Where did it say in the parent handbook that vacations are impossible if you have young children? Planning a family trip with our two young kids took more effort than planning our honeymoon.  But, with a little help from our friend the internet, we were able to plan a great vacation, on a dime and with lots of fun things to do for the whole family.

Family friendly was key.  We decided to head down to Monterey, CA since we heard great things about it and how family-friendly the town was.  They definitely lived up to their reputation.  From our hotel, to the shops and restaurants, and even the attractions (EXCELLENT aquarium BTW), everything was family-friendly and a lot of the amenities were kid-focussed.  Our entire time seemed effortless and our kids had a blast.  What a difference it makes when businesses, shops and restaurants make it easy for parents to enjoy a getaway with their kids.

It was great to see a community progressive in their amenities (parks and playgrounds were one of the best and age appropriate that we’ve seen), their retail culture (all the restaurants and shops had kid sections set out and safety proofing was evident), and even in their financial planning/policies (allocations from their tourism tax contribute to early childhood development programs and services for residents and visitors).  

It truly makes a difference when the community thinks about their littlest citizens (and visitors!). 

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