We aren’t going anywhere this spring break, and it’s partly because my children’s breaks don’t overlap at all, partly because we’ve been so preoccupied with other things (extended house guests, a family reunion, planning summer camps and a big international trip this summer, plus all the activity around my book launch next month), and partly because I feel like we just drew a big blank when we were pondering where to go, and then life piled up, and we never came to a consensus. I know some of you keep a running spreadsheet of places you’d like to visit and itineraries that seem compelling and practical, and I need to get into this headspace. I am so organized about so much, and yet I often let travel plans slip right through my fingers. I’ve written about this before, but I have a hunch this is because my daily life is so logistics-dense that I shrink from any additional ticky-tacky undertakings, and the BATNA (business school acronym for Best Alternative To No Agreement, but we use the jargon all the time to talk through “what happens if we don’t make a decision / we don’t do anything” here) to not planning a trip is not exactly unpleasant (i.e., we just stay home and have a wonderful time doing all the quiet things we love — puzzles, games, elaborate meals eaten on our back porch, family walks!).
Anyhow, I’m determined to start copying down possibilities for us in the future. A couple of places I would love to experience as a family: Anguilla, Auberge Primland, Hawaii, Blackberry Farm, Pacific Northwest, San Sebastian, Tuscany, South of France, Portugal, Nantucket, Japan, Norway. (And the rest of the world. Ha.) We’ll cross Norway off the list this summer! We’ve not traveled extensively as a family but places I would definitely recommend and would love to revisit as a family: Aspen, CO (all of our recs here); New York City (yes, NYC! so magical to visit! — one of our best trips yet*); Disneyworld (magic, far exceeded my expectations; thoughts here).
Would you be willing to share your top recommendations for family-friendly a) hotels/resorts, b) destinations, or c) itineraries? Which trips have been stand-outs for you and why? Which destinations would you urge your friends to take their kids to visit? Please share!
*NYC Itinerary with Family.
I’ve gotten questions about this itinerary a lot via DM and email and never took the time to write this down, so I’m doing it now. We had the ABSOLUTE BEST and most magical trip to NYC last summer. It was fun to experience the city as guests versus inhabitants. Exactly what we did below:
Day 1
Early check-in to hotel — The Peninsula (we really wanted to be centrally located because we had plans uptown, downtown, and in Brooklyn, and this made it easy — also, rooms were very spacious and staff incredibly thoughtful and hospitable)
Cab to Central Park Zoo
Long walk to lunch at Pastrami Queen
Walk to ice cream (coffee for us) at San Ambroeus
Walk to the Met Museum (we had tickets to a John Singer Sargent exhibit — we lasted probably 30 minutes because kids were tired and it was so crowded, but I was pleased we got this cultural visit in)
Cab to and regroup at hotel, then we had our kids sleep over at our best friends’ apartment and the adults went out for dinner and drinks
Day 2
We picked up bagels from Brooklyn Bagel and coffee from Coffee Project (all close to our friends’ apartment in Chelsea, where our kids had slept)
Cab and then ferry to Governor’s Island (explored, had lunch, visited playgrounds — this is such a gem, and was so clean and empty!)
Ferry and cab back to hotel
Boba tea pitstop (can’t remember name, but close to our hotel)
Subway to Brooklyn to visit my sister and her family; kids spent the night there with their cousins while adults went out to dinner and drinks!
Day 3
New York Aquarium (in Brooklyn)
Lunch at L&B Spumoni Gardens (absolutely delicious and so authentic)
Coney Island!
Subway back to hotel
Cab to and early dinner at Virginia’s (East Village) — have the best memories of my daughter ordering a steak frites from here, and they still talk about this
Walk through East Village / Tompkins Square Park
Dessert at Ray’s Candy
Back to hotel — watched Disney movies in bed together
Day 4
Hotel breakfast
One Vanderbilt — my kids loved this and I was plastered to a wall, sweating through my clothes…don’t attempt if you’re afraid of heights (lol!)
Picked up sandwiches to go (can’t remember place!)
Check out of hotel
A little note on transit: We were judicious with taking cabs. Subway is the best way to get around everywhere, but with little feet and tired bodies, we sometimes leaned on the ease of taking a cab instead. But staying in the midtown area means it is a CINCH to get to all these places.
Post-Scripts.
+Magpies weigh in on how to plan a great family vacation.
+It’s just that — we have so little time with our lived ones!
Shopping Break.
+My new summer pool cover up. (All my favorite mom life bathing suits for the season ahead here.)
+Cutest pouches for travel, beach, Mahjong, etc!
+Love the neckline and details on this striped dress.
+Reminder that this is the best brush ever. Discovered via multiple passionate Magpies who insisted this brush belonged in “regrettably worth it” territory and they were 100% correct. Perfect at detangling and feels like a scalp massage — I look forward to using it every day! I also really like this as a tool when I’ve already styled my hair. It somehow doesn’t brush out curl/bend in the hair — just detangles. I’ve given this as a gift to several loved ones! THE BEST.
+While we’re talking hair, I am definitively hooked on the Crown Affair’s overnight serum. I apply it (heavily) the night before I’m going to exercise. Leaves hair unbelievably soft. Like you will notice an immediate difference in hand-feel. I also feel like it pays downstream dividends, i.e., makes hair healthy and happy for a long time. While you’re there: just noticed they released a travel size version/applicator of the best dry shampoo ever!
+Julia Berolzheimer partnered with Margaux on the most beautiful spring collection. SWOON. I want it all but especially these crochet sandals! These are a great wear-with-everything flat, too.
+Obsessed with this unique vase for spring blooms! So whimsical and charming. My go-to vase, however, is the Half Past Seven lettuce-edge style — it makes flowers so easy to arrange! The design helps them sort of fan out in this beautiful, easy way. A great wedding or housewarming gift, too. My other go-to for flowers: trim them very short and put them in little julep cups like this.
+Gorgeous coffee table book.
+Quince just released my daughter’s favorite swimsuit in a new pattern. I buy these in every pattern every summer — these are her favorite! While you’re there: new cotton rollnecks that look a LOT like La Ligne’s Marina.
+Forever drawn to SEA. Love this and this!
+This Marni bag is so pretty with that blossom embroidery.
+Two other pretty woven finds: these mules to wear with every spring outfit and this oversized knot bag. The brown variation has birds painted on the side!!!
+How CHIC are these marbleized and patterned paper trays?! I think I’m going to order a set to add to our coffee table vignette.
+Pretty mugs to welcome spring: these, these, these ($$$ — collector’s item), these.
+I use this sporty belt bag when walking / hiking / exploring and even running if it’s not too hot out (if it’s super hot I need something truly water proof for sweat). I thought it’d be a cute gift for a tween too.
+This snail chair for a toddler!
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Jen, if you come to the south of France you guys are very welcome to visit!! We will show you Monaco and Eze. Menton is a little gem as well, and Tour de Frances on Substack has all the best Nice recs. Blackberry Farm is on my list as a couple or for a girls’ trip but not sure about with kids just given it’s $$$$. Portugal and Tuscany are high on our lists! I’d like to try Castiglion del Bosco. Love the Pacific Northwest, especially anywhere with redwoods. I would say Hawaii is one of the biggest letdown vacations all around if you ask my family, and there’s definitely some questions about the ethics of it as well. “Wasn’t worth the long travel” was the feeling.
Our best vacations: Monterosso in Cinque Terre, Killarney, Lapland in Finland (your side is Finnish, no?), Switzerland. We want to go to Ireland every year and Killarney every couple years because I do think it’s nice to return somewhere regularly in terms of forming memories, and because everyone on that trip from 1.5 to 70s loved it. Incredible for large family groups.
On my list are Corsica, Saint Malo, Austria, Lisbon, San Sebastián, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Dordogne, Chiavenna in Lombardy, all the little towns of Italy and France. I’m a big fan of the “second cities” approach and picking the stuff less traveled, like Treviso in place of Venice, or going at unpopular times. Monterosso from Monday to Thursday at the edge of off season was incredible. Crowded by American tour groups on the weekend, not so much.
I hadn’t heard of auberge primland but what a stunner!!