Good news! Today Parents has planned your next 40 family vacations. We perused the list and chose 10 that we thought looked amazing. Some are simple, some would require quite the vacation, but we can dream, right? Also, check out the full list of 40!
Bioluminescent Bay, Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Why you’ve got to go: Glow-in-the-dark plankton light up the water like magic — so cool!
What to do: Charter a guided excursion, led by companies like Kayaking Puerto Rico and Yokahu Kayaks. Book the first tour of the evening, so it’s light enough to see the iguanas chilling on the branches as you paddle through the narrow mangrove tunnels toward the bay. Once you get out there, nature’s light show begins. The water sparkles like pixie dust every time you move your paddle, and fish flash by like tiny light sabers. Not a confident kayaker? Some outfitters, like Baby Bay Cruising Lagoon Company, take you on electric boats instead.
Get there when kids are: Tweens/Teens
More info:www.seepuertorico.com
Petrified Forest, Northwestern Arizona
Why you’ve got to go: You’ve never seen trees like these! Dating back to the Triassic period, these ancient hunks of trunks have turned to stone.
What to do: Meet up in the Rainbow Forest Museum visitor center for ranger walks along Giant Logs Trail to learn how they got fossilized in the first place. A nearby trail leads to Agate House, a pueblo of petrified wood, built by the Anasazi 1,000 years ago. Drive across the park to see Native American sand paintings (petroglyphs) at Newspaper Rock; then continue to the Painted Desert and its multi-colored striped boulders (especially spectacular at sunset).
Get there when kids are: Gradeschoolers
More info:http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm
Climb Mt. Ranier, West Central Washington State
Why you’ve got to go: This 14,410-foot-high snow-covered peak has 25 major glaciers. And you don’t have to be a mountaineer to scale it.
What to do: In summer, hike on one of the lower gentle family trails that wind through forests and meadows of wildflowers, past waterfalls and glacial lakes. Best bets: Nisqually Vista Trail (in Paradise); Trail of the Shadows (in Longmire); and Grove of the Patriarchs (near Ohanapecosh). Or drive up to Sunrise, elevation 6,400 feet–the highest you can get by vehicle–for jaw-dropping views of the surrounding Cascades. In winter, rangers lead snow-shoe walks for children ages 8 and up.Get there when kids are: Preschoolers/Gradeschoolers
More info:www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm
Pacific Coast Highway Drive, From San Francisco to Los Angeles
Why you’ve got to go: It’s the mother of all road trips, with beyond-gorgeous scenery at every point along the way. Curvy Highway 1 winds along California’s craggy coastal cliffs, high above the ocean.
What to do: Take it slow and make lots of stops—whether you conquer the whole thing (allow 4 days) or just tackle small portions. Kids will be wowed by the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (ride the wooden coaster!); Monterey (go kayaking and see the Aquarium); Carmel’s Pt. Lobos State Natural Reserve (otters, seal lions and whales hang here); Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (great hiking and camping); Hearst Castle, in San Simeon, and the elephant seals on the beach just north of it.
Get there when kids are: Gradeschoolers
More info:tourthecentralcoast.com
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island
Why you’ve got to go: Two massive volcanoes are here, including Kilauea, one of the world’s most active. Trails take you past smokin’ steam vents, black lava rock, and enormous craters.
What to do: Stop at the Kilauea Visitor Center first: Pick up maps, check current conditions, and learn how the volcano came to be in the movie ‘Born of Fire, Born of Sea.’ Ask if rangers are leading walks, or set out on your own, always sticking to the suggested paths. An easy hike for families is along the Earthquake Trail (Waldron Ledge), with great views of the Kilauea Caldera. Don’t miss the Thurston Lava Tube, an underground tunnel where the hot stuff once flowed. (Drive there, then hike in, through a mossy fern forest.) Return to the park at night to see the gorgeous glow from the Halema’uma’u Crater. (Best viewing spot: The Jaggar Museum overlook.)
Get there when kids are: Tweens/Teens
More info: www.nps.gov/havo
Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida
Why you’ve got to go: Where else do you get to be an astronaut for a day? It’s a total blast — and just an hour from Orlando.
What to do: Though the real space shuttles have flown their final missions, you can feel what it’s like to rocket into the stratosphere on the Shuttle Launch Experience flight simulator. Also take mission control tours; have lunch with an astronaut; and even train with one in family Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) programs, preparing for g-forces and a mock journey to the International Space Station.
Get there when kids are: Gradeschoolers/Tweens/Teens
More info:kennedyspacecenter.com
Swim with Manatees, Crystal River, Florida
Why you’ve got to go: Just 90 minutes from Orlando and Tampa, this is the only place you can swim with manatees in the wild. Winter is the best time to see them, though they hang there all year long.
What to do: Snorkeling/diving outfitters like American Pro Diving Center take you to the warm springs where these gentle mammals congregate. Be patient and respectful: Let the manatees approach you.
Get there when kids are: Gradeschoolers/Tweens/Teens
More info: http://www.visitcitrus.com/
Sanibel & Captiva Islands, Southwest Florida
Why you’ve got to go: For the most amazing seashell experience you’ve ever had! Gazillions of them wash up on these Gulf coast barrier islands, which are equally famous for their wildlife. Plus, the water is shallow forever, so it’s a great place for little guys!
What to do: Grab a bucket and start shell hunting (just be sure to throw any live ones back). Scout for burrowing ghost crabs — if you’re still enough, you might spot one digging its tunnel. Watch for dolphins right off shore, or see them close up on a Captiva nature cruise. Also visit Sanibel’s J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, home to alligators, manatees and roseate spoonbills.
Get there when kids are: Toddlers/Preschoolers
More info:www.fortmyers-sanibel.com
Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas
Why you’ve got to go: It has some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world! Need we say more?
What to do: Rangers lead track tours through the Paluxy riverbed, best in late summer when water is shallowest. (You will get wet, so wear bathing suits and water shoes). Wade right up to giant footprints made by duck-billed dinos, three-toed meat-eaters and brontosaurus types; then swim in the Blue Hole upstream, where more tracks line the ledge.
Get there when kids are: Gradeschoolers
More info: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/dinosaur-valley
Stingray City, Grand Cayman Island
Why you’ve got to go: The Cayman Islands are famous for their excellent snorkeling and diving spots.
What to do: Whether you’re vacationing in the Caymans or simply stopping there on a Caribbean cruise, be sure to book a charter boat to Sting Ray City, a shallow sandbar. Within moments of wading into the crystal clear Caribbean, you’ll have hundreds of gentle stingrays gliding all around. Stroke their velvety skin, snorkel alongside them, and feed them by hand. Be prepared: it tickles!
Get there when your kids are: Tweens/Teens
More info: caymanislands.ky
Have you been to any of these places? What is your ideal family vacation?
