So..

If you were going to take a driving trip during the summer (or early fall) with a 3 year old and a 4 year old, starting in, let’s just say, Raleigh, North Carolina, where would you go? What would  you do?

:D 

p.s. Unless you can convincingly tell me that my kids are old enough to enjoy it, we’d rather wait another year before DisneyWorld. ;)

Comments

[Heather]

About 8 hours south of you is Jacksonville, FL. I recommend the beach, http://www.tunnelzntumblez.com/ =fun indoor place when the day gets steamy, good zoo, a fab indian food place, and some folks who'd love to see you! (And Amen on the Disney idea, older is better. Sea World is a lot more fun for the preschool set, anyway.)

[Molly]

To Detroit to visit me :)

[michele]

head north. but then, that's always my answer for everything.

;o)

seriously, though ... depending on how far you want to drive, you could get into some amazing areas of new england or just south of there. poconos ... adirondacks ... metro areas ... historical areas ... beaches ... check the website for family fun magazine - they always have links to family-friendly travel spots and kid-friendly ideas.

for what it's worth, we just got back from disney(land) and while it was great, i have to say mr e might be a tad young. harper wasn't totally ready for anything more than the princesses and the peter pan ride. and disney(world) is much more exhausting and humongous.

or go south - hit savannah or some beautiful island in georgia. head to a beach in florida. or drive all the way back to minnesota and we'll grab some panera like the good ol' days ...

[Meg]

My advice is somewhere with lots of sand. Kids that age love the beach. Bring lots of sunscreen, a beach umbrella, and beach toys and they will have fun for hours. I took my kids to Disneyland when they were that young and they don't remember it. So, save the money this year...and pick something all kids love. Oh and bring a kite or two. Kids LOVE kites.

[Cari Z.]

Bah - forget the road trip. Why not hop a plane and come to Oregon for Grandma Sprague's big birthday bash in August? I'd love to meet you and your family. Our kids are about the same age and I think they would get along great! I don't think I've seen Jared since my wedding in 1999!

Also, I'm sure I could get a group of gals together and you could talk about digi-scrapping and then you could write the trip off as a business expense :)

[Anniemal]

You've probably been there a bzillion times already, but Duck, North Carolina in the Outer Banks was fabulous for our family with 5 cousins under the age of 6! We just hung out on the beach, collected sea shells and flew kites!

[LivE]

I've got the beach with its powdery sand and calm waters, the mountains with the cool breeze and pine trees, and the malls with low low prices... and all the charm of the tropical islands. It's just a hop, a skip, and an ocean away from NC... but you, Jared, Rowen & Ele have a standing invitation with no expiration date. ;)

[Melissa]

Have you thought about Gatlinburg,TN? The scenery is beautiful esp. if you rent a cabin. There are lots of neat things for kids to do and see and it's about 5 1/2 to 6 hours from Raleigh.

[Janet Phillips]

We live in Orlando (and go to Disney at least once a week with our 1,3, and 5 year old) and I can tell you do NOT do Disney World in the summer...EVER. HOT, HOT, HOT. And CROWDED. There is a lot a 3 and 4 year old can do at Disney, and they would find it truly magical, but summer is not the time to go. Nor is spring break for that matter.

[Jan C.]

Duck Beach is great for a family vacay. But we've gone repeatedly back to Ocean Isle Beach in SC. Beautiful beach. Decent grocery stores not too far away. A few things just for little kids right in the center of town. Only an hour from Myrtle Beach if you want to take another little drive and find more major excitement.

Good luck!

[Michelle]

Drive to Pennsylvania to Hershey and Sesame Place (are kids still into Sesame Street?) When we lived in Greensboro, NC, I always said I was going to do that, but now that the kids are past Sesame age, it's too late!! [Though, Hershey is still on the list].

We also always enjoyed Sunset Beach - very laid back, but close enough to drive to Myrtle to do fun things.

[Crystal]

We always went to Ocean Isle Beach when I was a kid--and still do sometimes. It's great because the kids can hang out in the sand, but you're close enough to Myrtle Beach for touristy things and outlet shopping if you get the urge.

Last summer we went to the Cade's Cove area of TN, and DS loved it. We were only there for a couple of days, though, and I might have been bored staying too much longer. I'm not really a fan of Gatilinburg.

If you did the Hershey thing, there is the train museum in Strausburg. I know trains are always a hit with our guy.

[greta]

Outer Banks, NC!

[Heather]

Any of the North/South Carolina beaches are WONDERFUL off season. Wait until the end of August or early September. They are so much nicer to visit when it isn't wall-to-wall people. Of course, you have to be concerned about hurricane season if you wait until then.
The mountains of NC and upstate SC are beautiful in the fall as well.
Charleston SC is also nice, but I would go in the fall when it isn't as muggy.
We are blessed to live in such a great state!
Heather

[Karen]

I definitely agree with the beach. When our kids were that age we camped on Assateague Island (where the wild ponies make their home). We had a fabulous time. The beach was never crowded and Ocean City, MD was but a few minutes away. Anywhere there's a good beach will do. We flew kites, dug in the sand, played ball games . . . Now that they are adults they still talk about our vacations there. We went back for several years. We waited until they were older for Disney World. Strange that they don't remember that trip as well as the beach!

[Christina Moquin]

Jessica,

I think your kids would seriously love Disney World, but kiddos that age, it takes a lot of planning. Of course, for me, planning Disney trips is second nature, I love it.

[Melissa Piccone]

I vote for Disney - if it's in early fall. I agree with Janet - not in the summer. My kids are 4 and 8. I took my son for the first time at 2. My daughter was 9 months the first time she went to Disneyland. My husband bought me a Disney Vacation Club (time share) last fall. The kids are never too young for Disney. They will remember - you will scrap the memories for them!

Hershey Park is OK. We were there last summer. It was 100 degrees, crowded and lots of big rides. There isn't much for the little ones.

Williamsburg - you can do Bush Gardens. Really nice park. There are kiddie rides scattered throughout the park. Historical Williamsburg is too old for the little ones.

Can you tell I'm an amusement park junkie? But Disney wins - the kids can ride almost everything.

[Sarah]

I don't know my way around the US and I'm guessing that the UK is a little farther than you were thinking right? ;) I'd say wait until the little ones are a little older before going to Disney though, Rowen's probably about the right age, but I'd say it might be a bit overwhelming for Elliot.

[Sarah Meyer]

I live in Charlotte, NC. Your road trip options from Raleigh depend on how far you want to go and in what direction.

Option 1: Start out going east to the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk and Nag's Head are beautiful and you can see the Wright brothers' memorial/museum and the sand dunes are fantastic. If you happen to be there on Veteran's Day in November, you can cheer on the marathon runners. From there I'd head north toward Virginia Beach. You can stop at the Currituck Lighthouse, which is one of the few in NC that you can still climb. Then I'd wander through Virginia, maybe stopping at Williamburg or Jamestown before ending in Washington D.C. In Washington I'd go see the White House from the front and play around in the Smithsonian gardens. And wouldn't your little boy just love to see the Air and Space museum?

Option 2: Go west, toward the mountains. I'd spend a couple of days in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area and go the the National Park on at least one of them. Highlights around there: Dollywood (http://www.dollywood.com/), which is a unique park in that it's not all rollar coasters -- they have a ton of kids friendly stuff that is still interesting for adults, like an old fashioned train ride, Wonderworks (http://www.wonderworkstn.com/) which calls itself "an amusement park for the mind" and is housed in an incredible "upside-down" building, plus tons of great shopping a restaurants. If you go here, try to ride the trolley. From this area, I'd head back aross the mountains toward Ashville, NC (only about an hour drive) and get on the Blue Ridge Parkway then go in either direction -- down to Georgia or up to Virginia. I'd probably choose Georgia and go to Atlanta and see the new World of Coca-Cola museum (http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/) and maybe go to a Braves game.

I adore living here and if you decide to come this way, feel free to email me for info on these places. I can give you some hotel and restaurant suggestions for some of them.

[redheadmomma]

My 3 year old's favorite place to go is Disneyland, and she talks about it all the time, so 3 years old is most certainly not too young! (We live in Seattle, so we opt for DL instead of DW)

Also: in Disneyland (California Adventure), a life-size (car-size, that is) Lightning McQueen and Mater come rolling through there while you're walking around. Not sure about Disneyworld....but thought you'd like to know :)