Fun Family Vacation Activities Your Kids Will Love

Our family vacations are always fun! Whether we are waiting in the airport or sitting in a hotel, to playing on the beach or driving to historic Williamsburg, VA (which we did in June 2009), I try to plan a variety of activities they will enjoy. Since the kids are getting older, they get some say in our destination and I try to plan out the overall events, but allowing time for them to pick one big excursion per day. For example, they have a choice on one or two days of either: a water park or another popular attraction.
1. While holed up in a hotel, due to inclement weather, or an airport for that matter, we love scavenger games. I will usually scout out the directory and come up with a variety of questions and our kids have to find the answers by asking hotel personnel, but not bothering them, or finding out on their own. For example; say we're stuck at our hotel and it's raining outside, I will come up with about 10 items for them to find or gather information about. The kids are usually split into two team, boys versus the girls. I have the master list with my answers and they get pen and paper and off they go searching for helpful data. One of the questions may be: how many meeting rooms are in the hotel? What are the names of them? (this is good for a tie breaker too), what activities can kids participate in at the hotel? (i.e. anything from video arcade to swimming, to putt-putt golf, etc.) The winning team usually gets a prize from the gift shop. And everyone usually gets icecream.
2. While driving, there's always the popular game of finding something for each letter of the alphabet. For example, we start with A and look for either a sign, or license plate or some attraction that starts with the letter A and we continue until we get to Z. The hard part is finding the Q and Z, bonus points!
3. Another great challenge, for those who like scavenger or treasure hunts is Geocaching. Geocaching is a popular activity you can do by yourself, with friends, family or on teams. You will need a handheld GPS unit. Occasionally you can find a place that might rent these out. There are literally thousands of caches (booty, swag) hidden in a container, usually camouflaged. Go to Geocaching.com, and put in the zip code or coordinates of where you are, or where you are going. You can then choose from dozens of great caches to seek out. The website will tell you if this cache is small to large (container size), to the difficulty of the find and if their is something special about the cache, such as a travel bug! Or a geocoin! I'll let you search this fun site and see for yourself how addicting it can be! (Too much to explain here!)
3. We love to research our destinations now ahead of time to plan activities that everyone can enjoy. Sometimes the kids don't all agree, however, our rule is everyone has to participate, and surprisingly, even the "boring museum" turns into something memorable for them too! Kids can go online and find out something about where we're going and staying and offer up an activity. Sometimes they even find a great restaurant to dine at. We found a cozy spot near Williambsurg, VA, called "Food for Thought". Clever title, good service and food for the whole family. We always stop to pick up brochures too. On the way home we went through several states, our two girls decided they wanted their photo taken in front of each "Welcome to ..." state sign.
4. Naturally kids will gravitate to the theme parks for a day of fun, water parks, Walt Disney World, Sea World, Universal, etc. These are fun too. Sometimes hot, long days. We plan breakfast ahead of time, make sure everyone has their sunblock on and appropriate clothing, and we bring drinks, snacks if allowed. and cameras! And cell phones are charged! We usually always get the "attraction family photo" before leaving the park. We let the kids pick out the photo and the frame now. And since my husband and I both travel for work, we try to bring something memorable home to add to our plant shelves in our home.
5. Other fun activities we love: horseback riding, a hayride. Finding something local to the area is memorable as well; such as a hoe-down, rodeo, bonfire, or even karaoke at the ski lodge. Frieghtful photos are great scrapbooking and wall hanging memories. One year, the first Christmas after my mom passed away was difficult and we were out of town for the holidays, my two daughters and my husband stopped at a Lowes or Home Depot and picked up a small potted pine tree and ornaments and decorated it during the night. They placed it out in the living room of our rented townhome in Maggie Valley, so we could all enjoy Christmas. I even brought the tree back home to Florida, needless to say, it didnt last long in tropical climate. I also love taking the kids kayaking, hiking, to museums and sometimes, if they are good, the spa with me ;-). Even walking through a live historical town with re-enactments like Tombstone, AZ or other attractions, seem to garner the kids attention.
We usually have board game nights and video or movie rental night at our condo or hotel room too.
It's amazing how some small mundane things can not get your attention at first, only to discover that one small activity can be someone's best memory of the summer or holiday vacation. For other great family vacation activities, please look here: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-5-fun-family-vacation. 
I wrote this blog post while participating in the Williamsburg Tourism and TwitterMoms blogging program for a chance to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (include this link:http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-5-fun-family-vacation)

Geocaching Challenge at Ft. Yargo State Park

Geo-Challenge Kickoff at Fort Yargo State Park, 

May 8th, 2010, from 10 am until 4 pm, 

Ft. Yargo SP is in Winder, on GA Hwy. 81. 

Georgia State parks 770-867-3489

More than 40 of Georgia’s state parks will soon join one of the largest treasure hunts on the planet.  With the May 8 launch of the Georgia State Parks Geo-Challenge, the park system is inviting GPS-toting explorers to travel trails in search of hidden caches.  Geocaching is thought to be one of the most popular games in the world, with more than 1 million caches registered on www.Geocaching.com.

The premise is fairly simple; adventure seekers use a GPS unit to find hidden treasures, then share their experiences online.  Caches usually contain trinkets that geocachers can keep, replacing them with something else.  Some trackable items, called travel bugs, make their way across the country and create a story as they go.  With the Georgia State Park Geo-Challenge, players download a PassPort from www.GeorgiaStateParks.org, find hidden stamps in each cache to spell out the PassPort’s message, and collect custom geocoins. 

“Geocaching can be enjoyed by all ages and is a creative way to explore your own state, and even the world,” said Georgia State Parks Director Becky Kelley.  “The game is a fun excuse to get outdoors, and it introduces a whole new group of visitors to our state parks.”

Forty-two state parks have hidden caches with “first to find” prizes of a free night of camping.  Three parks also have more elusive “bonus caches.”  Players go to www.Geocaching.com to find the GPS coordinates for each hidden box.  After their journey, players can talk about the parks and what they found.

Park officials see geocaching as the perfect blend of technology, trails and trees.  The Geo-Challenge is crafted for younger players as a way to encourage them to get more exercise outdoors.  Caches are hidden in public-access areas, so treasure hunters will not venture off trails or into remote locations. 

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources worked closely with the Georgia Geocaching Association (GGA) to create the new statewide program.  Geo-Challenge’s official kickoff coincides with GGA’s May 8 meeting at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder. 

“Anyone interested in geocaching is invited to the kickoff event,” said Kelley.  “Experienced geocachers will help newcomers learn about GPS units and the more social aspects of the game.  We’ll have extra caches hidden just for this event, plus animal programs and refreshments.”

Geocaching Trail in Florida

I've been geocaching a few times. For those of you that aren't familiar with this addictive hobby, its like a treasure or scavenger hunt, however we use a hand-held GPS device to help navigate our way to  cache. You can find the waypoints, which are the coordinates either at websites like gecoaching.com, or from participating places (like state parks, CVB's, chambers of commerce, etc.). 

Recently I enjoyed a five day journey with some old and new friends as we traversed from Micanopy, FL (near Gainesville) all the way up to Tallahassee. Geocaching is great for individuals, couples and families. You can enjoy it locally, or as you travel. Just plug in a zipcode to where you are (going) and give it a circumference like say 2 miles, give or take and you will be provided a list of "caches", with a clever clue and the waypoints (coordinates). Everyone signs on with their own code name and when you find a cache, there is a logbook in the container for you to write your name, date and what you took and left. Each cache usually has some trinkets, some local, some for fun and they get exciting with "travel bugs" and unique coins for each cache. Then you go back onto the geocaching site and log in where you've been or if you move someone's travel bug.

Back to geocache trip.

This charming town of Micanopy, which I'd only seen from the Interstate (I-75), offers a great venue for day trippers who like antiquing, with a few local restaurants, unique shops, a bookstore and even a history museum. This rural town made a great backdrop for the movie, Doc Hollywood, several years ago. I had the pleasure of staying at a wonderful historic home and B&B, the Herlong Mansion and Inn (www.herlong.com). Micanopy is a great weekend getaway and is near many other natural, recreational and historic places. After exploring the town and seeking out the cache, we meandered down the road, Old Florida Heritage Highway to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. 

We ventured off the beaten path, a 21,000-acre prairie, marveling at the vast marsh and wet prairie vegetation. We hiked a little on the Le Chua Trail in search of the wild bison, horses, alligators, endangered sandhill cranes and bald eagles. 

From here we continued on our scavenger hunt to another spectacular park, Devil's Millhopper State Park. Here we took a short hike to the large sinkhole. It's worth walking down the winding stairs (more than 200) to the bottom of the sinkhole, with the native flora and fauna and trickling waterfalls. After a good rain the waterfalls sound like they are rushing around you, as they spill out of the limestone.

After this wonder in Florida, we took a road trip up to Stephen Foster State Park (Cultural Center), in White Springs, FL. It's no wonder this amazing State Park is one of the Nation's pride and joys. Nestled in a quaint town, teaming with history and recreational activities, Stephen Foster State Park offers some wonderful riverside log cabins to rent. They also have hiking and biking trails, and the infamous Suwannee River. After a heavy rain the Suwannee River is swollen, oftentimes covering the hiking trails. Local guides would love to take you paddling down the river to show off their treasure. The State Park also offers a museum and Carillon Tower.

The town of White Springs Incorporated in 1885, however people lived around the sulphur springs for centuries. It is rumored the Paleoindians were the first to discover the springs, however the Timucuan Indians discovered the medicinal value of the sulphur water. They considered the area to be sacred. Later the Seminole Indians came to the area, although it was an American who capitalized on it. White Springs was a bustling town in the Twentieth Century, as a resort for the wealthy and business travelers.

Drive down the road to Big Shoals for a geocache hike along the Suwannee. There are several caches hidden in the park. 

Jekyll Island

As you drive across the bridge, you can almost feel yourself stepping back in time. Don't be surprised when you witness men and women dressed in fine attire on the front lawn. They are partaking in the tournament play of croquet. As the mallet chucks the ball through metal rings, you can circle the lawn and admire the brick, old-style mansion. A playground for the rich, from a private hunting club to a state park gem. From tee time to tea time, this 240-acre, riverfront compound is a National Historic Landmark District and one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the southeastern United States. 

A romantic getaway for couples, a respite, or girl-friends or guy weekend retreat, you will never be bored with this line up: fishing, boating, kayaking, biking, tennis, golf, birdwatching, soccer, camps for kids and more! Feel as though you are one of the America's elite families on winter retreat when you visit. As you will be treated with the hospitality as royalty.

After a rousing game of tennis, or hiking on the trails, meander over to the Cafe on the Wharf for a fresh, fruity, frozen beverage. After a refreshing repast, explore the grounds in the Pier Roads shops or the Historic District for treasures for sale. Or seek out hidden cache with a high-tech GPS for geocaching on the island. 

In addition to the beautiful grounds, also a resting place for migrating birds on the Atlantic Flyway, and architecture, I loved the loggerhead turtle rehab facility. The island is a major site for conservation and education.

Jekyll Island is also a superb location for business retreats with the only distractions coming from your participants anxious to enjoy Jekyll Islands paradise of sea fishing or sailing.

Visit them now.. while gas prices are still going down! Worth the drive! www.jekyllisland.com