In a world filled with computers, Nintendo's Wii, Sony's Playstation, Microsoft's XBox, and the ever-present TV/DVD/Internet, what can a family do to get the kids out of the virtual world & into the natural world? Take them on a Family Adventure Vacation! Show your kids that they can also enjoy themselves by moving the other muscles in their bodies aside from their fingers and eyes. The key is action, determination and planning. The idea is to have as much fun and adventure in a natural environment, and get them to participate and experience the Great Outdoors
The United States is incredibly gifted with such impeccable places for family adventure vacations. There are just so many to choose from! What makes it even more exciting is that the kind of adventure varies with the season. No matter when you plan to go - winter, spring, summer or fall - there will always be some family adventure that you all can enjoy.
WINTER. Dare to cheat gravity and conquer the all-white mountaintops with all its extremities by snowboarding, skiing or cross-country, depends, of course, on your kids' ages, budget and trip duration. There are also a lot of non-skiing alternatives like snowmobiling, tobogganing, ice fishing and snowshoeing. If your family is ready for an extreme adventure, then you should join thousands of people who visit Alaska to witness the very famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race (a more affordable US alternative sled dog is the one at Smugglers' Notch Resort), spend a night in an igloo or search for Santa amid beautiful scenery in Lapland.
SPRING AND SUMMER. The scent of the flowers blooming, the bright sky, big fluffy clouds and the beautiful weather make the perfect setting for outdoor activities. During summer, the usual trip to the beach with the whole family is just incomparable. Building sand castles, collecting seashells, working on a darker tone with your family's laughter as your background music is bliss. Aside from those, though, the long months of spring and summer give you opportunities to take family adventure to a whole new level: more physical work closer to Mother Nature. Conquer one massive national park after another through hiking, biking or even mountain climbing. From the most known parks Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Great Smoky Mountains to lesser-knowns like Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, Canada and British Columbia's Gwaii Haanas Park. Boating is also a very popular family activity around the globe and you can plan a great Family Adventure Vacation to one of the many beautiful lakes even if you don’t own a boat. Spend few nights in a tent or a cabin, teach your kids how to fish, wakeboard, surf and you will be amazed how enjoyable it is. For something more thrilling, whitewater rafting might just be the ticket.
- Scaling real walls or repelling down cliffs
- Catching the thrill of speed during white-water rafting
- Hiking through mountain trails & seeing Tolkien's Treebeard descendants in the Redwood trees towering above them
- Gaze down canyons walls & marvel at this world's natural creations
FALL. A simple stroll or picnic in the park after school or on a weekend may leave you in awe by the beauty of the leaves changing their colors before gravity pulls them to earth. It is true that outdoor activities during the fall are tamer than those of the other seasons. You might be surprised though, that pumpkin patch hopping, joining the activities and searching for the perfect pumpkin to bring home can be quite a challenging adventure, especially to the little kids.
Browse through these pages and read the interesting stories of the things adventure-hungry families have seen and done to give you great ideas for a family adventure trip. Try to involve the kids in the planning and let them pick some of the activities. This will make a big difference in how they view it and their level of participation. Use these pages to create your ideal family adventure vacation. Feel free to jot down all the details from one activity to the next and we hope that these trip suggestions will help your family to exercise the body & soul as well as the mind.
Below
are some great ideas for your next Family Adventure Vacation:
Try a 10-day Western style adventure, traveling in a loop, starting at Las Vegas, then hitting Zion and Bryce National Parks, Lake Powell, the Navajo Indian Reservation at Monument Valley, ending at the magnificent Grand Canyon.
How about an 11-day Canadian Camping Adventure where you can fly either into Seattle, Washington or Vancouver, BC and hit some of British Columbia's and Alberta's finest National Parks. Raft, canoe, bike, hike, camp at Jasper National Park, check out Lake Louise, explore Banff National Park, ending with a stay at the Yoho National Park.
Or for a exotic, far-away, rainforest experience, try a 14-day Costa Rican adventure! Here you'll get the chance to see waterfalls, volcanoes, enjoy hot springs, and for activities, how about horseback riding, zip-lining, white-water rafting, kayaking? You'll experience them all as you explore Costa Rica's National Parks like Tortuguero (rainforest), Sarapiqui (birds), Arenal (volcano), Monteverde (zip-line), and Manuel Antonio (Pacific Ocean beaches).
Whatever adventure you choose, don't forget to bring your camcorder to record all your adventures... now that's a movie worth watching on the TV later!
Plan
Your Visit
