Our Ideal Family Vacation!

It's the time of year when my husband and I start thinking about how we want to spend his February, April and Summer Vacation time (he's a teacher). With the rising costs of airfare, the added hassles at the airport, and a baby in tow, driving will definitely be our first option. What I like about driving also, is you can come and go as you please once you arrive at your destination - no waiting for cabs or trying to figure out public transit in a strange place.

As we plan for this year's trips, here are my top must haves for a great family getaway in the good old US of A!

• Scenic Route - since we'll drive everywhere, it's important to take in the sights while we travel. Driving up Route 7 or along Route 6 in Connecticut is definitely a great way to go. I like how trip planners often offer "scenic route" as part of their mapping options. Plus, we have often found hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bookstores by taking the road less traveled by. My favorite stop was a restaurant that WAS a bookstore, and they even let each patron take home 3 selections from their used book collection every time you eat there! (Called The Travelers Restaurant - last CT exit on Rt 84 East!).
• Locavore - Whether we stay close to home or far, we love to find local restaurants and stores that give us an authentic flavor of the area. You know, the ones still run by mom and pop? Where they hand make everything. And their children are working alongside them in the kitchen. And they get all their ingredients from local farmers. Yeah, those are our favorite kinds of places! Besides, we can go to the chain restaurants at home - when we're on vacation, we want an adventure!
• Water Works - I love the water! So we typically vacation near a lake, river, beach, or at least at a hotel with a good sized pool! Our favorite places so far have been Westbrook, CT; Block Island, RI, Lake George, NY, Camden Harbor, ME, and various campsites in MA, VT, and NH. Having water nearby opens up a lot of activities, from the basic swimming and sunning, to canoeing, paddle-boats, sunset tours, and more!
• Clean Bathrooms - no matter whether we camp out, stay in a hotel, or a bed and breakfast, clean bathrooms are a must-have for me. I actually check campground sites for photos of their bathhouses! I like there to be privacy, and room - with children running about, you need space to bring all their bath gear and to bathe them.

I have fond memories of my childhood vacations - we drove from New England to Ohio, to Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia and more... I remember playing in the car with my siblings, hoping out to look over the edge of mountains at rest stops, and the exciting feeling of being "on the road." I hope to plan lots of road trips for our growing family! So far, we have planned a trip to New York City for our baby's birthday, a tentative trip to Washington DC for cherry blossom season, and possibly a camping trip to Virginia in the summer. Plus, we want to take several day trips out to local farms to sample their produce throughout the growing season. Phew, that's a lot of driving, but I know we'll have fond memories and see a big chunk of the Eastern Seaboard in the process!

Where do you like to go on vacation? What makes a perfect vacation for you?

DISCLAIMER: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.