Trip of a lifetime USA- CA or NYC?

[hakunamatatanoworries]

We have been saving up and have decided to take a once in a lifetime trip with the kids (6&8). We will never be able to afford this type of trip again so we want to make sure it’s perfect. Me and DH have always loved the USA and so there is no doubt that this will be where our trip is but we are stuck on where to go. We will definitely be going to Orlando for 10 days first as the kids really want to do Disney, the space centre and they want to do a boat trip to see crocodiles.

However we currently can’t decide where to go after- we like the idea of NYC (I have been before but the others haven’t) as we know we could visit the landmarks and museums etc for 3 days, we would then go to Salem for two days after (me and Dc are Halloween obsessed and this has always been a dream of mine). But I also worry that after a busy time in Orlando this may be too much.

The other option would be to go to California for 5 days, we would do 3 relaxed beach type days and then 2 days at a lodge in either Yosemite or Sequoia national parks. Husband loves CA but I’ve never been. I love the idea of the national parks as I’ve never seen that side of America and think it would be beautiful to explore, I also think the kids would have a bit of a wow factor with the scenery.

We really can’t decide which would be better! For context DD is very laid back and would be happy with either option she’s just excited to go on such a big holiday. DS is Audhd and is also very excited about the trip but I am aware that parts of it could be over whelming so we will have to explain the plans in detail to him before we go so he has time to process and prepare.

Any opinions or advice?

for the beach your better off staying in florida where they have warm gulf stream waters as the water in california is freezing.
otherwise both seem great options salem seems very interesting

I'd wait a couple more years. Its looking like a civil war may be about to break out over there.

I'd wait a few years more. We took DC to Florida aged 8 and 10. The younger in barely remembers it so feel we need to go again.

If it's once in a like time I would want them to remember it.

Of those two, California. The first option sounds a bit too busy, bordering on the frenetic and could be very stressful. Having been to New York a few times, first time visitors need a more than a few days to enjoy it properly. But i wouldn’t go to California for five days - could you save a bit more to go for a bit longer to spend some time in Los Angeles or San Francisco?

I really didn’t like LA. I don’t get what the hype it. Found it dirty and horrible. Plan some beach days into the Orlando part of your trip.
how would DS be in NY with it being so busy?

What about California but doing the theme parks there rather than Florida?

Or if you want Orlando I’d do a beach bit still in Florida maybe the Keys.

I personally wouldn’t combine Florida with NYC or California.

I’ve done all three and I’d choose California. I echo those above and wait til they are a bit older. 8 and 10 at least. The experience will be much more lasting for them then. I took a lot of similar trips with my parents and only at around 10 did they really lock in my memories.

If it’s ’once in a lifetime’ then wait.

You’re trying to do too much with your DC - that would be a tough holiday just for the adults! Choose 1 location and stick with it. Florida with a couple of theme parks for a week then a week in a beach location would be ideal. Save the west coast for another time.
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If it really is a once on a lifetime trip, I'd split it into two trips - years apart - until they're old enough to really appreciate it and remember it.

So I'd do Disney World now then come home (at that age they'll probably want to come home then anyway). Then when they're teenagers, New York and a couple of National Parks in CA.

I wouldn’t underestimate how big the US is and I’m not sure Florida + California is a good use of time, plus California is huge and it takes a while to get anywhere. Personally, I’d do less time in Florida and maybe do 3 places on the East Coast for 5 days each - maybe NYC, Florida and somewhere like Nashville or Austin.

We love America and go a lot however it’s not a place I’d take kids to right now. Plus if this is once in a lifetime I’d agree with others who say you should wait so they remember it a bit. Wait two years. Otherwise your youngest in particular probably won’t remember it at all. Orlando plus beach is a nice combo but really not necessary. The Disney hotels are like being at the beach anyway, I wouldn’t combine any of them. I’d just pick which one you prefer. Disney and universal combined is a brilliant holiday for an 8 and 10 year old if the country has stabilised by then.

There’s a lot of travelling between beach/yosemite/sequoia in CA, and NY and Salem - how are you planning to do this?

I was going to say CA when I opened this, mostly to also suggest Disney there but I see you’re already doing Orlando.

What time of year are you going?

I’d probably look at Maine, or maybe even Boston instead of NY. Arcadia in Maine is my favourite national park so far (I preferred to Yosemite because of the coast), and we did Salem and Arcadia in the same trip. It’s much slower paced than any of the cities.

Boston is slower paced than NY, lots to do still and v close to Salem.

So on balance I’d be doing Florida then New England, but not NY. And California is probably my favourite state, but probably not the best for your itinerary.

I would agree with the suggestions re staying a longer time in Florida and exploring the beaches there on the Florida keys, and the Everglades etc, Kennedy space centre. I would not introduce NY into the mix with your kids the ages they are. Salem in Massachusetts is a long way from NY, how would you fit it all in..

we are also visiting the US in August. We are focussing on the East coast from DC through to NY, Cape Cod and Boston (where a day trip to Salam is very doable)

Like a PP said, I would go to California but do the theme parks there rather than Florida to save on travel. The National Parks there are incredible. And agree about waiting another year or two for the children to be older.

We’ve done both, great memories for each trip but we waited until the kids were older. 16 and 13 when we went to the west coast. Couple of years younger to Orlando/NYC.

How would you be getting around in CA?
If you’re hiring a car, get on google maps and start finding out how long the drive is between places you want to visit.

Edited to ask how many days from flight over to flight back ?

You are forgetting the impact of the time difference (3 hours) and flight time to CA.

As pp said stay in Florida or fly to Boston and do Cape Cod and Salem.

You cannot really mix NY and Salem - that’s 4 hours NY to Boston and then a connecting train. If I remember rightly they also weren’t the same station either

I don’t think you really need 2 days in Salem - it’s only 30 minutes from Boston and we did it in a day.

my DD really liked Boston - very different feel to NY.

I would agree that if this was a trip of a lifetime I would want the dc to remember it and they are still quite young.

Personally I’m not going to the USA right now as a protest vote

NYC! We have done that exact trip twice, Orlando for a week and they flew up to new York for a few nights. My family and my sisters, so we had kids ranging from 2-12, and it was amazing. We are NYC obsessed, so really hoped our kids would love it too. What was essential was having New York planned out really well. It can be busy and overwhelming if you don’t have a plan, we even had our restaurants picked out. And by and large we stuck to the plan. And the kids had a ball!!! Do it

I love California, especially the San Francisco Bay Area, but NYC would be an absolute must-see destination for me.

As others have said, 5 days is probably not enough time in CA, it is massive! Yosemite is amazing, but a flight away from LA. And it is also a long flight from Orlando to the West Coast. My kids really struggled with the time difference too.

Disney in CA is great, but not really comparable to Florida.

So, like others have suggested, my vote would be Orlando while they are young, with NY or a beach in FL afterwards. Then CA when they are older.

Enjoy, whatever you choose!

Definitely not America, I couldn't put a penny in that man's trotters. It's also about to be at war with Iran, or civil war. Wait a few years for a new president and things to settle down

We did Boston for 3.5 days followed by NYC for 3.5 days taking Amtrak between cities and flew to/from different airports. Loved Boston but kids may be bored after a run round the common and trip to Salem. NYC was a huge disappointment. I am not naive, consider myself streetwise-regularly travel to big cities, worked in many 'rough' towns and locations and have never felt as unsafe as in NYC. Felt it was a big let down, except 911 museum and Hudson River cruise both of which would not take children your age to.

I think I would find NYC tiresome with kids. It seems a bit crazy to do Orlando and then California beaches. Do parks + beaches in the same state, surely?

I would stay in Florida and hit the beach or do a short cruise, the extra flights, long distances driving in California or crazy busy New York is too much after Orlando unless you shorten Orlando /fl. why not just enjoy Florida in the full. Your dc are pretty young for trip of a lifetime stuff btw, mine really didn’t appreciate trips until 10+