Needing ideas for U.S. travel destinations with a 3 year old mid March. Would likely fly out of Dallas or Houston. Looked at a Disney cruise, but the dates don't align. TIA

Taking ours to Charleston

Back when we only had one, we did:

- Sea Island, Georgia
- Hotel Del, San Diego
- Moab, Utah

Anywhere with a beach is fun. And add bonus points if it was a reef so they can see the colorful fish.

We took our son to San Diego at that age. He loved the beach and you also have the Zoo there, which is awesome. Legoland and Disneyland aren't far away either. We stayed at the Del and then at the Hyatt Mission Bay, where we hired a captain to take us out on a little sailboat. Our son loved it…and then he fell asleep on the boat which was awesome for us. Finally had a few minutes of peace and quiet so we paid the guy for another hour to keep us out there.

Edit: changed to "we paid the guy" from "we laid the guy" because that certainly was not the case. Wasn't that kinda trip…

Adding to edit: hotels with cool pools are alway a hit.

What about a Royal Caribbean or Norwegian cruise out of Galveston? I know its not Disney, but they still have stuff to do for 3 year olds.

Beach wise locally I like South Padre. I like staying at the Courtyard as if you get one step up from the entry level room, the rooms are huge. Nice resort style pool, and then directly on the beach. It's also next to the pier so you can get out of the sun without having to rent an umbrella.

With that age, I probably wouldn't fly but rather due something within driving distance. I also love the JW Marriott in San Antonio Hill Country. Great pools and they have daily activities for kids.

Smokey mountain national park/gatlinburg/pigeon forge

Will also 2nd the Charleston rec mentioned above

Always a fan of San Diego for kids. Amazing zoo, Legoland up the road in Carlsbad, seal rock in La Jolla, tons of other options. And the chance of the weather cooperating is the best you'll find.

Thanks for the recommendations! We actually flew to Carlsbad back in October which was his first flight and he did great!

We're doing San Diego for an Astros game in August. Didn't think about Legoland, will need to check that out.

htxag09 said:

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We're doing San Diego for an Astros game in August. Didn't think about Legoland, will need to check that out.

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Words of advice: stay at the hotel but DO NOT eat there. The food sucks. Go to Port Pizza in town for good beer and pizza. The hotel itself is a ton of fun, though. My son and I loved it…even the elevator ride is fun. I think they've built another hotel since the last time we were there.

For the SD Zoo, book an early morning experience with the Pandas. You'll beat the crowds. They also have a safari park outside of town that we loved. There's an awesome zip line that takes you over the park. Check the age/weight requirements on that one.