Multigenerational Vacations for the Whole (Extended) Family

Holiday gatherings are great, but multigenerational family vacations can be even better.

It’s no wonder that multigenerational vacations continue to be among the hottest trends in travel. When grandparents, their adult children as well as grandkids go on a trip together they can interact by horseback riding, boating, hiking and watching wildlife instead of cooking, serving, passing the potatoes, and cleaning up. Holiday gatherings are great, but multigenerational family vacations can be even better. The key: choose the right trip, one that offers activities for all ages as well as opportunities for time together and time apart. Here are four terrific possibilities.

Grand Canyon Railway, Williams, Ariz.

Just after the sheriff wins a showdown with the town’s scoundrels, you board the historic, 1901 Grand Canyon Railway in Williams for the two-hour plus trip to the iconic national park. The train gives you the luxury of relaxing instead of driving and the ability to enjoy the views of Ponderosa pine woods and sagebrush-dotted fields. Kids like the guitar-playing and singing cowboys plus the faux train robbery by the dastardly Cataract Creek Gang. Conveniently, the train pulls into the park at the foot of the historic El Tovar Hotel, a good place for lunch. Meal, train and lodging packages can include one night at the park’s Maswik Lodge North, which gives you a day to explore the canyon’s wonders on your own, and a return trip departing at 3:30 p.m for another night in Williams. Sunset and sunrise will be highlights of your stay.

For more information, visit thetrain.com or call 800-THE-TRAIN (843-8724).

The Oasis at Death Valley, Furnace Creek, Calif.

Come to The Oasis at Death Valley and stay at The Ranch. The former working ranch has been transformed into the family-friendly heartbeat of The Oasis at Death Valley and the perfect home base for exploring the largest national park in the lower 48 states – Death Valley National Park. Offering a classic mid-century feel, guest rooms are adjacent to the Furnace Creek Golf Course on sprawling lawns with easy access to the ever-refreshing 87-degree spring-fed pool, sports courts, and children’s playground. Many rooms open onto patios, while others have balconies overlooking the grounds. Plus, The Ranch offers horseback and carriage rides at our stables, Jeep rentals to explore the park in a rugged 4×4, and full 18-hole golf course – the lowest elevation course in North America.

For more information, visit oasisatdeathvalley.com or call 800-236-7916.

Cedar Creek Lodge – Located Just Outside Glacier National Park, Mont.

Take your family to Big Sky Country and discover the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park. The 64-room Cedar Creek Lodge and Conference Center (opened in July 2016), a AAA Three-Diamond property, is the perfect home base and located in Columbia Falls, Montana, just outside of Glacier National Park. The modern mountain lodge is open year-round, and the perfect home base for taking your family hiking, biking, fishing, golfing, and other activities in and around Glacier National Park.

Sea Island, Ga.

Located on the Georgia coast, Sea Island — a collection that includes The Cloister and The Lodge, both Forbes Five-Star rated, the Cottages and The Inn at Sea Island — is known for its championship golf courses and award-winning spa, great for grownups and teens, as well as its kid-friendly dune-bordered beach and Camp Cloister activities for ages 3 to 14. The resort’s family reunion specialist can assist you with selecting the right combination for your family of bike outings, dock fishing, eco tours, kayaking, horseback riding, and star gazing as well as plantation suppers and Low Country boils, both complete with family games and music.

For more information and reservations, visit seaisland.com/family or call 800-SEA-ISLAND (732-4752).

For more travel experiences available from Xanterra Travel Collection^® and its affiliated properties, visit xanterra.com/stories.