Many of us prefer to use our summer months for traveling and vacationing to new places. However, vacationing doesn’t have to be reserved for the warmer temperatures. In fact, plane tickets as well as lodging are much cheaper in the winter months, so it’s a good idea to take advantage of it. Plus, places will be much less congested and touristy around this time of year.
Additionally, if you’re trying to be frugal, Groupon offers a great surplus of travel deals based around your area. Many deals are family friendly and some offer packages that include airfare, as well as lodging and meals.
Furthermore, if your family resides in the North East like our agency does, your ideal winter vacation may be a weekend lodging trip in Vermont. However, if you’re sick of the weather, you don’t necessarily have to stay here and plan your vacation around the cold.
In fact, there are a multitude of places you can go to keep active and warm during the colder seasons. So, if you’re ready to travel and plan your next unorthodox trip, here are a list of family friendly places away from the New England weather:
Traveling South
Florida
DisneyWorld: of course, if you’re going to Florida, every child’s dream is to visit Disney World. Additionally, because it’s currently off-peak season the parks are offering cheaper packages and discounts.
SeaWorld: SeaWorld is another favorite spot of many children when you’re in the Orlando area. SeaWorld has a variety of parks that allow you to attend shows, ride dolphins, and visit the Grand Reef underwater.
Kennedy Space Center: this is a great place to learn about the Apollo Space Mission, as well as current NASA events. There’s nothing better than to turn a vacation into an educational experience for your family.
Georgia
Rock City: Rock City is a giant trail filled with natural caves and rock formations. This is also a pet-friendly place, so the whole family can come! Additionally, special kids’ activities are also available such as, mining and wall climbing.
Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site: this is a beautiful park full of history and is an important place to teach your children about the trials and tribulations of the civil rights movement.
Atlanta History Center: this is a great family spot to learn about the rich history of Georgia. The exhibits are located outdoors and indoors. This center holds a variety of information about the civil war, urban culture, textile manufacturing, and Native American horticulture.
North Carolina
Airborne & Special Operations Museum:this museum is dedicated to those who served, as well as preserving American history. This would make a great educational experience for children of all ages.
Great Smoky Mountains: this is a wonderful outdoor trip for the whole family with a variety of trails and things to do. There are many waterfalls and kid-friendly trails in this park. Of course, it’s advised to bring protective and safety gear while on the trails.
NASCAR Hall of Fame: this is perfect for children or family members who are fans of racing or NASCAR, this attraction provides a variety of exhibitions as well as, the history of this sport.
Virginia
Luray Caverns: if you’re feeling adventurous or have children who’d like to explore life underground, look no further. Luray Caverns is a 140 ft long cave with self-guided tours open season round.
National D-Day Memorial: this is a great way to pay respects for those who served, as well as learn about this historical day during WWII with the family.
The Jamestown Settlement: this a large museum dedicated to displaying the settlement in Jamestown, Virginia as well as the American Revolution. Many scenes are recreated for education purposes, and children get to explore replicas of the original Jamestown ships.
Traveling West
Arizona
Out of Africa Wildlife Park: the park offers safaris to see many African animal species in different habitats. Additionally, there are a variety of shows and even opportunities to feed a tiger.
Desert Botanical Garden: this is a great opportunity for your family to learn about desert dwelling plants and an ecosystem we’re not familiar to here in New England.
Pueblo Grande Museum: the Pueblo Grande Museum is a great opportunity to learn about the history of Arizona. The museum provides monthly education programs, children are also encouraged to visit the archaeological dig site. There is even an outdoor hiking trail.
California
San Diego Zoo: voted as the number 1 zoo in the world, the San Diego Zoo provides an array of activities for children and their families. The zoo holds a huge variety of animals from elephants to pandas to camels, you can see it all here.
Aquarium of the Bay: Located in San Francisco, this aquarium holds a variety of sea creatures. Additionally, the aquarium holds daily programs for child such as, squid dissection, a ray touch pool, live shark feedings, and other programs the whole family can join in on.
Joshua Tree National Park: this is a great national park for kids to play and a great outdoor camping adventure for the family. You’ll get to experience desert ecosystems, see the wildlife and children can even earn a Junior Ranger Badge while in the park. 4th graders also get the chance to receive a free national parks pass.
Oregon
Oregon National Historic Trail: this is a great place to visit for camping or outdoor adventure, the whole trail is over 2,000 miles and defiantly worth a visit.
High Desert Museum: this is an informative museum about the Old West and Native Americans. This museum houses outdoor and indoor exhibits with animals.
Oregon Museum of Science & Industry: this is a unique museum that has a variety of technological exhibitions; even better they hold night time festivals that include laser shows, star viewing, and maker faires.
Texas
The Alamo: the Alamo was a huge part of our cultural history and it’s important to visit this location. Not only will you and your family be able to visit the place where the Battle of Alamo occurred, but visit all the buildings on this site.
The Sixth Floor Museum: teach your children about the impactful part of American history the JFK Assassination had. This museum also holds special exhibits pertaining to the bill of rights and other information about the rights of citizenship.
Space Center: the Space Center in Houston is a phenomenal place to bring family for a one of a kind adventure. The Space Center provides a variety of exhibitions, activities, and hands on experiments. Certain days even provide an opportunity to meet a real life astronaut, just make sure to plan accordingly as many of the exhibitions can take hours to get through.
So, if you’re looking to travel this winter to keep warm or to avoid the flocks of crowds in the summer, why not give some of these places a visit?
Not only do they provide a unique experience, but also provide educational resources for your children. Additionally, if you’re worried about your valuables while you’re away, our agency can provide you with ease of mind so you can have fun while you’re gone.
Do you have any favorite spots you like to visit? Or places you’d like to see one day? Let us know in the comments below!