5 ideas for family travel adventures

Travel planning (and dreaming) is part of the fun. Here are five ideas to spur you into action.

Limelight Hotel

(Snowmass, Colo.)

This hotel serves as a perfect base camp from which to explore the Rocky Mountains. In the warmer months, hiking and mountain biking beckon families. When winter sets in, take to the slopes (the ski-in/ski-out access makes it easy), ice skate, try the indoor climbing wall and soak in a heated spa pool. Kids will gravitate to their own retreat, stocked with games, books and toys for all ages. Guests often begin the day in the hotel’s “living room,” where a European-style breakfast is served.

For more: www.Colorado.com; www.LimelightHotels.com.

Nickelodeon Resort Riviera Maya Gourmet Inclusive by Karisma

(Riviera Maya, Mexico)

Do you have a Paw Patrol fan in your family? Or a kiddo obsessed with Sponge Bob? If the answer is yes, then this all-inclusive, themed vacation experience might be for you. (There are special treats for grown-ups, too.) Guests of the resort have unlimited access to Aqua Nick, an expansive Nickelodeon-themed water park where multi-level play structures, interactive water features and kid-friendly slides will make memories. Older kids, teens and adults can take on the Soak Summit, a 59-foot-tall tower tempting adventure seekers with steep slides and trap door free falls. Located 20 miles south of Cancun, the resort offers a range of room types including swim-up suites.

For more: www.karismahotels.com/nickelodeon-hotels-resorts/riviera-maya

Skytop Lodge

(Skytop, Pa.)

This historic Poconos Mountain resort has been welcoming guests to its 5,500-acre playground, overlooking Skytop Lake, since the 1920s. In addition to golf, canoeing, kayaking, biking, naturalist-led hikes, rafting and paintball, families can explore the scenic Tree Top Adventure course. Expect high-energy fun that includes zip lines, suspended bridges, nets, swings and an aerial surf board. Ask about the Camp in the Clouds for kids.

For more: www.Skytop.com

Kingsmill Resort

(Williamsburg, Va.)

Families can play championship-caliber 18-hole golf courses that offer rolling hills, tree-lined tracks and coastal play along the James River. Young family members can learn from the resort’s PGA professionals who use a personalized approach through a variety of schools for junior golfers. Participants receive equipment evaluation and a take-home video analysis.

The resort also offers hiking, biking, Segway tours and fishing as well as organized kids’ activities. You’ll also find a lazy river, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a marina and a full-service spa. Accommodations include one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums and riverfront cottages with three or four bedrooms.

For more: www.Kingsmill.com

Multigenerational diving trips

Family Dive Adventures has been encouraging families to explore underwater for years. Now some of its earliest guests are returning with multiple members of their expanding clans.

And, of course, learning to scuba dive is a great way to discover all that lives in the deep blue sea and to gain an understanding of the challenges our world’s waters face. Margo Peyton, founder of Family Dive Adventures, advises families new to the sport to choose family-friendly destinations where the water is warm and clear and there is no current. She often recommends Bonaire, Grand Cayman and St. Lucia for beginners and early diving practice.

For more: www.FamilyDivers.com