US Family Travel

Families have many options when it comes to choosing kid-friendly accommodations, and apartment rentals are exploding in popularity.

Explore the temperate rainforests of Alaska with your kids; you’ll learn science skills as you investigate and discover in tide pools, rocks, and forests

Take your family to Shenandoah National Park to learn about forests, animals, plants, and even history while on vacation.

The ultimate payoff for this trip was answering my nephews’ questions about the Revolutionary War and the reasons why things unfolded as they did, discussing whether King George in England was fair in his expectation of colonists, and posing the question of which side they would be on. They now knew enough and had seen enough to be able to ask some thoughtful questions, even at the tender ages of 8 and 11.

As lifelong residents of the Western US, my family and I love pioneering history. Since the moment my 4th grade class studied the California Gold Rush, I was hooked, and I’ve passed on my passion for this chapter of our nation’s history to my kids. Nearly everywhere we drive in the West harbors some vestige of early settlements, Native American life, or pioneering struggles.

Don’t just read about California history, explore it with your kids!

Get outside of New York City, and you’ll find that there is a lot for kids and families to take advantage of in Upstate New York. Look for beautiful state parks, interesting museums, and kid-friendly activities around every corner, particularly in the summer. Here are the top 10 Syracuse family-friendly things to do.

Located in the picturesque Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, the 800-acre Malibu Dude Ranch prides itself on two things: creating family memories and horseback riding.

My resolution this year: I want the kids to play outside more often. I sincerely believe that the best way to get your kids outside is to be the example. In light of that resolution, my family took the challenge of staying at a Georgia State Park every month of 2014.

Visiting Catalina Island with kids is the perfect way to enjoy an island vacation adventure, without the hefty cross-the-ocean price tag.

Need a weekend itinerary from Atlanta or Nashville? Check out Blue Ridge, Georgia! (And read on for your chance to win a $500 gift card from Shell!)

I love being in the middle of a moment and recognizing that it will make the highlight reel of life. I am talking about the moments which become fond memories that are retold at family get-togethers for decades. Last summer, my kids and I added several highlights to our memory reels while visiting Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

The Sugar and Spice Ranch is a ranch home open to mothers and daughters interested in learning about horseback riding. Along the way, Mom and daughter teams learn horsemanship and much more.

Planning a Florida beach vacation means looking for that perfect beach destination full of sugar sand beaches, sunshine, beautiful sunrises, and spectacular sunsets. Living in Florida, I have the privilege of hearing from parents about small quaint beaches that aren’t on most people’s radars. These off-the-beaten-path beaches show why Florida is known as the Sunshine State. Here are the top five hidden beaches for families in Florida.

A kid-friendly desert adventure in Phoenix, Arizona is the perfect place for a family getaway. From hiking, kayaking, and taking a hot air balloon trip, you will be surprised by the many adventures found in the Sonoran Desert.

While we were driving from our home in Connecticut I couldn’t help humming “I’ve had the time of my life….and I owe it all to you”. We were heading to …

Never have we enjoyed such a hands-on, educational, and adventurous trip; while we never cracked a book, we learned more in 10 days on our family friendly Alaskan cruise than we could have possibly studied in a month.

I call it “business class for the family class” – those accommodations with amenities that business travelers demand and family travelers relish.