 miles of pristine white sand and calm waters thanks to shelter by a barrier reef. There, you can rent paddle boards or kayaks, fly kites or relax and enjoy the sea breezes.
For more: https://sandypinescamping.com/
The Point, Saranac Lake, New York
For an over-the-top return to travel experience, consider a stay at The Point, an intimate lakefront private Adirondack estate that was originally built as a Great Camp for William Avery Rockefeller II. Imagine a luxurious twist on an old-school summer camp experience with activities that might include boating, fishing, tennis, water-skiing, croquet, badminton, swimming, wake-surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, or a round of golf at the Saranac Inn golf course. A Relais & Châteaux member, The Point is the only Adirondack Great Camp from the Gilded Age that is open to the public. Currently, families with children 18 and older are welcome. However, buyouts of the 11-room property are possible so that multi-generational gatherings with young children may be enjoyed.
For more: https://thepointresort.com
Lone Mountain Ranch, Big Sky, Montana
Just a stone’s throw from Yellowstone National Park’s northwest border, in the shadow of Lone Peak, you’ll find a cluster of hand-built cabins. Authentic and luxurious, the historic accommodations, tucked creekside in the pine trees or in meadows, help visitors conjure the days when the property was a working cattle ranch, operating in untamed country. The region is home to stunning vistas and abundant wildlife including grizzlies, black bears, bison and wolves. In the company of guides or on their own, adventurers have the chance to fish Blue Ribbon trout streams and explore the last best place via horseback, on mountain bike and on the many hiking trails in the area.
For more: www.LoneMountainRanch.com
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, Aventura, Florida
This South Florida resort, set within 300 sun-drenched acres, provides a sanctuary for guests as well as more than 40 species of tropical birds, botanical fauna, and the chef’s herb and tropical fruit garden. However, the kids will be more interested in the Tidal Cove Waterpark. It’s a 5-acre fun zone comprised of a 60-foot tower with seven water slides, a 4,000-square-foot kids pool with an aquatic play area, and a triple Flow Rider simulation pool, among the first of its kind in the country. The 42-foot-wide surf simulation machine incorporates elements of surfing, body-boarding, skateboarding, skim-boarding, snowboarding and wake-boarding. The most recently added water features connect with a lazy river, a zero-entry pool and 25 luxury cabanas for privacy and relaxation.
For more: https://www.jwturnberry.com
Lynn O’Rourke Hayes (LOHayes.com) is an author, family travel expert and enthusiastic explorer. Gather more travel intel on Twitter @lohayes, Facebook, or via FamilyTravel.com. Copyright 2023 FamilyTravel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
