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My 80 year old mother would like to take myself, partner and son(16) along with my sister and her family ( 2 kids - 19 and 22yo) away. We are open to ideas but are thinkng of no more than a week. We are thinking of going in early summer. Does anyone have any ideas of places that would have things to do for varying ages. Some ideas were going to Cape Cod for a long weekend, renting a house in Tuscany ( might be too long a trip), Victoria?, etc. Has anyone been away with extended family with teens and young adults. Any suggestions? anonymous
We are also looking into a family reunion week in Santa Cruz. At www.beachhousesantacruz.com (sleeps 8) there's a rental house across the street from a small beach (view from deck, plenty of parking, fairly quiet neighborhood). Santa Cruz has a great bus system, a hopping downtown, the university, and might be a great place for teens to go around on their own a little. In the summer the Boardwalk is open late, which has world-class roller coasters. There is music every night, often headliners and festivals. There are surfing camps every week.
We have also vacationed in Oceanside (northern San Diego county) in the summer. It was formerly a grungy military town with a great beach, a pier, and great waves for boogie boarding. Now it's gone all chi-chi: there's a Starbucks, a chocolate store, a multiplex, restaurants. There are still Marines, T shirt shops & surf shops all over. Two good malls in nearby Carlsbad. Lots of rental houses, some with views. About 30 minutes south to San Diego (Zoo, Marine World, Wild Animal Park, Old Town, Balboa Island with its roller coaster, La Jolla with its excellent snorkeling) or 60 minutes north to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm/Waterslides. (LA and Hollywood are about 2 hours north.) There is a lot of activity on the beach at night-- family parties, bonfires-- but it still feels safe and we let our teens go out at night (with a curfew). In Southern California the ocean is warm enough that you don't need a wetsuit have fun
My brother and his family live in Seattle. We live in San Mateo. We thought it would be a great idea to find a fun vacation in between the 2, to limit traveling time and cost for each family. Camping would be great, or a family resort type of place. Another factor would be low-cost. Our kids range in age from 2 - 7. Does anyone know anything that would be sort of in the middle? Thanks! Katie
My sister and her boyfriend have just moved to Oakland, so my mother and stepfather want to come out here for the Christmas break. Neither of us have places big enough to accommodate the holiday, and we thought it would be nice to get out of town. We would like to rent a house or condo within driving distance of Oakland, for 6 adults and 1 toddler, preferably with hiking, walking, shopping and a pool, if at all possible. I want to go to Carmel or Big Sur, but my husband is worried about fog and rain that time of year. He wants to go skiing but no one else does(except my sister's boyfriend, who doesn't get a vote yet, since it's his first Christmas with this crew). Any recommendations? Thanks. Andrea andrea
My mother-in-law is turning 70 this November and we are talking about having a family gathering to celebrate. The issue is logistics and where to go for a celebration. We (my husband, our daughter, who will be 7 at the time) live in the Bay Area, my in-laws live in NY, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and nieces live in NY, and my other brother-in-law lives in Miami. My husband and I would ideally like to be able to come up with a location that would make traveling easy on everyone. The gathering will be just for a long weekend (e.g., Friday, Saturday, Sunday) due to school/work for my husband, me, and our daughter. We would so appreciate any suggestions. We're looking at the first weekend in November. Resorts, national park areas, and any other type of place that would be able to accommodate both the adults and our then 7 year old would be great. Thanks! Lori
Also, given that it's your mother-in-law's birthday, maybe you should ask where she'd like to go.
That said, you could rent a nice, large place on the beach in New Jersey or Cape May in Delaware or Rehoboth, DE. I used to live in DC and my friends and I used to rent houses for Thanksgiving on the beach out there. Great location and cheap off season rents and all not too far from NY. long distance weekender
My extended family is looking for a place to spend the holidays; between 3 couples our children range from 1-3 yrs old. We'd love a place that has a range of activities, wholesome food, and perhaps even some childcare. Either in or close to California is preferable. Southwest and Mexico might also work. We all like organic and healthy food. we're physically active; like to swim, run, hike. No Disney land type of place/something more restive and nature oriented geared towards families and offering food and group activities on site. rachel Replies received: (click for full review)
My parents are turning 60 next year and to celebrate, they want to take a vacation with their children and grandchildren. Since they are on the east coast, they have suggested we rent a house together for a week at the Jersey shore. I’m not sure my oldest brother can handle being in the same house with my folks for a week but he’s willing to consider it. Being in the same house may prove impossible as there are 4 siblings with spouses and 7 grandchildren ranging from newborn to age 17. I’d like to come up with a few other options for my parents to consider. Can anyone recommend a good place to have a small family reunion? It can be anywhere in the country (including the Jersey shore) as we live on both coasts. We don’t all have to stay in the same house (although we can – my bro can try growing up a bit) – cottages would be fine. A resort would be less preferable unless it was really unusual – like Mohonk in upstate NY (which is my first choice). On or very near an ocean or lake necessary. Relatively easy access from a major airport (2-3 hours drive max) preferred. Someplace the adults and kids will love to stay for 5 days I’ve reviewed the archives but couldn’t find what I was looking for. What do you suggest? shari
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Consider Atlantic City. We had a similar family get-together there a few years ago, and everyone had a great time. We stayed in hotel suites on the boardwalk (jogging, biking, strolling, pedi-cabs); we were steps from the beach and everything else Atlantic City has to offer (casinos, arcades, amusement parks and junk food galore). The hotel included breakfast, and it had a pool. It's relatively convenient to the Philadelphia airport (and possibly New York airports as well). robin
My family is having a family reunion this summer (or there abouts) and the first step for me is to find the location. Maybe I am not thinking about this fully, but I have no idea on where to start or where to look for. If you have an ideal place or criteria I should be looking for, please let me know. Some items that may be helpful: Many live in Woodland, CA Number of attendees will reach 80-100 I think we would like to bring our own food/drinks Obviously, there will be many kids Thank you- Paul
Can anyone recommend a summer getaway destination for a trip with extended family? We'd like to be in a beautiful natural setting like the ocean or the mountains, with something of appeal for ages (we'll be 11 adults and 4 kids, ages 3-80). We've generally gone to Tuolumne Family Camp and Asilomar in Monterey, but we want to try something new. We'd need be able to get there in a car from N. and So. California, and we're okay with cooking ourselves or eating in a dining hall; solely eating out is not an option. (I checked the family reunions section of the web site, but I'm looking for any other suggestions folks have enjoyed.) Thank you for your suggestions. Melissa
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I am looking for vacation ideas for an extended family that includes four children ages 2 through 8. Ideally, it would be an resort within driving distance to the Bay Area that has a child care/camp as part of the program so that the adults can do some adult things some of the time. My mother-in-law vetoes cruises, beaches, or camping. We’ve thought about renting a house, but we really don’t want to do dishes or make the beds. Are there any high-end family camps out there? Club Med-type resorts in California? Helena
We're planning a big family reunion for my partner's family next summer in California. There may be as many as 13 adults and 4 kids. I guess we'll need 2-3 houses or one very large place, for a week. Any recommendations? We're open to coastal, woodland or wine country...Money is an issue, so no fancy recommendations needed. We just want a clean, comfortable place nearby walks, water, a couple of restaurants, etc... any suggestions? corey
Family-friendly Northstar-at-Tahoe home: 4 bdrms/ 2 bath, sleeps up to 14, hot tub, deck. Free shuttle to ski hill, Rec Center, village shops/restaurants. Across the street from hiking/X-country trails. $250/night, plus cleaning fee. Email: Laurenhp AT earthlink.net
I have been asked by my family (almost all of whom are outside California) to plan a family reunion for my grandmother's 80th birthday, somewhere in the greater Bay Area, most likely in Marin or Sonoma counties (but anywhere within driving distance would be fine). We would need about 20 - 30 sleeping rooms, somewhere for people to gather during the day, and access to a restaurant or catering for large group dinners. The room rate is going to need to be under about $135/night. I'm open to a wide range of kinds of venues, from hotels to bungalows or cabins to resorts. Rustic is okay as long as the rooms are accessible for elderly guests and it's reasonably tasteful. Something on a town square in Napa or Sonoma would be perfect. Does anyone have any recommendations? I have read the recommendations on the website but these are either booked already or don't work for our dates. Thanks so much. jen
Can you help me? I looked in the archives but didn't really find what I need. I'm trying to plan a family reunion/vacation for February, within easy drive or flight from LA. There will be 5 kids under the age of 9 so we want sand and/or pools, plus my sister who doesn't have children who wants charm/antiques/art. Plus we want the best chances of warm sunny weather. I know, it's a big wish list. Any suggestions? My current thoughts are Santa Catalina Island or Laguna Beach or Oceanside. We would like to stay in a big house (6 bedrooms!) or 2 condos that are in the same complex. Any ideas on these (or other) towns, and house/condo rentals? Thanks so much! Judy
Being that I'm from L.A. I can tell you that even though the weather is warmer, sunnier and drier in southern California, February is the rainy season down there. Of course some years have had very light to non exisistent rain. Last season they had a drought. But a few seasons before that, they were drenched in rain from El Nino. The temperatures along the coast will most likely be pleasant to very cool with sunny or cloudy days. And be prepared for a little bit of rain.The weather in all of California can be unpredictable. February might be really cold. And then there could be quite a few days of hot weather. But in general, Southern Cal is drier than North Cal during the winter, with Feb being the rainiest month for both. Laurey
I'm a member of a group of 5 families (9 adults and 9 kids) who are planning a weekend away together in early October. We want to rent either one very large house or a group of smaller houses adjacent to one another somewhere within 2-3 hours of the East Bay, e.g., somewhere between Monterey County and Sonoma County or Mendocino County. We would like to be near water--either the beach or other natural body of water. Does anyone have any recommendations for places to stay that can house this many people? (A youth hostel won't work b/c they close up during the day and a couple of the families have young children who need to nap during the day.) Thanks for any ideas. Cathy
I think White Sulphur Springs nr St Helena would be great. It's a rustic resort (unless that's an oxymoron). Deborah
Other years we've stayed at NorthStar, Lake Tahoe. Again, there is always a main house where everyone can sit down for dinner. Number of additional houses rented all depends on how many people can make it to the reunion. Both these places are located in a resort area, so people can make use of the community pool and/or rec area included in the price of the rental. Also, the resorts chosen are somewhat centrally located, so people can have an opportunity to do other things, like shop or hike, etc.
To find out more about this type of accommodations, you will need to go through a realtor in that area to find just what you are looking for. Book early if you can. Mitzi
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