C’mon Grandma, It’s Time to Hit the Whitewater

My parents are doing this with my brother's four children as they each turn 16. I think it's wonderful!!!

My husband and I loved traveling with our grandkids. We tried to plan trips suited to their taste in an environment away from their normal routines. There are fabulous zoos across the country within a day's drive of most homes. A trip to a children's museum or a science museum in another city can be exciting. A clean motel with a swimming pool is fun. Keep the food simple and to the kids' tastes. Keep travel times short and fill them with easy fun activities. Card games are new to many kids today. Plan down time, even if you have to listen to Sponge Bob cackle while you rest. Research the area you are visiting to find what they offer for children. You don't have to spend a lot of money to make memories. By the teenage years the kids lives become complicated and busy so start early with "Special Day" trips. Have fun!

Keep burning those fossil fuels, America is counting on you, Global warning or spreading the Coronavirus, one or the other, is coming for your grandchildren. Might as well, enjoy while you can. Your grandchildren will always have you in their hearts

I was interested until I hit the first package price, $499 a night. I stopped reading right there.

Ok, you really lost me here: Hands-on activities (say, an escape room in a French chateau) ... Clearly, 'glamping' is a high-end endeavor.

This article is to say the least ill-timed. What is with you guys?

Article reads like one long infomercial for various commercial travel packages.

With the official end of the bull market, gram and gramps may wish to reconsider "packages" like those described at "from" $718 and $2200/night

Have had our two youngest tween grand kids come from the west cost to stay with us in the DC area for a six-week stay the past few summers. We go to the beach, our cabin in the mountains, or overnight trips to local summer getaways. There are ripples in the visits but we are bonded for the long haul.

Spending one-on-one time on an adventure together like this is a joy for all involved! I went on low-key beach vacations with my grandparents and my son traveled to Europe with his, so it can be widely varied and doesn't necessarily require a lot of expense. The idea is being together and doing something special. I'm glad that they included a young adult as well; this isn't just for the younger crowd (teens may be happy to do things with grandparents even if not with their own parents....). (even if the timing of this article isn't ideal, start planning now for when the pandemic subsides, as it eventually will ..... )

Over 60 years ago my widowed grandmother and I went by Greyhound bus from Dayton, Ohio, to DC and were there for about a week. I was 10. She had limited mobility and mostly stayed on the sightseeing bus at its various stops but I think she had a good time anyway. We were already very close but it was nice for me to spend "just the two of us" time with the most laid back adult in my life then. My parents paid for most of it. What a nice present.

All these options are pretty expensive. How about some less expensive ones. I can see getting a cabin or platform tent in a state park being a nice alternative. Add a short boat rental and some M&M poker by the campfire. Good times.

We've taken our grandkids, now 12 and 14, every spring break to a city since they live in the West and don't a lot of exposure to big city life. Last year it was New York. We did all the tourist things, plus musicals and Tosca at the Met. Although nervous about taking them to the Met, we found that they both loved it. We sat in the front row mezzanine, our granddaughter then 11, called her mom that evening, and told her that we had the best seats..."We could see everything- they were in the 'Mezzo Forzo' section." Great memories for all of us...This year it's Boston. Their Grandpa and I heartily recommend doing a trip with your grandkids.

First, I agree with Terry in California. Poor timing for this article given COVID-19. Also, I’d love to have the income and health that would allow extensive adventure travel with my grandchildren. My poor grandkids have to make do with long walks in local parks, cookie baking, tickle fights, etc. It isn’t fancy travel that’s most important, but every precious moment spent doing everyday things. Moreover, not all grandparents are physically up to many of the activities mentioned. This piece is guilting me into feeling like I’m not being the best possible granny.

My parents took my oldest nephew on several Road Scholar Intergenerational trips and had a wonderful time. However my father passed away before my youngest nephew as ready to travel, and mom was too ill to take him. Road Scholar allowed me as the aunt to attend the Grandparent/Grandchild trips. We had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend Road Scholar - and I'm sure many of the other companies listed in the article are wonderful as well. We had a great time, learned something and made many memories on the three trips we went on together.

What a nice article. My grandmother lived in Mexico and had me and my 4 siblings come down there for a week when we turned 13. What fun and something I will cherish forever.

My grandparents are in their nineties and have always wanted to go back to Venice (they visited in the early 1970s). This article really is timely because I found some cheap flights out of Seattle! And guess what, no crowds! In all seriousness, why would you run this article today, a day when the elderly (and the young) are being asked to curtail all travel?

Nice piece. My wife and I who live not far from the CA border have taken our grandson up to the Zoo and Dinosaur Park in Grandby Qc at age 5 and 6. I can tell you it was some of the highest quality time we’ve had with our grandson who is now 7. I would estimate that we paid about 250 per day total with admissions, meals, hotel and even gas. It would have been nice if the authors would have been able to provide examples of trips that mortals like us could have afforded. Given the choices provided I’m afraid more people would dismiss the idea thinking’s it is only affordable only to the 1%ers. I would encourage them to research and they will find great alternatives. Like my wife always says, they are only young once and it’s for a short time. Enjoy those Grandkids!!!

My grandchildren live in Japan and I live in the United States. My options to see them have become very sketchy. I have been urging my daughter and family to come back here to live in my semi-rural area now until the virus eases up a bit. But so far they haven't. They are young and healthy and will likely easily survive a bout of the coronavirus. I'm not sure about myself. At 67, I've dodged some health care bullets but the virus? Sure don't know. I want to see my family in person again but I may not. It's a new reality I must face with courage, as do others. They are due to visit here in late April but I don't feel good about it. They may have to be quarantined for the first 14 days of their visit, if they are allowed to travel here at all. And for the first time in my life, if my daughter needs me, I wouldn't be able to fly there to help her. This breaks my heart as a mom. This virus affects so many people in so many ways. I realize we are all in this together.

I love this article....even though the plans will be on hold until we get past the Corona Virus. Great ideas for memorable trips.

Love gramping. We choose what will be a busy work week for me each summer and my parents take the kids gramping. Their cousins can't wait to age in!

We took three of our adult grandchildren rafting on the Colorado River at Glen Canyon. They will remember it for all of their lives.

Teach your grandchildren well. Rich experiences grow better children. I plan on traveling with mine as much as possible preferably to see other cultures and hear foreign languages. I call it the anti MAGA.

So far, I’ve taken four of my 11 grandchildren out of the country. All around the age of 12. Three were very successful and it helped to open their eyes as to how the US is perceived by others. As to the 4th, her mother told me after we were out of the country that she has terrible anxiety which I didn’t know. And we had met frequently to go over our destination and what to expect etc. So why did she choose Costa Rica after all the videos and books when she is afraid of flies, birds, butterflies, spiders, snakes? You may not be able to go now, but just planning a future trip is a bonding experience!

Why are all the families portrayed in this article white? The article lacks diversity re race/ethnicity and the places described are extremely expensive. Next time show grandparents and kids pitching a tent in the backyard, hiking in nearby mountains, riding bikes while exploring a different part of their hometown or best yet, together doing volunteer work.

Giving the prices of some of the trips ($499 a night, $718 a night, even $2,200 a night!), I see it not as a way for Grandma and Grandpa to bond with their grand kids but for the hotel or travel agent to bond with some of the grandparent's money! Why does it have to be something specifically designed for them? When the time comes, I'll plan my own trips with my grand kids and save major bucks!

These are wonderful but very expensive suggestions. How about following it up with ideas for those of us on a limited income?

Terrific article. Checkout the LL Bean guided Maine river tours. Building relationship through shared unknowns, the ones only wilderness can offer.

Isn't this article a bit ill-timed? This is precisely the time when older Americans should NOT be advised to "overcome distance and busy schedules" and "become closer through traveling."

We took our 13 year old grandson to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks for a week last August. It helped that we were already pretty close with Zach. I (grandfather) pretty much planned everything. If you love the outdoors, Yellowstone is perfect for this: magnificent scenery, outstanding wildlife - always searching for the elusive moose, but plenty of other wildlife, especially "larger than life" buffalo, thermal activity - so interesting, varied, and thunderous, hiking, river rafting, people from all over the world. Plenty to see and do. We had a rental car and went wherever we wanted to and stayed in Park lodges. With wifi in the lodges, Zach was able to get on-line at night for whatever 13 year olds get on line for. We had so much fun together. Zach now wants to go hiking...

Does Ms Abbey, 85, know about the Corona virus? Are you going to do a travel special next about taking cruise vacations, with the grandkids? Meanwhile Seniors are being refused refunds, by the Cruise Ship vacation industry; for cancelling trips that could literally kill them.

Play chess or read Harry Potter over Skype is with the grandkids.

Obviously these grandparents have very generous retirement packages, or work for companies with generous time off policies. Any trips I might have planned with my beloved grandchildren just tanked with my 401K.

NOT going to happen for quite a while. Exposing grand parents to travel in this crisis is criminal. Use FaceTime for a while and be glad you have them.

Kids catch Covid19 and don't get sick but can transmit the virus. Grandparents catch Covid19 from the kids and 20% die. This year's family vacation: Facetime

All any grandparents need - besides grandkids who live close by - is good health and lots of moolah.

We are two 70-year-olds who will be more than glad to pick up our grandchildren at the airport, anytime. One of our major sources of recreation is camping and hiking. In the past 7 years we have spent 2 1/2 of them (in total) camping and hiking. 55,000 miles traveling all around the western united states. 700+ hikes. Almost 3800 miles. Over 300 campsites, almost all in dispersed areas away from any civilization. So, what do we do with our grandchildren when they visit? We camp and hike. We don't need much in the way of "entertainment packages" (although when we do the Grand Canyon in 6 weeks with two of them we are going to take a train ride, horseback rides, etc.). Our belief is that our camping/hiking will be what they will remember most about us, and in so doing will realize how important they were to family members of our generation. We also want them to see that old age is not a death sentence--that you can still find wonder and excitement then. At this stage in our lives, what we can do for our grandchildren is about the extent of our usefulness. We take it seriously. Our blog is filled with entries about our grandchildren camping and hiking. This will be a way of boosting their memories of the experiences we tried to provide for them, to tell them how important they were to us. http://livinginthebedofapickup.blogspot.com/

The last thing a grandparent needs is a visit from an asymptomatic grandchild who gives them the coronavirus.

Nice life if you can get it....

Arrrgggggh. Cute and condescending. And, given air travel's contributions to global warming, wildly inappropriate. Wake up, young'uns. We old women and men of 2020 are NOT the old women and men of the past: http://www.newclearvision.com/2011/12/16/old-who-me/

A "gramping" package, only $700/night? Maybe if Grandma is Betsy DeVoss.

Questionable timing/placement RE: seniors traveling during a pandemic

With all the wonderful things to do in my hometown it’s a shame they chose to support a cruel industry - what about those electric bikes de Blasio?

And what do we get when we combine gramping and glamping? Grglamping? Glgramping?