Dear family travelers:

It's that time of year again. The time when at Little League games, waiting to pick the kids up at school, at the office and in the backyard parents are asking each other...SOOOO Where are you going on vacation this summer???  TakingTheKids is here to help! 

Of course money is tight. Of course it is tough to schedule between your jobs, the kids' camps, summer school... sports... But we should all make vacation a priority, even for a few days. It's a chance to reconnect and relax and remember what matters about being a family.

We've put together 51 Great Summer Family Vacation Ideas. Here are seven options you may not thought of:

1. TAKE A LONG WEEKEND and visit a city near your home-Baltimore, Indianapolis, Denver, Kansas City and explore like a tourist. Go to a baseball game, a museum, a festival, a locally run restaurant. Check the city's official tourism website for the latest deals and to see what special family offerings are available when you want to visit. Let each child plan a day of the itinerary. You will be amazed where they lead you! Here's what I wrote about Baltimore and the amazing Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the largest in the country.
2. FEED THE CHICKENS on a farm vacation. Here's your chance for the kids to see where their food comes from! Eggs are collected fresh from the hen house, carrots are pulled from the ground, berries from a bush. There is a rhythm to the chores. There are stars in the sky. And, there is dinner (and play) all together as a family. Go to Farm Stay U.S. for a directory with over 975 working farms and ranches across the U.S. (in all 50 states and U.S. Territories).

   Now available for purchase!

3. GO TO CAMP AS A FAMILY--Take your pick off camp-like resorts from Maine (Migis Lodge-- here's what I wrote about it) to California (Montecito Sequoia Lodge and Summer Family Camp and the The Appalachian Mountain Club programs in New England. Many traditional camps also open their doors to families during specific weeks at the end of the summer. The American Camp Association's Find a Camp database lists over 400 family camps
4. HOUSEBOAT ON LAKE POWELL is a great laid-back vacation with family and friends. As you cruise through spectacular sandstone canyons on the border of Arizona and Utah-there are nearly 2,000 miles of coastline-you can swim, water ski, fish, explore side canyons, camp on the beach. Share a boat and the trip is even more economical. You can also houseboat elsewhere, of course. Houseboating.org gives you options around the country with some houseboats starting at under $500 a week. Here's what I wrote about houseboating.
5. AVOID THE CROWDS IN NATIONAL PARKS by skipping the most popular ones. You've got 397 National Parks to choose from! See towering trees in Sequoia & Kings Canyon in California, the fantastic Badlands of South Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt in North Dakota, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison or Mesa Verde in Colorado and North Cascades in Washington. How about going to Carlsbad Caverns in NM to see the bats fly out at night? Here's what I just wrote about National Parks and kids.
6. VOLUNTEER, especially if your kids are older, even as part of your trip. The website Together for Good lists over 90 places that families can give back on a land-based vacation or cruise in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Organizations like Cross-Cultural Solutions, Earthwatch and Global Citizens Network can help you find an appropriate volunteer opportunity.   Volunteer America connects families with volunteer vacations on public lands all across the United States.
7. HIT THE SLOPES IN SUMMER. There's nothing like that clear mountain air where you can hike, fish, mountain bike and score a bargain on lodging more than half off winter prices. Look for summer deals across the country at ski resorts from Vermont to Colorado, Utah and California.  My favorite ski towns in summer include Stowe, Vt, (visit the Ben&Jerry Factory!) Park City, Utah (Alpine Coaster or Zipline?) and Aspen, CO (Meet the resident Golden Eagle Belle! ) Here's what I wrote aboutHere's what I wrote about Vermont in summer.