Top Ten Summer Vacations For The Family

This year many families will want to save money and still have a great vacation. Whether its relaxing on the beach or riding a roller coaster, I am sure these custom vacations will give you memorable times for the whole family. This article is filled great deals and trips for 2012. I have chosen places from all across the USA and hot spots around the world. The latest for an exclusive experience, all you have to do is find the adventure of your choice. I will even add in some sweepstakes links for free vacationing.

The first question to ask is where do we want to go? How about a eco vacation or treasure hunt type vacation or even go see a natural wonder of the world? From Disney to dude ranches its all right here, the Top Ten for 2012!

Orlando Aquatica Water Park is ran by Sea World and right next to it. This water park is listed as one of the top ten water parks in the USA. Tons of slides and rides! The Dolphin plunge is the funnest ride and you get to see the dolphins swim by you. They have four dining options and you can buy the tickets online to save money.

Indulge your mind, imagination and senses in the city of Portland.Your family will love this City of Roses! Flights to Portland are a good price this year. You will want to use Portland airport " PDX " in the search box when you are looking for flights. Traveling from Wednesday to wed. is less expensive than Saturday to Sat. too.

Family Friendly Highlights in Portland

Check out the Discovery Museum and the World Forestry Center features hands on exhibits and experiences. Get harnessed and hoisted up for 45 feet too get a birds eye view of the forest or ride class 5 rapids without getting wet. In the In the same vicinity is the The Washington Park, and free concerts during the summer.

OMSI Go below the surface in the decommissioned Navy submarine U.S.S. Blueback at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

The Portland "Oregon Zoo" and across from the Zoo is the Portlands Children Museum

North Clackamas Aquatic Park

End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Japanese Gardens

Multnomah Falls

Columbia Gorge Scenic Area

Bullwinkle's and Family Fun Center

Portland Classic Chinese Gardens

International Rose Test Garden

The Saturday Market

*Places to stay in Portland 2012

Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station with a new art deco theme, this place is great! Game room for the children and pets are allowed too , no charge for pets under 40 pounds. Flat panel T.V's, Free wifi, splash pool, free parking, free newspaper and continental breakfast, plus a beautiful view of the city.

Escape Water Park Package Marriott Courtyard Portland Southeast Make a splash when you visit the Courtyard Portland Southeast for your next family fun excursion. USE PROMOTIONAL CODE: "ARN" During your stay you'll enjoy: Deluxe accommodations, breakfast for up to four people each day, North Clackamas Aquatic Park passes for up to four people, information and amenity bag. Valid Through: December 27, 2012

Panama City is so popular this year! It is the #1 place to go in 2012 out of 45 places according to the New York Times. Micheal Douglas, Martha Stewart, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have all been there this year. So It is a hot spot of places to go this summer, and with its rich diversity of architecture, art and landscape, I have rated it number three on the top ten places to go for families.

For years Panama has been known as a backpackers haven ( very affordable). In Panama you will find plenty of picture perfect beaches, rain forests and mountains to enjoy.

Things to do in Panama

See The Panama Canal

Summit Botanical Gardens & Zoo (They have a Jaguar section too.)

Scuba Dive by the Isle of Cobia (Scuba Cobia)

Visit Chorro El Macho An 85 foot waterfall and you can swim and wade near it.

you can also take a guided hiking tour near there in the surrounding forest.

Ride the canopy adventure (similar to riding zip lines)

Boquete mountain cruisers (Tour by 4x4 in the mountains, visiting coffee farms and waterfalls)

I also recommend staying at the country inn suites by Carlson, panama canal It has beach access. They have a swimming pool and bay views from your balcony. There is a wonder works attraction nearby, there are many restaurants nearby as well.

This 80 mile stretch of coastline provides all kinds of activities for the family! Visit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, once the heart of the Mayan empire, They say Mayan calendar is ending this year, but it is a celebration for the locals, lots of "New Year" type events are planned. It won last years travelers choice award. So It ranks 4th for a family destination this year. There are lots of great deals going for Mexico right now too. The sacred Maya Journey is scheduled for may 13th - 31st 2012.

Most tour companies will take you anywhere you want to go. Just tell your hotel and they can help you arrange your activities.Be sure to check out Xel-Ha, and drift down the lazy river , enjoy snorkeling and kayak trips, its like a theme park. Xcaret has lots of bird and animals and and float through illuminated caves and swim with the dolphins, the evening show including a story about the Mayans with fire. These theme parks are really fun but not cheap. Other places to visit is Akumal Beach, with sea turtles 3 feet wide. you can rent gear at the dive shop. I little farther north is Yal-Ku Lagoon, you will see parrot fish and angel fish and they rent out lockers and life jackets there for 7.00 adults and 4.00 for children. And last but not the least you must visit the ancient city of Tulum pictured above, the Mayan Ruins.

The Santa Cruz Wharf is really fun, You can rent boats, Kayaks, fishing gear, bikes and take surfing lessons. There is whale watching and bay cruises. Not to mention fun in the sun at the beach. You can visit the Seymour Marine Discovery Center and let your interpretative guide connect you with local wildlife, touch tide pools, dolphins and you can even touch a shark!

Free Event!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Races start 9:00 a.m. Festival starts 11:00 a.m.

Santa Cruz Wharf

Designed especially for new and novice paddlers, the Celebrity races are a chance to discover the excitement of outrigger canoe racing. Join the fun or cheer for friends in the race. The Polynesian Festival follows with a taste of the tropics - fresh flower leis, Hawaiian shaved ice and hula dance performances. Co-sponsored by Pu Pu O'Hawaii Outrigger Canoe Club, O'Neill, KPIG 107.5 FM, Santa Cruz Weekly and the Santa Cruz Wharf. Call 831-420-5273 or email.

http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=831

(Santa Cruz was rated in as a top ten in National Geographic's list of places to go in 2011. With the all the cool events that are going on this year, I choose to list it as one of my top ten.)

Magical adventures await you in the smoky mountains, hills and hollows, hiking, biking, and water parks are all on the list of things to do for the family in the Smoky's. This National park straddle's the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee and is the most ecologically diverse in the USA.

You can ride a bike to visit Cades Cove The campground store rents bicycles and helmets. (the Road is closed to cars on Wed and Saturday Mornings.)

Visit Ober Gaitlinburg they have an amusement type park with an ice skating rink, go carts and water rides.

The best walk for strollers is the Laurel Falls Trail.

Places to stay are: Gatlinburg, Townsend, and Sevierville. You can also camp at the park or stay at the LeConte Lodge, but you must call to reserve in advance. Near Sevierville is Dollywood, with roller coasters, water parks and more, The Wild steel Roller coaster will open up In March of 2012 and more than 20 million was spent on it so it should be good!!

Aloha! Eco tours have been very popular and Oahu is one of the most affordable Islands with best ecosystems to discover! There are so many fun things to do in Oahu, besides soaking in the sun. Number one on your list of things to do is a Hanauma Bay Snorkeling Eco Adventure Tour. Plan for a picnic and a whole day stay at Hanauma Bay there is so much to learn and do there. Lockers and showers are there and picnic tables too. The coral reefs are stunning, imagine swimming with the colorful fish sea turtles! This ecosystem & interpretative center is such a great learning adventure for the children. Another must see while you are in Oahu is the Polynesian Cultural Center its like a Hawaiian Disneyland. I recommend Enoa Tours they will give you a good deal, and take you to all the famous sites like Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head Lookout and the Dole Plantation too.

* Don't rent a car, it is expensive and hard to drive around, plus some places cost a lot for parking. You can walk just about everywhere or take the trolley. The trolleys in Oahu are very navigable and run at each stop on every 15 minutes. They service all of Waikiki, The bus system runs all around the island too. Hey, if my family can figure it out you can too! .

We had a great Time in Oahu, we took in many sites. Check out the Alana Moana Shopping Center with 290 stores and restaurants to choose from, across the way is the Alana Moana Beach Park to cool off and play. We stayed at the Hokele Suites it has a pool and a lanai (balcony) as well, all of the staff were friendly, they let us use beach mats and all kinds of stuff when we walked to the beach to play. You can get package deals for less than 500.00 per person person for 5 nights 6 days airfare and hotel transfer's were included by Travelocity. If you want to stay on Waikiki beach stay at Hilton Hawaiian Village, you will discover a private lagoon, free fireworks show, Mahalo (Thank you)

I had to add a place that is like roller coaster heaven, Cedar point is known for just that! They have over 15 roller coasters and several of these have broken world records! They also have three different water rides that are totally cool. Go White water rafting on the Thunder Canyon ride, Snake river falls features an 80 foot drop, or ride the newest water adventure Shoot The Rapids, you are in a boat with paddles, it features a 85 foot drop and another 45 foot drop, a great way to cool off in the summer.

There is something to do for every age here. Cedar Point has a park designated for young families with rides like the 1910 Cadillac touring cars, Lake Erie railroad train ride and a classic carousel.

There is also also Soak City Water park and Challenge Park nearby. In Sandusky you can enjoy the beautiful Lake Erie with ferries, fishing, boating and cruises. You can also enjoy shopping, museums, water parks, golfing, camping, and more. A "must visit" on my list of top ten!

If you haven't been there, you will want to see The Grand Canyon . It is usually number one on peoples bucket list of places to visit in a lifetime. So it is no surprise that almost five million people travel to the Grand Canyon each year. You can stay at a dude ranch get a real feel of the old wild west! I recommend the Grand Canyon Ranch, you can go on a horse back ride overnight camp-out just like a cowboy. Stay in a tepee and go on a buffalo safari, or ride in a horse drawn wagon. There are so many options here you can literally customize your dude ranch experience! Inside the ranch gives the that country home feeling with a southwest decor. With spirit mountain in the background and the Arizona sunsets, its definitely a win win situation. Another way to experience the grand canyon is to take the Grand Canyon Railway.

My husband found a beautiful diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park and he had it made into a ring for me, it is very special, no blood diamonds here. Visiting the Crater of Diamonds State Park is really exciting, people have found over 28,000 diamonds there! It is the only diamond crater open to the public in the whole world. Sometimes you will find other semi precious stones too and the policy is "Finders Keepers" so the mine is sure to send you home with something in your hands. You might want to bring some of your own diamond mining equipment like: small shovels, buckets and screens, if you don't want to pay rental fees. I recommend staying at Diamond Johns Riverside Camp Ground: featuring kayak rentals, boat and tube rentals, you can stay in a tepee, cabin, and they have lots of pets there including peacocks, there is a gem hunt at night too. Plus free use of their diamond mining equipment. They offer hot tub, free wifi and group reservations. Bring hats and neck coolers to keep cool in the summer while digging, sunglasses are great for eye protection and the sun too. It can get pretty dirty so bring a set of play clothes.