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For kids, a great vacation means having a blast at amusement and theme parks, digging in the sand on the beach, and testing the waters at the hotel swimming pools.

TRADITIONALLY, dating back to the late 1980s, we enjoyed taking our annual trip to New England starting on Columbus Day--the "official" last day of the foliage season. That way, many of the tourist attractions were closed; the restaurants were empty; the motels charged off-season rates; and the hiking trails were mostly free of other leaf-peepers. But our three kids changed all that. Our daughter, four, and two sons, two and eight months, respectively, are not ready to hit even the simplest trails. Besides, to them, vacation means having fun at amusement and theme parks, digging in the sand on the beach, and testing the waters at the hotel swimming pools. Fine, we thought, it was inevitable anyway--we'll take a summer vacation. We will even forgo our old habit of not booking ahead, traveling from motel to motel depending on where our whimsy took us. Besides, it would be a new look for us, seeing all those trees sporting lush green foliage instead of shedding their yellow, red, orange, and brown leaves as winter approached.

Since we have a lot of family in the Boston area and visit there somewhat regularly, the long drive from Long Island is a breeze for the kids, so there's very little of the "Are we them, yet?" cries that can make a 300-plus-mile car trip a torture. As she does with each car venture, our four-year-old asked as we first started out, "Will we be there in a few minutes or in a very long time?" With Old Orchard Beach, Me., our first destination, the answer was, "A very long time." This was fine with her and her brothers, just so long as "you let me know when we're only a few minutes away." A reasonable request and a superb attitude.

Seven hours later, after just a couple of rest stops, we were pulling in to the Sea View motel. And yes, we remembered to inform our daughter when we were "just a few minutes away."

We did this as the Palace Playland came into view. After so many years of passing this amusement park when it had been closed up for the season, it was exciting finally to see it open, bustling with people, and filled with the delighted screams of kids enjoying the rides. Our offspring, quite naturally, wanted to stop the car immediately and join in the fun. That was the agenda for tomorrow, they were told. Besides, they were reminded; the motel pool was just up the road. That did the trick.

The Sea View is a three-building, 49-room motel which was recently remodeled. Our second-floor, two-bedroom suite appeared brand-new and had a wonderful view from the front porch of the Atlantic Ocean, just beyond the pool in back of the main building. Lots of closet space; big roomy dressers; a TV set in each room, including the kitchen; a breakfast bar; full fridge and freezer; microwave; comfy couch and loveseat; welcoming basket with champagne, crackers, and delicious chocolate candy; a crib for the baby; perfect firmness in the mattresses; and an air conditioning system that can frost your eyebrows (just the way we winter-loving folks like it) were all much appreciated. I also appreciated the fact that, unlike our nomadic days of yore, we'd actually stay put for a couple of nights. While loving the flexibility to move from place to place as we pleased, loading and unloading our luggage and myriad bags of stuff (all essential, of course) can be quite a chore. I was so delighted at the prospect of living in our new quarters for more than 24 hours that I didn't even mind the task ahead: lugging a minivan full of clothes, toys, games, and food up a large flight of stairs--10 trips at least--to our room. The job became much easier when the motel handyman, sensing my plight, happily negotiated the stairs with our luggage while I unloaded the endless cargo.

It was late afternoon by now; the wife wanted to shower and relax before dinner; and the kids were clamoring to go swimming. So Mom stayed in the deliciously cool room while I headed to the pool with our three children and a like number of floats. Perhaps because of their youthful ignorance, my trio of amphibians have not yet developed a fear of the water and its consequences. My oldest is always venturing out to the deep end--she's only three-and-a-half feet tall, so that pretty much means the entire pool--while the two-year-old enjoys leaping unannounced from the ledge into my arms. The youngest, meanwhile, splashes constantly, using both his arms and legs, with all the energy of a motorboat propeller. Luckily, my wife appeared about 20 minutes later to rescue me, scooping up the youngest and quickly setting the ground rules for the other two. (Funny how they always listen to her.) Our aquatic appetites sated, it was time to work on our real appetites and head out to dinner.

Parental pride forces us to say that our three behave like gold in restaurants. In fact, they rather enjoy dining out and act it. Still, any time you put three kids younger than five years old in a formal setting, an unexpected outburst is a distinct possibility, albeit remote in our case. Consequently, those leisurely dinners from our days of dating and the early years of our marriage are a thing of the past. The idea now isn't so much to rush as it is not to waste any time. As soon as we're seated, we ask that a waiter or waitress be dispatched to our table. There are no more appetizers. Drinks and meals are ordered simultaneously. If the kids' order is ready first, then bring it first. Don't wait. Coffee and the check are requested as the meal winds down, not after the table has been cleared. And since our kids have yet to develop a sweet tooth, dessert is a rarity. Whew! See, we did it. Another fine meal without incident.

The next day was hotter and stickier than predicted, so, instead of Palace Playland, we opted for a visit to Funtown Splashtown U.S.A., just a few miles up U.S. Route 1 in Saco, Me. But not before enjoying a bountiful breakfast at Joseph's By the Sea, a short walk from the Sea View.

The park is split in two, with Funtown filled with rides and Splashtown a water park. Since it was still morning and the full heat of the day was yet to come, we decided to start in Funtown. Happily for our oldest, the cutoff height to go on the "adult" rides was 42"--she just made it. Thanks to her latest growth spurt, she was able to ride with impunity on the motorized go-karts that circle a race track, the bumper cars, the tea cups, and the log flume. The two-year-old, meanwhile, was content to bide his time on the many kiddie rides until joined by his sister.

In a flash, it seemed, it was already early afternoon. The two boys, used to napping at this time of day, were getting a bit cranky. Consequently, we went over to Splashtown, set Mom up under a shady umbrella, and the terrible twosome fell quickly asleep, freeing me and my daughter to cool off on the water slides, in the wading pools, and under the sprinklers. Refreshed and raring to go, we decided to head back to Funtown while the two boys continued napping. About a half-hour later, a sudden big-time thunderstorm blew in out of nowhere. We quickly took cover in the gift shop along with many other rain-soaked patrons. My wife and two sons weren't so lucky. The boys, having risen from their naps, were enjoying the wading pools when the storm struck. Mom hustled them into their double stroller and headed for the refuge of the changing rooms. With both boys soaked and screaming, she met a wall of people at her destination. She stood in the downpour facing the crowd. Incredibly, no one would nudge over so she and our sons could take cover. So much for Maine hospitality. (Too bad I wasn't there, because I simply would have wheeled right into the wall of flesh. They would have either made way or been run over.) She ultimately took up residence under one of the huge water slides until the torrents abated. My daughter and I were reunited with them in the changing rooms, where my still-steaming missus related what had happened in our absence.

Once we got the kids dried, changed, and fed, though, the mood lightened and it was back to the rides for the rest of the afternoon until the park closed at six. We were later to learn that a tornado touched down briefly a couple of towns away and the brand new multiplex across the street, which had first opened its doors the night before, was struck by lightning.

Too exhausted for a sit-down dinner, we opted for takeout at a family restaurant in town and enjoyed our repast in our spacious suite. After a quick dip in the pool and a brief visit to the beach, and baths for all three, it was bedtime for the little ones. Mom, too, fell asleep early in front of the TV, so I cleaned up the dishes, tidied up the living room, and relaxed on the porch, enjoying the sight of the full moon over the ocean.