A kids' vacation

Putting eight people and two families together for a summer vacation can be complicated, especially when you add in air travel.

But it can be worth the effort if the vacation destination is a small island paradise in Hawaii. That's where our Arizona and Carson City families spent a much-needed, activity-filled vacation.

The kids in the family are 18, 16, 13 and 3. Right away, you have a challenge finding a spot on the globe that will keep all ages busy and not bored. In this case, the age difference worked in our favor. Three baby-sitters for one 3-year-old was an easy ratio to address.

We didn't plan activities for the kids. They found their own within minutes of arriving at our destination: snorkeling, body surfing, riding boogie boards, deep-sea fishing, surf fishing and paddling with flotation devices in the swimming pools.

If any of the parents had called these activities exercise, there would have been a small riot. As it was, there was never a time that someone wasn't hiking, in the ocean or in the swimming pools

When the 3-year-old went down for a nap, all the teens were released from duty for the duration of the afternoon. No time limits were set for meals, and little planing was done for them. Whatever food was voted in for that meal was purchased.

We housed all the kids downstairs with their own kitchen, television and bathroom; it kept the adults sane. The adults often had their dinners out free from kids, the light at the end of the tunnel at the end of the day.

So this is to inform you that given the right setting for your family, whether it contains young ones or teens, you can all exist happily if you plan ahead, if the vacation spot is right, if the amount and types of activities are available for all ages, and if the adults can have time to enjoy their time too.

It was fun to see the amount of daily physical activity that the kids enjoyed. No sitting in front of a television. If there was quiet time, it was for a board game, cooking lesson or shopping trip.

There were large family groups everywhere we went on our island, and all the airports and the accommodations at the island tended to encourage group housing. Our group rented a home plus a condominium. Think about Hawaii for your next family vacation. A destination resort can offer lots of activities for every age level. Plan it right and it works!

Jerry Vance is owner of The Sweat Shop/Wet Sweat. She offers classes through Carson City Recreation and Aquatics Center and is a fitness instructor for the Senior Center.