5 Great Road Trips for Kids

by Phil Stott

In my last couple of posts I've covered a couple of subjects related to taking kids on a (relatively) pain-free road trip: planning before you go, and in-car entertainment systems (otherwise known as using your imagination). Here, then, is the concluding part of the series-five destinations that are more than worth the journey, even if the young 'uns scream all the way there.

1) The Grand Canyon

Make no mistake about it: if you live in the continental United States and you haven't visited the Grand Canyon, you're missing out in a big way. I'd attempt to describe the feeling of standing on the edge of it and marveling at its sheer size, but "awe-inspiring"-or any other words-just don't get the job done. Worth the trip by itself, it's hard to imagine anyone (kid or adult) whose imagination won't be sparked in some way by one of the most spectacular sights nature has to offer. While it's possible to see it on a day trip as part of a general tour of the Southwest, it would definitely be worth staying nearby (or even in the park) and spending a few days trying to come to terms with the scale of the thing. Bonus for adults: The mountain town of Sedona, AZ is just a couple of hours away. Think spectacular red rock formations, upscale spas, and some great hiking-and plenty of family-friendly things to do to boot.

2) Washington, D.C.

Does it need any introduction? Indeed, D.C. was such an obvious choice for inclusion that I almost left it off the list altogether; no-one needs to be told to go to the nation's capital and show their kids where the President lives, or where the laws get passed, or all the monuments, tombs, libraries and museums, right? In a place with such an embarrassment of riches, the only reason I did include it was to mention that a) hotels will be slightly more expensive and harder to come by and b) both Philadelphia and Colonial Williamsburg are within a couple of hours, and are also great stops on a road trip. The former for loading up on yet more American history, and the latter for, well, the same, but with the added attraction of a period town and a theme park. (Hint: cut costs by skipping the entry fee, especially if your kids are museum-ed out-the fee only allows access to a few of the buildings. Wandering the "town" itself is free.)

3) Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

Old Faithful. Hot springs. Wolves. Bears. Elk. Yellowstone's really all about timing in what there is to see, but even if you don't come across any of the park's "advertised" features, it's still worth the visit. Of course, there's plenty of hiking, and it has its own Grand Canyon to boot. To make more of a trip of it, meanwhile, the cowboy (or, to be more accurate, cowboy-theme) town of Jackson Hole is a little over an hour away, and is right next to Grand Teton National Park-another worthwhile piece of sightseeing.

4) Florida

Okay, so every child in the country knows that a trip to Florida means Disney World. And Universal Studios. And endless hordes of British tourists-for which I can only apologize on behalf of my country. There's a whole lot more to the state than that, however, with most of the attractions having precious little to do with Orlando. Like the Everglades (think airboat rides, kayaking, alligators, mangrove forests, and much, much more). Or the Keys (scuba diving, more kayaking, pretty much all water sports, in fact). In fact, the state just seems to gets more fun the further south you travel-although that may be something to do with the fact that Jacksonville's in the north. (Sorry Jacksonville!)

5) Wisconsin

So I know this might not seem like the most obvious choice, but it fulfils two key criteria for me. First, I wanted to include somewhere in the Midwest. And, second, my wife is from Wisconsin, and I wanted to keep the in-laws happy! Seriously, though, as an outsider I can report that there's enough to do in the state to keep the average road-tripping family happy for as long as they want to stay. Whether it's catching a Brewers game at Miller Park (tickets almost always available), checking out some of the finest work done by Frank Lloyd Wright, eating the best brats and drinking some of the best beer you'll find this side of Germany, taking the kids to the Wisconsin Dells, exploring the great outdoors at Devil's Lake State Park or getting up north to check out scenic Door County, there's a ton of stuff to enjoy.