Looking for a Great Trip for a Family with Teens

What do you guys like to do?

We went to Lake Powell 2 years ago and that was a blast! Everyone loved it, but we are also big into boating/wake boarding, etc. It's a beautiful place as well!

A cruise is always a good option as well. Or a beach in Florida, I know quite a few people that go to Destin, FL and LOVE it there.

I have not done this (as my guy is still quite young), but have heard nothing but great things from those that have. Have you considered a cruise? Both the Disney and the Norwegian Cruise lines have events meant just for teens. Kids get some fun time away from parents on the boat, parents get some well needed date time, and the whole family can explore the ports together. It's a win-win from what I have heard.

I have sons so what they enjoyed as teens is probably far removed from what a girl would enjoy...but will share anyway. We used to go camping and fishing on the eastern side of the Sierras, up and down the Owen's River Valley. We hiked and backpacked to various lakes, rivers and trout streams- and the boys loved it. Camping for the weekend was always a hit too. We'd go to a lake or river on a Friday after work/school and come home on Sunday afternoon. Lots of family and friends would join us.

Once we took really long camping trip in a motorhome up the CA coast line when the kids were in their mid-teens. We stayed at beach parks, traveling in the early part of the day, then making camp and enjoying the area's attractions in the afternoon and evenings. The boys enjoyed the beaches, played football, walked our dog, and we visited places like Hearst Castle. It was mostly simple stuff, like taking the dog swimming in the river at Big Sur. Still it was one of the best trips ever. The last day out we went to Magic Mountain in Valencia and stayed at an RV park before heading home early the next morning.

My family always took fantastic trips (when I was young all the way through teen years)!! Hubby and I did a lot of small trips for spring break during college. And, I enjoy taking my 2 y/o on trips, but for now, they are mostly shorter and local! I look forward to taking her to some of the amazing places I've been:

SW: Phoenix, AZ, IKEA (what a shopping experience!), Sedona (~2hrs north), river rafting, ghost towns, professional sports events.
Albuquerque/Santa Fe, NM--historical sites, beautiful churches, art & history museums, mountain ranges with a huge variety of activities, river rafting.

NW: Seattle, WA, ferry rides, driving to Mt. Rainier, Pike Place market, Space Needle, Mt. St. Helens, drive to Point Flattery? (NW most point in continental US), drive & ferry up to Victoria, BC.
Wyoming/Montana--Yellowstone National Park! Scenery, hiking, wildlife, history, hot springs.

NE: Philadelphia, PA, Washington, D.C., Lancaster County, PA, see the Amish villages, horse-drawn carriages, so many historical sites!

SE: St. Augustine, FL--historical sites, Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, lighthouses, Atlantic Ocean!
Florida/Alabama panhandle--ferry ride across the Mobile Bay, Pensacola Beach, Civil War forts, Gulf Shores, AL, museums & Imax in Mobile, Naval Air Station in Pensacola.
Memphis, TN--Graceland, art & history museums, see the ducks at Peabody Hotel, the best BBQ ever!, the Mississippi River, river boats, music festivals.

Can you tell that I love to visit places?! If any of these ideas interest you, please feel free to PM me and I can give you more information!

Take a cruise!! We have taken our kids a few times, but they are young. I however, went when I was a teen and had a BLAST. And I think it would be even better or twins because they have a built in friend already. There are Teen clubs, casinos for the adults, shows for the family or adult comedy at night. There are mult pools, you see different places/islands. A blacony is a MUST on the ship if you ask me. All food is included. You can buy a pop card for the week if you want (buy one...whole family can share). You and your hubby can each bring one bottle of wine on the boat...bring a cork screw. Being in Cali saves you on air fair which is awesome!

We love Carnival.

There are 1-2 formal nights on the trip, so a GREAT opportunity for a family picture. There are "fancy" dining rooms or buffet style dining. Food is avl 24/7 and the room service is free too!!

There are shore excursions to take or you can just get off the boat and wander.

Kids just need a birth certificate and you need a passport OR passport card.

Crusies are really the best bang for your buck too with the place to stay, food and places to see.

I know you're based in CA, but the Smoky Mts are fantastic. We took the 13yos in our family & they loved it. Gatlinburg is our fav....especially Ripley's Aquarium, the Airway tram, & we even saw a bear in the hotel parking lot! We hit Pigeon Forge & Dollywood, Nashville & the Country Music Hall of Fame, & even Huntsville AL for the Space Center complex. Lots to see and do in that whole area! Oh, yeah, & they even liked the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN....which really surprised all of us!

The older kids in the family have also been to the Rockies & Teton Mts. They loved it all, especially Yellowstone. Again, so many things to see & do!

When we travel, we try to break the drive into sections with sightseeing in btwn it all. We have a basic outline & then let the kids pick something at each stop (in addition to our plans). It really helps if we let the kids have input! We allow time for random thoughts & for lots of swimming each night at the hotel....opting for a picnic dinner in the room, rather than wasting the time in another restaurant. Hope you have fun.....

You can't go wrong with Hawaii. There's the beach, shopping, zoo, sealife park, aqiarium, luaus, horseback riding, tours of all kinds.

I agree with you about the traveling part. It's the same for our family.

We took a great vacation to Vermont a few years ago. We kept it simple, and just did things at our own pace. We went camping, but took a lot of day trips, including Ben and Jerry's, the t-shirt factory, pick your own blueberry's, a boat ride on Lake Champlain, the Shelbourne museum, a wildflower farm and nature walk.

We also did Disney World.

Cape Cod is one of favorite destinations. It's too crowded in the summer. We just enjoy walking on the beaches and collecting treasures, watching the seals, visiting a light house, visiting a few unique shops.

I went to St. Augustine, FL when I was in my early 20's. I'd love to take my girls there.

I've never been, but would think the grand canyon would be a great trip.

Cruise! There will be lots of opportunity to spend time together and apart - and lots of teen activites for them. I personally love Royal Caribbean.

Have fun whatever you decide to do!

Cruise!!! All the cruise lines offer teen/youth programs. We like Princess or Royal Caribbean best, but all the others are good too. Carnival is usually the least expensive and Disney the most expensive. I always say the way to choose is "who is going where you want to go, when you want, for the best price". Our favorite west coast cruises were Alaska and the Mexican Riviera. If you haven't cruised before, book through a travel agency that specializes in cruising; they can help you pick a destination and cruise line to best meet your families needs and desires. If you're not sure about cruising, Carnival offers several 3 - 4 day cruises out of LA/Long Beach/San Diego. Lets you "get your feet wet" and no airfare.

Our kids aren't teens yet but I do remember favorites when I was a teen. Hawaii was the big one. Wow, that was fun! We went to Oahu and then to Maui. Loved the fun shows, the beach, everything about it.

I also remember loving a trip down to So Cal, going to Universal Studios, a tour of NBC and some other sites more grown up than Disneyland.

My parents also took our family to Washington, D.C. the year I was studying American History in high school (been so long I couldn't say what years, but I think it was junior year?). It was educational, but also a great trip. We sat on the steps of one of the memorials and watched the 4th of July fireworks ... amazing.

One of our best family vacations was when my son was 14. We went to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, camped a place called Jacob lake and went on day trips in the area. The rangers give a talk each evening at the lodge (in the Grand Canyon park). We spent a few days in that area and then went to Hovenweep (sometimes spelled Hovenweap) for more camping. That site abuts a canyon with ancient peubloan ruins that were fun to explore. And again, informative and fun ranger talks in the evenings.

One word of caution: My husband and I had so much fun on that trip that we are now the proud parents of two little girls. LOL

Since you are already in Calf. I second the Hawaii trip that Lesley suggested. Right now would be an awesome time to go. We stayed on the North Shore about 5 years ago and it was awesome. We spent the days on the beach and even went to the pineapple farms. MMMM. Great shopping too!

Since you are in Ca I am assuming you've done Hollywood and Magic Mountain? Both GREAT destinations for teens, especially girls :)

I 2nd the WA DC idea...that would be an AWESOME family vacation!!!

How about taking a trip down south and seeing New Orleans and winding your way thru Savannah Georgia? The girls might be interested in that? So much to see and experience?

Cruises are amazing and are very safe. Your 15 year olds will feel cool getting to walk around with a drink without their parents and you and the hubs will get to have some time together as well! They have amazing dinners and activities you can all do together too.
If not a cruise, maybe the Grand Canyon? I saw it when I was younger and loved it. There is Carlsbad Tavern in New Mexico which is pretty cool. My mother's family lived in Alabama when we were younger and we were in California, we we drove across the states a lot when I was young.
Why don't you ask the girls and see what they come up with? They are old enough to have realistic ideas. They would probably LOVE to give some input!

I was also going to recommend a cruise. I love cruising and they are a lot of fun. You can do activities as a family, but they also have a lot of teen events that your girls can do.

I also looooove Hawaii.

Have fun, wherever you go!