Vacation - Newark,OH

We have a vacation condo in Harbor Springs, MI. It is just beautiful up there in the summer. The condo resort we belong to is very kid friendly. There are two outdoor pools and a hot tub and one indoor pool, hot tub and sauna. There are trout ponds on the property where is kids can fish. The condo office supplies the poles. There are two playgrounds for the kids. Tennis courts, a volleyball court, a game room, lots of hiking and bike trails right on the property. We are 30 min. from Macinaw Island, which is a great place to bike with the kids. If you want additional information you can email me @ ____@____.com.

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Some more information would be helpful. Are you looking to drive or fly? You may want to check out PA, there's Seasame Place and Hershey Park, if theme parks are your thing. Almost all kids love the beach, they can spend hours digging in the sand, collecting treasures, and playing in tidal pools.

i just took my 3.5 and just turned 5 year olds to VA Beach and had a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!

We live in CA and there are a ton of great getaways within a few hours that are very kid-friendly. A beach vacation is always great for kids who can play for hours in the sand- bring shovels, pail, lots of sand toys- GREAT for you kid's ages, go in the water a bit. My husband takes the kids in the water, jumping around a bit while I sit and read a book. They just LOVE spending time with their dad jumping in shallow water around the waves. They love anywhere were there's a pool. My kids love being in the water so we go to San Diego near the beach, other coastal towns like San Clemente and north of us to Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Barbara. There's a great embassy suites in Oxnard which is very kid-friendly, great big pools with a lot of shallow end, a beautiful Ventura harbor nearby, a huge playground, bike path-we've rented a bike for the family,strap the kids in, and we do the biking. They LOVE it. This summer we rented a condo and are taking the kids with us to Princeville, Kauai where we usually go without the kids. But I know there is a lot they can do although some of the time we're going to get a babysitter so we can go snorkeling, hiking. Do you have any seaside resort towns in Ohio? Don't know that area at all, but perhaps there are nice towns locally you can drive to that are kid-friendly. Have fun!

You didn't mention where you live and/or how far you'd be willing to travel...budget...etc.??

With young children traveling can be hard at times. We loved going to the state parks in Ohio. We loved Salt Fork and Hueston Woods. Beaches near by and boating available. Lakes are not too deep. Lots of wildlife and horse back riding available. Other sites nearby to visit. The Wilds are near salt fork and you can ride in an a/c bus to see all the animals. It's like Jurassic Park.

We went to Newport News, VA last year with our 14 month old and had a great time. Lots of museums, parks, and outdoor things to do in Newport News without all of the crazy tourist traffic. Oyster Center (I might not have the name right) has outdoor family movies and concerts for free.

It's less than an hour's drive to Virginia Beach so we went there too. We rented one of those four-person bicycle things with a canopy over the top (they even had seats to strap your little ones into). Had a great time.

Best vacation we ever had as a family was in Kauai. We stayed at the Embassy Suites resort - VERY family-friendly. There is tons to do on the island, beautiful beaches, hikes, etc. We'd go back in a heartbeat (just need the economy to turn around a little! =)

Hi N.! Last year we went to North Myrtle Beach and we are going again this year. The beach is free and the kids had so much fun! Last year my kids were 2 and 4 when we went. We drove there for 10 hours and then stayed at a hotel and then drove the rest of the way the next morning. Easier on the kids. North Myrtle Beach is more "family oriented".

Please check out our online community site on family travel called bigbluetrunk for ideas (www.bigbluetrunk.com). Right now, we have an opportunity to win a free 3 night trip to a family wellness retreat at La Costa Resort and Spa in San Diego. See below for details.
http://www.bigbluetrunk.com/editorblog/740

last year we took our then 3.5 year old twin daughters to Sesame Place in Philadelphia. It was a wonderful park, especially for kids of your kids' ages. We bought the two day tickets (which i think were same prices as first day). I woudl recomend renting a locker and a stroller. Also, we had dinner with Big Bird and Friends, and it was wonderful. My girls got their picture with all of the characters. We made the drive there shorter by stopping in Hershey PA and visiting the "chocolate factory". We were exhausted by the time we returned home, but it was a nice "first" vacation. We are going to the beach this year though...

It all depends on what you're looking for. The beach is perfect for just sitting and relaxing all week, and children LOVE it! If you can swing it, go to a resort close to the beach so you can either hang at the resort pool or lazy river, when you're tired of the sand.

But if you're looking for more of a "doing" vacation, Cincinnati is a great place - lots to do for every age. The Museum Center is great, for getting out of the hot sun, plus the Newport aquarium, lots of great parks and gardens, downtown shopping, King's Island, water parks, etc.

The mountains are also great, if you like camping or can at least rough it in a cabin. Olgebay's not too far. Or Hocking Hills.

Or if you have lots of money and can fly across the country, I'd vote for Seattle! That's where we are going next year.

Good luck! J.

We've gone to South Carolina for our beach vacation the last two years and will be going again in July. We went to Myrtle Beach two years ago with our then almost 2-year-old. We stayed at a great resort that had a huge water area for kids and lots of beach to relax on. However, it was very busy and touristy. Last year, we rented a house on the Isle of Palms (about 20 minutes from Charleston, SC) with my in-laws. It was wonderful. Not only did we all have our own rooms and bathrooms, but our house had its own pool and we were within a short walk to the beach. Also, unlike Myrtle Beach, it was not as busy and touristy. We enjoyed driving into Charleston a couple of the days we were there for the great food and for some the historical attractions. The carriage ride was definitely a lot of fun! We're going back to the Isle of Palms this July and renting a different house that is even closer to the beach! Our son will be almost 4 by then, and I know he'll have fun spending time with his cousins while we're there. If you're looking into renting a vacation house anywhere, try http://www.vrbo.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner). It's a great site!