Looking for some inspiration, looking for some holiday recommendations for a family of 3, my daughter is nearly 4.
We want to try something different in the states other than Orlando, any recommendations of places to go with the wee one?
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Looking for some inspiration, looking for some holiday recommendations for a family of 3, my daughter is nearly 4.
We want to try something different in the states other than Orlando, any recommendations of places to go with the wee one?
Napa Valley. Do a wine tour every day. Get pished. Leave the kid with a minder at the hotel. That’s what a couple on a wine tour I was on there did.
On a serious note, California is magnificent.
Great cities - San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles with loads of brilliant places in between - Carmel, Santa Barbara. I'm trying to remember what state Palm Springs/ Palm Desert was in but that''s drivable from these places and worth seeing too.
Then there's the Napa valley too.
I did all these things on couples holidays in my twenties so not sure how the dynamic would be affected by a small child but I'd go tomorrow with my current partner and 1yo if I could.
Another "vote" for California, but with the caveat that I'm not sure I'd be comfortable having my young daughter in San Francisco with me - certainly in large areas of San Francisco anyway. I spend half of my working year in Palo Alto, so I get to spend a fair bit of time in San Francisco, and there's a lot of things I just wouldn't be comfortable seeing my daughter witness. I love SF, but I equally hate it. I can't vouch from personal experience, but I hear LA is exactly the same.
Seattle is a love city, but not sure how it would be as a family destination...I really love the Pacific NW for it's outdoor pursuits, scenery and climate but it depends what your family enjoy doing.
Similar sentiment to the New England area - I lived in Rhode Island for a while and it's gorgeous up there in the summer/autumn.
Love SF but I thought San Diego was pretty dull (apart from the zoo which is ace)? Northern California definitely more interesting from a scenery point of view: Yosemite, Tahoe, Redwood forests etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Smartie
Not sure about with a 3 year old but Utah/Arizona is awesome. The Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce etc make an amazing road trip. Probably best to wait a few years for that though.
Oregon has great beaches and is pretty chilled. I went there to see the solar eclipse in 2017.
tbh, I wouldn't have done any of these things with wee kids though. The extra 3 hours time difference and 5 hours or so of flying is quite a big deal.
I liked Washington DC when I went and there is a wealth of museums (all free) to visit if your daughter would be into that sort of thing. A little different but on the East coast, and plenty to see and do. You're just a - long - bus journey away from Philadelphia/Atlantic city if you fancied a couple of days elsewhere.
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Originally Posted by danhibees1875
Atlantic city is definitely not somewhere I'd go with kids.
It's not that bad is it? I feel it gets a worse reputation than it actually is (or how I perceived it to be for the few days I was there). I'll bow to your better knowledge since your location is NJ though!Quote:
Originally Posted by Haymaker
Right enough I'm sure there are better beach places to visit if you were looking for a couple days away from DC as part of your trip. I was just basing the suggestion on something I'd done before.
I would wait a few years all young kids want is a beach or a swimming pool.
I wouldn't discount the rest of Florida, from the Keys to the panhandle (Seaside is where they filmed The Truman Show, lovely).
Last year we did Miami for a few days then up the Gulf coast before heading over to St Augustine.
We've also done a few of the national parks, Blue Springs was brilliant, get to kayak with 'gators & manatees!
Stayed at Longboat Key, near Sarasota a few timesQuote:
Originally Posted by speedy_gonzales
Lovely place
Just back from the States myself and (apparently against the grain) much preferred my time on the other side of the country. San Francisco was great and to be fair I only went to LA as far as other californian places go but much preferred NOLA, Nashville, DC and NYC etc. Having said that, none of the stuff I was doing was with kids and it always depends on circumstances and what's going on when you're there etc.. but I;m more in a hurry to get back to the east side/south of the USA than I am California etc
It's rough as **** off the board walk. However the beach/boardwalk is class but I'm not sure about taking kids - they can't gamble! :agree: :greengrinQuote:
Originally Posted by danhibees1875
Fair enough - I maybe didn't venture far enough out. I went to one diner place for some food and that was about it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Haymaker
True - there might not be a huge amount to do other than beach/the fun fair bit. I'll revise my suggestion to DC, with a day/2 trip to just Philly. :greengrin
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Originally Posted by Haymaker
Better taking them to Coney Island :greengrin. Although to be fair we (my kids and I) love it there.
If budget allows it then Hawaii has to be an obvious choice but also look into Arizona. Plenty to see with loads going on there :aok:.
I've still never been to Coney Island.Quote:
Originally Posted by DH1875
San Diego is outstanding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haymaker
Love it. Needs to be in the summer though. Day at the beach, walk along the broadwalk, bit of shopping, couple of hours at Luna park, ride the cyclone, lunch at Nathans and then maybe catch a cyclones game at night if their playing.
*We have a blown up picture in our living room of me and my kids. We are standing at the end of the platform in Stillwell Avenue with Coney Island in the background. The wonder wheel is in the picture along with a subway train coming around the corner. Everyone thinks its just a nice picture of me and the kids but its actually a picture to mimic the scene from the Warriors when they arrive back to Coney Island and wee just happen to be in the picture :greengrin. There's also a shop just of the broadwalk that sells 100s of Warriors stuff. Could spend hours in there.
Went to SF last year... never seen so many homeless and addicted people walking streets anywhere.
IF you decide to go here then I would stay across the bay in Sausalito
Nice. I'll try get over in the summer this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by DH1875
It's heartbreaking, isn't it? There's certain areas of SF I just wouldn't walk in, and it's no longer adequate to say "avoid the Tenderloin area after dark", as the problem has spread to all areas of the city. Even tourist central, Union Square, is a passing circus of horrors.Quote:
Originally Posted by HibbyDave
I still love it as a city - it has so much to offer, and the cultural melting pot is unlike anything you'll experience anywhere else. But I took my boss a walk around last year on our day off and he was completely aghast at some of the sights we saw.
I can deal with the homeless. Sadly, they're part and parcel of every major city, and California receives its fair share from further East, lured by the warm climate. But the seriously mentally unstable (as in, should be institutionalised unstable) and drug addled that you encounter genuinely frighten and break your heart in equal measures. I've got stories for days about the people I've seen/encountered in San Fran, but perhaps for another thread.
Stayed in a hotel just up the hill from Union Square. Got tram down to market and we were looking at the street map board “you are here” type thing. A woman approached us and said don’t stand around here too long as you will be mugged!!
Saw a guy arguing with a lamppost and a female lying unconscious in the gutter.
Sad to say but I can’t see me ever going back to SF.
There is many other options available for holidays nowadays.
Was there last year, avoid the ghetto areas and I think it’s a fantastic place especially during fleet week.Quote:
Originally Posted by HibbyDave
I actually posted a thread on SF and it's homeless around this time last year (think it was in the Holy Ground) and you also commented there. I wholly understand people feeling put off by it.Quote:
Originally Posted by HibbyDave
It used to be the case that avoiding certain reas was sufficient, but there's an increasing creep into the populous, tourist areas (even around the Financial District and Embarcadero). I'm in the Bay Area for about 4-5 months of the year just now and while it's inescapable, I still absolutely love SF as a city - it has SO much to offer, despite it's problems. It's a city I'd happy live in or near, were it not for the utterly exorbitant property market (which is a whole other level of California scary!).Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent Boatman
I walked through the Tenderloin recently. Didn't mean to but was heading to an appointment across town. Both my wife and I were dressed up intending to have a fancy dinner later. Well. I immediately went in to my most assertive walking mode, talking loudly saying excuse me etc as we pushed by the hordes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylar
We were eyeballed continuously like a travelling freak show. One woman followed us trying to gift us a washing up liquid!. Do not accept it I mouthed to my wife.
We made it fine. The first decent coffee shop out of the area had an armed guard on the door. Interesting place.
Vesuvio Cafe on Columbus is a great wee bar btw.
We took a wrong turn from our hotel and ended up there as well, A very interesting part of town that gives you the real life feel. The sister in law freaked and was pretty scared. I was saddened to see the conditions especially when we came across the mound where everyone obviously dumped their rubbish, it was stinking. A place I am glad I experienced if I am honest.Quote:
Originally Posted by stuart-farquhar