Family-Friendly Vacation Spots by The Baby Mamas
With 5 kids, and one on the way, the three of us are always searching for ways to make our lives easier as parents. If that means planning vacations based on spots that cater to families with young children, we immediately sign up!! After a few nightmarish trips to our native Nicaragua, we learned some tricks (if you’re interested in learning some of these, read our travel blog ). To help you avoid some horror stories of your own, we did some research and found great resorts that welcome families of all different sizes and age groups.
Winter Wonderland
Known as one of the most kid-friendly ski resorts in the country, Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont seems like a dream! Their kid center is fully licensed and can care for children from 6 weeks through 17 years of age. Babies are kept mostly indoors, while older toddlers (from 2 ½) can learn to ski! And, as soon as your tot is potty trained, they can enroll in the resort’s all day camp program for kids.
As a resort community, Smugglers Notch provides many options for your family to stay. There’s no need to search for a ski-in & ski-out hotel near the mountain. And most condos have separate bedroom areas, allowing parents to enjoy their nights alone in the living area as tots sleep in the next room.
Just a short drive from Smugglers' you can also tour the many, quaint, nearby Vermont shops, arts and crafts galleries or outlets. You'll find plenty to explore from dining to shopping for crafts and antiques, to art galleries, wineries, breweries and Vermont made products. And for the perfect family day trip, visit the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory or the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. Your kids will never forget it!
A Dude Ranch
Located in Granby, Colorado, about 3 hours from Denver’s airport, the C Lazy U Ranch, which is celebrating 90 years as a guest ranch, has something for everyone!
Although it is recommended to hire a nanny for children under 3, there are a myriad of activities for children beyond this age. You name it, they have it: horseback riding, nature hikes, hayrides, cookouts, paddle boating, and even a talent show. The list goes on & on. Kids are kept busy with counselors throughout the day, while adults can enjoy some much-needed alone time. But there are also tons of options for family fun as well. Enjoy panning for gold, swimming, fly-fishing, and the Shodeo, the family rodeo at the end of the week where everyone can show off their new acquired skills!
The ranch offers 40 guest accommodations that even include iHome docking stations for tech-savvy kids to enjoy! Best of all, the ranch is offering a special promotion where kids under 12 stay free! Visit their website to find out when this promotion is valid.
A Mexican Beach Getaway
The Azul Beach Hotel by Karisma is designed with families in mind. The boutique style resort is located 20 minutes from Cancun’s airport.
Connecting rooms are plentiful, mini bars are stocked with kid-friendly fare, and room service is available all day with kid menu items! There are even steps for children to reach the sink and kid-sized bath robes! The resort can also provide baby gear on loan, so you don’t have to lug it from home (i.e., baby monitors, stroller, baby bathtub, baby food). They will even provide you with Fisher Price toys for your tots to enjoy during their stay! If parents are interested in a night alone, the hotel also has babysitting & nanny services 24 hours a day.
Did we forget to mention that kids under 3 stay free? Yep, that’s also a huge perk.
A Florida Beach Getaway
If you don’t want to travel internationally, the South Seas resort in Florida is another great beach destination. Located on Captiva Island, the retreat is only a couple of hours away from either Miami or Orlando.
Named one of Parent’s Magazine Top Ten Best Beach Resorts for Families, the Captiva resort provides kids with endless, supervised activities such as fishing, kayak adventures, & sailing. The resort has a kids club for children 4 to 12, leaving parents to enjoy themselves under the sun. Adults can enjoy spa services, golf, tennis South Seas has a variety of accommodations, most of which have separate living & bedroom areas – making it easier for parents to share rooms with young children who turn in early.
The entire 330-acre resort has recently gone under a $140 million refurbishment and the investment is spectacular not only in the quality of the restaurants, cabanas and guest rooms but also of the careful treatment of the natural surroundings from the beach re-nourishment to the protection of the natural refuge.
One look at the resort’s photo gallery and you will be booking your next vacation!
Wherever your vacations may take you, remember to enjoy the time alone AND with the tots. Any time away from the daily grind is a blessing – especially when that means someone else is doing the cleaning!
If you’re interested in learning more about The Baby Mamas, visit our website! With kids, there are new lessons to be learned every day, and our mission is to pass these along, making your life a LITTLE easier!