Where is your family’s favorite place to vacation? This topic is on my mind right now with summer here, and I asked a bunch of my friends to share their family’s favorite spots from the San Juan Islands of Washington to the waterfront villas of Mallorca, Spain…
(All photos from our family trip to Fire Island on Long Island 3 years ago)
FIRE ISLAND, NEW YORK (all photos here). A few years ago I vacationed with some friends to Fire Island on Long Island. It was such a magical place with a simple routine. No cars, one small grocery store, a beautifully clean beach, a simple playground, and the most amazing sunsets. Also, the homes are lovely and so quaint. I can’t wait to go back there someday. Best part, you can get there entirely on public transportation from Manhattan (subway–train–ferry). See my post about it here. –Liz
BRIDGTON, MAINE. One of our favorite family vacation spots is Maine, and while we’ve been in almost every season, summer and winter are our favorites. We go to the lake region, to a town called Bridgton. There’s a mountain there for skiing in the winter or hiking in the summer. The town has great nature trails that everyone from my 18-month-old to my 92-year-old grandma enjoyed and a public beach on the most beautiful New England lake. Plus there’s surprisingly good restaurants and fantastic antiquing. Then the ocean and Portland are about an hour away. Everyone loves when we go, and it never gets old. –Erica
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA. We loved staying in Santa Cruz on an urban farm (here’s the one we stayed in on airbnb). The kiddos had a ball running all around the farm, picking fruit from the trees, throwing the ball for the dog, and watching the chickens peck around. Our must-dos when in Santa Cruz: rent bikes and ride them along the coast, shop at Stripe downtown for lovely ceramics, linens, prints, and clothing, visit Natural Bridges for a wide sweeping beach and tide pools to explore. –Nicole
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO. Our favorite recent vacation was to Mexico City over New Years with our kids. According to our friend who lives there, that the week between Christmas and New Years is holiday in Mexico, before 3 Kings Day. We stayed at Plaza de San Angeles, which is the Times Square for New Years – complete with the most impressive fireworks, very centrally located, and very affordable. The weather was warm (high 70’s) – we got to go swimming, and everything was open! Best of all, it felt very much like Christmas still, rather than that sad post-Christmas week. We went to museums (Frida Kahlo, Archaeology), historic sites (Aztec ruins, cathedral), parks (Espagna and Mexico in Polanco), dined at incredible Mexican and fusion resto (including Cafe Lalo, Bistro Maximo, Azul Historico), and shopped at the Mercado Sabado (going back for the incredible brunch there one day). Best of all, we Uber’d everywhere, which made things very easy and kid-friendly. –Etienne
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING. Last year we went to Yellowstone and it was really great for everyone. Lots of walking but mostly flat, easy to keep small kids safe in a front pack or stroller and the kids stared out the window for hours with no social media or books. We had the older kids keep a log of all the animals they saw, including drawing them. Stayed in an airbnb outside the west gate and learned the best times to drive in and out to avoid the crowds. There were so many times to pull over and park to see animals up close, rivers to picnic by and let the kids play, and they also have booklets for junior rangers for the kids at every national park. It also created a lot of time for Jan and I to talk as we drove and we were able to cook dinners and breakfasts at our house. And the colors and scenery are just really peaceful and incredible. – Julia
SEA RANCH, CALIFORNIA. Sea Ranch is always an amazing place to plant ourselves for a long weekend. There are panoramic views of sea, sky, rocky ocean outcrops, and migrating whales. I love getting a place right next to the ocean. We’ve stayed at a bunch of different places, usually through Airbnb or VRBO. Here’s one we really liked with incredible views. We mostly made meals together at home (restaurants are few and far between in that area), go for nature walks and of course the famous rec centers with the Barbara Stauffacher Solomon artwork in the locker rooms! –Andrea
ORCAS ISLAND (SAN JUAN ISLANDS), WASHINGTON. Everyone in Seattle escapes here in the summer. You take a ferry over and then can drive your car to an airbnb. Coming from California, I immediately drew comparisons to Lake Tahoe, where my family has spent many summers (loads of tall evergreens and glistening cold blue water). More details about her trip here. –Kasey
VASHON ISLAND, WASHINGTON. We love Vashon Island. Perfect place for low-key biking, swimming, kayaking, concerts, and blackberry picking. We’ve loved stayed at some great Airbnb cabins as well as The Lodges, which is right in town. It is super cute, but we prefer to be out near the water. We love the area next to Point Robinson Park. Check out Wildwood Studio, too. Fun fact: according to my friend who lives there, there are more horses on Vashon than people! – Elka
SUN VALLEY, IDAHO. I have been going there every summer and winter since I was 2 years old. I brought my son up there for his first time at 1 month old and now at 2.5 he loves it up there. Great for families with lots of outdoor activities and incredible scenery. I would also recommend renting a condo. There are tons either around Sun Valley or in the bigger town of Ketchum. –Pauline
OAHU, HAWAII. We had such a great family vacation a few years back visiting Oahu. We stayed at the Sheraton in Waikiki and it was probably the most fun we have had as a family. It was very touristy but that meant that there was always something super exciting happening for the kids. Every time we would leave our room, there would be a parade, a hula competition, fireworks, a pool laser show etc…The kids would build sand castles and wade in the perfectly blue waters for hours, which would give my husband and I time to just sit back and get some sun. I couldn’t recommend it more for a family looking for some sun and quality family time. –Gaby
Last summer we went to the North Shore of Oahu for the first time. Every day we’d spend on the beach and every night we’d head to get the most amazing food at the food trucks down the road. There was so much to do (hikes, snorkling, amazing food, cliff jumping, surfing, etc). It’s heaven there. See my post about it here. –Liz
KAUAI, HAWAII. We spent a week at the Waimea Plantation Cottages on Kauai in February, and fell in love with it for a big family vacation spot. Waimea is a town on the southwest side of the island- much less touristy because it’s more arid, not as lush, and can have rougher water. But we completely loved being away from the crowds and with locals. The hotel feels like a family camp, not a resort…perfect for us. – Lena
MALLORCA, SPAIN. We spend most summers in Mallorca off the Eastern coast of Spain. We rent a waterfront villa and the kids go off snorkeling, meet some friends at the beach, stroll to dinner, have ice cream in the main square, and also most little towns are celebrating something, so there’s always a concert, or movie al fresco… or disco night! This summer we they will be taking sailing lessons as well. –Marta
NOSARA, COSTA RICA. Jared and I took a trip to Costa Rica and I can’t wait to take the kids back. There’s an amazingly perfect hotel called The Harmony Hotel right on the beach of Playa Guiones. The rooms are beautiful with your own private deck and outdoor shower. The path from the rooms head straight to the beach (with small intro-to-surfing waves) and surf boards you can grab on your way. The food is fantastic, the pool is beautiful, the cocktails are delicious. Also, the daily yoga practices offered at the hotel are incredible. Lastly, you’re surrounded by jungle and monkeys! – Liz
JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA. One of our most memorable family trips was staying at the iT House in Joshua Tree. Hubs and I are both in the design world and it was beautifully and thoughtfully designed/created, off-the-grid, and perfect for some family downtime. You can check it out on Airbnb here. It inspired us to design and build our own (currently in construction in Sonoma). –Irene
LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA. Our favorite family travel spot has to be Lake Tahoe. We have been spending a week in North Lake Tahoe for the past 15 years. We rent a house with friends in a neighborhood called Dollar Point. It is the perfect spot for a week in Tahoe – the neighborhood has a private beach on the lake, a pool and clubhouse and is minutes from Tahoe City. There are bike trails just outside of the neighborhood. There is just something so magical about Lake Tahoe! A week filled with friends and family, biking, hiking, stand up paddle boarding, BBQs, swimming and everything Tahoe has to offer. –Sara
EXUMA ISLANDS, BAHAMAS. I went three years ago with my husband and it is absolute paradise: small islands with bright turquoise water and sugar-soft sand with no waves. Almost no one at any beaches too. We’re planning a trip back there with our kids next year. Two great options would be to stay on Staniel Cay at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club – you have your own over-the-water bungalow with your own boat to use as you wish. The best. You can also stay at the larger Great Exuma island, there are a couple of resorts and lots of houses to Airbnb – and it’s still very remote. And definitely eat at Santana’s, best fish of my life and the best laid-back Caribbean vibes. The ocean feels like a giant swimming pool when you’re there, it’s magical. –Michelle
TULUM, MEXICO. It’s just so easy—a direct flight from NYC, a short drive and then you’re at one of the most stunning beaches you’ve ever seen. We love the amazing tacos and cool eco-chic cabanas. (One of my favorite hotels, Casa Violeta, doesn’t have electricity at night. They light candles and you sleep under pretty mosquito nets.) But, really, the best thing is turning off the phone and just having long days together that are totally stress-free. I always feel like we get so much quality time together—we feel very bonded after those trips. And naked beach bums!
–Kendra
Esencia in Tulum was probably my favorite family vacation we did so far. Pricey but beautiful and so easy with a (then) baby and 3 year old. Pure heaven -Heta
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO. Last November, my husband and I went to a little beach town north of Puerto Vallarta called Sayulita. We loved it so much we went back six months later with our kids and my mom. It truly felt like the first vacation (not just trip) that we had every taken. It was so relaxing. We spent our days at the beach and then we’d cruise into town for a popsicle and some street tacos. Our airbnb had a rooftop wading pool that was perfect for the kids. Especially when we’d go home in the afternoon for our youngest to nap. We already picture this being the place that our kids grow up going to every year. –Ashley
GNESTA, SWEDEN. We stay in the Sodermanland Providence in Sweden outside a small town called Gnesta. Gnesta is the last stop of a commuter train from Stockholm so it’s easy to get to via public transportation. It’s a charming town with a population of 10,000. It has a couple of great antique/auction house stores and a great art center Art Lab Gnesta that has programming for kids and exhibitions with international artists. Just outside of Gnesta is an amazing Castle hotel where we got married 2 years ago called Sodertuna Castle . It is a treat to stay at this hotel or just come by for lunch. Kids love the local beach at Lake Klämmingen where they have a snack shop, canoe rentals, volleyball courts, camping and small cabins for rent. About 7 miles north of Gnesta there is Skottsvång Mine where they have live concerts and theater for kids once a week in the summertime. If you drive 15 miles north of Gnesta you can visit the town of Mariefred where Gripsholm royal castle is located, it is popular with both young and old! And if you are in for a cake buffet I suggest visiting Taxinge Castle, this is an experience you will never forget! –Michele
