Expert: Suzan Jackson - 2/19/2009

Question
Hi, we are trying to plan a vacation with our kids, for two weeks.  We have been mulling the idea of going to Washington DC/ NY.  What would you recommend for an itenary, and flights?  Hotels?  I fear boring them w/ history, and need to figure out how to make it fun... maybe tie it w/ some sporting events?  Also our second thought is a beach vacation.  Ideas?  Thank you so much. PS my kids have never been on a plane, and are 13, 12 and 10

Answer
Dear Sheryl –

I’d be glad to help you with some ideas for your vacation.  You don’t mention where you live or what your budget is, but I can provide some general information.

I wouldn’t worry about your kids getting bored in either NYC or Washington, DC.  Both cities are chock-full of a wide variety of exciting things to do for families.  If you can’t decide between a city vacation or a beach vacation, you could always do both:  spend one week in a city and another week at the beach.  

First, the cities.  Here are some excellent articles on family vacations in NYC, including fun things to do with kids, places to stay, and more:

http://familyfun.go.com/family-travel/places/feature/famf0101nyc/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/secret-nyc

http://www.familytravelnetwork.com/articles/vg_nyc.asp

And some similar articles on family vacations in DC:

http://familyfun.go.com/family-travel/places/feature/famf28washdc/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/a-capitol-vacation

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/how-to-do-dc

You mentioned some interest in sporting events.  NY has plenty of sporting events all year long.  Here is a list of NY sports teams, with links to more information:

http://www.new-york-city-travel.net/teams-ny.php

Here’s a similar list of links for Washington:

http://www.50states.com/sports/dc.htm

Here is a list of articles on great beach towns for families:

http://familyfun.go.com/family-travel/places/specialfeature/famf0503beaches/

Ocean City (on the above list) is fairly close to Washington, DC – about a 3-hour drive.  Another choice near DC is Rehoboth Beach, DE (about 2 and a half hours away).  Here’s some info:

http://rehobothbeach.com/

If you decide on just heading to the beach, the Family Fun article above has lots of great ideas, including Cape Cod and North Carolina.  The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a very popular beach destination.  Here are two websites with lots of information:

http://www.outer-banks.nc.us/index.htm

http://www.outerbanks.org/

If you want to stick to the northeast, there are lots of great beach towns in New Jersey:

http://www.visitnjshore.com/

Most towns on the Jersey Shore (as it’s known) are about 2 hours from NYC and about 3-4 hours from DC.

I hope these articles, websites, and links give you some ideas.  Talk it over with your family and decide which destination will best fit what your family enjoys, then let each family member choose an activity or two.  Some families even enjoy having each child plan an entire day on their own.

If you’re looking for additional resources, check out the list of resources at my travel website:

http://suzanjackson.homestead.com/TravelResources.html

Have a great time on your vacation!

Sue Jackson

www.travelfamily.net