“So what was your favorite state?” Part 1

After returning to work/school in September, many of my colleagues knew that we vacationed in Hawaii over the summer and completed our quest to visit all 50 states… the most common question asked seemed to be, “Now that you’ve visited all 50 states, which one was your favorite?” This really puzzled me because we have really loved many different states for many different reasons. It dawned on me that there were indeed multiple answers to this question, and the answer depends upon what we were traveling for. After discussing this with the family, we’ve come up with a few categories of travel to base these responses on…

• Traveling with young kids
• Hiking
• Wildlife
• Culture
• Underground Adventures
• Zoo’s & Aquariums

So this post will answer the question for the very first category, and then I’ll answer for the other categories in the coming weeks. “So what was your favorite state when traveling with young kids?” For us, that’s an easy one… Florida! When we first began traveling with our kids (in 2007), it was always to our timeshare in Kissimmee. We live in Central New York and the winters can be pretty brutal around here. We get hit with the lake-effect snow off of Lake Ontario and unless you’re avid skiers/snowboarders, the weather around here can get old pretty fast. So after being stuck in the house for more than 4 months each winter, we always look forward to heading south to the sunshine state once school ends in late June each year. We made this trip 4 times before we ever even thought of trying to visit all 50 states. We just love the sunshine, the palm trees, the beaches, and the theme parks. We often get responses from people about how much they dislike the summer heat and humidity there, but we’ve gotten used to it… also, it’s the only time of year that we’ve ever been down there, so we don’t really know anything different! We’ve learned a few things over the years to help us better deal with the heat. Each time we’ve visited (6 times altogether as a family) the heat and humidity has been less and less of an issue for us. Here’s a couple of our most important tips…

1. No cotton clothing! Stick to lighter-colored, moisture-wicking fabrics (darker colors absorb more of the sun’s rays and therefore hold in more heat)!
2. Have everyone carry their own cinch-bag or mini-backpack in the parks… in that bag, make sure each person has a frozen (disposable) bottle of water that they can drink once it thaws out. Also have a regular bottle of water they can drink right off the bat. Also, have a washcloth in there. You can wet the washcloth with cold water from the bathroom sink and use it to cool off, or just set it on top of your head like our sons like to do.

The first time we took our boys to the Magic Kingdom we were hooked! The sheer joy and happiness on their faces was something my wife and I wanted to relive as many times as possible before the kids grew up and got “too cool” for stuff like that. Like the signs say all around the park, it truly is “The happiest place on earth!” 

If your children are preschoolers through the age of about 10 years old, we’d suggest sticking to the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios) and LEGOLAND. However, when we went to LEGOLAND our boys were 10 and 8 years old and were physically a little big for a few of the rides (i.e. knees pressed up against the front of the seat). 

If your kids are pre-teens or older, the Universal parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) are great choices. Then, of course the waterparks are all great! Our all-time favorite waterpark is SeaWorld’s Aquatica. Everything about this park is amazing! From the number of waterslides, to the food options, to the cleanliness and fast-moving lines… you’ll definitely be impressed if you’ve never been there! Try Googling “Best water parks in Florida” and SeaWorld’s Aquatica is at or near the top of every one of those lists!

I could go on and on about each individual park we’ve been to in Florida (maybe that will be a separate post of its own at some point)! Lastly, the beaches are amazing! We love Daytona Beach most of all! It’s got great waves for the kids’ boogie boarding and is really clean for such a popular tourist destination. The beach is so big that it never felt crowded any time we’ve been there. Being able to drive right onto the beach and park is also really convenient. We’ve always packed a cooler with food, snacks and drinks, so that’s a big money-saver as well.

 Feel free to check out our Florida slideshow (on our Florida page here in the blog) for a small taste of what I’m talking about!