Offshorecash.net

So you want to take a family vacation — and of course want everyone to have fun. But what if one member of your family is a little difficult? Sure they can be moody, but teenagers get a bad rap — more often than not, they’re up for having a good time with the family. Provided their friends aren’t around of course. Follow our ten tips for traveling with your teenager and you’ll be well on your way to having a happy and peaceful family getaway.

Ask for their input
When you’re in the planning stages of your vacation, sit down with everyone and figure out what kind of vacation each person wants. Fining a vacation that suits everyone isn’t just wishful thinking. If you let your teen help plan the trip, they’ll feel more involved and the family vacation will start out on the right foot.

Choose your destination wisely
If you want to relax on the beach while your teen wants to hang out in an arcade, maybe this is the year for a cruise. If your teen wants an adventure vacation but you’re concerned about costs, consider a national park. You get the idea. If you think outside the box and explore each possible destination in depth before you choose, chances are everyone’s vacation expectations will be met.

Hotel location is key
While staying on the outskirts of town might save you a few bucks, having lots of attractions near your hotel might save you some aggravation. Not only will you cut down on the travel between sights, your teen can take some time to explore the area around the hotel when you all need a break.

Bend the rules
Yes of course your teen needs discipline. But if keeping the peace means more dessert than dinner, more movies than museums or letting him or her sleep in while you visit the ninth church on your list, just go along with it. Remember that keeping the peace will make your vacation that much more enjoyable.

Don’t dwell
When fights occur and meltdowns happen (which they will), try and move on as quickly as possible. Hopefully the less you dwell, the less your teen will too.

Consider traveling with another family or letting them bring a friend
Traveling with another family has its pros and cons — on the one hand, you can enjoy adult time while the kids keep each other company, but on the other you have to adjust to another families’ idea of fun. Another possibility is letting your teen bring along a friend. If it isn’t too cost-prohibitive and the friend’s parents are on board, having your teen bring a friend just might mean more downtime for you.

Let them choose at least one activity they want to do and have the whole family participate
Even if the only thing your teen wants to do is ride bumper cars, let them do it. This actually happened to my parents when my brothers were teenagers and we were on a family trip to London. After days of visiting museums and churches, the only thing they wanted to do was hang out at a carnival a few streets from the hotel. And you know what? We still reminisce about the night on the bumper cars way more often than we talk about any of the art we saw.

Set a budget and stick to it
On vacation, it’s easy to blow your budget by buying all sorts of mementos and tchotchkes to keep the kids happy. But if you give your teen a budget and even let them keep any money leftover, they’ll be less likely to spend all your money on souvenirs you’ll find under their bed a week after you get home.

Give them space
If possible, try and book adjoining hotel rooms or rooms adjacent to one another. If you rent a vacation home, make sure your teen has his or her own bedroom. Teens love their privacy, and feel more like the adults they want to be when they have their own space.

Don’t schedule too many early morning activities
Sure you want to make the most of your vacation, but to your teen, sleeping in might be all the vacation they need. Use the time that they’re still in bed to visit the spa, revisit an attraction you felt rushed at the day before or do a little souvenir shopping.

If you are a family traveler, chances are you don’t take spa vacations too often. More likely, you try to squeeze in a quick facial or massage at the hotel spa during your hectic family getaway, all the while feeling guilty for leaving the little ones behind. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take them with you for a little pampering of their own?

Thanks to a growing trend among hotel spas, now you can. Pared-down treatments for children of all ages are popping up across the country — fruity facials, parent-and-child mini-massages and fun painted fingernails are perfect for kids who want the spa experience and great for parents who want some quiet quality time with their loved ones.

We’ve picked four spas that are perfect for families looking to put relaxation back into their vacations. Besides youth spa programs, there are a plethora of activities on site or nearby for adults and kids alike — after all, you can’t spend your whole trip in the spa. Or can you?

Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, North Carolina
The luxury spa at Pinehurst Resort may just be an afterthought for all the avid golfers who flock here for the abundance of impeccable courses, but chances are it will be the highlight of your child’s vacation. The Spa at Pinehurst opened its KidSpa and YouthSpa last year in response to the growing demand for its “kid-friendly” services. The KidSpa caters to 6- to 11-year-olds and offers, among other things, a 20-minute back and shoulder massage, Twinkle Toes pedicures and Fancy Fingers manicures. Kids age 12 to 16 will love the Total Teen Facial with take-home “prescription” for healthy skin or a makeup application lesson.

Are all these treatments sounding a little too girly? For boys, Teen Tune-Up is a fitness training session that introduces teenage boys to weights, cardiovascular care and other basic workout techniques.

Carnival Cruise Lines
The kids’ spa on Carnival, Generation Y, is a perfect place for your teen or ‘tween to escape the stresses of the teenage years, at least for a short time. The treatments are similar to the standards but with a fun twist — for example, the fabulous fruity or acne attack facials. Massages are shortened to 25 minutes for the kids and there are even parent-child treatments for a little side-by-side quality time. The “Y” spa ensures your older child won’t feel left out while the little ones are busy all day long with Camp Carnival activities.

Tip: There are often significant discounts for treatments booked on port days.

The Spa at the Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Pennsylvania
The hardest thing about being a teen is being caught between child- and adulthood. In Hershey, your teen can play as a kid on the rides and attractions at HersheyPark and play grown up in the Chocolate Spa of the Hotel Hershey.

If you or your teen is a true chocoholic, a 25-minute chocolate milk whipped cocoa bath should satisfy your sweet tooth and soothe your skin. The Chocolate Spa has many other chocolate-themed treatments as well as a selection of services aimed at teens that focus on facial cleansing, makeup instruction and nail care.

Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, Texas
For a big city with small-town charm, head to Austin, home of the annual South by Southwest music festival, of course, but also to a wealth of year-round attractions. The Barton Creek Resort and Spa takes its Texas location and runs with it in its teen and kids’ spa — treatments with names like Deep in the Heart of Texas Facial and the Mother and Daughter Two-Step Massage are a fun twist on the standard spa offerings. If your child or teen is new to the spa, try the Bluebonnet Bliss Chair Massage — a chair massage that focuses on the neck, back, and arms and is given fully clothed. Even kids who are used to pampering won’t be able to resist the Hill Country Sampler — a 25-minute massage, Texas teen facial and a makeup application.

Some tips for taking the kids:

A family vacation should be a time to bring parents and children together, an opportunity for rare “quality time” that’s often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It should be an escape from cell phones and soccer practice, from overtime and dance lessons — a chance to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect as a family.

But let’s face it, parents — the thought of waiting in long lines at amusement parks or spending hours at a petting zoo doesn’t exactly thrill you. And let’s be honest — your kids wouldn’t jump for joy at the thought of a leisurely 18 holes of golf or a day of pampering at the spa.

Here are our picks for the top ten U.S. family resorts:

1. Smugglers’ Notch, Smugglers’ Notch, VT
In the summer months, Smugglers’ Notch ski resort takes advantage of its Green Mountain location to focus on the outdoors. Summer day camps give children ages three through 17 the chance to mountain bike, hike, canoe, fish and rock climb. In specialty programs, older children can up their adrenaline by crosskating (skiing on wheels) and kayaking. Science-minded children can explore nearby beaver ponds and wetlands, while arts-oriented kids can tie-dye shirts, create jewelry and make puppets. Even children ages six weeks to three years can get in on the fun at Alice’s Wonderland, a state-licensed child care facility.

(800) 451-8752; www.smuggs.com

2. Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY
A National Historic Landmark, Mohonk Mountain House has a castle-like look and a woodland setting of thousands of acres in the Shawangunk Mountains, 90 miles north of New York City. Families can hike miles of carriage roads, play tennis, swim in the lake and watch movies on the lawn. Families won’t want to miss the six-week arts festival with performances by mimes, string quartets and storytellers.

(800) 772-6646; www.mohonk.com

3. Homestead, Hot Springs, VA
While adults have always rejuvenated themselves at the Homestead Resort’s noted spa, children are now able to participate as well. The Kids Spa makes this grande dame resort in the Allegheny Mountains especially appealing to preteens and teens. This hard-to-please group can now indulge in facials designed just for them, enjoy Swedish massages, sign up for personalized make-up lessons and luxuriate in treatments that soak their toes in rich chocolate milk and their fingers in strawberries and cream. Summer activities outside the spa include golf, tennis and horseback riding.

(800) 838-1766; www.thehomestead.com

4. The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort, Longboat Key, FL
Tennis-loving families get plenty of play at the Colony. Ranked as a top U.S. tennis resort, this Gulf Coast hotel offers court time to kids as young as three, plus special clinics for ages seven through 16. Off the courts, the beach and the year-round, complimentary kids’ programs for ages three through 12 are the main attractions.

(800) 282-1138; www.colonybeachresort.com

5. Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, FL
This 356-acre Florida landmark, originally built in 1926, is popular with groups but also caters to families. Situated in the heart of Florida’s “Gold Coast,” the resort offers 1,041 guest rooms, half a mile of beaches and lots of activities. Play golf at your choice of 18-hole courses, rejuvenate at the 50,000 square-foot spa and choose from 30 tennis courts and five pools.

(888) 491-BOCA; www.bocaresort.com

6. YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch, CO
Snow Mountain Ranch offers a travel rarity: a resort vacation at budget prices. Situated on 5,100 acres and operated by the YMCA of the Rockies, the nondenominational programs are open to any guest. In the summer, children’s programs operate daily for ages three through 16. The younger kids spend their days hiking, going on hay rides, roller skating and doing arts and crafts; the older kids add campfire cooking, orienteering and archery. Although no organized children’s programs operate in winter, families can cross-country ski and snowshoe on 125 miles of groomed trails as well as swim in the indoor pool.

(970) 887-2152; www.ymcarockies.org

7. Hyatt Regency Tamaya, New Mexico
Become immersed in Native American culture at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya, located on the 73,900-acre Santa Ana Pueblo just outside of Albuquerque. The property combines resort amenities and native Tamayame traditions. With the “Srai-Wi” program, designed for parents and kids to do together, families can try cooking southwestern style, ride horseback through the Sandia mountains and take a guided hike of the reservation that includes a lesson in adobe brick making. While children ages three through 12 enjoy Camp Tamara’s daily activities, parents can play golf or try a Native American-inspired spa treatment (we recommend the blue cornmeal scrub!).

(505) 867-1234; www.hyatt.com

8. Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale’s Sonoran desert setting blooms with flowers, palm trees and an impressive waterscape of swimming pools, fountains and waterfalls. Kids can spend the entire day whirling down the three-story water slide and playing along the sand beach at the shallow end of one pool. Camp Kachina’s activities reflect the local heritage. Kids ages three through 12 craft rattlesnake puppets, go on lizard scavenger hunts, learn Native American dances and sing along at campfires. The concierge can arrange desert jeep tours, mountain biking and horseback riding outings.

(480) 991-3388; www.hyatt.com

9. Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, CA
The Hotel Del Coronado dates back to 1888, an era when the wealthy clientele came to the shore for lengthy getaways. The 688-room, grande dame property is located on a scenic peninsula just across the bay from San Diego and still courts beach lovers of all ages. Tent City Kids, the children’s program, offers a full schedule of activities during summer and holidays and a modified schedule other times. Ages four through 12 fashion crafts, play tennis, fly kites, go on scavenger hunts and learn science magic. Teens mingle on evening kayaking tours, at “black light” volleyball games and at pool parties. Families can bicycle, take a sunset sail tour, sign up for a tennis clinic and build sand castles on the beach.

(800) 582-2595; www.hoteldel.com

10. Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, Maui, Hawaii
Even your most blase child, the one who never gets impressed with anything, will produce an “awesome” upon registering at the Grand Wailea. Waterfalls, world-class art and a profusion of orchids and plumeria create the ambiance of an island fantasy.

(800) 888-6100; www.grandwailea.com