Family Adventure Vacations: Five Websites To Help You Plan An Unforgettable Family Vacation

I know what you’re thinking: it’s only March. But, blink and your summer vacation will have come and gone.  Blink again and your children will be learning to drive and, before long, heading to college, careers and families of their own. Is it ever too early to plan your family vacation? The sooner you make plans and reservations, the more likely you are to get the exact dates and family adventure of your choice.

Here are a handful of websites and blogs to help you plan your summer fun:

O.A.R.S.

If you’re interested in gathering your family for an adventure-based getaway, your first call should be to an O.A.R.S. Adventure Consultant. These world-traveling, river-savvy folks have more than 100 years of combined experience in the industry. They are friendly, knowledgeable, quick to respond to your inquiries and know what questions to ask to direct you to your ideal vacation. They’re so good, in fact, that O.A.R.S.’ Reservations Manager, Mindy Gleason, has thrice been named as a “Top Travel Specialist” by Condé Nast Traveler.

We Just Got Back

The New York Times called one of our Twitter buddies, We Just Got Back, “an authoritative voice in family trip-planning.” They were selected as a 2009 Gold Magellan Award Winner by Travel Weekly magazine, one of the industry’s most prestigious honors. We Just Got Back covers topics from national parks to cruises to how and what to pack and how to plan a vacation with preschool children and just about everything in between.

Tyra McCart Swanson, O.A.R.S. Adventure Consultant for Utah and Wyoming, suggested the following family-friendly blogs. Each site offers insightful advice from traveling moms, and all the information comes from first-hand experience.

Travel Savvy Mom

The Travel Savvy Mom blog offers reviews from a collection of moms from all over the world who’ve “been there and done that.”  Travel savvy moms review family-friendly hotels, gear and destinations and give honest reviews. You know a site is good when it begins with, “The idea for Travel Savvy Mom was hatched in 2003 when Jamie Pearson’s 3-year-old daughter threw up in a hotel dining room in Belgium.  In the mortifying moments that followed, she caught the vomit in her cupped hand, called to the waiter for help, and was (eventually) handed a single paper napkin.”

Traveling Mama

TravelingMamas.com was created by travel writer Shannon Hurst Lane to inspire women to get out there and explore the world — whether that means vacations with the kids, “soul-oh” trips, girlfriend getaways or romantic escapes. The blog is syndicated in national online outlets and has won numerous awards. Traveling Mamas’ four contributors offer tips on places to visit with children and how to have the best family vacations. They also provide travel industry news, as well as review travel gear. They say they love to give things away…

Family Rambling

Family Rambling blog editor, Jody, began writing about traveling with children in early 2005 at a blog called Have Kid Will Travel. By 2009 her site had grown so popular that many other sites were using its name in some form or another. So she regrouped, rebranded and came up with her new site, Family Rambling. Jody offers tips for drama-free drives and camping check lists to why you should talk to strangers when you travel. She’s from Iowa, so you just know she’s going to be honest in her advice and reviews.

Do you have other suggestions? Let us know!

Written by Tracy

Writer, Photographer, former Waterblogged Editor