12 Of The Most Fun Travel And Learn Destinations In The U.S.
These family vacation destinations are our top picks for where to go on vacation in the United States. These spots just are where some of our family’s favorite memories have been made. And we wanted to share them with you!
As a family with a bit of wanderlust in our veins (and a mom with an obsession about traveling and learning), finding great places to go on a family vacation is one of our favorite things to do. When the house is finally quiet at the end of the day and the to-do list is done(ish), you’ll often find me with my IPad in my lap, looking for our family’s next adventure.
All that research has helped us find some really great places to visit.
And we’ve also managed to find a few travel flops.
We’ve learned that picking a great destination is half the battle. These 12 destinations top the list for our favorite places with all that and more… practically flop-proof.
Walt Disney World
Our family’ s top pick for where to go on vacation is definitely Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Where else can you go to 4 theme parks (and 2 water parks), “visit” 11 different countries, eat at a huge variety of restaurants offering food from around the world, and learn without even realizing it?
Mickey Mouse silhouettes aren’t the only things that are hidden throughout the most magical place on earth. Disney World also has a lesson concealed around every corner.
The rides at Disney have taught my kids about things like aerodynamics and how food is produced and distributed. Other attractions have made books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn come alive. And the resort hotels transport us to time periods my kids have only read about.
With more than 25 hotels on property, we never have trouble finding a place to stay that we love. Picking our favorite hotel at Disney World might be impossible for us because we like so many of them, but 4 of our favorites are the Beach Club Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Art of Animation.
Washington, DC
Our nation’s capital is another easy choice for any list about traveling and learning. But it’s not just the Smithsonian Museums that make this city a great place to vacation as a family.
It’s also hidden gems like Lincoln’s Cottage, iconic (and luxurious) hotels steeped in history like the Watergate Inn and Hay Adams Hotel, and unforgettable monuments like the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
Washington, DC is filled with history lessons. Yet it’s also a thriving city with multicultural experiences, including a vast array of cuisines to give kids a true “taste” of different cultures. (One of our family’s favorites is the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe located inside the National Museum of the American Indian.) It’s a great place to catch a national sporting event or a concert. And it’s a place where kids can see where history is made through tours of places like the U.S. Capital Building and the White House.
Boston, MA
Boston is another city with deep roots in the history that shaped our nation, making it a fantastic “travel and learn” destination.
My kids’ favorite things to do on our trip were the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, Faneuil Hall Marketplace and the Boston Children’s Museum. We also did our first Duck Tour in the city. What kid doesn’t love being in a vehicle that can go from land to water? (I may not be a kid anymore but I’m secretly raising my hand too!)
But, Boston is also just a great overall destination too. Lots of food options, access to great major league sports teams, and a cool city vibe.
We chose the Kimpton brand for our Boston getaway. The Nine Zero Hotel is in a great location and it’s stylish elegance reminded me that a beautiful hotel isn’t just for those traveling without kids.
Williamsburg, VA
As the largest living history museum in the world, colonial Williamsburg also has so much to offer for families who want to travel and learn. Guided tours, re-enactments and strolls down the cobblestone streets make kids feel like they’re not just learning about the beginning of the 18th century, they’re actually in it.
Staying at Colonial Houses Historic Lodging was one of my family’s favorite parts of our stay because that feeling didn’t stop once our day touring Williamsburg was over. All of the almost 2 dozen houses represented in the lodging are authentic turn-of-the-century homes with fascinating stories behind them. We stayed in the Nicholas-Tyler Office, a property owned by Robert Carter Nicholas in 1770 and later by John Tyler, who received word while at the property that William Henry Harrison had died, making Tyler the new President of the United States.
Known as Virginia’s Historic Triangle, the Williamsburg area also encompasses Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Battlefield. While in Jamestown, we learned about the arrival of English colonists to America and the establishment of English settlements. The area features museum exhibits, self-guided tours of the recreated ships that transported colonists, a life-size re-creation of the colonial and a replica of a Paspahegh town.
At the Yorktown Battlefield, kids can walk the path thousands of soldiers marched and fought on during the battle that ended the Revolutionary War.
New York, NY
Ahhh, the city that never sleeps! Sounds like a place you don’t want to take kids to, right?
Wrong!
New York City’s museums, ethnic restaurants, and famous landmarks make it one of the best destinations for family vacations for traveling and learning. The Statue of Liberty tells the tale of how many families got their start in America while the 9/11 Memorial and Museum chronicles a day that forever shaped our nation. And the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art is a place not to be missed
While these places to go in New York are really well known, there are so many smaller museums and places to see that are fantastic as well. The Tenement Museum is one of our favorite smaller museums for a travel and learn trip to the Big Apple.
Seeing a play on Broadway is another one of my favorite things to do with kids in the city so and we’ve been fortunate to find some great places to stay not too far from the theater district. My kids have raved about the tech features in the rooms at CitizenM and I can’t get enough of the feel of the hotel. Although each room only sleeps 2, I’ve stayed in the hotel when I’ve gotten away with just one of the kids or when we decide to rent more than 1 room. We also love the Residence Inn New York/ Manhattan/ Central Park. It’s in a great location and is a good price while still feeling high-end. And the breakfast area offers fantastic views of the city.
San Diego, CA
San Diego practically screams “best family vacation destination”. The city’s location on the coast, warm climate, and access to attractions like the world famous zoo, Legoland, and lots of kid-friendly museums made it a city we knew we had to visit with our kids.
Our favorite part of our “travel and learn” trip was Old Town San Diego. The area depicts what life was like during the settlement of California with buildings to walk through and people dressed in period costumes.
The hotel selection in San Diego is as massive as the list of things to do in the city. My husband and I once stayed in Omni’s La Costa Resort and Spa on a couple’s trip and that would be one of my top picks for a return visit with kids as well. The resort has a multitude of activities, beautiful grounds, and impeccable service.
Alas, no vacation to Southern California is complete for huge Disney fans like us without a trip to Disneyland. Disneyland is easy to add on to a trip to San Diego because it’s more compact than it’s massive counterpart in Orlando.
We also found getting there from San Diego via Amtrak to be super convenient, so fun, and apropos (since Walt himself loved trains).
Our home away from home in Disneyland was the Disneyland Hotel. We loved the monorail themed waterslide and easy access to the parks and restaurants.
Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Yellowstone had been on our list of places to take the kids for years, but it wasn’t until my husband planned a backpacking trip nearby with our oldest son that we decided it was time to make the trip happen.
Driving the Grand Loop and seeing the park was just one of the highlights of the trip. We also loved exploring eastern Idaho and parts of Montana.
We stayed at Under Canvas, on the border of Montana, and were introduced to the world of glamping. If you’ve never glamped before, like us until then, think king size beds and claw-foot tubs housed in gorgeous tents next to campfires. Yep - it’s definitely skirting near the top of the list of the coolest experiences our family has ever had.
Just over an hour from the southern end of Yellowstone sits Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We loved discovering the old west in this town that’s also known for it’s natural beauty. Jackson Hole offers a great downtown with things like daytime cowboy skits, so we chose to stay nearby at the White Buffalo Club and we loved being so close to town. If you don’t mind a drive into the town square, several nice properties are also located near the Teton Village, an area that deserves a visit no matter where you stay in Jackson Hole.
St. John, USVI
Who ever said a list of the best places to go on a family vacation in the U.S. had to be in the continental states? With no airport located directly on the island, getting to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands might take a little more effort. But, this gem is worth it. (And getting there isn’t as difficult as it seems with ferries traveling frequently between St. John and St. Thomas, where travelers can fly direct from many U.S. cities.)
Two-thirds of the island is a national park, making it a great place for families to explore nature in a beautiful, tropical setting. Our favorite things to do while visiting St. John vary from exploring a different gorgeous beach every day, snorkeling in the pristine waters, hiking to the plantation ruins, visiting the petroglyphs carved by the Taino Indians, and wandering through the quaint town.
One of the most unique ways to see the island of St. John is aboard your own private chartered sailboat. Book a multi-day sail trip and your sailboat serves as not only your mode of transportation to see different parts of the island, but also your accommodations. Our sailboat home has been aboard Kindred Spirit for our last two trips and after our spectacular sailing trip, Gallows Point was the perfect place to welcome us back to dry land. Both were hits with my entire family and places to which we can’t wait to go back.
The Florida Keys
Capturing a laid-back Caribbean vibe may not mean you have to travel out of the U.S. after all. Although the Florida Keys are actually located in the Florida Straits, the body of water that divides the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico, it’s tropical feel is oh-so-Caribbean. The weather can’t be beat and the ocean water near the Keys is a comfortable temperature for swimming most of the year. And with loads of water activities to do like fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and boating, the kids will be learning about aquatic life.
We chose to make Key Largo our home base when visiting the Florida Keys. It’s beautiful beaches are kid-friendly and it’s close to all we wanted to do on our trip, like visiting John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a great place to learn about marine life.
The Baker's Cay Resort in Key Largo provided the perfect place for us to explore all the area has to offer. And the activities at the resort were an awesome addition to our trip.
Denver, CO
Denver’s proximity to so many great places to see in Colorado made it a logical choice for our family to travel to years ago. Since then, we’ve been back several times, not just to explore a bit of Denver, but also to see Boulder, Beaver Creek, and Breckinridge. And we’ve quickly learned we want to add more destinations in Colorado to our families travel bucket list for sure.
Skiing is definitely king in Colorado in the winter and hiking is a favorite activity in warmer months. Our kids have learned about differences in climate, topography and wildlife by visits to the great Rocky Mountains. They’ve have also had the opportunity to explore the history of the area.
Renting a house through VRBO has been our choice for where to stay with kids but the Residence Inn Boulder Canyon Boulevard was also a great find for us on a recent trip. The customer service was great in this brand new, stylish hotel.
Texas Hill Country
The area known as Texas Hill Country is another spot that’s great for traveling and learning not only become of what it has to offer but also because of what the surrounding area contributes. Hill Country, a.k.a. the border of the American southeast and southwest, is just an hour or two from both Austin and San Antonio. So day trips between the towns offer opportunities to see landmarks like the Alamo in San Antonio and the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin. Staying in Hill Country allows you to see things in surrounding cities and get a resort-style vacation.
Our pick for where to stay during our Texas adventure was the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. The huge lazy river and assortment of pools (with slides of course) were perfect for a day of fun in the sun. And the grounds at the resort were Texas-esque for sure - vast and gorgeous.
Small Town, USA
You may have trouble finding this specific location on a map, but it none-the-less definitely makes our list of the best destinations for families. Because although big cities and more popular places to vacation surely have a lot to offer, so too do some of the proverbial Mayberries of the world. Small towns simply make some of the best family vacations for traveling and learning… and just having fun.
One of our best small town vacations was to Bramwell, WV. In Bramwell, my kids spent time riding ATVs, hiking, eating in the kinds of diners that have pictures of bygone times on the walls, and fishing until the sun went down. We played cards and worked a puzzle at night, cooked together, and met people around town. There were no long agendas of things to do to check off during our trip, but our day was more than full.
Another great thing about vacationing in small towns is that word of mouth is often the best way to find a place of stay. A quick Google search and phone call to the local Chamber of Commerce or visitor’s bureau is often the best way to start.
