Other US cities for family vacation

[DisMommyTX]

We love to travel and cut expenses other places to prioritize our vacations. We have hit just about everything DH and I had on our to-do list over the last 5 years. We plan pretty far out, so I was asking DD15 what her requests are for the next couple years (only 3 more summers before college), and she said maybe more vacations to different cities. Any suggestions?

So far our exploits have been mostly in Florida (wdw passholders), California, Texas (where we live), and cruises (lots, mostly Caribbean We've also done trips to some national parks, DC, New York, and Northern Europe.

She is a history buff (Hamilton got her hooked), so I was thinking maybe Boston or Philadelphia. My family hardly ever traveled growing up, so most trips are a first for me too. She is not the outdoors/nature type, but we all enjoy a good trolley ride or day at the science museum. DS11 has special needs and is a trooper about doing the intellectual stuff, so a good amusement park for him sometime during the trip is always appreciated.

Really looking to plan something a week long in summer 2021. Maybe two cities not too far apart, anywhere Southwest flies (companion passes!) Probably also a long-weekend winter trip to someplace snowy.

My instinct is to default to one of those New England cruises, just explore a couple different cities on port excursions. I really think she would prefer a few days each in a city, but I need some ideas where to start looking.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Funny, I was going to suggest Boston! You could maybe combine it with a NH vacation - a few days at each place. In Boston, you'd have the history and museums, and harbor/ocean, it's pretty much a walkable city with good public transportation, and in NH you'd have the mountains and lakes with a nice amusement park (Canobie Lake Park). Plenty of fresh seafood everywhere. A nice combination!

https://www.discovernewengland.org/

 

[Bamaclan4]

One of my favorite trips as a teen (many moons ago ) was traveling to New England. We visited Boston, Philly, DC, Monticello, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Salem, New York, and Cooperstown, my family is all about some baseball. I think we were gone for 2 weeks and we did drive, but you could pick and choose and even take the train from some of the cities or rent a car. There’s also some good amusement parks that can be thrown in.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Canada? Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City.
East coast- Novs Scotia, Prince Edward Island.

 

[RamblingMad]

Banff is amazing, but it's in Canada, so you'll need a passport. I also recommend checking out the National Parks in Utah. I'm heading to Glacier this year, and if I can get permits, I'm looking at doing a weekend backpacking trip at the Grand Canyon. If you haven't explored the National Parks, I highly suggest. It's more of west thing to do whereas folks I know that live back east like to cruise and go to Florida a lot.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Cape Cod maybe? Lots of quaint cute small towns to explore and you can take a day or more just driving up the coast, you can go to Martha's Vineyard by ferry or Nantucket Island though I've only been to Martha's Vineyard, day trip to Salem, MA (which is cool and yes has a trolley tour), Plymouth,MA for bits of history, easy enough drive up to Boston too that you can do for a day or two for history and trolley tours a-plenty lol.

Also depending on where you stay in Cape Cod you can easily drive to Newport, RI and explore the mansions there (my husband and his family got to do that before I met them but when we went we just didn't allot time for that unfortunately).

Most of the places I'm listing are within an hour to 2 of each other just depending on where you stayed at in Cape Cod (and traffic of course). If you stayed far into Cape Cod like the top where Provincetown is it would obviously take a bit longer to drive though.

I could see a New England cruise working too though.

 

[starry_solo]

our family enjoys national parks.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I don’t know where SW flies to but either Philadelphia or Boston are great places to visit. You can save additional funds or use them in different manners by foregoing the car since both have good public transportation. Google each cities’s tourism sites and you can make up an itinerary that fits your family wants. Keep in mind there are natural sights nearby both cities.

 

[Southernmiss]

I like Boston and Philadelphia.

Another idea for a future trip is St. Louis. Our family found plenty to do there for a week this past summer. Lots of midwest history to be found there and a Six Flags! And several attractions were free or low cost

 

[VandVsmama]

New Mexico, especially the area around Santa Fe.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Southeast Virginia: historical sites in Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, plus Busch Gardens and Water Country. If you have time, there’s also lots to do in the Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach area, or head the other way up to Richmond or Charlottesville. (Another major amusement park, Kings Dominion, is about a half hour north of Richmond.)

 

[disneydreamer1980]

We love myrtle beach, and Charleston is a beautiful historic southern town nearby. Gettysburg area in PA is good for history buffs also. WilliMsburg VA has Busch gardens and the historic town

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I would just add to the mix - have you checked your own city/county/state. Most have their own special histories.

Maybe a short trip following the covered wagon trails? Could do it in sections.

 

[kaytieeldr]

One of my favorite trips as a teen (many moons ago ) was traveling to New England. We visited Boston, Philly, DC, Monticello, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Salem, New York, and Cooperstown,

Just to be clear only the two highlighted cities in this list are actually in New England

 

[kaytieeldr]

day trip to Salem, MA

I honest!y disagree tha Salem is an easy day trip from the Cape. Boston, yes, absolutely (especially if you avoud commuter hours) but I'd save Salem for an actual Boston visit.

Anyway, I'm a little surprised only one person even mentioned Washington, DC.

 

[China Expat]

The great Southwest! Sedona, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon in Page AZ, , Monument Valley, Moab, Bryce and Zion National Parks, and more@

 

[loves to dive]

There is so much to see in this country, I'd just throw a dart at a map or spin a globe or randomly flip through an Atlas. You really can't go wrong any region you go to. Or do a road trip, buy an off the beaten path book for the regions you will be driving through and explore.

 

[Hikergirl]

If I were to take a city vacation for history, I'd fly into either Philly or Boston, visit for a few days the take the Acela to the other, spend a few days and then fly home from there.
I don't think I could do a week in either (love them both though), but I'm more of a National Parks over cities kind of vacationer.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It sometimes gets a bad rap, but we enjoyed a really great family trip to Buffalo, NY, once, and said we'd go again in a heartbeat if we ever found some cheap flights. Trips to Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara were just a short distance away and were a lot of fun. We had lunch one day by Lake Eire, then by Lake Ontario another. There was a nice famiy amusement park there. I believe there were three bowling alleys when we were there of different types, plus a drive-in movie theater. We hit a Navy yard and a viewing spot on the Underground Railroad, and Cooperstown/Baseball Hall of Fame on the drive home. Lots to do, and not particularly expensive, either.

 

[wgeo]

New England is a great choice - but I would also recommend Seattle and Vancouver - lots of great history up in that area, and both are fun cities with a lot to do in them. And if you really wanted to turn the vacation into a cruise - you could of course tie that into an Alaskan cruise.