Help me plan my honeymoon! (Er, "Familymoon")

[Alexigail]

Hi all!  After 10 years of marriage, my husband and I are going to take a honeymoon of sorts.  I'm not a traveler at all so I know nothing about planning and booking a vacation.  Please tell me about your best vacation destinations, deals, tips etc. If there was a vacation that was memorable for you I'd love to hear about it. Here are the things I need to keep in mind:

 

-We're taking the kids, two boys ages 7 and 9 (I'm actually really happy about that!)

 

-We'd love it to be all inclusive, but it's not strictly necessary. We probably prefer a hotel to camping unless we stop at a campsite on the way.

 

-No theme parks or huge crowds - one of my sons has aspergers and some body weakness to we can't do all the walking that parks require until he's older (I'm counting down the days until we can take him to Harry Potter world!). He can do most activities - just gets tired easily.

 

-Probably best to be in the continental US so we can drive if necessary.  We'd love it to be somewhere warm, and a beach would be amazing.  We're starting out in Iowa so we're smack in the middle of everything.

 

-Childcare is a huge plus, but again not strictly necessary

 

Please tell me about your favorite places to visit or places to avoid etc.  Since we homeschool, we can go any time really so I've got kind of a wide open canvas.

[Tenaj]

We love the Outerbanks, NC.  We like Corolla the best because it's a bit less commercialized than some of the other parts.  Not sure it meets your requirements but we really enjoy it.  We've rented various houses.  We usually go in mid May because the rates on rentals are much, much lower than after Memorial Day.  We do make sure to have a heated pool at the house at that time of the year because the temps can be cooler but we've had great luck with the weather so far.

[bettyandbob]

You might want to check out Surfside Beach, SC. Ive seen stories of them being promoted as a autism friendly destination. It is south of Myrtle Beach.

 

ETA I think there are many beaches along Florida's gulf coast that might offer all you want. Plus the gulf is beautiful and has less big waves or steep drop in water so much easier to play in for someone who may not be strong in water.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Diana P.

[displace]

Depending on your budget I'd consider a cruise. If you pick off season and away from the Caribbean (maybe New England early/late fall time or late summer Alaska), they are usually not super crowded. A lot of them have kid rooms and good with special needs kids. You could get adjoining rooms for privacy or maybe a suite. You can do many or few activities, eat buffet or restaurant, do excursions or sit on the deck.