8 Fun Ideas for Vacations With Young Grandkids

4. Carbondale, Colorado

When to go: Summer or fall

How to get there: Rent a car and drive about 3.5 hours west from Denver. There’s a closer airport — Montrose Regional Airport is about two hours from Carbondale — but flights there can be pricey.

What to do: The area around Carbondale is more affordable than nearby Aspen, while still offering tons to do. Start with a morning play session at the new outdoor splash pad and warm thermal pools at the historic Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, just north of Carbondale in Glenwood Springs (on weekdays: $46 for adults and teens; $30 for children 3 to 12; free for children under 3. On weekends: $50 for adults and teens; $31 for children 3 to 12; free for children under 3). Then drive about 20 minutes south of Carbondale to the tiny riverside hamlet of Redstone, home to a playground alongside a trout river and the cutest general store, which sells ice cream cones and old-fashioned candies.

The Rio Grande ARTway is a paved trail that winds right through Carbondale. It’s a nice spot to get some exercise with the kids after feasting on pancakes and waffles at the Village Smithy.

Where to stay: With gorgeous mountain views, Avalanche Ranch is an affordable hot springs resort just south of Carbondale. Its collection of rustic cabins and “wagon” rooms have one to three bedrooms, and guests get free access to the three onsite hot springs, generally open 24 hours a day. Studios that can sleep up to four people start at $255 per night.

5. Carlsbad, California

When to go: Spring, summer or fall

How to get there: Carlsbad is about a 45-minute drive north from San Diego International Airport.

What to do: This is the quintessential California beach town, a wonderful place to explore with young kids. Legoland California Resort (at least $84 per person) and Sea Life Aquarium ($25; free for kids under 2) are the big-ticket attractions for youngsters, but Carlsbad is also all about incredible nature — which is a lot less expensive. You can stroll with the grandkids along dirt paths to look for wading birds at Batiquitos Lagoon, one of Southern California’s last remaining coastal wetlands (free). And from March through early May, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch burst to life with red, white, yellow and pink ranunculus blooms over 50 hillside acres. You can simply stroll among the gardens and fields on designated pathways or, for a few extra dollars, opt for a tractor-pulled wagon ride ($8 for adults for wagon tours, $4 for children 3 to 10, free for kids 2 and under).

Or consider group surf lessons along the wide stretch at Carlsbad State Beach with SoCal Surf Lessons (private lessons are $135 per person for 1.5 hours, with discounts depending on the size of your group). I’m always game for a surf lesson, but if you’d rather watch, treat the grandchildren to one while you take photos of them in action.

Where to stay: The Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach is located on cliffs overlooking the beach and has a heated outdoor pool where the kids can burn off any extra energy at day’s end. Rates are from $287 per night for two adults and two children.

6. Bluffton, South Carolina

When to go: Spring, summer and fall

How to get there: Bluffton is about a 40-minute drive northeast from Savannah. Alternatively, fly into Jacksonville, Florida, and drive 2.5 hours north.

What to do: Explore some of South Carolina’s most beautiful inland waterways and oak-shaded biking trails in the quaint Low Country town of Bluffton and neighboring Palmetto Bluff (a grand dame Southern hotel and vacation rentals await within a gorgeous gated community at the latter). It’s all about appreciating and enjoying the land and waters with your grandkids in this beautiful place.

Browse watermelon, okra, corn and other local produce with the kids at the Bluffton Farmers Market, open year-round, and pop into the Bluffton Oyster Co. to watch oysters being shucked by the pros during the Oct. 1 to May 31 season.

Getting out on the waterways here is a must. For the most exciting trips with lots of fun storytelling in the mix, request Captain Boo Harrell on forays with Outside Palmetto Bluff. He grew up in Bluffton and can take you out hunting for fossils like shark teeth, whale bones and giant sloth teeth ($850 for a group of six) on an island in the Savannah River, among other waterborne adventures.

You can also take to the waterways with May River Excursions, which leaves from Bluffton for dolphin-watching tours in the May River ($45 per person for adults; $35 for kids 12 and under).

Where to stay: A very worthy splurge, the Montage Palmetto Bluff is at the heart of everything and feels like a luxury summer camp for everyone with complimentary bikes, nightly s’mores around a firepit, tennis, fishing and more (rooms from the high $400s per night).

7. Lake George, New York

When to go: Summer

How to get there: Drive about an hour north of Albany, New York. Alternatively, you can reach Lake George from New York City (to the south) in about nearly 4 hours.

What to do: For an old-fashioned and family-oriented lake vacation in the northeast, New York’s gorgeous Lake George is the stuff of dreams. The 32-mile-long lake in the state’s Adirondack region has 109 miles of shoreline lined with hotels, cabins, vacation rentals and campsites, depending on the kind of vacation you’re after.

Kayaking, paddleboarding or swimming together in the lake — consistently ranked among the cleanest in the United States — is a favorite summer pastime.

You’ll want to step back to the stern with the grandkids for a view of the churning wheel during hour-long lake cruises aboard Lake George Steamboat Company’s Minne Ha-Ha, a classic paddle wheel ship with a calliope powered by steam from the boiler that always delights.

Drive about 30 minutes to the northwest to reach the hamlet of North Creek, where Beaver Brook Outfitters can take you out on guided tubing trips in the Middle Hudson that feel like a much wilder, all-natural version of a resort lazy river ($35 per person).

Where to stay: Lakefront Terrace Resort has a private lakefront beach and heated outdoor swimming pool and is just a half mile from Lake George Village. There are picnic areas and charcoal barbecue grills overlooking the lake on property, too, if you want to save on meals out (rooms from around $165 per night).

8. A Bahamas cruise

When to go: Year-round

How to get there: There are major cruise ports in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral (about 45 minutes east of Orlando International Airport) and Tampa in Florida — all of which offer cruising options in the west Atlantic Ocean.

What to do: If you’ve been on a cruise lately, chances are you noticed more than one group of multigenerational families traveling together. According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) 2024 State of the Industry report, 28 percent of cruise travelers sail with three to five generations. Embarking on a cruise with a grandchild comes with an inherent sense of adventure — especially if it’s their first time — and offers the chance to visit multiple destinations and engage in lots of onboard fun, too, while only having to unpack your suitcase once.

Cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda represent the lion’s share of cruise itineraries worldwide, according to CLIA’s report. You can sail out from ports within minutes of cities such as Cape Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa in Florida, in addition to Baltimore, Cape Liberty in New Jersey, and New York City.

If you prefer lots of beach time in the mix and fewer at sea days, MSC Cruises offers four-night cruises from Port Canaveral and Miami that include two full days at the cruise line’s beautiful private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, as well as a port of call in Nassau, Bahamas. Onboard, there are shows, kids, preteens and teens clubs and waterslides and pools to enjoy.

Disney cruises are always a hit while they’re young enough that the magic still seems real. The newest ship in the line, the Disney Wish, has a Frozen-themed theatrical dining experience complete with Olaf and Elsa, the AquaMouse water coaster and dedicated spaces for kids, tweens and teens. Itineraries range from three- and four-night Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean offers three-night Bahamas cruises from Miami and Fort Lauderdale and eight-night Bahamas cruises from Baltimore. All three call into port at the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CoCo Cay (a waterslide and waterpark paradise kids go wild for) and Nassau. The Baltimore cruise also visits the island of Grand Bahama.

Where to stay: MSC’s Bahamas four-night Bahamas itineraries start from $355 per person. Three-night Bahamas itineraries on the Disney Wish start from $3,950 for two adults and two children in veranda cabins. Interior cabins on Royal Caribbean’s Bahamas cruises from Baltimore start from $709 per person, from $397 from Miami and from $398 from Fort Lauderdale.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on January 17, 2020. It has been updated to reflect new information.