My Top 2 Summer Destinations for Family Vacations

Summer is upon us once again and many are heading out to enjoy family vacations. Some head to the beach while others may not be so sure where they want to vacation. Here are two suggestions of places I have been that make great vacation spots for the whole family.

Panama City Beach, Florida

What could be more fun than sand, sun and the beach? Panama City Beach offers all of this, with many great places to stay! I recommend, however, the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. It's a very family oriented resort with many activities centered around children. For children, they have scavenger hunts, sand castle contest, and an area at the pool specifically for little ones. They have a great playground in the shape of a pirates ship. The Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort also has family movie night where children and parents gather at the pool and watch a movie on a movie screen. Parents, while your children are busy with the staff during the kids activities, you can enjoy and relax around the pool, hot tub, or beach. There is also a tiki hut that serves food and beverages. It is a great resort that you never have to leave in order to enjoy vacation. It has just about everything families are looking for in a vacation resort!

If you want to get out and enjoy the sights of Panama City Beach there are many things to go see. There is a Ripley's Believe Or Not museum with interesting artifacts. There is also daily boat trips to Shell Island where one can snorkel and find beautiful shells and see the magnificent ocean life. There are many race car tracks and putt-putt golf courses available. The main attraction though is Ship Wreck Island. It provides many water slides and a lazy river. You can bring your own cooler and have picnics in the designated areas so you never have to leave the fun! Last, there are miles and miles of beautiful, sandy beaches to relax on and soak the sun up while listening to the waves crash on the shore.

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania is a great place to go up North and vacation. It is surrounded by one of the great lakes, Lake Erie. This provides a great source of entertainment on the lake. There are a number of fishing charters that can be booked on Lake Erie. These fishing charters include fishing for Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Bass. Presque Isle State park is home to thirteen beautiful beaches located on Lake Erie with many areas for picnicking. Some of the beaches are handicapped accessible. There are two water parks as well that many can enjoy. Splash Lagoon is an indoor water park that is opened year round. It is one of the main attractions in Erie. The temp year round is about 75 degrees. There are many things to do there. They have a kids zone that houses the Tiki Tree House, Monkey Shines Island, and Adventure Bay. There are numerous water slides like Big Kahuna, Shark Attack, and Black Hole. Splash Lagoon provides a number of eating places, too. It truly is an all inclusive place!

Another attraction in Erie is Waldameer Park and Water World. These parks are located outdoors and are only opened in the summer time. This park combines two parks for those who can't decide on roller coaters or water slides or both! One side holds the roller coasters while the other has water slides. A pass combining the two can be bought for those who want to ride both. It's a great park with much to do, and all day entertainment for the family. Last for those who want to take it easy and enjoy a stroll there is Erie Zoo and Botanical Gardens. You can walk through paths of trees and different flowers to enjoy animals like Polar Bears, Lions and Tigers.

These two places are great for family vacations. There is so much to do at each one and they both offer fun for everyone. The only question is now, which one do you choose? I can guarantee you won't be disappointed with either.