Taking the kids: And getting ready for summer fun

Are you looking for bragging rights, or just some fun in the summer sun?

Maybe you snagged tickets (and hotel reservations) for the Paris Olympics. Maybe you are getting your camera lenses ready to photograph polar bears in the Arctic. Maybe you just want to kick back on a beach, hiking or biking in the mountains or indulging your inner foodie as you explore a new city.

It seems lots of us will be heading away. As the summer travel season begins this weekend, AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. AAA expects 3.5 million air travelers Memorial Day weekend, the most crowded Memorial Day weekend at airports since 2005.

Whether you are taking the kids or getting away without them while they are away at camp or visiting relatives, we’ve got lots of choices for you. With our partners at Family Travel Forum and Little Family Adventure we have put together 51 terrific options for summer fun that are guaranteed to please wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do.

Heading across the pond? You will have a lot of company. According to Allianz Partners' Top 10 Summer Travel Destinations survey for 2024, international travel will be up 15 percent this summer over last year. Cancun leads the Top 10 international roster of global beaches, including Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Montego Bay, Jamaica, as the cities of London (always a family favorite), Paris (likely because of the upcoming summer Olympics) and Dublin nab the top three spots.

Domestic travel is predicted to cool by 5 percent, however, but domestic hotspots still take the lion’s share (68 percent) of Americans’ summer itinerary bookings. Orlando, Seattle, Boston, New York, and Honolulu are in the top five of domestic destinations this summer.

And despite concerns about inflation, the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American Travelers reports that 30 percent of us plan to spend more this summer compared to last year while more than half of us plan to spend about the same.

Here are seven of our favorite summer bets:

Save big on Caribbean getaways over the summer when prices on flights, as well as hotels, drop significantly. The U.S. Virgin Islands offer exclusive deals for travelers looking for beautiful beaches and rich cultural heritage. U.S. citizens won't need a passport, for example, to attend the free St. John Celebration (June 30 to July 4), a colorful celebration with music, food and, of course, fireworks. St. Barts is making a play for families, highlighting kid-friendly accommodations at Le Sereno and Hotel Manapany, touting 25 percent off for a five-night minimum stay. Barbados, famous for its African-British heritage and history (it gained independence from Britain in 1966), and adventures from caving to surfing, offers good deals on all-inclusive resorts, including the island’s newest, the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle where we recently stayed.

CRUISE ON A SMALL SHIP. As long as you don’t mind that there won’t be water slides, glitzy entertainment, or dozens of eateries, you can have a much more personal experience. Small means you can kayak past snacking bears in Alaska, snorkel where and when you choose in the British Virgin Islands or get up close to amazing wildlife in the Galapagos Islands. You likely will find that the costs will be the same or perhaps less than aboard megaships, as everything, even excursions, are included. AdventureSmith Explorations can arrange cruises everywhere from Alaska to the Galapagos Islands to Hawaii, the Amazon, Belize, Europe and more. Adventurous families can opt for a crewed sailing trip on a private yacht with The Moorings everywhere from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean to Thailand.

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