shillard

No brainer - Fiji.

The Fijians LOVE children. They don't "love" children the way Gary Glitter and Michael Jackson do - they just LOVE children. Plenty of the family-oriented resorts (Treasure Island, for example) have staff that will know every child on the resort by name - seriously.

Your dollar will go quite a ways in Fiji, and you really can't ask for a better, more laid-back holiday destination. Check out my "4 nights in Fiji" trip report for more recent details.

dhuey

In San Diego, the Hotel del Coranado (right on the beach) is a terrific option. They have a kids club, so picture yourself with spouse, enjoying some fine dining, with your little ones nowhere in sight. Our girls have used it twice and were delighted each time. Of course, San Diego has kid destinations galore.

As for Hawaii, there are fewer kid things to do, other than the obvious beach/pool options. The Hilton Waikaloa on the Big Island is a bit Disneyesque (for better or worse), and would be a real hit with the kids for a few days. The Marriott Wailea in Maui would be ideal for your young kids. See the photos on both of those resort websites to see the many kid-friendly activities.

JMK1K

We love the Hotel Del. I agree that it is a fantastic place for a family vacation. I think we're looking for something a bit farther from home (CA). We are leaning toward Kauai. Most of the time in a house or condo, with 4-5 nights in a hotel.

kapear

I too would suggest Kauai. We spent 2 weeks there with our kids, 2,3,and 8 last June. We will be going again for 15 days over Spring Break. Lydgate Beach on the East side is great for the kids. Poipu on the South Side also has a kiddie beach area and a park. We loved Tunnels Beach on the North End.
It was by far the best snorkeling we had ever done. Early in the AM, the tide is low, an dthe kids can walk out and see the fish at their feet. I think there is a Children's Museum in Kapaa for a rainy day activity.( We never made it though as it only rained for a few hours during our 2 week trip.) There is also an outdoor mall in Kapaa, Coconut Marketplace. We've been to Maui, the BI, and Kauai. Kauai is our favorite with the kids.

arctictraveler

I second the recommendations for SW Florida. I think if you do some internet research they historically get few hurricanes in June and July. Sanibel is indeed a nice place with awesome beaches. There's a lot to do in the area, including the everglades (airboat rides ). Orlando would be doable as a side trip for a few days. You could even take the boat from Naples (or is it For Myers?) and visit Key West for a couple nights.

As for the recommendation for the Keys - we love them and go every year, but they are not a beach destination.

toomanybooks

How about Greece? The Greeks adore children, and you can get a nice variety of beaches just by taking a ferry to the next island.

If you get tired of the ocean, the historic sites will make a nice break for a while.

And you can make a Greek vacation as cheap or expensive as you like.

If you get tired of Greece after a couple weeks, take the boat to Italy.

sandyweb33

I'd recommend Santa Cruz, CA and the Beach Boardwalk. You would want to stay in Aptos though because it is nicer at the Seascape Resort. You could visit Carmel and Monterey (the Aquarium is spectacular). This would be a cheaper option. We used to love to take the kids to Hawaii. Any of the islands, but Maui is my favorite--the Kaanapali area. Also our children loved Costa Rica, the Guanacaste area. Ocean is 85 degrees in Winter. We were there in Nov. Have fun and let us know what you choose!

Hotel_junkie

Would have suggested San Diego as well.

Kauai is great, especially the north side of the island near Hanalei. The Princeville Hotel is quite spectacular. Poipu is nice...The Sheraton is a great hotel, but one warning, the riptides in Poipu are strong, so beach swimming is out of the question for the most part...and I didn't see any kiddie beach section with a seawall.

Oahu is a great for kids too...alot of stuff to do...Great malls, beaches, etc. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is always a great place to stay. If you want to be a bit more away from the waikiki scene, on the West side of the island there is the Marriott Ihilani resorts. They have 4 manmade cresent-shaped lagoons that are absolutely perfect for kids and the sunset is magnificent. It's a massive resort with timeshare condos, golf courses, couple hotel towers, etc. Unfortunately there isn't much on the west side, so you may have to drive to get to civilization.

The other suggestions posted here seem a bit too much of a plane ride to drag kids to..e.g. Fiji, Southeast Asia. I assume a 5 hour plane ride is about as much as you want to deal with.

have fun

BTW, just wanted to add that Florida in the summer (esp in South Florida) is really hot and humid...uncomfortably humid. Add to that the threat of hurricane season and I'd might avoid Florida myself.

Rubble

Pattaya Beach is in Thailand. It is spectacular in it's beauty, extremely exotic, and the dollar goes a long ways once you get there. Those are the positives. The only negative I can think of besides the extremely long flight...I'm not sure how much has been rebuilt there since the sunami last year. I've heard the hotels are pretty much back up, but I haven't heard much about the infastructure of the area itself.

Rubble.

dba

Depending on how far away you want to go, that might be a good time to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Northern Australia is too hot in the summer, but June-July is winter there and might be a very good time.

Australia is BIG, though, so unless you plan to spend all your time in one location you will be flying from point to point. Sydney and Melbourne and Tasmania would be too cold and wintery to have much beach fun, but there is Kakadu national park and other attractions in the north for which that would be the right season. And certainly "exotic" when compared with San Diego.

I've never been to Fiji, though. That sounds wonderful. If I lived in California and had a month off I would certainly want to consider it given the above posts.

naharragt

As a Cape Codder, I'm pleased to see the Cape as a recommendation. June has always been a great month, the later the better but more crowded. Last year's crumby weather was the great exception. By the fourth of July, everything is in full gear. With respect to water temps., definitely the Sound is warmer than Cape Cod Bay. My favorite Nantucket Sound beach is Craigville (in Centerville, near 4 Seas Ice Cream - a must). It's great for kids of all ages. All that being said, my favorite beach, even in June is Sandy Neck on Cape Cod Bay. It is perfect for small kids because of the shallow waters and exploring they can do at low tide - the best time to go.
Now, if you go exotic and head to Pattaya, I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry about Tsunami effects since I don't think it got hit. I apologize for my ignorance if it did.

Swiss Tony

Pattaya wasn't affected at all as it's on the East side of Thailand. The West coast was hit but we travelled to Phuket 3 months later (had booked the trip well before hand) and the infrastructure was fine. There was some localised damage and I understand it was worse further north, but the best thing you can do is go to Thailand and keep spending...

I've never been to Pattaya though and suspect it's not the best place for a family vacation...

broccoli

June on the Cape is beautiful. The crowds arrive in July. In June even the warmest ocean water will be cold. The inland ponds (lakes) warm up much earlier and are great for young kids. Many have very clear water, and all have sandy beaches. Nantucket would be great for a week, but is very expensive particularly in July. No flashy attractions, but it is a place where children can run aroun without lots of worry. If you really want a relaxed, out of the way spot, try Cuttyhunk island. It has only a few hundred houses, 2 cars, and once or twice a day ferry service. Nothing to do but go to the beach, ride bikes, climb over old fortifications, fish (great charter fishing), watch old movies at the town library, repeat until totally relaxed.