I'd like to listen to any thoughts you all might have on our travel itinerary this July for our family that includes two older teenage kids (thus the emphasis somewhat on waterfront locations and to help with the heat factor since we are from the Seattle area). We are big people watchers and generally like to wander around back streets and side roads rather than the more common tourist sites, although we do plan on going back to see some of those in the more "off" season. Any thoughts on the Italian part of the trip is appreciated. Thanks to everyone here who has helped in the decision process.

Here it is:

Meet my kids who have already been in Germany for 3 weeks at the Frankfurt Airport. Take 2 days to drive to Italy on back roads.
3 days Malcesine on Lake Garda (Hotel Du Lac)
3 days Portovenere (Hotel Belvedere)
4 days San Gimignano (Hotel Pescille)
3 days Santa Margherita Ligure (Hotel Nouva Riviera)
then either 4 days in Piedmonte or at Villefranche (Hotel Patricia) in France
2 days in Baden Baden (we have amost a tradition where we stay there for a few days before heading home out of Frankfurt)

Sounds like a great trip. We spent some time at Lake Garda last year and really enjoyed the area.

Don't know if it's in your plans, but our kids (15 and 11 last year) had a lot of fun at Gardaland (my wife has a different opinion of the day we spent there, but she wouldn't go to Disneyworld with us either and is officially labeled "no fun" when it comes to amusement parks).

Portovenere is a wonderful place to spend a day...are you planning a relaxation stay there or planning to go to other places from that base?

Only other comment I would make is that San Gimignano is one of my least favorite places in Italy. Far too touristy and just not enough things there that you can't see other places with far less travel time and many fewer people buying souvenirs (next to Pisa, probably the highest concentration of tourist stalls and shops in the country??)