5 Family-Friendly Places to Travel in the USA

So far, we have covered international and New York state family travel ideas. In the last post of this series, I will be sharing my favorite picks of family-friendly places to travel in the USA (outside of New York).

1. Florida
I would not want to live in Florida but it’s a fabulous place to visit. Of course, Orlando is at the top of the family-friendly vacation list. My family has visited the four Walt Disney World theme parks a few times and each visit has been magical for all of us. This year, we hope to take our sons to Universal Orlando for their “graduation celebration” gift. We have heard many complimentary things about the spot from friends who have visited. Also, we think that the boys are now old enough to get on and appreciate their ride offerings. My father enjoyed SeaWorld and encouraged us to go. We will probably skip it though because I’ve become more sensitive to animals in captivity overall.

There are a lot of other wonderful places to visit in Florida too. The state has beautiful beaches, various national parks, a variety of museums and other sites that will help families create amazing memories.

2. Louisiana
Honestly, I primarily want to go to Louisiana for the food! The press trip that was hardest for me to turn down was the Princess and the Frog one back in 2009. It was a trip to New Orleans with food tastings, cultural site visits, and a swamp tour. I want my entire family to go to New Orleans to experience the mixture of cultures (French, African, American and Canadian). Of course, enjoying the Cajun and Creole foods would be a significant part of that. 🙂 Visiting historical sites, museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and a variety of outdoor activities combine to make all of the other regions of Louisiana an exciting place to visit too.

3. North Carolina
Sports teams and colleges are the things that many people think about in regards to North Carolina. However, I think that Raleigh is one of the best places in the USA for families to visit. Although I didn’t see a North Carolina exhibit at the travel show, my family still reminisces about our trip to Raleigh back in 2012. It was both educational and fun. There were many marvelous places to eat and several free museums. My husband and I came home from our trip saying that if we were ever to move down south, it would be to the Raleigh area.

4. Pennsylvania
Hershey is the area that I have enjoyed in the past. My family and a group of friends went on a day trip to Hersheypark since it’s only 3 hours from NYC. Sharing time together there was filled with smiles, laughter, and chocolate as we rode rides and ate theme park food. If I go back, I’ll stay a couple of nights to fully enjoy the park and to visit the neighboring Harrisburg area. At the travel show, I learned that it has local farmers markets, an island stadium, historical sites and a variety of international dining options. (If you have younger kids, Sesame Place in Bucks County is another fantastic amusement park option.)

5. Virginia
I was raised in Hampton Roads and it was a great place to grow up. I wrote about a variety of indoor and outdoor activities in the Hampton area after our last visit in 2016. Williamsburg is another enjoyable area to visit. Many of my friends had summer jobs at Busch Gardens and Water Country amusement parks. In addition, history buffs will appreciate Colonial Williamsburg’s living-history museum. When you visit, it seems as if you have stepped back into the past. The national parks, beautiful trails, historical landmarks, and other attractions all make the rest of the state of Virginia worth a visit also.

Washington, DC 
This one is a bonus because DC is not a state, but it is the capital of the United States. My family visited DC back in 2013 for a family gathering. We had such an excellent time visiting the various sites – including the White House. (We miss you Obama family!) Anyway, the reason that I want to go back is to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I studied African American and Women’s History at Columbia. I want to see the historical items…even though I know that I’ll probably cry.

Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. – Edmund Burke

As you can tell, many places have been added to our “family travel bucket list” since my press visit to The 2018 New York Times Travel Show this past weekendd. Traveling the world, country, or state with your kids can create memories that you will repeat and reminisce over for a lifetime. I hope that by reading this series that you have been inspired to think of at least one one-day, weekend or extended vacation idea to enjoy with your family. So many destinations, so little time!