Warm weather vacation

[kcowan]

I would stick to the US, SoCal or Fla. The only international we did while working was the Caribbean (lots). But that was after exhausting the first two. In March, the beaches will be all yours. But plenty warm enough for a northerner. Perhaps too much fog in SoCal.

Shop for deals on the flights first. Most living will be AI so best to shop carefully. The only place we used AI was in Saint Marten because it included bar and our boys were teens. Also the food was a fine French restaurant. But very expensive.

You might find AI to be cost effective for just Breakfast and Lunch and add in the cost of dinners out.

 

[Scuba]

I would not go to So CA in March unless you’d be happy with a cooler climate and don’t want to get in the ocean. We live in So CA and usually go away in the winter to warm up!

I think the south FL or Caribbean cruise ideas are good. A cruise is less work to plan, and you get to see a lot of places while only unpacking once. If you do a Western Caribbean cruise, most stop in Grand Cayman. Stingray City would be a really fun excursion.

 

[HI Bill]

Disney Aulani on Oahu. Great for the whole family and tons to do on Oahu. It's not crazy with Disney stuff like Disneyland.

I was just going to mention Hawaii, as I live here. I'm not sure Aulani is my first choice, at more than $400/night for a standard hotel room (but the resort does have a lot of water activities). I'd go for Turtle Bay Hilton, or maybe the Hilton Waikaloa on Hawaii Island (unless you want to drive around and do sight seeing). Lots of great resorts in Hawaii, good weather, and safe (except for car break-ins if you leave stuff visible).

 

[Fedup]

I think I paid about $170-180 per night st the Waikiki Hilton in Jan last year. It doesn’t have to be $400 per night.

 

[FFC1964]

Costa Rica for sure!!!

Costa Rica has everything you could want in my opinion. Beaches and adventure both. Kind people,beautiful country, warm weather and great food. Get an airbnb and you could keep it in the 5-7K range. We have gone 3 times and have taken our sons once. They loved it. Definitely would be a memorable family adventure.



Good Luck!

Sue

 

[FFC1964]

Oh and by the way we took our boys to Key West as young teenagers.....definitely did not feel like we were great parents....a little bit risque in our mind....we have also been to Hawaii, Southern California and Florida..... Costa Rica wins easily.



Sue

 

[hausfrau]

We decided to go to the Dominican Republic. I've been to Florida and California a few times, so we thought we'd do something different. I do want to go to the Keys though. Maybe next time! It looks like there are a lot of fun things for kids to do. Maybe I'll get a little Spanish in, lol. I think it will be fun.

 

[Lucie]

Costa Rica has everything you could want in my opinion. Beaches and adventure both. Kind people,beautiful country, warm weather and great food. Get an airbnb and you could keep it in the 5-7K range. We have gone 3 times and have taken our sons once. They loved it. Definitely would be a memorable family adventure.

I agree with Cost Rica! If you are considering the Dominican Republic,also consider CR. We have a condo in Tamarindo across from the beach and we enjoy the many activities and family friendly town. The nice thing about Tamarindo is that everybody speaks english and you don't need a car. You can take a tour to the volcanos, jungle,waterfalls, monkey park or zip lines. Great family memories!

Feel free to PM me for information about the town, and depending on your dates, I may be able to get a discount on a condo.

 

[TwoByFour]

Two suggestions: (1) Oaxaca Mexico. Beautiful colonial city in southern Mexico with world famous cuisine. Great city to walk in, lots to see. Interesting ancient ruins nearby at Monte Alban and several other places in the valley. You can take a trip out to the coast to Puerto Escondido and get a bit of beach life. Practice your Spanish too.
(2) Tikal, Guatemala. It is the site of ancient Mayan ruins, often photographed and used as a backdrop in Star Wars. Magical place in the middle of the jungle. Lots of wildlife around. It is mostly a cultural experience.

 

[1242Vintage]

Two thoughts.

We spent last December in Costa Rica. Flew into SanJose, picked up a rental car and made a big loop. Arenal volcano, montverde, and then down the coast stopping at the beach a few nights and the national parks (Manuel Antonio among them) along the way. Went as far south as the Panama border. We were a little apprehensive about driving but it was fine. It was truly an adventure and every day we found fun an interesting things that we weren’t expecting. We ventured out off the beaten path and found everyone we met was extremely friendly and helpful. Had so much fun I’m going back down for a cross country mountain bike race across the country (Pacific to Caribbean) very soon.

Other thought is Cancun or Riviera Maya in Mexico. We’ve done spring break there with the kids many times. Wife and I are just in the process of booking a mini-Break in he Cancun hotel zone for later this month. Have plane tickets but no hotel yet. Plenty to see and do down there if you want adventure, or do nothing and soak up the sun out on the sand with a cold drink in hand.

Good luck with your planning.

 

[Sunny]

Someplace not mentioned would be the Texas coastline. Yes, Corpus Christi is known for Spring Breakers, but you don't have to go that far south. Some days in Galveston area for beaches, you have Houston for a lot of sightseeing including the space center, take a trip over to the Bolivar Peninsula, etc. and you'd have a good week.

We have done the River Maya region (Cancun and south) with resorts several times, even attended two weddings at resorts there, Jamaica resorts, etc. but anymore I think the US has a lot to offer, especially for a first trip and a 10-year-old.

Going against the grain, we were very disappointed with Key West a couple of years ago. Everything just seemed so touristy and really expensive for what you got. Seemed more the shopping/dining/wine type crowd, not the 10 year old wanting to swim crowd.

However, if you do Florida and are even a couple of hours drive away from the Everglades, they are very well worth it. The auto-tour and getting out at all of the boardwalks takes a good day and is quite fun. Catch a ranger's night program to see some alligator eyes. Not sure I would spring for an air-boat ride as again, seems touristy and pricey for what you get / see.

 

[FreeBear]

Someplace not mentioned would be the Texas coastline. Yes, Corpus Christi is known for Spring Breakers, but you don't have to go that far south. Some days in Galveston area for beaches, you have Houston for a lot of sightseeing including the space center, take a trip over to the Bolivar Peninsula, etc. and you'd have a good week.

We have done the River Maya region (Cancun and south) with resorts several times, even attended two weddings at resorts there, Jamaica resorts, etc. but anymore I think the US has a lot to offer, especially for a first trip and a 10-year-old.

Going against the grain, we were very disappointed with Key West a couple of years ago. Everything just seemed so touristy and really expensive for what you got. Seemed more the shopping/dining/wine type crowd, not the 10 year old wanting to swim crowd.

However, if you do Florida and are even a couple of hours drive away from the Everglades, they are very well worth it. The auto-tour and getting out at all of the boardwalks takes a good day and is quite fun. Catch a ranger's night program to see some alligator eyes. Not sure I would spring for an air-boat ride as again, seems touristy and pricey for what you get / see.

Agreed about Corpus Christi (northern gateway to Padre Island). Visited after the spring break crowd. Weather weather was nice, local very friendly. Don't forget the gulf FL panhandle, say from Pensacola to Apalachicola.

I too was disappointed in Key West itself. Seemed crowded and very touristy. Long, SLOW, drive from Miami. Everything seemed expensive. I can see why others recommend staying on other islands and taking day trips to Key West. Oh, did I say busy? We went in January...

If you like auto tours and nature boardwalks in FL, consider skipping the airboat and get a guided kayak tour. The pace is typically related (our 75 yo friends kept up easily), and the better ones feed you lunch. A good guide will help you learn about the local trees and wildlife. The birds are especially worthwhile in FL. Oh, a guide will keep you from stepping on big 'gators disguised as muddly riverbank logs...

Good times!