Cruises and beach vacations aren't what you have in mind. You want to take your grandkids on a "wow" vacation — something that years from now, will make them say, "When I was young, my grandparents took me on the most amazing trip!"
Here are some suggestions for one-of-a-kind destinations and experiences — and one more that kids always find super-special.
Yellowstone
Pick your "country" — Canyon, Geyser, Lake, Roosevelt, and the thermal area of Mammoth. Each section of Yellowstone will bowl you over, with deep canyons, craggy peaks, vast woodlands, alpine lakes, and rushing waterfalls aplenty. Herds of bison and antelope call it home. This park is hot, literally. Lunar landscapes steam, spit, bubble, and roar. You can see a lot from your car (remember, backed-up traffic signals wildlife ahead), but be sure to get into the back country by horseback riding or hiking. A naturalist will guide you in the four-day
Yellowstone For Families. Or sign up your 5- to 12-year-old to become a
Junior Ranger.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon rocks! One glimpse at this gorgeous gorge leaves an indelible memory. Ravens soar above it, and almost a mile below, the raging Colorado River looks like a straight line. Hike a trail, or give the grandchildren the thrill of a lifetime — helicopter over the chasm. And for something extra-special, overnight at Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams. A morning gunfight ensues just before embarking on the 1901 vintage
Grand Canyon Railway. For fun, musicians, bandits, and the sheriff have been known to board the train during the Williams-Grand Canyon round trip.
Wildlife Safari in Tanzania
It's always exciting to see zebras, elephants, and lions in the bush. Thomson Safaris not only allows you to see the wildlife, but also makes the trip a cultural experience. The company's family trips include a mentor who organizes kid activities. Best of all, there's a visit to a school, where your grandkids can have a game of soccer or Frisbee with the students and come away with a pen pal. A Grand Family Safari with Tauck Bridges lets you see wildlife below from a hot-air balloon, and visit Masai bomas or villages.
Hôtel de Glace, Duchesnay, Canada
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Sleep in the Ice Hotel and have an experience that is sure to remain frozen in your memory. You wrap yourself in a multilayer "mummy" bag and sleep in maybe an igloo or a room carved to look like a chessboard. Everything is sculpted from ice and snow. Youngsters have smaller bags or they can snuggle in your sleeping bag. What the grandkids might love — almost best of all — is the big ice slide. The hotel is located near Quebec City.
Israel
A trip to Israel is memorable, but visiting there with your grandchildren is truly meaningful. Seeing the famous holy sites of the religions of Christianity, Judaism, or Islam will resonate with them. Plus, in a location near Ben Gurion Airport, they will delight in Mini Israel's Lilliputian models of the country's sites floating on the Dead Sea, seeing animals that appear in the Holy Book at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, and taking in the sound-and-light show in the ancient city of Beit She'an.
Multisport Adventure
On Austin Lehman's Costa Rica Coastlines to Cloudforests Family Adventure, hike amid scarlet macaws, blue butterflies, and waterfalls in cloudforests; ride horses; raft whitewater; motorboat in search of rainbow boas, white face monkeys, and caiman; then splash around at Manuel Antonio National Park. Or swim with dusky dolphins, sea kayak, soak in hot springs, hike, pan for gold, jet-boat, mountain-bike, and raft with Serious Fun in New Zealand. Sharing such adventures is exciting and brings a family closer.
Travel for Good
Volunteer vacations give you and your family the opportunity to see the sights and to make a difference. Grandchildren learn an important life lesson: Not everyone is as lucky as they are. You can arrange mini-trips, like volunteering for a day at a New Orleans food bank, or — on a larger scale — teaching English and working with children in Cambodia, or painting a classroom in Cuzco, Peru. To help defray expenses, grandparents can apply for a $5,000 grant at Travelocity's Travel for Good program.
Churchill, Canada
What could be more exciting than having a polar bear come right up to your tundra buggy and stand on its haunches? The best time for seeing these endangered creatures is mid-autumn. If you visit in summer, raft on the Churchill River. Belugas abound and come right to the craft to see who is floating on their surf. At night, be awestruck by the swirling and colorful aurora borealis. Trips involve long hours in tundra buggies or rafts so kids must be at least 8 years old.
Learn about Native Americans
Go Native America offers
a Northern Plains Indians experience geared for families. The Wisdom Keepers tour explores South Dakota's Black Hills and the Badlands, while guides teach culture, history, and traditions. Learn about relationships between humans and animals. Look for buffalo, raise a tepee, and then sleep in it. Another lesson you and your grandchildren will learn: Reservation life is often one of poverty.
Walt Disney World
This isn't the most unusual spot for a vacation, but for many kids it remains the most exciting trip in the world. What can you say about WDW? It's like a rite of passage for most children. And no matter how many times they visit, there is always magic. Enough said.
Related information
The Ice Hotel is built anew every year. The 2009 edition of the Hôtel de Glace is scheduled for January 4 to March 29.
All the guides at Go Native America are members of the indigenous community.
Children who complete the Junior Ranger program at Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon receive a certificate, badge, or patch.
We've got more memorable suggestions for finding grand adventures in New Zealand, exploring Native American New Mexico pueblos, and spotting Condors Over the Colorado near the Grand Canyon. See stories in our Theme Parks section to make your trip to Disney one the grandkids won't forget.
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