Have you asked the kids? If you are planning a spring or summer break, it’s always a good idea to get their input. Not that you have to follow exactly what they suggest or go over budget. It’s just anyone, whatever their age, likes to be consulted on an itinerary.
Besides, with TikTok, YouTube videos, and glitzy social media and TV ads, the days are long gone when kids obediently get in the back of the minivan or station wagon content to let mom and dad lead the way.
The good news is kids will lead you in unexpected directions. And they will be happier to accommodate where you want to go when they have had a say in the itinerary. You don’t want to be the dad I met on an eco-trip to Costa Rica whose daughters were miserable because they had wanted to go to a fancy Maui resort.
This is especially good advice for grandparents planning a trip for grandkids they may not see often. That dinosaur-crazed first-grader now may think dinos are for babies; the art-loving middle-schooler no longer has any interest in art museums. The kid who loves snow sports now only wants to hit the beach. You get the picture.
It’s not too late to get a bargain on a cruise. There is no better time to book than the cruise industry’s WAVE season deals period, which typically runs until the end of March and sometimes longer. There are deals for upgrades, reduced deposits, and kids’ free on Princess and Holland America, for example, and you may be able to find a deal from a port you can drive to.
It’s not too late either for a bucket list trip. If your kids are 12 or older, there is rare availability on a Grand Canyon raft trip in April from Western River Expeditions. April weather is ideal with highs in the 80s. Take hikes that aren’t possible in the significantly hotter summer months. This is also the best time to see wildflowers. There are plenty of thrills on the river, ancient ruins, petroglyphs, and side canyons to hike, starry skies and the chance to camp along the river without all the work a back- country trip involves. And there’s something to be said about being unplugged for a week. At a little over $4,000 per person, it’s significantly less expensive than other bucket list trips. Read about our once-in-a-lifetime adventure here.
Ancient Pictograph of a bug or scorpion in The Grand Canyon. Dreamstime/TCA
It’s not too early for a European river cruise either. Pack and unpack once. Step off the boat in charming smaller spots. CroisiEurope is Europe’s largest and oldest river cruise company operating more than 50 river and small ship cruises, including river ships throughout Europe, canal barges in France, Mediterranean cruises and cruises around the world. For spring, families can cruise in March and April between Sicily and Malta, the Balearic Islands (an archipelago of eastern Spain known for beaches and scenic coastline), the Italian coast and Sardinia and the Canary Islands (through March). These cruises offer different locales as families seek to get away from over- touristed destinations and avoid the summer heat. There are also new more active itineraries in Southeast Asia on a smaller boat (just 14 cabins), including biking, kayaking, and sampan rides.
All of your baseball fans will love heading to spring training, and so will your wallet. Whether you opt for the Arizona Cactus League (16 teams across 10 stadiums) or Florida’s Grapefruit League, you are guaranteed a good time at the small stadiums. Your kids might even get some autographs.
Spend a few extra days in Arizona catching the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Families love the fields’ interactive Cold Stone Kids Fun Field and Taking the Kids has lots of other Scottsdale activity ideas. The Florida Grapefruit League comprises 15 MLB teams who play in 13 local stadiums along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the state. Clearwater is home to Bright House Field, the Philadelphia Phillies stadium, as well as plenty of family-friendly beach resorts.
Explore a less-visited national park that you will find has as much to offer as those that attract the biggest crowds. Channel Islands National Park includes five islands plus the surrounding ocean. Visitors have the chance to hike, snorkel, kayak, birdwatch, and more. Explore some of the best tidepools in Southern California; North Cascades National Park in Washington state boasts more than 300 glaciers, 1, 600 species of identified plants and more than 400 miles of hiking trails.
There’s nothing like a blue-bird spring day at a snow-clad mountain resort when the weather is warmer, and the snow is softer and there will be lodging deals. Check out our Fun in the Snow: Our annual family ski guide.
California has worked with destinations such as Visalia to create an autism road trip that includes only places that are Certified Autism Centers, such as The Grammy Museum and Sesame Place in San Diego.
The TSA Cares helpline (call 855/787-2227) provides additional assistance to travelers with disabilities when you call 72 hours before your flight. The TSA notification card should help you get whisked through screening without waiting in long lines.
Don’t forget sunscreen or travel insurance!
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