Choosing The Best Family Vacation Destinations

Best Family Vacation Destinations

Your have spent the entire year with your work and career and your kids spent most of their time in school. There are missed opportunities for you and your kids to bond and spend more time together. Perhaps it is time to bring your kids with you and visit the best family vacation destinations. Choosing the right vacation destination is not really a walk in the park because you have to consider a lot of things. Here are some tips in finding the best family vacation destinations:

1. The first tip in looking for the best family vacation destination is to look for a place that caters to a family vacation. There are certainly hotels and resorts that are not so child-friendly or those hotels and resorts that cater only to adults. You have to choose a vacation destination where your kids will certainly enjoy and where you and your kids can really spend great time together. There are family resorts and camps that ensure that your kids will enjoy and you get to spend time with them.
2. If you have tried other vacation spots, it is better to find a vacation destination that is new or offers something different. If you have tried skiing before, then you may try mountain climbing or surfing. There are a lot of choices available and you only have to think which among is the best family vacation destination.
3. You also have to consider your budget because if your financial resource is limited, then it would be good to find the best family vacation destination that offers affordable and reasonable rates. You do not need to try lavish and extravagant resorts and hotels because more than anything else, what is important is that you spend time together as a family.
4. Ask you children what they want to do. Remember that this vacation is not really for you but for them. It is better to know where they want to go or what they want to do. Perhaps you can come up with a list and show to them which among the destinations they think is the best family vacation destination and they think is the place where the family should go.
5. Make sure of the safety, security and convenience of the vacation destination. If you plan to have some mountain camping, be sure it is safe and your family is protected. You have to also take precautionary measures and be ready for some emergency situation. You also have to prepare all the things you need so as not ruin you vacation.
6. Just enjoy the moment with your family because wherever you will go and whatever you will do, what is important at the end of the day is how quality is the time you will spend with them and how you make the vacation very memorable for each member of the family.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.
To learn more about planning a family vacation [http://newvacationsite.info/best-family-vacation-destinations], please visit New Vacation Site [http://newvacationsite.info] for current articles and discussions.

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There are a number of different Types of Camping Spot, these different Spots are generally given similar names, but in some cases can be slightly different for example a primitive camping spot could be refered to as an environmental spot.

First is the Primitive Spots.
These Locations Tend to have little if no water or electricity, this usually depends on the campground, General practice is to place a picnic table and a fire ring on each section of the site.

Second is the Dispersed Spots.
Camping spots come in all shapes and sizes and they aren’t limited to just organized campgrounds. You can make your own camping spot on most public land and some state lands. Making it the perfect Family Vacation, you choose your destination and you pitch up a tent.

Third you have the Electric and water Spots.
These are locations that give you access to Both a Power Supply and a water Supply, These Locations are usually for RVs.

Fourth you have the Full Hook UP.
These locations are listed as spots for RVs, they have a power supply, a water supply and a sewage Connection. They usually include other popular amendments such as picnic tables, fire pits, a concrete parking pad and cable TV connections.

Choosing The Best possible Destination To go on that Family Camping Trip can be difficult, but a great Tool in finding spots is the always helpfully Google Maps

You can find countless Websites for Camping Destinations all across America, Some such Websites are:
kampgrounds of America
Recreation.Gov
Reserve America
Thousand Trials





         

Family Hiking

Any parent can tell you that finding fun, inexpensive ways to spend time with your family in today's day and age can be difficult if not impossible. A family of four can expect to pay a few thousand dollars for a week long vacation at a popular amusement park. Because of this, more and more parents and looking for alternative ways to spend time with their kids. One of the best ways to do this is hiking.

Hiking is a fun activity with can range from easy to extremely challenging depending on what level of physical activity you are ready for you. A hiking vacation gives everyone in the family a chance to participate equally, reconnect with nature, sharpen their mental clarity and get into great shape.

It is no surprise that hiking is a great physical activity. You will be spending several hours traversing uneven terrain, strengthening your heart and your muscles. What may be a surprise, is how great hiking can be for your mind. In our society, we are bombarded with constant stimulation from electronics. I would challenge you to name any aspect of our lives which is not centered around some sort of gadget or technology. Because of this, it is often hard to de-stress or deprogram from our daily lives, a fact that can lead to many health problems later in life. By taking a day or two every once in awhile to step off the grid, we are able to recharge our systems, making ourselves happier and healthier. What better gift is there to give your children?

Many families right now are struggling to teach their children about religion and spirituality. No matter what faith you choose to raise your children in, instilling in them a reverence for the natural world is incredibly important. Children need to be taught about the beauty that exists in nature. Plants and animals and all other living creatures need to be respected and cared for, there is no better way to teach this then to immerse our children in them. Help them understand how important it is to take care of mother nature, so they can enjoy her for years to come.

Hiking can also be a great family activity at the planning stage. Children need to be shown that their opinions are valid and important. By including them in the planning of your hiking trip you can instill this. Of course, the ultimate details will be up to the adults, however you can discuss where you will travel, for how long and what you will bring with your children (among other things). It is important when you plan, to keep in mind and restrictions that may be placed on your family by the youngest or weakest member. You want everyone to have a wonderful time, so make sure that you take everyone's physical level into consideration when planning.

Physical improvement is the last and possibly most important aspect of hiking. So many children in this country are battling with obesity at increasingly younger ages. We can blame this on society, unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, or we can stop blaming and start taking charge. By instilling a love of physical activity at a young age, we can ensure that your children have healthy habits for the rest of their lives. Hiking is a great way to do this, as it barely seems like exercise.

Consider hiking as your next family vacation, your kids will thank you!

Sydney Garrison is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast. She is also a partner in an online bike rack store. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sydney_Garrison

Fun Family Camping Activities

If you're planning to take your family on a camping trip, you might be a little worried about whether there will be enough fun things to do which will keep the kids happy. After all, camping trips don't usually have TVs or computers to keep the kids entertained with, right?

Take heart though, most kids really love being outdoors. In fact, they tend to burn off much more energy when playing outside, so they end up going to bed at more reasonable hours and sleeping better too. And if that weren't incentive enough, kids playing outdoors seem to be in a much better mood too.

To help you out with fun activity ideas for your family camping trip though, here are some things to do...

1. Build a campfire. Almost everyone that went camping as a kid seems to remember the campfire the most. Something is downright enchanting or magical about a campfire in children's eyes, so be sure you built the best campfire you can.

Not only that though, be sure to work the kids into the campfire building process too. Get them involved so they feel like they helped to build this wonderful, magical item on their camping trip. Kids can help clear an area for the campfire pit, they can help gather wood, and they can even help feed the fire under careful supervision too.

2. Tell cloud or star stories. Lay on the ground looking up at the sky, and tell stories about the shapes you see in the clouds, or the shapes you see in the arrangements of the stars. Encourage your kids to tell their own stories, add on to yours, or even change yours if their imagination so desires. They truly will have a blast, plus they'll adore you for spending so much quality, devoted attention time to them.

3. Campfire stories and songs. Again: The campfire is a magical thing that the kids will remember all their lives with fondness. Tell stories while roasting marshmellows - favorites tend to be stories about the kids themselves, particularly baby or toddler stories, and scary ghost stories are usually a hit too. Don't forget to sing songs while roasting marshmellows on the fire too. Even if no one in the family can sing a note, everyone will laugh, have fun, and have wonderful lifelong memories of the experience.

© 2007, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professionally published freelance writer and stock photographer who is currently involved in a fascinating adventure of living off the grid and working on the road as she travels around the southwestern United States. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Burns-Millyard

Fun Activities Help Create Family Camping Memories

Camping with your family provides a wide array of possibilities for enjoyment. From the basic activities that include swimming and hiking to more inventive activities such as story telling and cloud watching, there are activities for all ages. Since camping is a great way to relax your mind and ease out of the demands of your daily life, activities should be a combination of structured and spontaneous, not another something you need to do.

Each member of your family should come up with some activities they would like to do while camping. These ideas need to have some preparation when you pack so bikes, radios, backpacks, books, games, swimsuits. etc. are included. These structured activities should only consume part of your trip.

Staying busy does not have to mean filling up every hour with structured activities. Camping needs to include downtime for everyone and that, in and of itself, creates spontaneity. Have some thought put into this type of time so when the time is right your family can enjoy activities they have not thought of or done before. This is what creates memories.

Structured activities may include:

Swimming - No matter where you are camping you are bound to have a lake, a brook, or pool close to you. Swimming is great exercise and lot of fun for all ages. Send your kids off to swim their lungs out in these and explore the bounties of nature for themselves. If you are camping in a commercial campsite you might even be lucky enough to find a pool for your kids to go swimming in. But whether it is a natural or a man-made lake, as long as it is all right for your children to swim in them you know that they'll stay occupied.

Biking - Camping is all about discovering nature and engaging in physical activities, and what better way of combining both than going out biking? When cycling around with your children make sure you have a map and a first aid box close at hand, so that you don't continue to worry about getting lost or ending up hurt and can instead concentrate fully on the breathtaking view alone.

Hiking - You do not need to be a serious hiker to enjoy walking through nature's beautiful display, wherever you are camping. Bring a map of the area and take your family on a hiking trip they will remember.

Build a campfire - Camping is not camping without a campfire. Although fire can be a danger, with attention to the fire and supervision of the kids the entire family can sit around the campfire and be memorized by the flames. Allow your kids to find twigs (on the ground, never cut them off a tree) and throw them into the fire. Once you build the campfire enjoy its warmth, roast marshmallows and hotdogs, and enjoy how the dancing flames bring your family together.

Crafts - Bring items from home or have the kids find what they need to create crafts from nature. Gather twigs to build a castle or a fort, find rocks to paint to create rock pets, or bring glue and scissors and let your kids create what they can imagine.

Toys and balls - Bring items that will keep the family entertained in case of inclement weather and ones that will be enjoyed outside. A baseball and gloves, football, or frisbie can be tossed for hours between members of your family. Bring age appropriate toys that can take on a new dimension at the campsite such as a small truck. There will be hours of enjoyment and imagination as your kids (big and small, and Dad) transform dirt into a construction site or trails.

Dice - These five small, square, and numbered cubes can turn rainy days into many fun activities inside. Don't loose track of how these cubes can also be used outside on the picnic table or choosing who does what to play a game, clean up in the evenings, or pack up to go home.

Fishing - Kids under the age of 12 usually do not need a license (ensure you and everyone fishing have the correct license for the State you are camping in). This is a great activity if you are near a river, lake or pond. Bring the poles and teach your children how to fish. There can be contests with prizes for the first fish caught, the smallest fish, the most fish caught, and of course, the biggest fish.

Learn a little - Do a little research on the area you will be camping before you leave. Without it coming off as a 'lesson' or 'school' find the historical sites or talk about what the Explorers of the past went through as they paved their way across the area. You can also learn about plants, birds, and animals that are native to the area.

Creative Spontaneous Activities

Take a late night walk - The best time of the day is the night. Kids are usually in bed so make a late night walk a special activity for the family. Check out the stars, listen to the silence, smell the fresh country air. It doesn't get any better than this.

Scavenger hunt - Provide a list of items such as plants, leaves, or animal tracks that you might see to each family member. Go on a nature hike and have everyone check off everything they see. A planned scavenger can be done, also. Bring items from home and place them around the campsite. Provide a few riddles and clues and see how many they can find. Be cautious of plants such as poison ivy, oak, sumac etc.

Storytelling - Tell stories about when you were growing up. Kids young and old like to hear 'when you were young' stories of your camping or outdoor adventures. Once the stories start everyone will join in to tell about their memories. Another way to tell stories is to start one and let all members of your family add to it and see where the story goes.

Watch clouds - As you are sitting around in your campsite watch the sky and find the characters in the clouds. Better yet put a blanket on the ground and lay on your back to find your shapes and see if you can see what others in your family see.

Climbing - Kids love to climb. Find a hill or some rocks along the shoreline that they can play on. Let their imaginations take over for hours of fun.

Skip rocks - Scour the shores of the lake to find flat rocks and see who can skip their rock the most times. This activity will be enjoyed by the entire family since even the young members can try skipping rocks.

Journaling - Pack a blank journal to use when you feel something happened that needs to be documented. Provide every family member with paper to do this and have them read their entries over dinner or while sitting around your campfire.

Sing songs - If your family is so inclined, singing traditional campfire songs can be a lot of fun. You can also photocopy the insides of everyone's favorite CD and sing the lyrics to some of their favorite songs.

Camping with family does need to include activities. It may sound very relaxing to sit around the campfire all day, but your kids will need to keep busy. Use these suggestions to help create an enjoyable family camping trip that will generate wonderful memories. One successful camping trip will lead to man, many others. Camping is a great family experience. Go and have fun.

Toni Grundstrom is a freelance writer. I have camped with my family for over 20 years and have experienced great family bonding time. Give your family memories that will last a lifetime. Find resources and further information about the great outdoors here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Toni_Grundstrom

What to Consider Before Buying a Family Camping Tent

Before you purchase a family camping tent, answer these basic questions on how you will be using the tent and what type of camping you will be doing. By determining what type of camping tent is right for you before you buy, you will save money, time and have the perfect tent for your camping experience.

What Type Of Camping Tent Do You Need?
This all comes down to one question. What type of camping do you plan on? If you want to experience the thrills of hiking through the back country, a light weight camping tent for two is the best choice for you. If you are family camping in one location at a camp site, then you might want to opt for some creature comforts of home! Such as room camping tents and large family camping tents that will not only comfortably sleep your entire family but will hold all their personal gear as well.

How many people will be using the tent? And for what purposes?
As this article is geared toward family camping, we'll stay with the large family style camping tents. First decide on how you will be using your tent. Are you just going to sleep in it? Are you also storing personal items (clothes, entertainment, toiletries) inside? Will you be using the tent to store other camping gear? These are all important to consider before you purchase a camping tent, because when a manufacturer states that a tent sleeps four people, what they really mean to say is - this tent will only fit four normal sized sleeping bags with room for little else! So if your family of four plans to use the tent for more than just sleep, then it's wise to buy a large family camping tent that sleeps six and quite possibly a tent with more than one room (for those who are planning on camping with pre-teen and/or teenage kids - you know what I mean!).

What Kind Of Camper Are You? And Why This Affects The Type Of Camping Tent You Buy
Again ask yourself what kind of camping you are planning - gentle backpacking, extreme wilderness trekking or family campsite? Typically, if you are a family campsite camper, the amount of time or complexity of setting up your tent is less critical. Obviously, the simpler the better, but for family camping the ease of setting up a large or multiple room family camping tent is not as important of a feature. That is unless you get to your campsite after dusk, then you had better have packed your camping lanterns last! These days most large family camping tents can easily be set up in about 15-20 minutes - if you have read the set-up instructions and have all the guy lines, stakes and tarps handy and ready to use.

What Seasons And Typical Weather Are Most Likely To Encounter?
Obviously spring, summer and fall are the seasons we camp during the most. Yet depending on the geographic area, ask yourself how often could you experience more extreme weather? We all know that sudden rain storms and high winds do happen, and if you typically camp in areas where the possibility of extreme weather can happen, you want to be prepared. Every tent is water resistant to some degree, yet if you camp in an area where frequent rain storms occur, you may want to purchase a tent specifically designed to repel rain. The same thing can be said for high winds, scorching sun and heat and the camping tents that are designed for those types of camping situations, such as stronger poles, sun screens and lots of vents. Buy the tent with the proper features and your camping experience will be that much more wonderful!

Tent Design And Why It Matters
Camping tents come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors and formations. Choosing the best one for you again depends on what style of camper you are, where you typically camp and what you will be using your tent for. When purchasing a tent for family camping, remember you only have to set it up once and take it down once. So during your camping experience your tent should be comfortable for everyone to use and function for all activities. Here are several considerations: Height of tent - if you're 6'4" and you purchase a dome tent that is 5'6" high at the tallest point, be prepared for lots of stooping, otherwise you may want to purchase a family style camping tent with enough height clearance for the tallest member of the family! Weather - if you camp in a constantly windy area (like some beaches) a dome style of tent would be better as it's specifically designed to buffer high and constant winds. Humidity - camping in high humidity areas can bring lots of wonderful insects to your camping experience! You may want to purchase a tent with lots of screened vents and possibly a screened eating canopy as well. Personally, I'm not a bug-in-my-food kind of camper!

A Final Note On Family Camping Tents
Before you embark on your fabulous family camping vacation, set up your tent! Make sure all the guy lines are intact and that you have enough stakes (plus extra just in case) to set up your tent. Also clean the inside and outside of your tent in accordance with the manufacturer's directions before you repack, you'll be thankful you did when you get to your campsite!

Jana Puckett, Free lance writer, marketing consultant and owner of http://www.KazooCamping.com, a website devoted to family camping gear and information. Ms. Puckett lives in north Georgia with her family and can be reached at dreamlivecamp@kazoocamping.com.

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Family Camping Tips

Family Camping Tip to Help You and Your Family Stay Safe and Comfortable

If you want a simple way by which to connect well with other members of your family you will do well to seriously consider going on a family camping trip. However, for the first time family camper and also for the more experienced campers, understanding what gear to take along as well as know how to get the most out of a family camping trip requires certain amount of foreknowledge. This is why it pays to understand from family camping tips how to go about a family camping trip.

Essential Items

A good family camping tip ought to inform you about essential items of camping trip gear which may require starting only with very basic items and go all the way up to using very sophisticated camping equipment. To begin with, it doesn't require knowing any great family camping tip to know that you will not be able to take a family camping trip without at least having a tent.

However, a family camping tip will show you the best type of tent that will suit yours as well as your family's camping requirements. Next, you will need to learn about the necessity of having sleeping bags and even mattresses which will ensure more comfort and better sleep at night. You can also learn from different family camping tips about the necessity of also having, besides the tent and sleeping gear, the right tools with which to set your tent down properly and items such as hammers and nails are sure to be mentioned in various family camping tips.

Another useful family camping tip that you will profit from is to learn about the need to create a checklist about all of the essential items of camping gear that you should take along with you in order to ensure a pleasurable as well as fun filled camping experience. Of course, you will need to tailor your camping gear to suit the purpose of your family camping trip which means for a family RV camping trip you will need different items of camping gear as compared with a hiking camping trip.

One of the most important items that you must always carry with you on your family camping trip is a lantern or even flashlight which will prove to be very handy in emergency situations. In addition, you must also follow family camping tips that advice about the need to also include a first aid kit, hatchet as well as simple-to-carry furniture, kitchen kit as well as trash bags in your family camping gear.

It is also necessary to learn about useful food camping tips that will help ensure that you enjoy Mother Nature and do so with a full and satisfied stomach. Finally, don't forget other family camping tips such as taking portable water filters to ensure that you drink safe and clean water which will ensure that the chances of contracting waterborne diseases are minimized.

Author Promoted Sites: Travel Guide - Resale Rights Ebooks Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Madawa_Gamage

Information on Family Camping Tents For That Great Family Camping Trip

Going on a family camping trip can be a rewarding experience for all the family providing you have the correct camping equipment. Finding the correct size of family camping tents for your trip can be a bit daunting with the number of tents available today.

It is important that you make sure that the tent has sufficient room inside for your family and all the equipment that goes with camping trips, remembering that the weather can be unpredictable at times you might be spending a considerable amount of time in your tent. You should make sure before you buy the tent that it has plenty of room for you to move around and get comfortable, this helps make the trip more bearable if the weather turns badly on your camping trip.

There are many different designs and sizes of family tents available to choose from, you should first make sure the tent has a good quality waterproofing system that can cope with heavy downpours of rain. You also want to check that the tent has the good ventilation areas built in to it, this makes being inside the tent in hot weather much more comfortable. Some people when choosing a family camping tent make the mistake of thinking a 4 person tent is ample for a family of four people, most tents vary in size depending on the make and model of the tent, you should remember that not only will the tent have to sleep four people but it also has to store your equipment as well.

How much extra equipment you take on your camping trip will determine the size of tent you need, there is one way to work this out, if you are a family of four going on a camping trip you can look at the tents available that say they sleep six people. This size of tent would give you ample room for your family and space to store some equipment, this makes your purchase of the tent slightly more expensive but to be comfortable and have the necessary room to make your camping trip enjoyable it is well worth the extra cost.

Most of the family camping tents that are advertised on the Internet will be designed with the knowledge that you will have the extra equipment to store on your trip, some even build a special annex to there tents just to giving you extra storage space. There is obviously costs involved with these types of tents but if you look after your tent it will last for years to come, thus providing you with great camping adventures in the wonderful outdoors for all your family.

So to make that family camping trip extra special go online and check out the many different family camping tents available to buy, and remember that one of the most important things to consider when choosing your tent is make sure you have enough room inside it. Too many family camping trips can be ruined because the tent is not big enough, this can cause the family to be cramped up inside the tent which will cause problems eventually.

If you are looking for information on family camping tents then http://twopersontents.com is a great place to visit for advice and information on family camping tents.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mick_Day

Family Camping - Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Choose Camping As Your Family Vacation

Thinking of taking your family for a vacation? Instead of going for expensive vacation packages and burn a hole in your pocket, why not bring your whole family for a great camping trip. Family camping is not only more affordable than a complete stay in a resort, it offers enjoyment that packaged vacations can't even come close to.

The 5 reasons below will provide you with some of the great benefits that family camping can bring:

1. It's educational

The kids will learn about nature and wildlife as well as about learning about national monuments and state parks. Kids also learn other skills from camping like independence, self-reliance, wilderness skills and first aid.

2. It's active

Obesity is a growing epidemic among children. Instead of taking your kids to a theme park or taking them on a vacation where they will just sit around most of them time taking them camping will be encouraging them to swim, hike, and do other outdoor activities.

3. It's a way to get great quality time

When you're off on a family camping trip you will have lots of quality time to spend with your spouse and your kids because it will just be the family in a quiet, beautiful outdoor environment. No TV, videogames, movies, or other distractions will keep you from focusing on your family or keep them from focusing on you. For families where both parents work and are busy all the time it's a wonderful way to reconnect with your kids.

4. It's cheap

Most camping vacations cost a lot less than traditional vacations. Camping in state parks or other historical areas often costs less than $100 for a week's worth of camping. You will need to spend money on gear, but later in the book we'll look at ways you can cut the costs of buying camping gear.

The biggest expenses that you will have will be food and gas. Eating meals that you cook yourself with groceries you bring with you will be much cheaper than eating in a restaurant three times a day like you would on a traditional vacation, and gas will probably be cheaper than what you would spend on airfare for the whole family.

5. It's something everyone in the family can enjoy

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to relax and enjoy yourself without having to listen to one child complain that he or she wants to go to the pool while another cries bitterly because you won't buy them a new boat/sweater/ toy or trinket and the other just sits in the corner with a sullen look and kicks the bed repeatedly?

A camping vacation is a real vacation for the whole family because there is always something fun and active to do for people who want to do something active and that leaves plenty of time for the people that want to do nothing (usually the parents) to sit and enjoy the quiet stillness of nature.

Get your free report entitled "Things You Must Know When Choosing a Camping Tent" plus many more family camping tips by visiting http://www.family-camping-guide.com

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