With many local school systems sharing the same spring break (last week of March), now is the perfect time to plan for your family getaway.
Family travel blogger, Guiomar Ochoa, suggests these 4 warmer spots to break away from the cold and recharge your batteries!
San Antonio, TX
2018 marks the 300th anniversary of San Antonio!
From unique art exhibitions, culinary events, and festivals to family fun at theme parks and exciting openings, 2018 will be a can’t-miss year for the Alamo City.
The city will celebrate throughout the year with events and activities.
River Walk
The San Antonio River Walk is a green haven of paved paths, and beautiful bridges. It winds through the city center, providing visitors with easy access to the city’s cultural hot spots, historic sites and other attractions.
Alamo and the Missions
More than 2.5 million people a year visit The Alamo. For over 300 years, the Alamo has been a crossroads for Texas history. This is where Spanish colonization first took hold, Mexico armed its independence and even the Confederacy stood its ground. But it’s best known as the place where a small band of Texans held out for thirteen days against General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the beautiful Alamo Gardens. Just a short distance from the River Walk, the Alamo is a "must see" for all who come to San Antonio.
Botanical Gardens
The San Antonio Botanical Garden has added eight acres that will give guests an opportunity to explore and connect with nature and discover the value of plants, water, freshly grown food, and the outdoors. Major additions include a discovery complex, culinary garden and outdoor kitchen, family adventure garden, and more.
Morgan’s Inspiration Island
In 2017, San Antonio welcomed Morgan’s Inspiration Island, the world’s first ultra-accessible splash park where guests of all ages and abilities can get wet and have fun together. Located next to Morgan’s Wonderland, Morgan’s Inspiration Island features five major tropically-themed splash pads, the River Boat Adventure ride and support facilities such as the Wheelchair Valet, where guests can transfer out of their battery-powered wheelchairs into waterproof wheelchairs for maximum aquatic fun.
St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida
Enjoy a supercharged getaway with a vacation in paradise in the St. Petersburg and Clearwater area.
After a cold and dreary winter, it’s amazing what an amped-up, blue-sky, sun-drenched getaway on top Florida beaches can do for you.
Fort De Soto Park
Fort De Soto Park, at the southern tip of the St. Pete/Clearwater area, was named the top family beach in the country by Parents magazine a few years ago, for its calm waters and many amenities.
The Park has hundreds of family camping sites, swim centers, fishing piers, sheltered picnic areas, dispersed playgrounds, nature trails, and a historic fort. There’s even a wide, paved trail that runs for seven miles inside the park so bring your stroller or bikes (you can also rent bikes and surreys inside the park). They even have "Paw Playgrounds" for your four legged family members.
The Dali Museum
Explore the surreal world of Salvador Dalí. You can dilly dally at The Dalí Museum all day as you explore the Spanish surrealist's largest collection of works outside of Spain. Young guests can enjoy a game of I-Spy inside the museum guaranteed to hold the kids captive Ask for a checklist as you enter the museum, and challenge kids to find the hidden images and symbols in Dali’s works. Once participants have checked everything off the list, they can turn in the form to receive a surprise. Kids five and under enter for free.
Sunken Gardens
Sunken Gardens is a botanical paradise in the middle of the city. The 100 year old garden is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. Stroll through meandering paths, lush with exotic plants from around the world. Explore cascading waterfalls, beautiful demonstration gardens, more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers and a walk through butterfly encounter. It's the perfect place to let the kids roam free and explore nature, especially after being cooped up indoors for so many months!
Downtown St. Pete Mural Tour
More than 70 murals have popped up in recent years on buildings in the Central Arts District in downtown St. Petersburg. Get a sneak peek of these gigantic public works by browsing the neighborhood on your own, or take the walking mural tour to hear the stories behind their creation.
Craft Breweries
The St. Pete’s area has some of the most family-friendly breweries around. On any given weekend, there are more kids at 3 Daughter’s Brewing in St. Pete than adults. It’s no surprise though since they have a HUGE warehouse filled with games – from foosball, ping pong, tabletop shuffleboard, giant connect four, cornhole and MORE.
Asheville, NC
Are you more mountain people than beach people? Head to Asheville, There's something unexpected around every bend and find yourself immersed in their unmistakable mountain vibe.
The Biltmore
Believe it or not, the Biltmore is actually very kid friendly. Every restaurant has a children’s menu, the winery offers grape juice for kids and there’s a fun treasure hunt that you can use while you explore with your family. The activities and opportunities at Antler Hill Village allow children to “be a farmer for a day.” Here they can pet barn animals, climb aboard tractors and try their hand at butter making and grinding corn on the weekends! The estate also offers hiking and biking trails, horseback trail rides, segway tours, river float trips and fly fishing lessons for kids.
Mountain Creameries
The tour most likely to be led by a goat? The Asheville area is home to dozens of mountain creameries, honoring the time-honed traditions of Appalachian artisan cheese production. The WNC Cheese Trail connects a number of creameries open to receiving visitors. A great journey for kids, many of these farms let you get hands-on with their cows and goats.
Adventure Center of Asheville
Just minutes from downtown, the Adventure Center of Asheville is a must The kiddos will enjoy the Asheville Treetops Adventure Park as well as the recently added KidZip, one of America’s first zipline adventures designed for kids 4-10 years old, and Quick Jump - a 65-foot jump with a 15-20-foot free fall!
Asheville Brewing Co.
Because breweries seem to be a theme here, check out the Asheville Brewing Co….part brewery, part pizza business with a movie theater regularly showing children’s movies and a giant UFO on the roof. Yep! How cool is that?!
There’s a game room with foosball, pool, ping-pong and vintage pinball and arcade games.
Visit ExploreAsheville.com as a trip planning resource.
Savannah, GA
Savannah, Georgia is a charming Southern escape where art, period architecture, trendy boutiques and ghost stories are all set under a veil of Spanish moss. Discover the enchanting soul of Savannah.
The best way to explore Savannah is by foot. It’s an extremely walkable city, with 22 park-like squares arranged in a grid pattern.
Tricentennial Park
Tricentennial Park is 3 museums in 1 with a convenient downtown location. Explore the Georgia State Railroad Museum, Savannah Children's Museum & Savannah History Museum! Each bring Savannah to life - past and present!
Visit the Birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low
The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is perhaps the only “house museum” in the nation created specifically for girls to enjoy—though it is loved by everyone! At this unique house museum, owned and operated by Girl Scouts of the USA, visitors can trace the arc of Juliette Gordon Low’s life and the Girl Scout Movement she founded. The house stands as a National Historic Landmark honoring this truly special woman.
The Savannah College of Art and Design
If you’ve got artistic teenagers, a visit to The Savannah College of Art and Design is a must. SCAD has over 11,000 students from nearly 50 states and over 100 countries, so you know you’ll see things you’ve never experienced before. Sneak in a college visit during Spring Break!
Tybee Island
If you need beach during spring break, you can head over to Tybee Island just 20 minutes from Savannah. This is a uniquely charmed island that offers a change of pace and taste. Make sure to eat at The Crab Shack where you’ll see a live alligator exhibit and exotic bird sanctuary.
