Beach/Ocean Vacation for 6yr old?

[tjfrancis]

My little boy loves learning about fish & sea animals, and keeps asking to go to the ocean. Where would be the best place to take him on vacation next June? We live in mid-Missouri and would probably drive, but may consider flying. I would like a nice kid friendly area, w/ other stuff to do besides the beach. He loves animals and zoos too. any suggestions????? Thanks so much for any replies.

[Brokate]

This summer I went to Daytona Beach, Florida.

It was a great time. The ocean was pretty calm, the beach was nice, and there were some fun things to do close by. I think about 30 minutes up the coast was a Dolphin exhibit, where you could swim/pet dolphins. That was REALLY neat.

Then there was Orlando, which was about 1 hour away. There is Disney World, Universal Studios, and Wet 'n Wild (a huge waterpark).


Florida is a great place to visit, and the beaches are usually really nice. I'd recommend flying, as it is a 15-20 hour drive.


Good luck.

[Coach Man]

Clearwater Beach offers white sands and usually calmer waters than the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida.

Nearby is Tampa, which is home to Busch Gardens, and Tarpon Springs.

There are also quite a few exhibits dedicated to Sea Animals in the area. The local CVB should be able to provide you with plenty of information.

Coach Man.

[fordarama]

Try gulf shores, Alabama.......
It is the closest nice beach to you, and has such a nice family atmosphere...
No wild beach teens, Just tons of family's.
The beaches are super clean, the sand snow white......
You can take the ferry across to dauphin Island to the fish Estuarium,
It's a hands on aquarium.........
It is cheaper in gulf shores than some locations in Florida, And there is also a Zoo, and fishing excursions,,,,,,

http://estuarium.disl.org/
www.gulfshores.com

[Donsgal]

Originally Posted by tjfrancis

My little boy loves learning about fish & sea animals, and keeps asking to go to the ocean. Where would be the best place to take him on vacation next June? We live in mid-Missouri and would probably drive, but may consider flying. I would like a nice kid friendly area, w/ other stuff to do besides the beach. He loves animals and zoos too. any suggestions????? Thanks so much for any replies.

I'd go to Galveston, Texas. Not only do they have a beach there, but they have a fantastic aquarium that I'm sure he'd love. I really like Galveston but I do not have kids and don't know what other activities would be available for a young person. But for grown ups its awesome!

donsgal

[nannac]

As Ford said....Gulf Shores is a great place for family fun. They have one of the prettiest beaches around, and there are lots of family activities there. Our grands really liked the Adventure Island and the Track. There's lots of mini golf, and etc. We took a Dolphin cruise that was very interesting.

[tjfrancis]

Wow, thanks for all the info. I got lots of great tips on here for out Branson trip in June, and I just knew you guys would come through for me again. I have heard alot of good things about Gulf Shores, and am leaning towards that route. But Galveston seems cool too. Hmmm...lots of choices. Keep the suggestions coming. Thanks again.

[StarsRUs]

We've been to Gulf Shores, Clearwater and Galveston.

As far as the beaches, we would choose Gulf Shores, or Clearwater over Galveston, but we don't have little kids, so not sure what activities each area has to offer for little kids.

Florida has so much to offer for family vacations, and a multitude of beaches that are great.

[Den&Holly]

We also live in mid-missouri and enjoy going to Mexico (Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Cozumel). The beaches are powder white with crystal clear water. Lots of things to do swim, snorkel, boat rides, etc. Our kids enjoyed the parks of Xcaret and Xel-Ha. There are many family oriented resorts and if you get a package through Funjet, Apple, MLT vacations you could get a deal. We live just outside of Jefferson City and find that flying from St Louis is our best option. The only thing is that you will all need passports to travel to Mexico now (but they are good for 10 years so you could get a lot of travel in that time!).