Family vacations are the stuff of mysteries. Somewhere along the line, we’ve glorified and sanitized our childhood memories and turned long, boring road trips to awful places into treasured reflections on the way things used to be. And now we’re forcing those vacation fun times on our own children, even though they would rather be hiding behind a Nintendo DS screen and locked up in an Apple Ipod. So your goal, as a parent, is to find a vacation that will help you relax and unwind from work, and treat the kids to some really good memories, without breaking the bank.
Consider a trip to Lake Tahoe. This family fun spot can be a fantastic family vacation that creates a ton of memories. First, force the gadgets off. Turn them off and tune in to the natural beauty of the place. But since natural beauty isn’t usually something kids get into, you have to occupy their minds with activities.
Take them on a hayride. That’s right, an old fashioned family fun hayride. The new experience will teach them to appreciate nature by rolling them through it. Usually your riding partners will share war stories about vacations past, and there will be other kids to help keep them occupied. The Borges Family Hayride will delight mothers and fathers with history, family fun and great food. The wagons roll through pastures, alongside mountain streams, and end in a great Bar B Que where you can pitch in to help or just wait for the buffet to be set.
If breakfast is more your thing, drag the kids out of bed before the sun comes up and take an early morning hayride with the Ponderosa Ranch. Breakfast is old fashioned and included, and is a great way to fuel up for a day of outdoor fun.
Rent mountain bikes and hit a beginner’s biking trail, or skip the bikes and go on a family walk in the woods. Make a game of I spy looking for native fauna, and remind the kids to keep the noise to a minimum and they may see even see a deer.
If amusement action is more your speed and you want the kids to enjoy the same flavor of fair you grew up with, take them to the Tahoe Amusement park for fun, games and rides. This throwback to a traditional amusement park is a great way to build family memories. The rides include the Super Slide, a Trolley, the Tilt-A-Whirl, and an old fashioned Carousel. Get a tickle in your tummy at the Roller Coaster, or on the Paratrooper. Little kids will love the Miniature Train, Willie the Whale and Kid Karts. Be warned though. Kids may suffer fits of uncontrollable laughter, and your face may hurt from smiling too much.
Winter family fun memories can be built around skiing, snowboarding and discovering a snow filled wonderland in the slopes around Lake Tahoe. Kids can learn to ski at Heavenly Slopes, or Spooner Lake or even Squaw Valley, a short drive away. Show the kids some old fashioned sledding fun on the white gold that dusts the slopes every year. If a major snowstorm occurs, there are still plenty of ways to fill family fun time, including just sitting around the fireplace playing games and enjoying hot chocolate.
Lake Tahoe has so many family fun activities, this vacation destination is a place you can visit over and over again. Create a tradition with your children and grandchildren so that their warm memories of family vacation are real, and can be rediscovered at Lake Tahoe.
