I'm trying to come up with a good, not too expensive family vacation between the months of Jan and April. I have two kids, who will be 2 & 4 by the time we travel. I live in South Florida (miami area), so we were thinking of driving up to Tennessee to see some snow, or maybe go to the caribbean. I would really love for them to see the snow somewhere, but I'm looking for places where we can take them to do other fun things as well that are age-appropriate. Ideas and places, please! Whether u've traveled there or live there, input would be appreciated! TIA
It depends on when you go, but Dollywood is open at the beginning of Jan and has the Christmas festival. You'd be at Pigeon Forge, so Gatlinburg is nearby. Lots and lots of stuff to do there.
Pigeon forge is fun, if you want to see shows and things like that. Don't know if you've been to The Dixie Stampede, but its AWESOME. My impossible to please littlest one LOVED it. He kept saying "WOW!" and never moved from his seat.
Theres also a place to feed bears, Dollywood is there and a small kiddie park if it's warm enough. Lots of hotels to choose from too. All price ranges!
If you go to pigeon forge area, they have a Ripley's Aquarium. It is amazing (kinda pricy, but worth it.)! My 3 yo absolutely LOVED it! I got a video of her staring open mouthed up at the sharks swimming above us during one part where a conveyor belt takes you through an underwater tunnel. She was into an aquarium we visited when she was 18 months, too, so it's a pretty safe bet a 2yo would enjoy it. :)
Gattlinburg was fun for her as well. (We just went on our family vacation there.) There is so much to see, that she was ever bored. We also got some great old-time family portraits done. She was VERY excited to dress up as a "cowboy princess" and get her picture taken. (This is a child who clowns it up every time a camera is pointed at her.) :)
I might suggest that going somewhere to experience snow might be too much work with a 2 and 4 y/o. I think they would probably love it, but if you're going to go somewhere where there is snow you will need all the gear that goes with it. I'm guessing that living in South Florida, you probably don't have a lot of winter stuff. What's the fun of going to the snow if you can't play in it?! If you are up for buying that stuff then sure, it might be fun. If so I'd suggest going all out and heading to CO as someone else suggested, or someplace else that is super snowy.
I have never been to Pigeon Forge but I have been to Dixie Stampede (in Branson, MO) and it was super fun! My kids were 2 and 4 at the time and my son, 2 at the time, was (is) so busy and wild that I figured I'd be in the hall with him most of the time letting him run around, but it was quite the contrary. He was so mesmerized by the entire thing he sat through every minute, I was amazed! So, that might be a great option for you and I'd imagine that there are plenty of other fun activities around the area...even walking through woods and going on nature "hikes". My kids love that too.
If you stay in a hotel the hotel pool will probably also have enough allure for 2 and 4 y/o that you could have plenty of fun there too.
Do you have a Great Wolf Lodge anywhere near you? Those places are awesome! We started taking our kids there around that age and they both had tons of fun. They have a small kid section with small slides and places to fill buckets, etc. Plus they have a place for bigger kids and adults alike. They have a story time every night that is really fun as well. It is a favorite destination of ours, but it is expensive, just a warning! :) During Christmas time they have "snow" that comes from the ceiling.
At two and four they won't be interested in much. Touristy things do not appeal the real little ones. Want snow take them to Colorado. Great place
I'd say Caribbean. But maybe that's because I was there in January and we are planning our next trip now. So that's what *I* would do.
If you want snow, go somewhere like Denver, you'll definitely have snow! We are going to Denver next summer (I think), but I'm pretty sure my husband's aunt said they have snow year round if you go high enough up.
If you want snow though and you don't want to go that far, make the drive up to the DC area. Even if we don't have it at the time you come (very hit or miss) you could go to one of the ski resorts...they have tubing and other things to do besides skiing.
