Amelia Island Florida - Looks like a Great Family Vacation Idea

On Twitter this morning this Tweet came through from @travelingmoms:

All I could think of was "Wow Really?". We place a premium on family time around here. But one thing that we tend to have issues with (and we are all guilty of it) is releasing the technology...even when traveling and supposed to be on "holiday". There are only two requirements when I am choosing somewhere to stay:

1. It must have a King Sized bed; and
2. IT MUST HAVE WIFI or some kind of Internet other than dial up.

I must admit that sometimes it would be nice if we could just unplug together. Kim Orlando managed for the most part to get her kids to turn off the electronics and spend time together (OK she didn't' totally win but I think the compromise still worked).

What really worked for them was the fun planned activities, they made sure they included something for every member of the family. I enjoyed watching their activities and even said to Warren that the next time we are in Florida (we go often as my parents spend their winters there) that we should check out Amelia Island!

The original post was here: Amelia Island: Mom vs. Electronics

For more Florida vacation ideas check out our Florida Vacation Guide.

Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say  about Amelia Island at TripAdvisor

What are your suggestions for getting your family to unplug and get some family time together? Comment below, we would love to hear!

What About a Different Type of Family Vacation this Year?

Do you take a family vacation each year? What do you usually do?

Go to the beach?
Rent a cottage?
Go to Florida?

What about something a little different. Take a Family Learning Vacation?

Take a vacation where you all learn a skill like scuba diving or skiing?

What about a vacation where your kids will learn about a new culture – maybe a culture they learned in school?

Do your kids love dinosaurs? Take them on a dig for fossils in the American badlands or Alberta Canada.

Whatever you choose it can be a very rewarding experience for you and your kids. Imagine the family bonding as you learn about something together?

I know…I can hear your kids now – I don’t want to learn! I want to have fun! I learn at school why would I want to do it on vacation? This is why it is important to keep the following points in mind while planning your learning vacation.

1. Make sure you plan a balance between fun and learning – remember you are on vacation – it should be fun!
2. Make sure the whole family is interested in the activities, destinations and experiences.
3. Before you go, show the kids where they are going. This will get them excited about the holiday. Rent movies or read books about the destination or experience.
4. Take your kids on a sample activity before you go to make sure everyone will enjoy it. For example go to the museum or take a sample scuba diving class.
5. Keep your expectations in check – not all kids will love what you plan – so don’t get your hopes up or expect your kids to love it, you may be disappointed.
6. Learning may come from simple places, like interacting with locals, or eating local food.
7. Look to experts for advice or ideas – look for tour operators that offer these types of holidays for inspiration or to organize your vacation.
8. Be creative or do it yourself, look for learning opportunities everywhere. Who knows what your kids can learn, even on a drive to Grandma’s house. Are there places you can stop so your kids have the chance to learn?

Make your next vacation something a little different. Do some research, see what is out there.

If a learning vacation doesn’t fit with your plans, what about a themed vacation – Are you kids big fans of Harry Potter or Twilight? What about a movie location tour.

For more inspiration on a different type of vacation with your family - check out Themed Vacations for Kids.

Friday's Favorite Websites or Posts

I thought I would start a new weekly post about my favorite websites or posts that I found during the week.

I have met so many cool people online and have found some AWESOME sites and posts during my web travels.

I am very picky about what I recommend to others as I know their time is valuable. I only love to share things that I find that I think are worth looking at or may add value for you .


I post some of them during the week on our main site Excellent Vacation Ideas , but I think it would be fun to do summarize them here too.

This will probably evolve over time. If you find any sites that you think we should see then send please leave it in the comments section here.

This Week's Posts and Articles are:

Travel and Leisure Mag - Weirdest Travel Agent Requests
7 Reasons to Travel with Your Kids
8 Roadblocks to Family Travel
Top Travel Myths


This Weeks Sites:

10Best - Great Travel Guides if you are looking for the best things to do, places to stay or where to eat on your travels!

Everything Everywhere - Gary sold his house and hit the road a couple of years ago. This is his site. He twitters and blogs about his adventures. He is funny and great to follow.

Soultravelers3.com - they are a family of 3 that sold up, picked up and are traveling the world. Their adventures are amazing and fun to follow.

Waddles and Mr. Quack's (and our) Big Hawaii and Australia Trip is Fully Booked!

I can't believe it! The big trip is finally booked! Everything that has to be booked is booked. The binder is ready with airline e-tickets, Hotel confirmations, car rentals and tours booked! Our Calendar is done! Extra health insurance is topped up, and we have even started packing!

Not long now!

If you would like to keep track of our blog and use igoogle as your home page click here:
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Or at the bottom this screen find the "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)" and click it to join the RSS feed. When the next screen comes up click on "Subscibe to this feed" and in the box click "subscribe".

We look forward to having you on our adventures and the adventures of Waddles and Mr Quack!