For our 20th wedding anniversary we visited Tahiti, and this was one of the best decisions we made in our 20 years of marriage.  An easy, non-stop, and comfortable flight from Los Angeles. Incredibly friendly people to greet and assist us at both resorts, the Hilton Moorea and the St. Regis Bora Bora. All the arrangements were easily made with Claudia through Pacific for Less, a high quality online travel company.
Breathtaking views of crystal clear waters that varied in shades of deep blue and green, and unforgettable experiences like jet-skiing by sharks and manta rays.  Romantic, relaxing, and rejuvenating.  If possible, you must stop to visit Tahiti.

One of my favorite local stops is the beach right by the Padaro Beach Grill (http://www.padarobeachgrill.com) in Carpinteria, CA. The restaurant has changed ownership many times over the years; it is a fabulous stop--casual and great for families. I have not visited there recently under the new management but they have received many rave reviews online (http://www.yelp.com/biz/padaro-beach-grill-carpinteria). Just a little north of the restaurant is a pathway that leads across the train tracks to the soft sandy beach.  There is public access to this beach but it is always quiet and seems very private. I see dolphins there often, and the day spent there is always magical.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is a stop that is not to be missed.  It's a beautiful zoo, just across the street from the beach. You can take a picnic and sit on the grassy areas or at a picnic table.  There are various animal feedings throughout the day and a train that takes you around the zoo.  I appreciate all that the zoo does to educate the community and to help the animals.

When planning a vacation with our teenage boys, I took the time to think about what they would particularly enjoy--a water park on a tropical island with soft white sand was definitely appealing to them! We knew we wanted to hit a tropcial destination, we had already visited Hawaii, and we didn't want to go to Mexico. I had heard good reviews of the Atlantis resort, but I had also heard that it came with an expensive pricetag. I didn't want to give up the idea of a tropical destination so I did a Google search on something like 'bargain family tropical vacations'. One of the sites that I discovered shared a post regarding the Comfort Suites on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The amazing feature about this hotel is that it is located right across the street from the Atlantis resort, and if you stay at this hotel, they give you daily admission to the Atlantis resort, which includes ALL the water attractions!!!  It was perfect! We were able to stay at a a clean, convenient and comfortable hotel for a fraction of the price of the Atlantis resort. We also saved by bringing snacks and doing some research about affordable restaurant choices in the area; it helped that we did not feel stuck to only the resort options because that is what gets extremely pricey.The marine life that you can see at the various spots throughout the resort makes this stop particularly stellar. The beach, water activities, amazing water slides, and lazy river make the Bahamas Atlantis resort an appealing option when traveling with teenagers, and staying at the Comfort Suites makes this stop more affordable.

I'm not sure how anyone could ever visit Disney World in Florida and not think it was a stellar stop. We were spoiled and stayed at the Beach Boardwalk, which is a resort hotel and just a stone's throw from Epcot Center. We were treated to the deluxe meal plan during our stay and deduced that no human being can possibly consume all the food that is offered through this plan--thank goodness you could use your food credits to buy souvenirs like lollipops at the end of your trip! Epcot Center is a real treat, a park that celebrates cultures from all around the world a la Disney. The Magic Kingdom is very similar to the one in Anaheim, CA, so I tended to enjoy parts of the resort that were unique to Disney World in Florida. The Disney staff really do their best to take care of you to assure that you experience is stellar...and it was!