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Summer vacation idea with kids

Baboontyme

By Baboontyme
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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2668

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Contrary to what I understood a few hours ago, condo just off property at WDW is apparently not an option. 

Kids are 8 and 5 and I would like to do something that they would appreciate without breaking the bank. They are too young to fully appreciate stuff like Yellowstone. The boy might, but the girl (5) would be bored. LA/DLR is not a good option for us because we would have to deal with family members that wife is not keen on spending time with at this particular point in time. 

Don't need a week, 3-4 nights would probably be fine. I have considered both NYC and Chi. Chi is easy for us - 5 hour drive, very familiar with the city, kids have never been and I think they would dig it. Toronto would be an easy drive, as well. Same with Niagara. 

We have enough points to use for 4 R/T flights likely anywhere domestic if we want. Might be able to use Marriott points for lodging. Any other ideas? Outer Banks? Cheap cruise out of FL port? Cruise could be cool but I don't think we could use our points - they appear to be flight/hotel/car only. 

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Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7612

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2 hours ago, mackavelli said:

I'm in a similar situation. wife (no pics),  kids 9 and 7.   need a family friendly inclusive resort on beach.  mexico, costa rica, Bahamas all options... 

If you're looking at Costa Rica, Tulemar resort in Manuel Antonio area is fantastic.  Private beach, really mellow swells for kids to play in, and great wildlife all over the resort's grounds.  We've seen many sloths, too many monkeys to count, toucans and even parrots on the resort.  And some of the world's best billfishing is right there in Quepos, a 5 minute cab ride away.

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Digdogger

Digdogger 1343

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There's an up-and-coming travel destination I've been recommending for a while, and its finally starting to really catch on.  The kids will have an absolute blast, there's a lot of adventure to be had, things to find, people to see.  Its fairly cheap with nice warm weather.  I, of course, am talking about Haiti

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MNLonghornFUKM

MNLonghornFUKM 8780

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There's an up-and-coming travel destination I've been recommending for a while, and its finally starting to really catch on.  The kids will have an absolute blast, there's a lot of adventure to be had, things to find, people to see.  Its fairly cheap with nice warm weather.  I, of course, am talking about Haiti
I've heard that place is a shithole from some very important people. Very smart people
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Moby Ric

Moby Ric 2058

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On 3/26/2018 at 3:24 PM, Digdogger said:

There's an up-and-coming travel destination I've been recommending for a while, and its finally starting to really catch on.  The kids will have an absolute blast, there's a lot of adventure to be had, things to find, people to see.  Its fairly cheap with nice warm weather.  I, of course, am talking about Haiti

Cheap and Haiti go together like shit and flies.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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5 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Anyone ever been to Captiva Island/Sanibel? 

We go 2-3 times a year and are looking for a house there now. I grew up on the panhandle but we’ve pretty well decided we will never go back. There are just too many people now.

What time frame are you looking at going? Sanibel is dead from Spring Break to Fall Break so we spend a lot of time there during that time frame. The biting gnats are worse that time of year but they don’t bother us much. The beaches are crushed shell, not white sand and the water is cloudy not clear like the panhandle area. The kids can hunt shells all day long as well as catch all sorts of different sea creatures on the beach. You can catch fish from anywhere, rent a pontoon to explore the inter coastal islands, dolphin watch, rent kayaks, ride bikes, etc with very little traffic and open/empty stretches of beach.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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My other recommendation would be Grand Cayman if looking for a beach. It’s not 3rd world country feeling like several other Caribbean islands we’ve been to and there is more than enough to do to stay busy. The kids will enjoy the snorkeling, stingray city, and the turtle center.  We’ll be back there Fall Break this year.

Disney cruise would also be a good idea as well as Chicago which is great for kids that age for 3-4 days.

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2668

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Thank you for the info brew. Captiva is intriguing because we can drive there. I'm interested in doing that and stopping at a few places along the way that we never did when I was growing up...would like to do that in some regard. Take our time, see some touristy shit, etc. We can book the resort on points so the cost of car travel is all it would be out of pocket. We are looking at late June. 

I think our kids would enjoy putzing around at the beach - not huge ocean swimmers, wouldn't care about snorkeling (little one is probably too young), maybe try some fishing, use the resort pool, walk to some restaurants, shops, etc. That is what I'm thinking. I'm looking at 4 nights or so. 

I looked at Cayman but airfare is pretty pricey and our points wouldn't cover it. 

Chicago is appealing to me but for a shorter trip. The more I think about it I just don't think I want that to be THE summer trip. Maybe we do a day trip there, or a 1 night trip, as well. Kicking around taking the train in, that could be fun. I do need to get them there. 

Disney cruise - we do a lot of Disney stuff and I can't imagine that's gonna cost me less than $5k and I don't think we can use any of our points for it. 

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Brew

Brew 2917

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The resort in Captiva is at the northern tip of the island, so the shelling isn't as good right there but they have a nice resort setup. There are a lot of benefits to being up there versus Sanibel:

There are restaraunts the kids would enjoy (Mucky Duck and the Bubble Room being two)

Jensen’s Marina is right there to rent boats from or go on shelling cruises/fishing trips from and that marina is where the manatees come into during the summer

You are close to Ding Darling, the best beach on the island (Bowman’s), Blind Pass which is one of the better fishing/shelling places, and you’re a short boat ride from Cayo Costa which you would have to visit.

We rent a house on Captiva every other trip. We drive from West TN and usually spend a couple of nights in Tampa/St Pete (kids love the Dolphin Tale movie aquarium plus there is a nice City aquarium), Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, or the Steinhstchee area on the way down.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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Just to be clear though, it’s not the Panhandle which sometimes kids don’t like. We took another family with us last year and their young kids wouldn’t get in the water because they were not used to cloudy ocean water. They stayed occupied with shells, crabs, sand dollars, etc. but it is different. Cayo Costa and the resort area at Captiva are more clear than Sanibel though.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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They have a nice golf course and the grounds are nice. We have left out of the marina that is on property a few times and been there for other things, but never actually stayed there. We’re pretty anti-resort when we go out of town and usually try and find a house or small condo setup. I’m not a fan of other people.

It’s also not the center, it has a gated entrance to the northern tip of the island and all the off property restaraunts/shops are going to be just south of there. You can get golf carts at the resort and head out to the off property parts of Captiva though I think with most everything close by.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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13 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Thanks. Is it close/walking distance to the restaurants and stuff? I can deal with people for the sake of my kids provided there is booze nearby. I think my kids will go giddy for that bubble place. 

It will depend on where you end up. There are villas in several different locations on property. If you are in the bayside area, Doc Ford’s, the pizza place, and a few shops are right there. If you are further up, you’ll want to drive, get a golf cart, or take their shuttle. The Bubble Room, Mucky Duck, RC Otters, other shops are probably less than a quarter mile from Doc Fords so if it is walkable then everything else will be as well. Everything on Captiva is pretty well centered around the area just south of South Seas Resort and should be walkable if you are close to the resort entrance.

If you drive, plan your travel around big travel days. We drive it during the week and hit Atlanta at an off time. Traffic where 91 splits off to Orlando is usually pretty crappy and traffic through GA can suck pretty bad. 

The kids will enjoy the Bubble Room. We go during lunch when crowds are down where they can walk around the restaraunts and go through all the rooms. Let them order dessert and they will get a quarter of a cake.

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2668

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Thanks for the input brew, I'm booking this tonight. I definitely see a golf cart rental in my future and my 8 year old as a designated driver. Maybe I can teach him how to play golf before June. #Goals

Oddly I am really looking forward to the drive. Childhood memories, I guess. Can't wait to See Rock City and See Ruby Falls for the first time. 

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LW Goatman

LW Goatman 1117

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My kiddo loves the outdoors, animals, beaches, etc and recently asked to see a volcano. Can i do this in Costa Rica or Belize? I've never been to either. Would mostly be interested in all inclusive type place where they have excursion options conveniently available. 

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strangulation!

strangulation! 1694

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3 hours ago, LW Goatman said:

My kiddo loves the outdoors, animals, beaches, etc and recently asked to see a volcano. Can i do this in Costa Rica or Belize? I've never been to either. Would mostly be interested in all inclusive type place where they have excursion options conveniently available. 

arenal is in costa rica and you can easily check all the other boxes there. do that - it's gorgeous, the people are friendly, it's close to tejas and probably still cheapish.

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Reagan1k

Reagan1k 2999

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On 3/26/2018 at 3:22 PM, Chewbacca said:

If you're looking at Costa Rica, Tulemar resort in Manuel Antonio area is fantastic.  Private beach, really mellow swells for kids to play in, and great wildlife all over the resort's grounds.  We've seen many sloths, too many monkeys to count, toucans and even parrots on the resort.  And some of the world's best billfishing is right there in Quepos, a 5 minute cab ride away.

This x 1000 for Costa Rica - Tulemar is great.  The beach is GORGEOUS and fun.  Lots to do, people are friendly.

It's not "inclusive" but the condo units have kitchens.  We stop at the grocery in Quepos on the way there and stock up on breakfast stuff, drinks and snacks.  Plenty of restaurants in walking distance or a quick cab ride.  You can also arrange for someone to come in and cook for you as well.  On-site concierge will book all your excursions and they'll pick you up right there.

Great trip.

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AnonymousInternetPoster

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On 4/3/2018 at 8:00 PM, Brew said:

My other recommendation would be Grand Cayman if looking for a beach. It’s not 3rd world country feeling like several other Caribbean islands we’ve been to and there is more than enough to do to stay busy. The kids will enjoy the snorkeling, stingray city, and the turtle center.  We’ll be back there Fall Break this year.

Disney cruise would also be a good idea as well as Chicago which is great for kids that age for 3-4 days.

We just spent Spring Break on Grand Cayman.  Highly recommended!  We stayed at a VRBO attached to Margaritaville, but split time on the beach there and at The Marriott with another family.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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We’ve beven staying at Rum Point. You get a little of the cruise ship crowd on busy days in port but for the most part it was nice and quiet. You don’t have the super nice beach area like at 7MB but it was an easy trade off for us.

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RiceOwl

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Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard are great in the summer. 

Martha's Vineyard is a lot cheaper but almost as nice (and nicer in some ways because there are multiple town centers with different vibes). Use points into BOS or PVD and take the ferry. Or if you're ShaggyElite fly right into MVY or ACK.

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2668

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I should have re-read this before the trip but it was hard to find. Brew you were spot on. Much reps. 

South Seas is great and we are loving Captiva. I would highly recommend. Easy to fly into Ft. Myers. We drove but Ft. Myers isn't more than 25 miles from here. Getting on and off the island is a huge pain in the ass if you're staying at South Seas. Sanibel/Captiva is like 15 miles long and the road is max 35 mph the entire way. Captiva is at the very northern tip as brew said and it's an ordeal. There's a nice market on Sanibel about 10 miles from Captiva but if at all possible I would recommend hitting Publix before getting onto the island. We arrived first and then I set off to hit Publix and though it was a nice break from my asshole kids after I spent ~ 20 hours in a minivan with them it was a 90 minute ordeal to get there and back.

South Seas is very segmented with the Front Office and some villas near the South end, close to the town of Captiva, but then a nice 3 mile stretch of nothing but a road with groves on either side (very hot to walk or jog) and then you finally start hitting condos/villas/houses and finally the golf course, main pool, marinas, restaurants, etc. 

Went parasailing today, that was remarkably low key. Take off from the back of the boat, land on the back of the boat. Up in the air felt like we were hardly moving. Easy peasy. 

Lots of manatees to see in the dock area, fun for the kids. Fun stuff on the beaches, especially at sunset. Skip the "wildlife cruise" unless you've never seen dolphins. We did get to see some close up but if you've ever fished in the area they will follow your boat from just as close. Fishing charters are like $350/$400 for a half day and you see the same shit. 

I did find the condos/villas to be a little chintzy compared to the Marriott Vacation Club rentals we usually stay in, in Orlando. They are nice, clean, relatively modern. Just a few corners cut. A few amenities/utensils/etc lacking. Dishwasher not properly bolted in. 

In town the bubble room was eclectic but underwhelming. Did not like as much as I thought I would. Food mediocre. Expensive, small, crowded and lots of creepy memorabilia. If you want to rent a golf cart, don't expect to show up and be able to get one. Gotta do it months out apparently. The trolley on property at South Seas is nice but it can be a bit of a wait sometimes and I think it would be great to have one of those souped up YOLO golf carts to zip back and forth. 

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Brew

Brew 2917

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The Bubble Room is the Fudpuckers of Captiva for those familiar with Destin. It is strictly for the kids. 

We spent two weeks down there at the end of May and the beginning of June. It’s still our favorite place to go and we’ll be back down at the end of July to narrow down the house search.

I will say the northern end of Anna Maria Island is a great option. You get the beaches and water clarity of the panhandle with the low crowds and older Florida feel of Sanibel and other areas. I’m 100% done with 30A.

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Brew

Brew 2917

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Just buy groceries at Jerry’s and pay the premium.

We did a couple of things on Sanibel for the first time this trip that the kids enjoyed. There is a shelling trip that runs out of Captiva to the south end of Cayo Costa. It is much more narrow than the north end and there were fewer people. You can snorkel near the pass and find stuff you can’t find anywhere else.

We also rented a pontoon in Tarpon Bay and took the kids out fishing. The boats are cheap and they rent you fishing gear too. I had my stuff but used their stuff for the kids. We went through 4 dozen shrimp and half a dozen crabs in 3 hours and they had a blast.

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2668

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Yes I would have just done Jerry's if I had a do-over. That said I spent $170 at Publix and I think we're leaving tomorrow with < $20 in wasted food. Granted we will take some stuff with us since we drove and I knew that going in. 

How do you rent your houses? Airbnb? I think the resort life suits us well at this point in our journey. Kids like the pools and waterslides and we like the amenities. I can't stand sitting in the FL sun for more than 5 minutes. But luckily on property there is usually a bar close by. Or the gym. Or something else. It has been a really nice fit. 

Reminder for next time because I probably will do this trip again. The skimping on amenities extrapolation: No coffee filters (wife) but coffee maker. No salt or pepper. 3 bowls. No baking pans (I tried to make the kids pizzas). Laundry rooms are below the villas and $2.00 in quarters per wash/dry and no vending for detergent. 1 kitchen towel. Hilton could stand to up their game a bit. Nitpicky I know, we had a very nice time but these are not big asks. 

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Brew

Brew 2917

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We go through VRBO for our rentals pretty much 100%. The house we rented last year was probably .25 mile past Blind Pass on the water with a dock, kayaks, pool, etc. The condo we rent is pretty close to Jerry’s. We are looking to buy a house out near Blind Pass and Bowman’s Beach.

There are several condo complexes on Sanibel that will have similar amenities to South Seas although not quite the same. Pointe Santo is one that has a lot going on including daily activities for the kids. It’s too big for us, but it is quite popular in the rental market based on the condos we have looked at. There are several others that have onsite kids activities as well although none will have the same style pool setup.

Wife and kids are probably going to start spending the summers down there and putting the kids in Sea School for a couple of weeks. If you need to keep kids busy, it’s the ultimate kids beach activities group.

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2668

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Drove from Michigan to Chatanooga, stopped for the night to See Rock City. Then to Tampa to eat dinner at my director's house with his family and then hit the Florida Aquarium the next day. Then on to Captiva for 4 days/nights. On the way back we are in Chatanooga again so we can See Ruby Falls in the morning. Then back to Michigan tomorrow. Holiday Rooooo-ooooo-oooo-oooo-oooo-oooo-oooo-oooad. 

 

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RollLeft

RollLeft 5038

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On 4/3/2018 at 10:10 PM, Brew said:

Just to be clear though, it’s not the Panhandle which sometimes kids don’t like. We took another family with us last year and their young kids wouldn’t get in the water because they were not used to cloudy ocean water. They stayed occupied with shells, crabs, sand dollars, etc. but it is different. Cayo Costa and the resort area at Captiva are more clear than Sanibel though.

Our future looks promising.    

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GottaB

GottaB 585

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We did great wolf lodge for our 5 year olds. It was perfect. Close to cheap food, lots to do on site. Three days, two nights.

Then continued on to hot springs Arkansas and went to their amusement park Magic Springs (coasters and water park combined) one day and the science museum the next. Not a bad summer trip if the point was to end up in Arkansas to see my folks.

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