Family Vacation Spots:

Popular family vacation spots...

Where do families love to go? Below are ten top choices. You may also want to check Ideas by Region, All Inclusive Resorts, and other Family Resorts.

Orlando:
Theme park capital of the world, and home to dozens of great places to stay. Your kids can even play on sandy beaches in land-locked Orlando: a number of resorts have "beach pools". Read about Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, other attractions; NickHotel with two waterparks and much themed fun; Orlando at Christmas; and more.

Cancun and Mayan Riviera
Two hot vacation spots, in one: stay in Cancun, visit Riviera Maya attractions; or stay in the Riviera Maya and day-trip to Cancun. Cancun's 25-kilometer Hotel Zone is a magnet for those who want shopping, dining, and urban pleasures with their beaches; many families stay at ancun's all-inclusive resorts. (Tip: for a quieter location, try Club Med Cancun Yucatan, on its own peninsula at the edge of the hotel strip.) To the south, the very different 100-km Mayan Riviera has its own all-inclusives plus wonderful activities: visit Mayan ruins, snorkel on the world's second-largest barrier reef, swim in "cenotes"; visit Xcaret eco-theme park.

Caribbean All-Inclusive Resorts
Caribbean all-inclusives are a popular choice for families, who love the beaches, watersports, and kids clubs; some resorts take kids programs above and beyond. Check out Top Caribbean All-inclusive Resorts for Families; have a look at Value All-all-inclusives, too.

Williamsburg VA
Combine educational fun at Colonial Williamsburg with just-plain-fun at the nearby Busch Gardens Europe theme park and (in summer) Water Country USA giant waterpark. History comes to life in Colonial Williamsburg: actors and volunteers portray people from 230-odd years ago, bringing to life the 1770's just before the American Revolution. Yorktown and other historical areas can be easily visited on the same trip.

Arizona
First: iconic scenery, such as awesome Monument Valley, where you can also learn about the Navajo. Lake Powell is stunning too: go houseboating on this million-acre lake in a flooded canyon. Do an easy raft ride down the Colorado River in a red-rock canyon; or a whitewater raft adventure in the famous Grand Canyon, which you can also explore by a mule ride or helicopter flightseeing. Take the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams Arizona, where Route 66 still lives (and so does the Wild West.) Not to mention dude ranches and family resorts...

Myrtle Beach and Other South Carolina
South Carolina is the #2 state for tourism after Florida, with Myrtle Beach the biggest vacation spot with over 13M visitors a year. Myrtle Beach sits in a 60-mile stretch of beaches called the Grand Strand, and is is a budget-friendly, family-friendly place; many hotels have kids activities. The area has water parks, amusement park, dinner shows (such as Medieval Times), and other family entertainment; the Hard Rock Park will open in 2008. Hilton Head Island is another top vacation spot in S. Carolina.

Hershey PA
Three hours from NYC, 90 mins from Phillie, "Chocolate Town USA" offers Hersheypark (voted top amusement park by FamilyFun Magazine); Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park; the Hotel Hershey, a grand old hotel with kid's club; Hershey Lodge; Hershey's Chocolate World Visitors Center; and more.

Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells-- with a population of just 4000-- is the indoor water park capital of the world. Over twenty resorts offer an indoor water park to their guests; some sell passes to outsiders too. A number have outdoor facilities in summer also.

Southern California Vacation Spots
Anaheim, in the LA area, is home to Disneyland, a much smaller complex than Disney World, but a great family vacation spot with Magic Kingdom and California Adventure theme parks. Nearby is Universal Studios Hollywood theme park with move-based attractions. South of LA is Legoland California, with rides, live shows, and mini-lands made from millions of Lego blocks; location just 1/2 hr. from San Diego -- another great vacation spot.

Oahu Hawaii
Oahu is a mere 597 sq. miles, but families will find plenty to do. Most of the action is in the south, around Waikiki; the north is very different, less developed, and well worth visiting. Check out: boat trips, wild dolphins, surf lessons (even for eight-year-olds), Atlantis submarine outing, Pearl Harbor, luaus... even "soaring" in a sporty little glider, with beautiful coast below.

And more:

• Top Vacation Spots - New York City, Atlantis Bahamas, Caribbean...
• Personal Best Family Vacation Spots - from my own Travel With Kids experiences

^{* photos courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg site; others © Teresa Plowright}