Many family vacation ideas center around attractions such as Disney World, or resorts such as Mexico. While these may make for great family vacations, they can be crowded, expensive, and overwhelming. Here are some family vacation ideas that can be affordable, relaxing, and refreshing.

Pull out a map and find an area nearby that will provide beautiful scenery. This may be a forest, lake, or rolling field. Provide the children with a cheap camera, binoculars, and a journal. Have a map on hand as well. Pack a lunch and head out, or throw everything in the car and plan to stop at different locations. This may seem boring, and the children may protest that this is the worst of all family vacation ideas, but once they are out there it is hard for them to not have fun exploring.

With affordable air line travel as an option, it is tempting to overlook the enjoyment and family bonding that can take place during a road trip. The best way to do this is to make the focus the journey and not the destination. Find fun places to stop and see every day. These may be museums, landmarks, or out of the way things you notice in passing. Do not forget to look into tours of things such as factories, walking tours, or historical buildings, which can be fun and interesting. And last of all, grab some audio tapes which can often be rented from your local library, and delve into a good book between stops.

Ok, so you’re not one to do without toilets and fresh running water. No problem. There are numerous places that have cabins where you can get the experience of camping and being part of nature without leaving behind those comforts of the modern world. There are also many camping sites where you can sleep in a tent and still enjoy a main building with flushing toilets, showers, and often even a convenience store.

What makes camping stand out when looking into fun family vacation ideas? There is a lot to do that incorporates the whole family while avoiding the fast paced life. You can bring along a Frisbee or softball and play catch, go on hikes, or play board games. And don’t forget to bring along the smores and ghost stories.

These family vacation ideas are just a few ideas for creating a memorable trip. Taking into account the personalities and dynamics of your family you can alter any of them to create a fulfilling and relaxing vacation.