Trips with the Grandparents
Parent Q&A
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- Bay Area outings with visiting grandparents
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- Travel for Grandparents and Teens
Bay Area outings with visiting grandparents
Dec 2008
I am looking for recommendations for things to do in the Bay area over Christmas. My parents are coming from Canada and are staying at our (very small) house with us. They are in their 80s and somewhat restricted in the amount they can walk, but I need to play cruise director and entertain them during their stay. The house will be cramped so I would love to be out as much as possible with them and my 2.5 year old. Help! Don't let me stay stuck in my house with my parents! I'll go nuts!
I recommend the Academy of the Sciences in Golden Gate Park. It is fun for all ages, with benches for resting (although I could always use more). Both my kids loved it, and I saw many older folks enjoying themselves. My 2 1/2 year old was scared of the 3D bug show because it was too loud, but your parents could watch it while you explore if your child doesn't like it. The first two minutes looked really good.
We also enjoy taking the ferry from Jack London Square to Pier 41. We then visit the sea lions and the small aquarium there (my kids love fish). Or you could just look around and have lunch. The ferry is about 45m ride, but there is a lot to see, so it a favorite adventure for my kids, while being restful for adults.
Have fun! Love to Sightsee in SF
A few ideas that are fun for kids, parents and grandparents:
How about the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito? Fun for kids and spectacular views for the parents. Plenty of parking and not too much walking for the grandparents (you could even drop them in front and then park).
Lawrence Hall of Science - again, fun for all ages, spectacular Bay Views.
Steam Trains and carousel in Tilden Park-evening visits during the holidays are festive
Botanical Gardens
If your little one can handle a sit-down experience, high tea at one of the hotels in San Francisco might be fun, though a bit pricey. Palace Hotel has a fun one.
Take a drive/walk around San Francisco, Marin Headlands, Muir Woods.
Take a ferry ride on the bay.
Take a day trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Have fun! bay area parent
Some ideas: you could take the ferry to San Francisco (with a little visit to Ferry Plaza) and/or Marin. Go up to Tilden Park and ride the steam train or visit the merry-go-round or Little Farm. Maybe ''play tourist'' and take a bus tour of San Francisco? Look for holiday concerts, particularly kid-friendly ones. Go for a drive to look at Christmas lights. Go to a playground with comfy benches, or one of the indoor play cafes like Tumble and Tea. Go to a cafe for hot chocolate and people-watching. Go to the library for storytime. Remember, they will get a kick out of just spending time with the grandkid. Enjoy and good luck!
I have a toddler and elderly parents and in-laws too. Here are some of our activities when they have visited:
Muir Woods. You don't need to go on a hike, just the boardwalk area and listen to the docents. Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge on the way there or back.
UC Botanic Garden or Tilden Park Botanic Garden, if they can walk a bit.
Tilden Park Steam Train, Carousel, Little Farm and Nature Area. Or even just one of these at a time for shorter outings. Be sure to bring celery or lettuce with you to the Little Farm. Parking is pretty easy. If you haven't been there, Do a pre-visit run with your child so you'll know how much walking is involved. I don't think your child will mind.
Take your child and parents to Children's Fairyland and Habitot.
My MIL wanted to go shopping, so I took them for brunch and shopping at Ikea. She loved it.
Looking forward to the other responses. L
As a grandmother myself I would love a cruise with the whole family.We all went to Alaska one year and there was something for everyone.You may think you are not cruise type people but it is hard to travel by car in Alaska and we met all kinds of people that we liked.I would check out Royal Carribean and Princess.
You're very thoughtful. But when it comes to travel and technology, the devil is in the details.
I love to travel but like to make the arrangements myself and cruises (for example) bore me. So just make sure it suits their desires, interests, and personalities. And travel can be disruptive and unpredictable. So if you gift them with travel, it should be date-flexible and refundable. And with insurance!
New phones means learning a new interface. Do they enjoy learning new technology? Do you know the features that are important to them?
Some alternatives include ... booking a large family reunion for 4-5 days at somewhere like Sea Ranch or the Ahwahnee Hotel or a dude ranch or a hotel in Hawaii--something where they can spend time with you and the grandkids, giving you all precious time and memories.
Another option would be to pay for something like a membership at a museum or or golf club or country club close to them, or a theater or concert subscription. That would be something they could use and enjoy for a year. Or you could give them gift cards to some favored local restaurants so they can enjoy a nice evening out and treat some friends (something they probably have little chance to do).
Iceland and the Nordic countries are good for seniors, especially in Summer when it's not cold. I took my Mom when she was in her mid 60's to Iceland, Finland, and Sweden. Those countries are safe, clean, in general easy to navigate and locals can speak English, and so were low stress vacations. I was the guide, but there are guided tours for those places.
You can also try the National Geographic Expeditions which are semi-guided tours.
Are your parents foodies? My Mom likes it when I take her to try new restaurants.
And, lastly, this is not sexy, but save/invest the money for their long term care needs.
What a great “problem” to have! I love the idea of gifting them a certain amount of money and asking them to use it for acts of kindness. About a month ago I read an article in the AARP Magazine where a woman gave a number of her friends a certain amount of money. She asked them to “spend it or gift it” in any way they felt would be an act of kindness.
As a senior myself, no trip or material item would make a difference. This country needs some love and kindness right now. Kudos to you for reaching out for suggestions!
I don't know how you quantify "expensive" but my mom's main concern is having a really reliable car, so if that's within the range you are talking about spending and either set of parents has an older car, I'd think about replacing it. Otherwise, I think something experiential like a vacation is an excellent idea. Have you thought about suggesting a family vacation? We went on a cruise to Alaska recently and were a bit jealous of all the big happy extended families having a great time together.
What great adult kids you are, and aren't your parents fortunate! I'd say go for the luxury vacations, so much more meaningful and fun than something "tangible". Perhaps get up with a good travel agent (see https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/travel/luxury-for-less-travel-agents… ) for help with laying the groundwork within your budget. As a senior traveler myself, I'd love having a seasoned agent suggest several possible journeys, then make my choice all happen like magic.
What we would love as grandparents is a family vacation with our adult kids and the grandkids. We babysit a lot but would love to have family time away with everyone!
I wish I could have that money to treat my Mom to a River cruise in Europe... My business partner who is 80 and has been taking them for the last 10 years, love them. His wife is a travel agent and gave me 3 options: Viking, Tauck European River Cruising and Avalon Waterways. If you would like to talk to her, contact me. I don't like cruises, but this ones are small, sophisticated, great food and they stop in small ports where one could bike, hike or just go for a stroll, that way the whole family can enjoy..
Very nice of you to share with your family. Enjoy!
My parents’ dream gift would be a family cruise that includes their kids & grandkids. Or if there’s a trip they’re already planning, upgrade their flights/rooms.
My mother was happy to get her first posh designer handbag. She never would buy one herself
I just took my father on a European river cruise with AMA Waterways. He wanted a cruise to make travel easier as a senior. AMA did an amazing job. Small boats since on a river, less people therefore. Very little downtime cruising - we did the Seine and went to Normandy among other cities. The food was delicious, and the daily excursions were interesting. This might be an option to consider.
What about a membership to something they're interested in? Do they like the theater? How about a berkeley Rep Subscription? Do they like to take your kids to the zoo or kids museums or the aquarium? Would they want a membership there?
My parents and my in-laws both loved a photo shoot with them and all their grandkids. Or a photo with their whole family. This is hard to coordinate but parents on both sides LOVED it and they cherish the photos.
As for the vacation, I have found that my in-laws and my parents want time with us or with their grandchildren. Not sure that a trip together would really be a good surprise present, but maybe you could coordinate something with them: you all rent a house or neighboring cottages somewhere. Again, in my experience, any place you want to go, they want to share with you.
Your gesture of sharing your bonus is generous and commendable. I am a mother of adult children who has been in the converse position of giving money to my children to help them out or treat them. But I thought of your situation, your request for advice and believe the way to be most generous to your parents would be to ask them what would bring them the most meaning and/or pleasure. I think they should be included in the decision in some way. They may want a vacation that includes you, they may want you to support a cause close to their hearts. This is a great way to have a meaningful conversation about what your parents truly value and enjoy and for you to enjoy presenting them with options. Have fun with the process as well as the gift!
For the past few years my father decided to treat the whole family (myself and my sister, our spouses and children) to different vacations: Hawaii, Alaska cruise, Mediterranean cruise, and a few others. These were really special memories for us now. He passed away this year, and we are all so glad we had those vacations together. I recommend a cruise or all-inclusive resort for maximum fun with a big group (we were 12 - 15 ppl depending on the year) and minimum hassle. There are some less expensive/closer to home destinations that we also enjoyed: Asilomar, Graegle Lodge. I definitely recommend a whole family vacation.
My parents love cruising so we got them a cruise to Hawaii for their 40th wedding anniversary. They have no problem getting around but they enjoy the convenience of cruising to be able to see multiple locations and only unpacking once. Another recommendation is a Panama Canal cruise. Sailing the Panama Canal was a bucket list item for my dad. The cruise left from Fort Lauderdale and ended back in San Francisco. Easy splurges you can add on are upgrading to a balcony room or paying for shore excursions for them.
It really depends on what they like -- a hotel in SF, and theater tickets might be perfect for some, Asilomar or Calistoga (not sure how it is post-fires) for others. Ashland and tickets to the Shakespeare fest might be good. Some people might like season tickets to Berkeley Rep or the Symphony. (I am clearly revealing what I would like in my answer :) . Would they like to go off by themselves or with you and the grandchildren? A trip is a lovely idea, but I think you need to ask more questions.