Trip ideas?

brewer12345 · 09-13-2005, 07:55 AM

I need to start thinking about where we might go this winter. I find that I increasingly need a dose of sunshine in the depths of winter, say Late January or early February. We will be travelling with an 18 month old, and probably won't get away for more than a week. We're not averse to a destination outside the US, but travelling too far doesn't make a lot of sense for such a short trip. We'd also like to avoid breaking the bank. I have been toying with the notion of Florida, but we're not all that much into the cheesy Disneyworld thing, and the overdevelopment of many areas of FL is distressing to see. We've been to Puerto Rico a few times (main island and Vieques). I might be interested in Grenada if it doesn't prove to be too outrageous.

Any other ideas?

P.S. · 09-13-2005, 09:38 AM

Brewer, you're in NJ right? Many cheap direct winter flights from NYC to Italy. How about Umbria or Tuscany in the winter. Pensiones are cheap. Italians love, LOVE babies. The air is crisp, and the sun seductive.

09-13-2005, 09:57 AM

Hop one of the winter cheapo flights from EWR to Morocco.* Skip inland to Fez, and feel like you've dropped in on another planet.* It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world, IMHO.*

brewer12345 · 09-13-2005, 09:59 AM

I appreciate the thought, but right now the Arab world is probably not somewhere I would take the baby. I did think that Malta was an amazing place, though.

How warm is it in southern Italy in Jan/Feb? How sunny?

MRGALT2U · 09-13-2005, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.S.

* The air is crisp, and the sun seductive.* *

Stop that! You're making me homesick for Texas.

JG

Danny · 09-13-2005, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.S.

...How about Umbria or Tuscany in the winter. Pensiones are cheap. Italians love, LOVE babies. The air is crisp, and the sun seductive.

P.S. you make winter in Italy sound good, We'll be in N. Italy starting Nov 1, just the 2 of us

... our babies are out doing their own thing now

- not that there's anything wrong with traveling with them

retire@40 · 09-13-2005, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345

How warm is it in southern Italy in Jan/Feb?* How sunny?

To answer your questions, this site may come in handy if you are thinking of going to Italy.

http://www.eurometeo.com/english/cli...micino%20italy

Italy would be a good choice, especially since you would not have to pay for a seat for your child under age 2.* Italy is a very baby friendly country.* My family went there when my baby was under 2 and it worked out well.

MRGALT2U · 09-13-2005, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345

I need to start thinking about where we might go this winter.* I find that I increasingly need a dose of sunshine in the depths of winter, say Late January or early February.* We will be travelling with an 18 month old, and probably won't get away for more than a week.* We're not averse to a destination outside the US, but travelling too far doesn't make a lot of sense for such a short trip.* We'd also like to avoid breaking the bank.* I have been toying with the notion of Florida, but we're not all that much into the cheesy Disneyworld thing, and the overdevelopment of many areas of FL is distressing to see.* We've been to Puerto Rico a few times (main island and Vieques).* I might be interested in Grenada if it doesn't prove to be too outrageous.

Any other ideas?

Nope, but I once worked with a world traveler who told me Grenada was
his fav. spot. That was a long time ago though.

JG

Nords · 09-13-2005, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345

Any other ideas?

When our kid was 18 months old we were living in San Diego.

South Mission Bay Park's playground, SeaWorld, The WorldFamousSanDiegoZoo, the trolley, and plenty of stuff for the grownups. Tijuana even beckons if you're adventurous.

Traffic's not bad when you avoid the rush hours.

WRBT · 09-13-2005, 11:00 AM

San Diego is indeed a great place to take a child.

Or how about Northern Arizona? A vast expanse of beautiful mountain forests, lakes, and streams. Visit the Grand Canyon, then head down to Sedona.

brewer12345 · 09-13-2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WRBT

San Diego is indeed a great place to take a child.

Or how about Northern Arizona? A vast expanse of beautiful mountain forests, lakes, and streams. Visit the Grand Canyon, then head down to Sedona.

DW's family lives in Denver and we went to Northern NM in April, so the Southwest is kind of the default option. I'll have to keep AZ in mind.

wildcat · 09-13-2005, 11:13 AM

brew -

Grenada looked pricey to me. *I think Feb would be the best time in your case to visit the Carib. *Prices seem to dip a bit after Dec and Jan. *Have you ever considered the Pac side of Mexico like Puerto Vallarta?

justin · 09-13-2005, 12:13 PM

You may want to check in to a cruise to the caribbean. Not sure how much you want to spend though. The winter cruises are usually cheaper than summer cruises, so you might find a steal for $2000 for a week with the three of you. Plus airfare if applicable.

Sheryl · 09-14-2005, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildcat

brew -

Grenada looked pricey to me. *I think Feb would be the best time in your case to visit the Carib. *Prices seem to dip a bit after Dec and Jan. *Have you ever considered the Pac side of Mexico like Puerto Vallarta?

What about the Yucatan side of Mexico? Playa Del Carmen or Tulum (not Cancun :P)

Costa Rica? Belize? Some good packages available but I don't know about the baby-friendliness.

I don't know much about the various Carribean islands, but have a friend who just moved to Bonaire and loves it.

I second the San Diego suggestion. There's a lot of fun stuff to do.

While I was out of town at a conference this week my dear sweet S.O. sat thru a timeshare salespitch in order to get us a free trip to San Diego - air and hotel, so we'll be heading down there when things get really dark and damp around here.

laurence · 09-14-2005, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

When our kid was 18 months old we were living in San Diego.

South Mission Bay Park's playground, SeaWorld, The WorldFamousSanDiegoZoo, the trolley, and plenty of stuff for the grownups. Tijuana even beckons if you're adventurous.

Traffic's not bad when you avoid the rush hours.

As a resident of San Diego, I must concur. So much fun stuff to do, even if you want to do nothing at all. One thing though, the water will be too cold at that time to go in (well, it is for us anyway). But with an 18 month old, that may not be much of a factor. We do get rain in Feb. and March. January is pretty good.

Nords · 09-14-2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurence

One thing though, the water will be too cold at that time to go in (well, it is for us anyway).* But with an 18 month old, that may not be much of a factor.

Gosh, I'd hate to think that the kid would get tired & need a nap.

I can remember many afternoons at South Mission Bay Park: "N-n-n-n-o, D-d-d-dad, I'm n-n-n-not c-c-c-c-cold!" The eyes would be closed and the head would be leaning against the car seat before we'd be out of the parking lot...

brewer12345 · 09-15-2005, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

Gosh, I'd hate to think that the kid would get tired & need a nap.

I can remember many afternoons at South Mission Bay Park: "N-n-n-n-o, D-d-d-dad, I'm n-n-n-not c-c-c-c-cold!"* The eyes would be closed and the head would be leaning against the car seat before we'd be out of the parking lot...

Heheh, we were making a big batch of salsa last weekend (do it every year) and I had a big bucket filled with water and about a dozen bunches of cilantro (trying to rinse the dirt/sand out). It was just sitting at the corner of the deck while we worked on the rest of the prep (42# of tomatoes to chop, etc.). My daughter decided that the bucket was a fun new toy and started picking up the cilantro and lunging it into the water again. This game lasted fora good 30 minutes and would have continued if she hadn't started shivering from deing thoroughly sodden with cold water. Nap time was lengthy that afternoon.

Bourne · 09-20-2005, 11:20 PM

Acapulco: Decent Flight. Less crowded than Cancun with same climate...
St John(USVI), Grand Cayman, Aruba on the Atlantic side. Be sure to go there before the spring break...

renferme · 09-26-2005, 03:22 PM

Loved Italy when we visited Tuscany and Rome in 2004.
Just one suggestion if you go, take a toilet seat with you to use at the rest stops on the autostrada (their 4 lane highways). There are toilets, but without seats,
so if you have to sit, you'll need the toilet seat.
.
We rented a villa in Colle Val D'Elsa (Tuscany) for less than 100 dollars per night - very, very nice ! ! I'm sure the prices are higher now, but still a good bargain can be found. try www.slowtrav.com for lots of info.
.
And one more thing: the FOOD is awesome there.

MRGALT2U · 09-26-2005, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennevis

Loved Italy when we visited Tuscany and Rome in 2004.
Just one suggestion if you go,* take a toilet seat with you to use at the rest stops on the autostrada (their 4 lane highways).* *There are toilets, but without seats,
so if you have to sit, you'll need the toilet seat.
.
We rented a villa in Colle Val D'Elsa (Tuscany) for less than 100 dollars per night - very, very nice ! !* * I'm sure the prices are higher now, but still a good bargain can be found.* * *try* *www.slowtrav.com* *for lots of info.
.
And one more thing:* the FOOD is awesome there.

Sounds like fun.......dragging along your own toilet seat

JG

09-13-2005, 07:55 AM	#1
brewer12345 Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,362	Trip ideas? I need to start thinking about where we might go this winter. I find that I increasingly need a dose of sunshine in the depths of winter, say Late January or early February. We will be travelling with an 18 month old, and probably won't get away for more than a week. We're not averse to a destination outside the US, but travelling too far doesn't make a lot of sense for such a short trip. We'd also like to avoid breaking the bank. I have been toying with the notion of Florida, but we're not all that much into the cheesy Disneyworld thing, and the overdevelopment of many areas of FL is distressing to see. We've been to Puerto Rico a few times (main island and Vieques). I might be interested in Grenada if it doesn't prove to be too outrageous. Any other ideas? __________________ “When you realize that you are one of the rare few who observe moral principles in their relationships with others, there is a temptation to sink into amorality, not out of conviction or pleasure but simply to avoid further pain, because there is no greater suffering than being an angel in hell, whereas a devil feels at home wherever he goes.” – Martin Page, How I Became Stupid

09-13-2005, 09:38 AM	#2
P.S. Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 306	Re: Trip ideas? Brewer, you're in NJ right? Many cheap direct winter flights from NYC to Italy. How about Umbria or Tuscany in the winter. Pensiones are cheap. Italians love, LOVE babies. The air is crisp, and the sun seductive.

09-13-2005, 09:57 AM	#3
tozz Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Trip ideas? Hop one of the winter cheapo flights from EWR to Morocco.* Skip inland to Fez, and feel like you've dropped in on another planet.* It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world, IMHO.*

09-13-2005, 09:59 AM	#4
brewer12345 Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,362	Re: Trip ideas? I appreciate the thought, but right now the Arab world is probably not somewhere I would take the baby. I did think that Malta was an amazing place, though. How warm is it in southern Italy in Jan/Feb? How sunny? __________________ “When you realize that you are one of the rare few who observe moral principles in their relationships with others, there is a temptation to sink into amorality, not out of conviction or pleasure but simply to avoid further pain, because there is no greater suffering than being an angel in hell, whereas a devil feels at home wherever he goes.” – Martin Page, How I Became Stupid

09-13-2005, 11:00 AM	#10
WRBT Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 129	Re: Trip ideas? San Diego is indeed a great place to take a child. Or how about Northern Arizona? A vast expanse of beautiful mountain forests, lakes, and streams. Visit the Grand Canyon, then head down to Sedona.

09-13-2005, 11:13 AM	#12
wildcat Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,906	Re: Trip ideas? brew - Grenada looked pricey to me. I think Feb would be the best time in your case to visit the Carib. Prices seem to dip a bit after Dec and Jan. *Have you ever considered the Pac side of Mexico like Puerto Vallarta? __________________ "These walls are kind of funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, gets so you depend on them"

09-13-2005, 12:13 PM	#13
justin Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 4,010	Re: Trip ideas? You may want to check in to a cruise to the caribbean. Not sure how much you want to spend though. The winter cruises are usually cheaper than summer cruises, so you might find a steal for $2000 for a week with the three of you. Plus airfare if applicable.

09-20-2005, 11:20 PM	#18
Bourne Dryer sheet wannabe Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 20	Re: Trip ideas? Acapulco: Decent Flight. Less crowded than Cancun with same climate... St John(USVI), Grand Cayman, Aruba on the Atlantic side. Be sure to go there before the spring break...

09-26-2005, 03:22 PM	#19
renferme Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 452	Re: Trip ideas? Loved Italy when we visited Tuscany and Rome in 2004. Just one suggestion if you go, take a toilet seat with you to use at the rest stops on the autostrada (their 4 lane highways). There are toilets, but without seats, so if you have to sit, you'll need the toilet seat. . We rented a villa in Colle Val D'Elsa (Tuscany) for less than 100 dollars per night - very, very nice ! ! I'm sure the prices are higher now, but still a good bargain can be found. try www.slowtrav.com for lots of info. . And one more thing: the FOOD is awesome there.