When my Husband suggested Montauk, as in, the beachy tip at the very end of Long Island, for our summer vacation my first reaction was, “That’s too close to home! We can’t go there for vacation.” (We live in Manhattan.)

Then, the beauty of vacationing near home hit me like a ton of bricks: no airport security; no long flight with toddlers; no requirement to stay gone longer than we’d really like - just a perfect family vacation to a place we’ve never been before that is known for being low key!

So, off we went to the perfect vacation rental home, on the perfect family vacation in perfect little Montauk.

Day 1

Ahhh, home sweet home!

We arrived at our amazing, contemporary Montauk vacation rental (that we found on HomeAway.com) with a sun-drenched deck, huge backyard and children's jungle gym with bikes, ice chest, and other essentials, just before noon. The homeowner met us upon arrival to give us the keys, a tour of the home and tons of advice about the area. It was beautiful. It had tons of room and natural light and was in a great location near everything we had planned.

Meanwhile, my Mom (“Nonna” to my girls) landed at La Guardia and hopped a ride on The Jitney to meet us in Montauk.

Around lunchtime, we drove in to town to pick her up at the bus stop and enjoyed a lovely lunch in the quaint downtown area, sitting outside in the breeze. We finally felt like we were on vacation!

But, it wasn’t long before we realized there’s no time to dally in Montauk! My husband had planned an adventure-packed itinerary so we needed to get started.

Montauk Point Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in New York State, was our first destination. The Lighthouse, authorized by the Second Congress, under President George Washington, is still an active aid to navigation today. Our 3-year-old met the minimum height requirement (41” or more) and was allowed to climb to the top with us to check out the view. It was peaceful and amazing all at once.

After all of that hard work climbing up and down the 137 iron steps, we headed over to the gift shop and restaurant for cocktails and milkshakes. 

Later that day, we headed over to Monday night "Concerts on the Green," a free family event sponsored by the chamber of commerce.  A few lawn chairs, some chilled wine and a pizza from the local pizzeria, and we were all set for one of the best nights we've had all year. The band was singing tunes like “Pretty Woman” and kids, young and old, were swinging to the beat. This is how a sunset was mean to be enjoyed. It was like we were in a TV show or a movie, only better - it was real!

After the Littles had their baths, we all snuggled up on the over-sized couches in the living room of our vacation rental and watched Team USA take the gold in Womens’ Gymnastics. Inspired by the win, the Littles attempted their own acrobatics solidifying a "perfect 10" for our first day of vacation!

Day 2

Our second day in Montauk started with everyone slathering on the sunscreen before we headed out to a sun-filled day of activities – mostly on the beach. (Check out my post “A Parent’s Guide to Pool Time on Vacation” for more tips on sun protection). We always make sure all of us are well-coated before we get dressed and leave for the day.

Our first stop was Gin Beach where we took advantage of gorgeous morning and skipped stones. Then we collected sea shells, driftwood and even sea greenery growing on the sand dunes to fill up three glass globes we bought to remember our vacation. 

Lunch had us heading over to Navy Beach, a famous restaurant in Montauk where the fresh seafood is really amazing. Its super kid-friendly since they can run around on the beach while you wait for your food, which makes it worth the pricey fare. After lunch, we took a quick nap at our comfy vacation rental, then we were ready for more!

Rita’s Stables was next on the agenda and the perfect place for the Littles to enjoy something right up their alley. It was so fun watching them experience their first saddle rides. It made my mom and I nostalgic for the first time my brother and I rode horseback with my grandparents in Columbus, MS. The petting zoo at Rita’s was a big hit, too. Of course, our littlest wanted to HOLD the animals (not just pet them).

Next up was a quick game of mini-golf at the local Puff & Putt to fill the gap of time between horse riding and our dinner reservation. Note to self: Toddlers don’t play mini golf. It was fun to watch anyway.

One of the best parts about Montauk is that all of the great restaurants you’re dying to visit are family friendly in the early evening hours. We ALL had a great time at Solé East in their beautifully landscaped backyard dining area. All of the money we saved by staying in a vacation rental allowed us to enjoy some restaurants that wouldn’t have otherwise fit in our budget.

I never get to hit up the Momofuko Milk Bar in NYC so I was determined to visit their Montauk outpost for dessert. We got carry-out to enjoy back at the house around the kitchen table together. 

After spotting two bunnies and four deer (that were on their own family vacation, according to the girls) in the backyard, our elated Littles enjoyed a cool nighttime romp on the jungle gym before bath time put an end to our second day.

Day 3

As early risers, we easily made the 10 am ferry to Block Island, Mass., a place I knew nothing about.

Hubs insisted we bring our bikes so we could all bike around the island together. Once I realized that there was only one ferry a day to and from Block Island, and that both directions take at least an hour, I was a little nervous that this might be an ambitious plan for our multigenerational band of merry travelers.

Hubs and the oldest Little had a great time biking all over the island, shopping, eating and hitting up yet another petting zoo. Nonna, Littler, our friend and myself had a less fun day after a series of near fatal biking accidents. Ok, maybe I’m being a tad dramatic. But there was more than one accident and there was blood. And it was mine. Enough said.

We did manage to get ourselves to the Old Town area of Block Island, where Littlest promptly put herself up for sale for fear we might put her on the

back of  another bicycle.

Leaving Block Island was more enjoyable as it included cocktails on the dock and a chance to watch real fishermen cleaning their catch of the day while we waited to board the ferry.

Not a moment too soon, Hubs had arranged for a little vacation romance on our final night!

My husband definitely knows how to plan a date! We indulged at the hottest dinner spot in town, Byron at Surf Lodge and had the best table there. Afterwards, we pretended we were slightly younger than we are and headed to Rushmeyers Electric Eel Bar for Comedy Night with Seth Herzog where we laughed and recovered from the day’s adventures. Perhaps Hubs read my post, "Rest, Relaxation & Romance" about spending quality couple time during a family vacation.

Day 4

After a lazy morning with the girls, Hubs surprised us all with the perfect souvenir t-shirts on our last day. In no time, we were packed and ready to hit the road. Montauk: The End!

Diana Heather writes at http://www.parentingsatrip.com. She is also the Chief Mom, both at home to her two girls and at Totsy.com. You can follow Diana on Twitter @ParentingsATrip.

In light of the Olympics, I thought it’d be a fun idea to do a series of posts about traveling abroad with your family... 

International travel with a young family can be a bit nerve-wracking, particularly the first time you do it. However, as a mom who’s been to Europe and back more than once with both of my girls (reminder: my oldest is 3 years old), I can say it was absolutely worth it.

We love the idea of exposing our children to new countries and cultures early on. Plus, for us, traveling abroad means spending time with Hubs’ parents, which is a total bonus!

As with all family travel, a smooth international vacation just comes down to doing your homework and having a game plan.  

Passports rules for children (16 and under) are different than the rules for adults:
Despite what you might think, all children, including babies, are required to have a passport when traveling internationally.

Also, both parents/guardians must be with the child at the passport agency to get the process started. If both can not be present, then the one who is absent must have signed the proper form (DS-3053) and have it notarized giving permission for the child to receive a passport. You can find a link to download Form DS-3053 on travel.state.gov.   Check the rules for parents with sole custody or a third parties applying with the child for their passport.   Parents/guardians also need to submit sufficient documentation of custody or a ‘permission to travel letter’ at the airport if only one parent intends to travel with their child without the second parent or if grandparents, etc. are traveling abroad with a child without his/her parents.

Creative Commons Photo courtesy of timsackton

This can get confusing, but it’s very important. No one wants to get to the airport for a major trip just to be turned away by officials for improper documentation.

Family Travel Forum has a great article entitled, “Required Documents for Travel with Minors.” This is a great place to start for more information. Regardless of your plans, when crossing borders with minors always check the Department of Homeland Security site to ensure you have the proper documents with you before you leave home.

The happily-sleeping jetsetter child:
Traveling through time zones and managing jetlag requires counterintuitive thinking because your body will be tired and telling you to sleep; however there are definitely ways to get your family through it with ease. 

First, if you're traveling to Europe and other countries east of the US, it's best to do so at night so you wake up at your destination during the day.

Also, I recommend switching your clocks to the new time zone as early as possible to help you stay on schedule and force your body to accept what time it is where you are/are going versus where you're coming from.

If you have an iPhone, a helpful tool is the “Clock” application (note: it's the same app you use for the alarm or stopwatch). At the bottom of the screen, tap on “World Clock” to easily see and compare time zones. The best part is there’s no need to search for or buy a new app – this one’s part of the phone. Love that!

Maintaining your at-home schedule while traveling will also help ease jet-lag (e.g., eat breakfast at 7 a.m., lunch at noon, dinner at 7 p.m., etc.). Believe it or not, eating your regular meals on the new time schedule will help you sleep better.

Luckily, in my experience, young kids and infants are generally sensitive to light and dark and and often don't need as much coercing as adults when it comes to adjusting to new time zones. Parents with older kids might want to encourage them to go to bed slightly earlier than usual the first few nights to try and wake up on schedule. It’s tempting to go to bed late and wake up late the first few days of an international trip, but the sooner your body gets acclimated to the new schedule, the better.

When traveling home (westward), reverse the process. Travel in the morning so that you arrive home in time to go to bed at home at a regular time. Again, force your body to wake up and eat at regular times.

International travel and family meals:
My experience has taught me to take advantage of the opportunity to try new food ideas offered up by friends and family at destinations abroad, especially when it comes to the kids. People tend to think differently about baby and toddler foods due to cultural differences and experiences. This is actually a good thing. We took their advice and came away with great new options for my kids.

My girls tried foods I would never have dreamed of for them (like salmon and parsnips when they weren't even a year old) and they loved them. My British sister-in-law even convinced me it was ok to give them small portions of pureed casseroles with a little milk and cheese in them. It worked out great! 

The world is a large and wonderful place.  Instead of being afraid to explore it because you have kids, think of it as another opportunity to grow closer with your family through each new adventure.    

What was your first international travel experience like and what was the thing you were most nervous about? How did that turn out?

Happy travels!

Diana Heather writes at ParentingsATrip.com. She is also the Chief Mom, both at home to her two girls and at Totsy.com. You can follow Diana on Twitter @ParentingsATrip.