Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Top 10 Family Summer Vacation Destinations

Family VacationsAlthough the evil winter is doing it's best to stay as long as possible, the bequtiful, warm, and joyous time of summer is fast approaching. The kids are off of school for 3 months, the das are long and beautiful, and everybody is happy. But what will you do with all the spare time? Most people tend to go on vacation. Spending a week or two away from home, work, and the day to day hassle of things is perfect for any family, plus it gives you a chance to spend time with your family. Because of my extreme love for vacations and family bonding I have compiled a list of the top family vacation spots. Enjoy.

Cancun, Mexico - When you typically think of Cancun, you probably think of a honeymoon or a crazy spring break party. This may be the case sometimes but in the summer, Cancun is one of the top family destinations for a fun and relaxing vacation. Families can enjoy numerous atractions like a Wet 'n Wild waterpark, swimming with dolphins, pirate cruises, Xcaret Park, and even tours of the ancient Mayan ruins.

Aruba - Aruba is probably one of the best places to go if you have kids for one main reason: Tons of things are free! Arub has Island-wide perks for families like kids under 12 get free daily brekfast, play for free and even get to stay for free. Kids under 12 can also enjoy free snorkeling, dinners, and a free sail/snorkle cruise. With so much free stuff, it almost sounds too good to be true.

Nassau, Bahamas - Nassau has something for each and every member of your family no matter what age. There is gambling and golf for the parents, water sports like jet skis, water skiing, wake boarding, surfing, and others for the older kids, creative and fun programs like Camp Junkanoo at Raddison Cable Beach and the Discovery Chanel Camp at Atlanti Paradise Island for the younger kids. And when you are all done with that, you all as a family can go to one of the many beautiful beaches to relax.

Wyndham Hotels - Although the Wyndham Hotels are not an actual geographic location, they do have 6 hotels throughout the Carribean with fun for the whole family. Some features include the wacky SpongeBob Summer Splash Parties with SpongeBob games like family limbo and jellyfish tossing(note: no real jelly fish are used and none were harmed in the playing of this game; I love animals). Kids under 12 also get free daily breakfast. Any hotel you choose will prove to be fantastic fun for the whole family.

Jamaica - Jamaica isn't just one of the best places for family vacations, but also for anyone looking to take a vacation. There are many different things to do in Jamaica like go to one of the many beaches, climb beautiful watrerfalls, swim with dolphins, and tour the many shops and bazaars.

Turks and Caicos - This tiny island with it's crystal clear waters and white-sand beaches is a perfect getaway for the whole family. The island has venues for teens, a spa for the parents, and nightly entertainment for the whole family. Turks and Caicos also offers events like fishing, whale watching and even sports the third largest coral reef in the world.

Oahu, Hawaii - Hawaii offers some of the best family vacations in the world. Specifically in Oahu there are things like sand castle competitions and lei making crafts for kids as well as various beaches that provide fun for the whole family. Also, with all of the resorts at Oahu, kids under 18 stay for free, which makes these affordable hotels even more affordable.

Williamsburg, Virginia - Although it is not a tropic paradise, Williamsburg offers amazing fun for the whole family. Williamsburg offers the Bush Gardens amusement park as well as the water park Water County USA. There are also a few beaces in Virginia, namely Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg offers a walk through Colonial Williamsburg, a village set up just as it was in Colonial times.

Grand Cayman Islands, Bahamas - The Grand Cayman Islands are some of the most beautiful places to visit, especially for a vacation. There are tons of things to do on the islands like take a catamaran ride in the ocean, jet ski, swim, take a pirate cruise, visit the beautiful beaches or even set on an excursion to a perfectly preserved coral reef where you can swim/snorkle around and view the reef and even swim and feed hundreds of friendly stingrays! The Grand Cayman Islands are a perfect place for the whole family.

Orlando, Florida - Orlando is the Holy Land of family vacations. Orlando has a total of four Walt Disney Themed Parks including Disneyworld and the Animal Kingdom as well as the Disney Resort. In addition to the Disney Parks are two Universal Themed parks, Sea world, and Discover Cove. With so much to do you will never have a dull moment.

So there you are, ten wonderful locations to take the brood this summer. With all the resorts, beaches, theme parks, and attractions, you will definitley have a great time no matter where you go.