Hellobee Boards

I think you can still go on vacations like you normally do but maybe lower your expectations? We visited a friend in Boston when DD was around that age. We still went and did/see things, ate out, went on a hike at a state park etc. We just also planned downtime for naps and ate dinner earlier because of bedtime etc.

i think the rental + mosquitos probably made the previous trip more of a bummer than the fact that you went with a 6 month old? Besides, 16 months is easier than a 6 month old because I found the months where my kid could only crawl the hardest to leave the house bc she always wanted to crawl but I wouldn't let her unless we were at home or a friend's house. Otherwise, it's just too nasty.

Beach vacations are always great with kids. But if you'd rather do something more cultural, you just need to make sure you plan naps and meals into your itinerary,

We visited Austin, TX when DD1 was about that age. We rented a 2-bedroom apartment through airbnb that had a pool. We took her swimming at the apartment pool, we visited Barton Springs, we went to the children's museum, and then we did the things that my husband and I like to do on vacations (visit local bookstores, go out to eat, see historical things--in this case we visited the state capitol). Renting the 2-br apartment was key because we could easily come back for naps and we could still have our own space. It's definitely different than a pre-kids vacation, but we enjoy seeing our DD have fun. Btw, this trip was a long weekend and that was a good amount of time away from our routine, I thought.

We've done Myrtle Beach (DS 8 months), Hilton Head (just shy of DS being 2), and plan on doing the Disney Cruise next year (DS1 3.5, DS2 6-12 months ish).

We've also done NYC (2x), Chicago, and a western MI trip (3 hour drive) with DS all before he was two.

We haven't braved going camping yet, but we want to do that too in the coming years.

@ElbieKay: You know what you would like then, is a trip to Austria, to a kinderhotel. Seriously, sounds like torture, but they have everything there you can dream of, even strollers you can use. And you're in the Alps!

@ElbieKay: maybe Costa Rica? We went there pre-LO and plan on going back with him. I didnt feel like this past trip was a lot of work but I don't know if he's just a chill kid (he's our first/only).

That sounds fabulous! Last minute vacations are the best! Something my husband and I try to do on vacation is to give each other some time - we do Vegas a lot so I'll take the baby while he plays poker for a few hours, and then he'll take the baby and I can go to the spa. That was you get some dedicated relaxing time. Also (this is hard for me) try to remember that you're on vacation and not to worry too much about your toddler's schedule. If he naps badly or goes to bed later than usual it's fine, you can fix it once you're home. Have fun!