The Best Summer Vacations for Grandparents & Grandkids

Industry marketing firm MMGY Global recently reported that 37 percent of grandparents in the $50,000 annual income range who took a vacation last year did so with their grandchildren, up from 28 percent in 2007. Additionally, 78 percent of these trips included all three generations. Especially popular are cruises, resorts and tours with all-inclusive options, kids programs and the flexibility to do things together as well as apart. Because these trips can get expensive and complicated quickly, plan ahead so you can coordinate budgets, schedules and preferences.

Costa Rica Rainforest Adventure

Looking to reconnect with nature? Let experienced tour guides lead your family on hikes, visit volcanoes and explore the rainforest in Costa Rica on a riverboat. The family-owned La Quinta Sarapiqui Country Inn includes a two-story butterfly house, gardens, two swimming pools and a game room. This week-long journey is suitable for all ages and has an array of activities to keep everyone occupied. The trip offers bird watching at world-class nature preserves, whitewater rafting and ziplining, relaxing massages and practice your Spanish language and dancing.

Shopping & Theme Parks in Wisconsin Dells

Want to stay domestic? Wisconsin Dells is a great destination for adults and kids. Plan day trips to the Mt. Olympus Theme Park and Water Park for fun in the wave pool, on the roller coasters and go-karts. Other options include: snagging some golf clubs and playing at many of their award-winning Golf Courses; horseback riding, zip lining and Duck Tours.

As the sun sets, there are several options for family-friendly entertainment from the Tommy Barlett Water Show, Rick Wilcox Magic Show to a Sunset Cruise on the Upper Dells. For those more interested in shopping, make a trip out to the Tanger Outlet Mall or take a break at the Spa Del Sol at Chula Vista Resort for soothing massages, facials and body treatments.

Exploring Grand Alaska

Embark on a 15-day adventure on land and sea exploring the vast Alaskan coast. See bald eagles, totem poles and other majestic wildlife and then board a cruise ship that passes through the state’s Inside Passage. With nearly 24 hours of daylight, you’ll easily have time to see and experience all that this unique destination has to offer.

Every detail of your itinerary is well planned and the excursions will more than meet expectations: visit national parks, take a flight tour over glaciers, travel via train through the Alaskan wilderness, meet an Iditarod champion musher and homestead and go on a rafting trip in a bald eagle preserve.

Magical Oxford, England

If your family prefers vacations with a scholarly twist, try Road Scholar’s Magical Oxford program in Oxford, England. You travel to sites associated with classic children’s literature like “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Chronicles of Narnia” and the “Harry Potter” series.

Photo by chensiyuan via Wikimedia Commons

Best suited for children ages 9 to 11, the 10-day trip includes a magical banquet in the Great Hall of Christ Church, famous from its role as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and guides provide detailed tours for kids and adults alike to explore other locales and meet characters made famous by the England’s most creative authors. It’s a busy, but well-planned trip.