After “Are we there yet?
” the second most commonly asked family vacation question is probably “Where shall we go?
” Here are some ideas:
Visit Santa Claus in Indiana. The nation’s first theme park was started 50 years ago by industrialist Louis J. Koch as a retirement project called Santa Claus Land. Now Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, it has more than 60 rides, a Halloween section with the wooden roller coaster Raven (voted Ride of the Year and World’s No. 3 Coaster) and the Fourth of July. Watubee, a new water adventure, opens Aug. 3.
(Holiday World opens May 4, Splashin’ Safari on May 18. General admission to both parks is $18.
95; guests under 48 inches/seniors 60+, $12.
95. Children under 2 and parking free. 1-800-GO-SANTA.)
Nearby is Lincoln City and (Abraham) Lincoln’s Boyhood National Memorial & Living Historical Farm. For an area guide, call 1-800-ADVENTURE.
Are We There Yet? is a game with 450 cards in five categories objects, people, signs, vehicles, and animals. As each player spots a card item, he puts that card aside and gets another one. The one with the most cards wins. To order (under $15), write: Are We There Yet? Inc., 119 Strathcona Mews S.
W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3H 1W2, or call 1-800-892-9012.
Adventure Island, a 36-acre water-themed family park in the Tampa Bay area, has 17 recreational water areas. Thrills and spills include the Everglides, the Tampa Typhoon and Runaway Rapids. Fabian’s Funport features scaled-down attractions, jumping jets and Fabian, the amphibian mascot.
(Open daily, March 22-Sept. 2, adults $20.
95; kids 3-9 $18.
95; under 2, free. Parking, $2. 813-987-5600.)
Adjacent to Adventure Island is Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and combo tickets are available. Adults, $42.
82; kids 3-9, $36.
59. 1-800-4ADVENTURE.
Air Canada is launching a Skyriders Club on June 1, aimed at kids 4 to 12. It includes a flying library of books and games, an audio channel and YTV videos, take-home packs and travel belts filled with toys, meals, etc. Members can win one of three family vacations for four anywhere in North America if you fly June 1-Sept. 15. 1-800-776-3000.
Love Boat Kids: Princess Cruises has two new programs Princess Pelicans for ages 2-12 and Princess Teen Club (PTC) for 13-16. 1-800-LOVE-BOAT.
Atlantic City BeachFest ’96, the largest free family festival on the Eastern Seaboard, kicks off June 21-23. The festival features concerts, sporting events, dance parties, etc. on the Boardwalk, beach and bay. Headliners include Chubby Checker, Gary U.
S. Bonds and Martha Reeves. Call (609) 641-7811.
Yokohama Wild Blue, 30 minutes from Tokyo, is an indoor island where 5-foot waves rush over the bay, kids can paddle in the lagoon, and those who are so inclined can just lounge on the beach, by the outdoor pool or relax in a whirlpool. Call the Japan National Tourist Organization, (212) 757-5640.
Family Travel Times, a quarterly newsletter specializing in travel with children, offers subscribers ($40/year) a weekly call-in advisory service for trip-planning. Call (212) 477-5524.
