Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith
- I love traveling with my children and we've been all over the world together.With our next trip in mind, I asked them their favorite destinations. Their answers surprised me.At the top of the list, Jordan offered a mix of adventure, history, and food that appealed to us.
One of my greatest joys in life is traveling with my children, who range in age from 10 to 15 years old.
We regularly take road trips throughout the United States and they have also been to various destinations in Africa, Europe, and Asia over the years.
As much as I enjoy these trips, I often feel like I am forcing my children to live out my travel dreams when we spend the night freezing in the desert or crouching through dark, dank pyramids in Egypt. While riding a camel in the Sahara, my daughter took the opportunity to remind me that her close friend was living it up at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, doing nothing but getting a tan.
Sometimes, I think that my children would rather go back to Disney World or lounge by the pool at a resort than tag along on my bucket list trips, but I've been too afraid of the answer to ask.
Recently, my children and I were plotting where to go next. We were having a hard time narrowing things down. Against my better judgment, I asked them which of our trips they liked the most. Their answers surprised me.
Jordan
Visiting Jordan had been on my bucket list for years. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to experience floating in the Dead Sea, swimming in the Red Sea, and climbing the ruins of Petra.
I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised when my children weren't happy when I told them we would be spending their spring break this year traveling halfway around the world to hike in an ancient town that has been abandoned for centuries and sleep in a remote Bedouin camp with a shared bathroom.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith
However, during our conversation about where to go next, I was surprised to discover that my children agreed that a nine-day trip to Jordan was their favorite trip of all time. They even admitted to enjoying roughing it in the desert, or at least not hating it as much as they thought they would. That's a win in my book.
I think that Jordan offers the perfect blend of adventure, history, beaches, and cities, making it an ideal destination with a little bit of everything. I was glad to discover that my children agree. Plus, the food was surprisingly good. My 10-year-old son is still on the hunt for falafel as tasty as the kind he tried in Jordan.
Poland
Poland isn't on everyone's list of dream European destinations for a summer vacation. However, my children and I found ourselves there when we scored Taylor Swift tickets for her show in Warsaw last year.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith
We were stunned by how much there was to do during the nine days we spent in the country. My children confessed to especially enjoying the historic town of Krakow, which retained its old-world charm because it was spared from bombing during World War II.
My children's favorite spot in Poland, however, was the beautiful mountain town of Zakopane where we enjoyed gorgeous hikes and relaxing hot springs. They also enjoyed the cosmopolitan Warsaw, with its big parks and restored historic center.
South Korea
Our visit to South Korea was a five-day add-on to a longer vacation to the more popular Japan this past summer. We only stopped in Seoul, South Korea's capital, for a few days because our flight had a stopover there. Since we had to switch planes in South Korea anyway, it seemed like a good opportunity to see a new place while we battled the effects of jet lag.
South Korea turned out to be one of my children's top stops during our nearly month-long trip. Unexpectedly, according to my son, the highlight of our trip was visiting the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith
My children said they loved walking along South Korea's iconic suspension bridges and becoming immersed in K-pop culture along K-Star Road. They also enjoyed exploring South Korea's picturesque Namsan Park, which we accidentally stumbled upon because it was adjacent to our hotel. I wish we had spent more time in South Korea to see even more of the country.
An expedition cruise around Iceland
My children have been on two cruises. One was on Royal Caribbean, a huge kid-friendly ship full of days at sea, unlimited ice cream, and a visit to a private island with a massive water park.
Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith
The other was an expedition on a small National Geographic-Lindblad expedition ship that we took around the coast of Iceland. On that cruise, they ate a lot less ice cream but learned how to steer a ship, heard tales about the mythical trolls that are said to inhabit Iceland, took countless rides in zodiacs that got us close to puffins and whales, and went on hikes on islands that are hard to reach.
I was pleasantly surprised when my kids told me they would rather go on an expedition cruise again than sail on a ship designed to be kid-friendly with a non-stop carnival-like atmosphere.
I'm still not sure where our next trip will take my family. However, I am relieved to know that my children enjoy, and don't just tolerate, the out-of-the-box ideas I come up with — even if they would sometimes rather go to the beach.
