Q - Alyson P. from New York City asks: My husband and I and our close friends (with kids, ages 1, 2, 4, and 11) are looking for a 5-day vacation in August at a resort within driving distance of New York. We enjoy watersports, pool or beach time and are looking for a place with a children's camp. The adults would like great food and some nightlife/entertainment.

A - Noting that you want to travel by car from a New York home base, I would like to make a few suggestions for resorts that will provide group daycare or quality private babysitting for the ages specified.

Our suggestions for a warm weather resort getaway in the mid-Atlantic and New England region with infants and toddlers range from two family camps in Vermont known for gourmet cuisine and great kids' programs to a family-welcoming casino resort where parents will find lots of fun nightlife and excellent childcare for their children.  Other possibilities are a resort famous for its family activities, nice condo accommodations, hiking and canoeing, and an historic hotels that welcomes families. Take a look at our coverage on these resorts:

"The Tyler Place"
"The Basin Harbor Club"
"Mohegan Sun"
"Smugglers' Notch"
"Mohonk Mountain House"

You can also read "Top 3 Northeast Family Resorts" which compares Tyler Place, Smugglers Notch and Mohonk Mountain House, and a story entitled "Top Family Camps" if you wish you and your kids could go to to camp together.

If nightlife is less important, and you feel that a spa /golf getaway in Pennsylvania might fit the bill, we can suggest you read our story entitled "Woodloch Pines Resort, Pennsylania" for a resort that offers boisterous family fun, and lots of organized activities, or the more upscale Nemacolin Resort (see our "Have Kids, Still Spa At The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa") where adults can definitely relax while kids are engaged in the children's programs or with a private babysitter.

Check out "Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club" to read about a great choice for a condo style apartment on the beach in Cape Cod. You can also read about hotel / resort ideas at the New Jersey shore, in other parts of Cape Cod, and on Long Island on the FTF site. Note that these can probably provide private babysitting, but won't have the range of organized kids' programs that the resorts noted above provide.

After you've had a chance to check out these reviews, please feel free to email us back with any questions you may have, or a request for more assistance.