JMK1K

I have a great opportunity to take off about a month. We have 2 boys - 6 years and 3 years old. Any suggestions for a great vacation (preferably beach oriented) in June and July 2006?

candaceg

Cape Cod would get my vote. The crowds are small before July 4 weekend.

lsgitg

We have taken our kids now (4 & 8) to different hawaiian islands, 2 weeks on 1 and 2 weeks on another. Another trip envolved a week in SF and 2 weeks in Hawaii. We have also taken them to arbuba, st. john, bahamas, st. thomas, florida (key west, daytona, disney). These have been beach trips. They have been on lots of other non-beach trips. Let me know if you want more info, about these or other kid friendly stuff.

fajimenez

Isn't the water too cold at that point?

candaceg

On the ocean side, the water is cold for swimming even in August. On the Nantucket Sound and Bay sides, it's not bad. And the kettle ponds are fine too.

JMK1K

We are seriously considering Kauai and Lanai. We visited the big island last year for a week with the kids and it was great. We're probably going to rent a house for 2 weeks and stay in a hotel for 5-6 nights. lsgitg - any specific recommendations?

Nantucket or Cape Cod is another option we are batting around. Does anyone have additional insight on the weather and/or kid-friendly tips for MA from approx. June 11 to July 7?

Jaimito Cartero

Pattaya?

candaceg

If you go with the Nantucket/Cape Cod option, I think you'd do better on the Cape with kids for that period of time. Or maybe split the time - a week on Nantucket and the rest on the Cape. But a month on Nantucket has the potential to get boring/isolating, especially if the weather is not good. There are so many things to do on the Cape, even when the weather is not ideal. I don't have kids, but we are usually there with family members who have kids (who are now 6 and 4). Things they have loved: the train ride out of Hyannis; the ships and Oceanographic Institute in Woods Hole; biking on the rail trail; the Natural History Museum in Brewster; taking the shuttle to South Beach in Chatham; hanging out at the fish pier in Chatham when the boats come in late in the afternoon. Our house is in Chatham, so I know that area best. To me, it is ideally located in the middle of everything. Close enough to Hyannis to be able to easily get there for shopping and activities and in the other direction, it's easy to get up to the CC National Seashore, Wellfleet, Orleans, etc.

JMK1K

Pattaya??? Please educate me.

FWAAA

My vote would be San Diego. Beaches are nice, and there's plenty of other things young kids love, like the Zoo (and the rest of Balboa Park), Sea World, Wild Animal Park, Legoland (just up the coast), etc.

West coast of Florida is another great place. Clearwater, Naples, Sanibel, etc.

Aruba is very nice (and very safe, despite that one unfortunate incident from last year).

JMK1K

We love San Diego and have been there a few times with the kids. It is a terrific family vacation destination. We live in Northern California, so we're looking for something a bit more exotic than our home state.

I'd love to consider the Caribbean, but I think June and July are early hurricane season. I don't want to wager on the weather given the record hurricane season just past.

foothill

I spent 2 weeks in Kauai Aug 04 with my 8 and 4 yr olds and loved it. There is a great family beach on the E side. The N side has great snorkeling; we swam w/ giant turtles for long times (just watch the breaking waves). If I had a month, I would spend the other 2 weeks on Hawaii Is.

San Diego is often gloomy in June.

747upstairs

For the past 4 years we have taken our boys to Sanibel Island every June since they were 2 and 6. It is a fantastic family-friendly island off of Ft. Myers which has beautiful, quiet beaches and fantastic restaurants. I would suggest the Sundial Beach resort which has condo type accomodations and regularly scheduled children events.

FWAAA

Good point. I didn't know you lived in California.

Another place I like is Cape May/Avalon. Not very sophistimicated, but my kids love mini golf and the other fun activities there. Nice B&Bs and plenty of good food. However, it is in New Jersey, and for some, that's an automatic disqualification.

I also enjoy the Canary Islands (Europe's Hawaii). Kinda long trip from CA, but I also love long flights. And ya got a month, so plenty of time. Knowledge of Spanish is helpful there. Great beaches and we enjoy the food.

As to the hurricanes, the good people of Aruba claim that they don't lie within the hurricane belt - dunno about the accuracy of their assertion, but I can't recall ever hearing about a hurricane there. As to S Florida, most hurricanes seem to hit later in the year, although you are correct, June and July are technically within the Atlantic hurricane season. I've been to Florida plenty in the early part of the summer without ever encountering a hurricane, so it's a gamble I'd be willing to take.

A month at the beach? Take lots and lots of sunscreen, and reapply to those boys frequently. Have fun wherever you end up.

candaceg

Another place I've thought of for you, because it will be warmer than Cape Cod at that time of year - the Outer Banks in NC. I haven't been there so can't give much more information than that though...