The Future of (Our) Family Vacations

Posted by Jeff on July 7, 2010 at 2:20 pm

We just got back. And I’m ready to leave again.

I was inspired to compile this list thanks to our just completed, long-weekend road trip across our home state that was extended by 1 day after we discovered unexpected fun in the middle sections of Pennsylvania, namely Del Grosso Amusement Park and Lincoln Caverns. The Mrs. and I make a habit of planning/theorizing about the next several family adventures as the current one is in it’s waning days and moments. But, the real genesis of my ‘dream family vacation’ blog post comes from Chris Singer (@tessasdad) who authored this post about his top 10 places for a family getaway.

So there’s the set up. Now, here are my Top 9 Dream Family Vacations.

International

Barcelona, Spain – I’ve fallen hard for futbol (soccer) over the past 3 weeks and have adopted FC Barcelona (cherry picking one of the best, I know) as my club to watch and cheer for during this upcoming La Liga season (a feat made easier thanks to Verizon FIOS carrying GolTV and ESPN3.com live streaming of Spanish league games). It’s a city that has intrigued me for some time, but now I’ve been pushed over the edge thanks to Messi, Xavi, and David Villa. Plus, their uniforms rule and the main sponsor isn’t a beer or car company, neither of which interest me – it’s UNICEF! That’s pretty cool.
Chile – So many climates and landscapes are present – I’m totally fascinated. This would be a backpacking vacation when the girls are around 11 and 8.
Scandinavia – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland – all of them have cool cities and plenty of water, fjords, plus so many Detroit Red Wings are from there [Sweden]. So, it’s gotta be awesome, right?
New Zealand – The ultimate faraway dream. I think of this place like it’s on another planet. Expectations are so freakin’ high, I feel like I’ll be underwhelmed once I finally do arrive. Still, I’d love to get my gang there someday…for about a month-long trip.

DOMESTIC

Seattle to San Diego – I want a multi-week road trip driving down the west coast, spending as much time as possible on US 1. See Portland, San Fran, Monterey, Big Sur, and so much more.
Santa Fe, NM – There is something about the colors, the architecture and the vibe I think I get from this old city. I’ve wanted to go for a while now, but the flights from Philly aren’t the easiest or cheapest.
Midwest Baseball Road Trip – This one has already been mapped out, in theory (home games would need to be lined up in the year we try to do this, of course). Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis. This trip would include a stop in East Lansing to help the Michigan State Bookstore meet their quarterly sales projections.
Las Vegas/Grand Canyon/Bryce Canyon/Zion National Park – Kinda the All-American vacation, no?
Charleston, SC – The start of the Civil War, a city that interests me WAY more than the more ‘famous’ Southern plantation town of Savannah, GA.

Where do you want to take your family next?