Family Vacations | Mom Blog | From Dates to Diapers™

Most people love visiting Hawaii, but have you ever thought to compare Hawaii to Costa Rica?

I suspect many haven’t. I sure didn’t, at least not until 2005 when I visited this gem of a Central American country.

About the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined and with a population of only 4.5 million, this country’s overwhelming natural beauty lived up to its billing.

I spent nearly five days hidden away in Costa Rica’s lush mountain rain forest while visiting La Montana Christian Camps.

It was a fantastic experience being greeted every morning by the calls of howler monkeys swinging in the nearby canopy and exotic birds chattering to one another. What’s more, the miles of nature trails, rivers, zip lines and other tree top activities gave a thrill unlike any other I’ve experienced.

View of some of La Montana Christian Camp

Posing on a rain forest trail bridge

Before heading back to California and my family, we spent a day at the base of Mount Arenal at Tabacon Grand Spa. It was one of the most unique and amazing experiences. Imagine sitting in shallow rivers and under waterfalls of 100 degree water; water heated by the nearby volcano. It was the most relaxing thing ever. And anything you wanted was at your fingertips – drinks, food, a massage.

One of the Many Waterfalls at Tabacon Grand Spa

Enjoying the 100 degree volcano heated waterfall

One of the pools and bars at Tabacon Grand Spa

But there was one thing on my trip to Costa Rica that I didn’t get to do: the beaches and snorkeling. However, if they’re anything like the rest of the country, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been disappointed. Many surfers and vacationers consider Costa Rica’s sandy stretches among the best in the world.

So why might Costa Rica be a better choice than Hawaii?

Because it’s a fraction of the cost to visit. You get the same tropical experience – maybe even a more diverse one with the volcanic spas thrown into the mix – and you can do it for much cheaper than notoriously expensive Hawaii.

It’s also important to keep in mind that Costa Rica has a very stable government, is very friendly to the United States and because most vacation spots cater to Americans, English is understood and your dollars are accepted with pleasure.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Hawaii (having been twice), but for our next tropical vacation we’re seriously considering Costa Rica. I’d love to return and we’d save some serious cash on a fantastic vacation with our large family.

The view from my lunch table at Tabacon

Right now, you can win a trip to this beautiful country. The Costa Rica Tourism Board, together with the National Aquarium and Los Angeles Zoo, just announced the Get Going Costa Rica Family Adventure Sweepstakes that will send two lucky families of four on an all inclusive family eco- adventure to Costa Rica for six nights and seven days in the summer of 2011.

This is NOT a compensated post.

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We try to take a family vacation at least once a year. Whether we’re spending a day exploring Lake Tahoe, or a week in Hawaii, many of our most treasured memories have been created on a family vacation.

Animal watching on our last family vacation in San Diego

I suppose you could say that Ray and I started this tradition, if you will, when we were first married. We didn’t have a whole lot of extra money, but with the help of my Grandfather and the use of his time-share, we were able to spend several days in San Diego, which is still one of our favorite places to vacation. We decided then that, no matter how big our family ever grew, we would make time for some sort of vacation as often as we could. Most of them, we knew, would be road trips.

I have many stories to tell about the fun adventures we’ve had while on vacation. In fact, some you can read right here, but others I will save for another day. For now, I want to stress how important I believe it is to take time away from the daily routine of home life…

For us, family vacations, often mean one long field trip. No matter where we take our kiddos, we always make a point to explore with the kids – geography, history, science, and even math lessons are disguised in helping Daddy navigate our journey, exploring museums, or trips to the beach.

Vacations allow families to re-connect on a much deeper level, whether your family consists of just you and your spouse, or you – like us – have a plethora of children. Not only does this special time away create an opportunity to take a break from our responsibilities, but it allows the time for us to really see each other.

As moms, do we take time to just watch our children laugh and play, jumping in to laugh and play with them? As wives, do we sit and bask in the silence with our husband, just enjoying his company? Not at home! There are dishes to wash, phone calls to make, and laundry to do.

Hmmm, I’m thinking it’s time for us to plan another family vacation.

What about you?

I am writing this post to participate in the Golden Inn Resort “What is the importance of a Vacation” sweepstakes for a chance to randomly win a full conference ticket to Blogher 2010. You can learn more about the Jersey Shore Resort and contest at their blog.