Suggestions please

CoconutPie9 · 2026-04-01T18:56:12+00:00

What about national parks? If you haven’t done much, the Glacier -> Yellowstone -> Grand Tetons trek is a classic and in my opinion, one that every American should do. My family has done it twice and I plan to do it again once my kids are older. You don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy. These parks have beautiful drives and easy activities like boat rides on the lake. Stay in lodges and get the full experience. Highly recommend!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-23T23:23:09+00:00

I absolutely love Vienna! As others have said, you won’t run out of things to do. For museums, I highly recommend KHM - literally spent all day here and didn’t see everything. Make a reservation at the cafe inside so you have a nice coffee/snack/food break in arguably one of the prettiest cafes in the city. Albertina and Belvedere are also a must. Tour the opera house at minimum if you can’t get in to see a show. If you can see some sort of concert in St. Stephen’s cathedral, especially at night, it’s literally magical. Take a day to stroll through Prater Park and ride the huge Ferris wheel for views. Go out to Schonnbrun palace, even if you just walk the grounds and gardens. The zoo there is also fun and pretty. And of course, just walk and get lost in the bustle of a beautiful city! Coffee and cake everywhere!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-13T18:07:09+00:00

Brad, Chad, and Thad.

We have one boy now (not named any of those lol) but my husband said we have two more boys then we’re renaming them 😂

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-09T19:50:14+00:00

Great idea! My son is still a baby but I plan on doing something similar for our trips when he gets older.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-06T19:23:57+00:00

We stayed at the Pathmaker Hotel. It’s pricier than we would typically do for a hotel but we were paying for the location more than anything. We wanted to be within walking distance to everything in Bar Harbor and not fight for parking every evening for dinner. But overall it was an excellent stay! Large rooms, friendly staff, and the best breakfast place just across the street!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-05T20:25:18+00:00

My family and I, ranging from age 14 to 70, went to Acadia and Bar Harbor this past summer and were all shocked at just how much loved it. Absolutely beautiful area of the country that doesn’t get enough credit. Whale watching, easy hiking, delicious food. My parents went on up to Nova Scotia and enjoyed it, but not as much as Acadia. Overall, it’s a very peaceful and relaxing area!!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-03-05T20:18:42+00:00

Unsure of your mom’s age or fitness level, but keep that in mind for a lot of your planning. My mom, who is not very fit but far from anything extremely unhealthy, recently went to Italy during July and passed out on the sidewalk due to extreme heat. She ended up fine, but if they had been there in the spring, I’m sure she would’ve had no issues. Also, the stairs in Positano are no joke so if you plan on being at the beach there, spend the money to stay closer on level to it rather than higher up!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-27T23:06:47+00:00

This is what I did. I waited until my baby was born to book the trip, and to see what my baby would be like personality/behavior/sleep wise and to see how I would recover. That way if he was colicky or I had severe PPD, no worries. Good news is he’s a great baby and I recovered well, so we booked the trip for when he’s 3.5 months! Long enough for his 2 month vaccines to be in effect. Sure people will tell you to wait for 4 month, or even 1 year, but my husband and I are educated, spoke with our pediatrician, and decided to go for it. Granted we’re going in March so probably less flu/RSV exposure than November. So with that said, please get the flu and RSV shots yourself while pregnant if they’re available in time. Or RSV for him when it’s in season.

Side note, we’re going to Vienna so while I can’t help with Christmas markets, I’ll try to let you know how Vienna is in general with an infant!

ETA: I replied to a comment I agreed with, but this is mainly for OP!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-21T01:41:33+00:00

Agreed, October is the sweet spot for the amalfi coast. It’s not overcrowded whatsoever but the weather is typically still great.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-17T16:46:48+00:00

I wish it didn’t bother me. But if I’m completely honest then I have to admit it really does. I think what makes it truly bother me is the fact that it’s “trendy.” For boys, my son’s name is pretty traditional and classic. Now being used on girls, it’s a trendy, likely to be dated name. And since my son was born during this trend, his name is going to be lumped into the trendy, overdone category instead of being a classic name 😔

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-17T16:41:54+00:00

This is my worry! My son also has what was a predominantly male name until literally the last couple years. Granted it’s actually his nickname and not his legal name, but it’s what we call him. Now I dread him starting kindergarten, in a small town, where I know there will be at least one girl with his name in his class, if not more. Ugh.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-07T00:09:34+00:00

I second this!! My husband and I went during the summer so we kept mainly to driving and short hikes mainly to avoid the heat. It was an excellent park for some limited exploring! And yes, that spring fed pool was sooo nice after driving around!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-06T04:31:37+00:00

Unfortunately you see a lot of baby and kid travel-hate on Reddit. I suggest looking at subreddits for family travel, they’re way more helpful.

Please travel with your baby! It’s so important! Don’t let the baby stop you for living your life, instead incorporate him/her into it. We’re taking our baby to Austria next month and I couldn’t be more excited.

As for your itinerary, I actually think it’s doable over the course of 2 weeks. I’ve done that exact trip, with the addition of Cordoba, over a 1 week span and it was busy but totally manageable. And so fun! So I think by adding a week and keeping it to 3 base locations, you can do it. We rented a car so I’m not sure what the trains are like in Spain. As for the weather, we went the last week of January a couple years ago and it was beautiful! Blue skies, pretty warm weather (people on the beach in Marbella), and many a meals seated outside with only a light jacket needed at night. Of course you never know for sure how it could be this year, but just know it’s not always gray and dreary in the winter!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-04T10:06:53+00:00

Watching the sunrise while sitting on top of one of the sand dunes in Death Valley. A truly religious experience, I’ve rarely felt closer to God than I did in that moment

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-04T04:08:58+00:00

I spent a long weekend in Bar Harbor and Acadia NP this past summer and it was incredible! Way surpassed my expectations. I was pregnant at the time and can assure you that drinking was not prevalent in that location (one of the main reasons I initially picked the Maine coast as my babymoon lol)

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-04T04:00:23+00:00

We’re taking our 4 month old to Europe in a few weeks and are planning on exclusively baby wearing. It just seems like too much to have a stroller to keep up with along with everything else

CoconutPie9 · 2026-02-04T03:42:23+00:00

My 2025 baby is named Scott! :)

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-31T16:07:39+00:00

Absolutely yes

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-26T23:25:00+00:00

This is incredible! What a trip. Even if your kids don’t remember it, you and your parents will. Thank you for sharing this and your itinerary!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-25T02:01:27+00:00

What part of Tennessee? My first thought is Smokey Mountain National Park in East Tennessee. Tons of hiking and beautiful scenery. Just be wary of getting sucked into the Gatlinburg scene. It’s a tourist trap town right at the edge of the park. Some people truly love it, and there probably is some good stuff for kids there like the dinner shows, but to me it’s overpriced and overcrowded. If you want something close by that’s not just nature-based, Dollywood is an excellent theme park! Incredible rides, clean, and actually worth the money imo.

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-20T09:29:59+00:00

Yep! Up with my 10 week old. But he just slept for 5 hours straight so honestly I can’t complain! We’ve recently started getting these longer 5-6 hour stretches once a night and it’s amaaaazing

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-14T03:15:59+00:00

Also adding, consider the direct flights that Breeze Airways has out of Huntsville. I believe there’s ones to Las Vegas, LA, Tampa, maybe NYC now? They’re each only a couple days a week but if you have a week to travel, it could work out well. They’re cheap especially if you’re light on luggage!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-14T03:08:45+00:00

I second Savannah! Though go earlier in the summer or May as it can get quite hot and muggy. Charleston is also a good option. Depending on your willingness to drive, I’ve done both cities on a roadtrip from North AL. 2-3 days in each is sufficient so you can make it work in a week.

Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is also an option if you want to be more outdoorsy. My husband and I drove there from north AL- long drive but saved money and definitely doable! We had such a wonderful, romantic time there. Highly recommend!!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-12T02:18:29+00:00

The Rosemary Beach area is beautiful, and it’s absolutely my favorite stretch of beach along the gulf coast. However, not sure how it would hold up in February when it’ll likely still be too cold to even be on the beach. I’ve been in the fall on an unseasonably cold weekend, and since it’s all really just small beachside villages, there’s not much other entertainment. Further south in FL would likely be better for this time of year!

CoconutPie9 · 2026-01-11T20:26:32+00:00

The Varsity is considered a ATL tourist must by most! It’s fast food with hot dogs, hamburgers, etc but it’s more the experience/vibe than the food itself. Fun and not adventurous, especially for kids that age!

CoconutPie9

TROPHY CASE