Last year, we spent a week at the beach with friends in the Outer Banks. Nine adults, seven children, a lot of sun, water, sand, food, beer, and fun. Everyone had a really great time. It was perfection.
Understandably, we wanted to replicate that experience this summer, but alas, our friends are not on board with us for various reasons. Building houses, other vacations, family obligations. Not cool, friends. NOT COOL. I’m hoping we can all get the stars to align again for next summer instead. But in the meantime, Michael and I have been trying to figure out what we should do this summer, with our little family of 4.
Honestly, we’ve struggled a bit with the idea of going on a vacation all by ourselves. Maybe that sounds bad. When we went to Disney in November, it was just us, but there was a vacation agenda. We were on the go, all of the time, with things to do and things to see for the kids. They were occupied all of the time. And when we went to the beach last year, the kids were all buddies. When we weren’t at the beach or in the pool, they were running around the house together playing games and engaging in pretend play. We didn’t have to worry about them and there was very little complaining about being bored, wanting us to play with them, etc. They were busy, and the adults were left to enjoy ourselves and each other’s company.
So what do we do on a more laid-back vacation (read: NOT Disney) when it’s just the four of us? Where will we go? What will we do? And how long should we stay?
When we were trying to coordinate a trip with our friends for this summer, we were actually looking at Michigan. We’ve never been before, and I hear it’s beautiful and family friendly, with a ton of cute little “beach towns” to enjoy. Plus, it had affordable house rentals for our big group of people. But now that we’re left with just the four of us, it opens it up more. Should we still look at Michigan, or somewhere else?
The Cape? Delaware? Ocean City? Stay closer to home and just go to the Adirondacks? The possibilities—and the details in them, like exactly where to stay—are overwhelming. Any suggestions? Places that you’ve loved with kids? We’re hoping to go in either mid-July or mid-August, and we would like it to be within 6-8ish hours at the most for driving. Someplace beachy is preferred, but I wouldn’t completely rule out other places if there are alternative activities to keep the kids happy.
And then, we need to decide how long to stay. Typically, a whole week is nice, but for such a “non-scheduled” vacation—and without friends to help occupy them—we think 4-5 days/nights might be our maximum. Then we’ll come home and have a few extra days of a “staycation” to cap it off. So then the question is, can we even find house/condo rentals during the summer that will allow for such a thing? I know most places prefer to rent weeks at a time. If not, we’ll be stuck in a hotel, which isn’t the worst thing ever, but certainly not best case scenario.
Help me plan, people. Please. Where have you been that you’ve loved? Where else have you considered going? What have you heard?
Fun times await. Summer is almost here. Now we just need to square away our travel plans!
9 Responses to Summer Vacation Planning
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About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
We had a good time around the Lancaster / Hershey area. The Dutch Wonderland park is especially made for younger kids (8 and under) and for more variety you can do Hershey Park as well. Then there’s Amish attractions and Turkey Hill has a factory you can tour. There’s a small zoo and also a car museum that was unexpectedly really fun. 3 full days ought to be plenty to enjoy the place. If you go, make sure to eat at Fenicci’s. So good!
We live about 1/2 hr away from OC, NJ. You might have trouble finding a rental for a limited amount of days, but it is doable if you look soon. Most prefer a week rental but there are options. Ocean City is very family friendly, with the beach and boardwalk being the main attractions. Might be just what you need if you aren’t doing a “big” vacation and still want some beach time and activities for the kids.
You might enjoy the Lancaster area too. Dutch Wonderland is great! Perfect for your kids age. Happy to offer any help i can if you have any questions regarding Ocean City and the surrounding area. My kids are 4 1/2 and 15 months and we are always on the go in that area.
My family and I moved to Michigan 4 years ago and we love it! We’ve had 2 kids since moving to the state, so we haven’t had a lot of time for vacationing, but we have been to South Haven on Lake Michigan. It’s gorgeous and such a cute little beach town. I’ve also heard really nice things about Holland, and, of course, the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I hope you come visit!
Can’t beat Northern Mi in the summer! We live in the middle of the state but own a small vacation home that we rent out in Petoskey, which is an awesome town for both kids and adults. Right on Lake Mi/Little Traverse Bay and close to lots of other attractions (eg 2 other cozy beach towns, many beaches, parks by the water, zip line at a local ski slope, a nearby farm with animals/hayrides/locally grown food and wine, etc). It’s a farther drive than some of the other more southern resort towns Lake Mi, but totally worth it in my opinion! Good luck with the planning, and I hope you get a chance to visit the mitten state!
I have vacationed in Bethany Beach, DE for 30+ years. Quaint, quiet when compared to nearby Ocean City, MD and Rehoboth. Perfect for children. Many options for dinner and such in Rehoboth, Fenwick Island etc that are just 15 minutes away but you can avoid the crowds and congestion when it’s time for the beach. Not a bad drive either- I grew up in Pittsburgh and we always went with cousins from Newfane and Lockport.
I lived in southwest Michigan for two summers – there are so many fun things to do there! I lived in Kalamazoo but was close enough to the lake for day trips to South Haven, and there are plenty of fun things to do in nearby Grand Rapids and Battle Creek (including an awesome zoo). The fresh fruit is amazing (U-Pick-Em blueberries, strawberries, etc.), and there are amazing, family friendly festivals and restaurants in the area. All of the towns in the area are fun and full of little quirks – I loved that I got a vacation feel without the overwhelming touristy vibe. That was about 10-12 years ago, so I’m sure things have changed somewhat, but I’d imagine most of the changes are for the better.
We spent a week right outside Portland, ME last summer with our kids. We love Portland to begin with but the area is family friendly in general. In addition to the city itself, an hour’s drive in each direction has plenty to offer. We rented a house with my sister’s family and it was reasonable, comfortable, and gave us a place to relax on days we didn’t want to do something.
We’re vacationing in Saugatuck, MI for week in July. We can’t wait!
[…] few months ago, I posted about our struggle with this year’s summer vacation planning. We didn’t have any friends or family lined up to go with us, we couldn’t decide on […]