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Relaxing vacation ideas w/ baby?

aphex

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Brainstorming vacation ideas for this fall (Late Aug/Sept) for us to go with our baby (will be ~ 11 months old). We live in Florida and we'd like to go outside the state.

Wouldn't mind something like relaxing in a cabin near a lake, or a quiet beach somewhere. Any ideas? We don't want to be too far away from civilization, but as long as there is a town nearby were comfortable with it.
 
aphex said:
Brainstorming vacation ideas for this fall (Late Aug/Sept) for us to go with our baby (will be ~ 11 months old). We live in Florida and we'd like to go outside the state.

Wouldn't mind something like relaxing in a cabin near a lake, or a quiet beach somewhere. Any ideas? We don't want to be too far away from civilization, but as long as there is a town nearby were comfortable with it.
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Tybee Island Georgia. Did that a few years back when my brother got married there. Nice place. Pretty easy to kick back. Our son was 2 at the time, but imposed about the same amount on our ability to relax as an 11 month old would.

Alternatively, send baby to grandma and grandpas house.
 
Location will be immaterial to an 11-month old, so it won't matter if you go to a cabin on the lake as you'll still need to entertain the baby. Ideal location would be somewhere that relatives live you want to go anyway. They won't completely relieve you of baby duties, but even if the relatives only give you an hour or two to have lunch alone as a couple somewhere it will still be nice. Almost no matter where they are it will be "exotic" and seem like a vacation for you.
 
I wouldn't bother with vacations for next 5-7 years or so.

Almost anything before that = more hassle than to just stay at home.

Vacation = harder work/less relaxing.
 
I doubt you can really relax unless you go to a pricey resort with in-house daycare or give the kid to relatives.

Vdubchaos said:
I wouldn't bother with vacations for next 5-7 years or so.

Almost anything before that = more hassle than to just stay at home.

Vacation = harder work/less relaxing.
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well you're still seeing a different place and everything so you can still detach from your everyday life, at least for the part concerning work, places, food and people you see (excluding the family nucleus ofc).
 
Yeah, "relaxing" = give kiddo to grandma & grandpa and get some mommy & daddy time. As for suggestions...you live in Florida. Rent a condo in some fairly quiet, off the beaten track beach that you can take the kid out to play in the sand and splash in the water. When they are napping you can read out on the deck/patio/nap/ect. Once they go to bed you can enjoy wine out on the patio or deck with your wife and listen to the waves.

As for "not planning to take vacations for the next 5-7 years". Meh. My 5 year old has been to about 15 different states already. My 18 month old has been to about 10. Traveling with kids (the actual travel part) sucks. But once you get to a destination it's pretty fun. Get your kids used to traveling young and save yourself a pile of misery later in their life. My 5 year old is a real trooper when it comes to road trips and has done half a dozen 8+ hour long ones.

VRBO.com is your friend. Grab a house or condo some place and make it a 2nd home for a week. That gives you plenty of space and real kitchen to cook meals in. It's changed the way I vacation anymore.
 
Aruba is only a 4 hour flight from you. I took my young kids there and it was awesome. There is a great beach called "baby beach" that is perfect for young ones. There is a great butterfly park. Everyone there is very friendly.

Pro-tip: don't be a stupid blonde girl, get drunk and high and leave a casino with strangers.
 
My girl was my favorite traveling partner. I wouldn't think of leaving her behind and going on vacation. Shit isn't difficult. I have to question the competence of a forum full of engineers and scientists of various kinds that can't deal with kids...
 
lxskllr said:
My girl was my favorite traveling partner. I wouldn't think of leaving her behind and going on vacation. Shit isn't difficult. I have to question the competence of a forum full of engineers and scientists of various kinds that can't deal with kids...
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Getting a few nights away from our kids is a huge mental break. Hell simply being able to sleep in till 7:00AM without getting woke up at 6:15 by a 5 year old asking to watch cartoons on the weekend is a bonus. Double bonus if I can sleep in till 7:00AM and then have some morning sex without worrying about a kid bursting in the the room on you. Dinners are peaceful without any fights over what to eat/getting them to eat. You can do whatever you want without having to plan around nap times/meal times/bed times/snack times.
 
My brother in law just took his 1 year old to Hawaii. He brought his mother in law, too. So, if it's an option for you, bring a grand parent to help with the babysitting duties so you and your wife can relax some.
 
Anubis said:
you obviously fail on many levels if you feel this way
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There is a reason why I feel this way.

I have 4 kids and when they were very young we went on COUNTLESS vacations together.

Sure we enjoyed it and all, but at the end of the day it is more work/less relaxing than it is to just stay at home.

UNLESS You have $$$ and are able to pay a babysitter etc......we didn't.
 
When taking kids to new places it's awesome to watching them enjoying new things. It renews the wonder in the world. Beaches would work with a 11 month old, I think. He'll have fun playing in the sand and there won't be any schedules or such to worry about. Took my daughter to beach when she was 1 year old and she just followed her brother (2.5) around. Not sure how she would have handled a whole week though.
 
Vdubchaos said:
There is a reason why I feel this way.

I have 4 kids and when they were very young we went on COUNTLESS vacations together.

Sure we enjoyed it and all, but at the end of the day it is more work/less relaxing than it is to just stay at home.

UNLESS You have $$$ and are able to pay a babysitter etc......we didn't.
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My parents took us all over the place when we were young, and we were barely above poverty level (qualified for the lunch tickets at school). I remember getting on the airplane to go see my Dad when he was working down in New Orleans (no jobs in the Midwest in the early 80's for masons) when I was 5. I remember going to the coast and playing with the Puerto Rican kids in the pool at the apartment where my Dad and my uncles were renting.

Just this last weekend when my Mom was over for mothers day I continously amazed her at how many of the things I remember from a trip we took to Montana when I was 7. Very specific events, like losing the old 110 camera tha they set on the roof of the car, the Uhaul topper box on top of the crappy old 1984 gray escort wagon they had, staying in the Cactus in Motel and Dad getting a speeding ticket in a car that could barely do the speed limit. So many little things that continuously amazed my parents at what I remembered.

I don't remember just sitting at home.

Traveling with kids sucks, but don't discount what memories they create from it.
 
when my wife and i have a kid we don't plan to take the kid with us on vacation until he/she is like 4-5 years old, unless it is within driving distance. but if it's out of the country or requires a flight, they aren't going to come. they won't remember it anyways and it seems like it would be a hassle to take a kid that young on a flight and traveling in general. that is one good thing about living near your parents - you can dump the kid off for a week or so to go on a trip.
 
vi edit said:
My parents took us all over the place when we were young, and we were barely above poverty level (qualified for the lunch tickets at school). I remember getting on the airplane to go see my Dad when he was working down in New Orleans (no jobs in the Midwest in the early 80's for masons) when I was 5. I remember going to the coast and playing with the Puerto Rican kids in the pool at the apartment where my Dad and my uncles were renting.

Just this last weekend when my Mom was over for mothers day I continously amazed her at how many of the things I remember from a trip we took to Montana when I was 7. Very specific events, like losing the old 110 camera tha they set on the roof of the car, the Uhaul topper box on top of the crappy old 1984 gray escort wagon they had, staying in the Cactus in Motel and Dad getting a speeding ticket in a car that could barely do the speed limit. So many little things that continuously amazed my parents at what I remembered.

I don't remember just sitting at home.

Traveling with kids sucks, but don't discount what memories they create from it.
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5 and 7 years old is a lot different than 11 months old.
 
vi edit said:
My parents took us all over the place when we were young, and we were barely above poverty level (qualified for the lunch tickets at school). I remember getting on the airplane to go see my Dad when he was working down in New Orleans (no jobs in the Midwest in the early 80's for masons) when I was 5. I remember going to the coast and playing with the Puerto Rican kids in the pool at the apartment where my Dad and my uncles were renting.

Just this last weekend when my Mom was over for mothers day I continously amazed her at how many of the things I remember from a trip we took to Montana when I was 7. Very specific events, like losing the old 110 camera tha they set on the roof of the car, the Uhaul topper box on top of the crappy old 1984 gray escort wagon they had, staying in the Cactus in Motel and Dad getting a speeding ticket in a car that could barely do the speed limit. So many little things that continuously amazed my parents at what I remembered.

I don't remember just sitting at home.

Traveling with kids sucks, but don't discount what memories they create from it.
Click to expand...

No doubt about it.

Just remember your childhood memories don't give you the SLIGHTEST idea of what your parents had to go thru hehe....
 
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