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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Iowa with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Ideas for Family Vacations in Iowa

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Iowa with your Kids �

There are fifty states to choose from when you plan your family summer vacation. Why should you choose Iowa? Well, for one thing, it’s a relatively inexpensive place to visit with your family. Whether you fly or drive, its central location in the United States makes it a place that’s easy to reach whether you’re coming from a neighboring state for the weekend of somewhere further away for a longer trip. And Iowa is a great state for spending some quality time with your family since it offers a lot of opportunities for scenic drives (and those fun car games) as well as camping and other outdoor family activities.

Scenic drives

Scenic drives are a great travel idea for many families. If you pack and plan right, those hours in the car can be enjoyable for everyone. After all, they’re conducive to some real family time spent talking, playing games and singing along with the radio. Additionally, those drives let you explore new parts of the country (or your own backyard!) with some real attention to what’s around you. Iowa is great for this because it is filled with scenic byways and old historic routes where you can not only see new terrain but also learn something about the past on your trip.

Take a Train

Rather than doing the driving yourself, you can see some of these scenic landscape by taking a train ride through Iowa with your kids. There is a fifteen mile scenic train (Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad) which provides a nice day activity for the whole family. Longer train trips can be taken on commercial train routes throughout the state.

Outdoor Experiences

The summer weather in Iowa is usually pleasant, giving your family the opportunity to spend some together in the great outdoors. Families who enjoy camping together, away from the technology that keeps us all tuned out to one another, will find that they have the chance to really spend time together during their Iowa vacation. The state parks of Iowa are a great place to start with such adventures. These also include many lakes so families that really want to get that summer experience of fishing and swimming together can do so here.

Des Moines

Perhaps you’re looking for a little bit more adventure during your Iowa family vacation. Maybe you want to combine the rural activity during the week with a weekend jaunt to something more active. Head to Des Moines for some more urban activity than what you’ll find throughout the rest of the state. Spend a day at Adventureland Amusement Park where rides, water slides, and live entertainment can be found. Head to the Blank Park Zoo to see some exotic animals. Or do some space adventuring at the laser dome and planetarium at the Science Center of Iowa.

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Iowa!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Kentucky with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Family Travel Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Kentucky with Your Kids

Family Vacation Ideas for Kentucky

If you’re thinking about taking your family to Kentucky this summer, it’s probably because you want your family vacation to include a trip to the derby right? Maybe, since that’s certainly an interesting experience for the kids. But there’s plenty more to Kentucky than just the horse races. Bluegrass music festivals, beautiful lakes and natural caves are just a few of the things that you’ll find if you look past the horses and into the rest of the state.



The horses

There’s no denying it, Kentucky is the home of the derby and there are plenty of racetracks and horse farms to show off this side of the state. Your kids will certainly enjoy seeing this side of Kentucky. And you’ll probably find that the races are fun for you as well. If you’re of the betting mind, you might even get a few dollars back on the money you spend. But you can venture to the tracks for a full day of activity without spending a whole lot of money at all.

Bluegrass

Your kids probably don’t want to listen to bluegrass. And it might not be your thing either. But Kansas is home to this unique kind of music and you all might find that the events surrounding the music are more fun than you’d have thought. Visit The Country Place Jamboree, which has live performances as well as activities for the kids. Or catch a weekend show at Olde Towne Park where the waterfalls and nature trails provide a nice backdrop to enjoying summer music with the family. Lake fun

Summer vacation just isn’t complete without playing in some water during those hot days. Kentucky offers several different areas of lakes (as well as rivers throughout the state) to satiate this summertime need. The Southern Lakes near Jamestown and Somerset have all of the normal daytime activities as well as the excitement of waterfalls and the only moonbow in the country (go there during a full moon to find out what that is). The lakes of the Western Waterlands may not be natural (they’re manmade) but they are home to lots of lake recreation enjoyed by all ages.

Caves

Caving is an exciting adventure for kids and something which families can spend a day or weekend doing together. Mammoth Cave National Park is the world’s longest explored cave system and has many places that are safe for exploration by families with young children. There are other caves besides Mammoth for you to explore as well. Onyx and Crystal Onyx Caves both have stunning views. Diamond Caverns is familiar with giving tours to families since it’s been hosting them for over 100 years. And Lost River Cave offers an underground boat tour.

Kentucky Travel Resources

The horses, the bluegrass music, the lakes and the caves are just a few of the things that you can do in the home state of Dorothy and Toto. To find other things to do with your family this summer during a trip to Kentucky, check out these other great state travel resources:

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Kentucky!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Maine with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Ideas for Family Vacations to Maine

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Maine with your Kids

� If you’re trying to spend your family summer vacation in a destination that differs greatly from where you currently live, you might want to put Maine on your map. If you don’t already live in the New England area, you’ll find that this general part of the country is unique from wherever it is that you currently live. And if you do live in New England, a trip to Maine can offer your kids a chance to see things that are in their own backyard but which aren’t the same as the things in your state.



Annual Events

Sometimes one of the best ways to experience a trip to a new state is to go during the time that it’s featuring one of its annual events. This brings the community in the state together and gives you a meeting place for your experience of the culture of the area. Maine features many different annual events, particularly in the summer when the weather is nice and the reasons for gathering are many. The three-day family festival known as Casco Days is one such event. Others include the Maine Performing Arts Festival, the Bethel Art Fair and the Whatever Family Festival.

Outdoor adventures

Maine is cold most of the time, so when it’s not, the people in the state get out and enjoy the outdoors. When in Rome, right? Your family can indulge in numerous outdoor activities in Maine including camping, canoeing and hiking. Go to the campgrounds located in the Moose River Valley if you’re adventurous enough to consider running into one of the magnificently large creatures. Go instead to the Western Lakes and Mountains for active hiking areas. Or consider the South Coast if you want your nature close to some urban areas.

Portland

Those families that like more urban areas will find that Portland, Maine offers a terrific balance between an urban environment and a more relaxing location. This largest of Maine cities has activities going on for all ages all throughout the summer. For example, the Children’s Museum of Maine can be explored here. They also host Kid Activity Days during the summer with once-weekly activities like seed-planting and necklace-making happening at Lobsterman’s Park. Spend a day at Smiling Hill Farm, just outside of Portland, to get that rural side of the area’s experience.

Maine Oddities

Families that enjoy seeing what others don’t think to see will find that there are a plethora of opportunities to do so in Maine. Maybe all those months spent inside during the cold winters give Maine locals a chance to think about some oddities. Or maybe it’s just a place that welcomes in the offbeat. Whatever the case, there are plenty of strange little stops in Maine that your family can enjoy on a road trip throughout the state. Foe example, Maine has multiple-story outhouses (a two-story one in Bridgewater and a three-story one in Bryant Pond). Okay, if that’s not what you want to take your kids to see, maybe your family would get a kick out of Lenny, the Life-Sized Chocolate Moose which can be seen off of the side of the road when you travel Route 1. Or maybe the ever-strange “Desert of Maine” will draw you in like it does many other tourists each year.

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Maine!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Maryland with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Family Vacation Ideas to Maryland

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Maryland with your Kids

You could spend your summer family vacation in Maryland five years in a row and never get bored of taking the trip to this state. This is because there are five distinct regions of Maryland which each offer their own unique travel experiences for families to enjoy together. You may determine that you want to explore different areas of the country other than Maryland, but you should know a little bit about each of these five areas of the state so you can decide which Maryland trip might be best for your family when you do decide to visit the region.



Capital Region

The capital region of Maryland doesn’t refer to the state capital of Annapolis but instead to the proximity of this portion of Maryland to the capital of our country. Because of its location, a family trip to this part of the state provides an excellent opportunity for a learning experience about the country’s political history. For example, you can visit the hometown of Francis Scott Key (the man who wrote “The Star Spangled Banner”). But there are plenty of non-political things to see and do here as well. Other history can be found in a trip to the famous old German farmhouse which represents the old way of life, a stop at the B&O Railroad Station and a ride on a mule-drawn barge. More modern adventures in Maryland’s Capital Region include NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Six Flags America.

Central Maryland

If you want to go instead to the capital of the state, Annapolis, you want to be in Central Maryland. This is also the area which is home to Baltimore, the largest and often most favorite-to-visit city. With its rich diversity of neighborhoods, strong sense of both culture and history and variety of urban activities, Baltimore provides much to do for all families. But other areas of Central Maryland can keep you busy as well. Top family vacation attractions in this portion of the state include the famous Liberty Tree located at St. John’s College, the exhibits at the museum of the U.S. Naval Academy, the baseball history at Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center, the working farms of Baltimore and Carroll Counties, and the outdoor adventures of Gunpowder Falls State Park.

Eastern Shore

The Eastern Shore is perhaps the most popular family summer vacation destination for those traveling to Maryland. That’s because beaches are what summer is all about! Both you and the kids can enjoy the fun of swimming, building sandcastles and getting hot dogs from the beachside vendors. Ocean City is one of the biggest draws in this area, with its entertainment and activities, rides and adventures for all kids. But there’s also plenty of non-beach activity here as well. Visit the site of the Chestertown Tea Party, check out the animals at the Horsehead Wetlands Center and the Salisbury Zoo, and stop at the birthplace of Harriet Tubman to get� a full vacation here.

Southern Maryland

For some real history, go deeper than the colonial past and political American history of Maryland and explore the pre-colonial and natural history of the area in Southern Maryland. Families who want a summer vacation filled with outdoor activity will enjoy this area. Popular stops include Calvert Cliffs (home to fossil remains), Flag Pond Nature Park, the Maryland Indian Cultural Center, Smallwood State Park and Retreat (where an old plantation has been restored), and Point Lookout (where the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River converge).

Western Maryland

Even more so than Southern Maryland, Western Maryland gives your family the chance to spend a summer vacation outdoors together because this is where the Appalachian Mountains come through the state. This means that there is ample opportunity for hiking, picnicking and camping in the area. Visit the highest mountain in the state (Backbone Mountain) for some great Maryland views, go swimming out at Deep Creek Lake, or find one of the many state parks to enjoy a day out in the Maryland sun.

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Maryland!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in West Virginia with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Ideas for Family Vacations to West Virginia

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in West Virginia with your Kids �

What does a family summer vacation in West Virginia have in store for you? Plenty! You can really enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors in West Virginia with camping and hiking available all throughout the state. But there are plenty of man-made things to see in the state as well, including some of the country’s oddest oddities and most common attractions. Here are just a few ideas for spending the summertime in West Virginia with your family:



Tour the State Parks

Adventurous families who truly love getting away into the outdoors will find that a tour of the state parks of West Virginia could fill an entire summer with this sort of fun. A look at the West Virginia State Parks� web page will reveal that not only are there dozens of parks throughout the state where you can go camping, hiking and outdoor exploring, but there are also events taking place all summer long at these various parks. Magic shows, music and dance festivals and educational events all happen throughout the area. There are state parks that feature dining, shopping and other activities on site, such as the Cacapon Resort, the Stonewall Jackson Resort and North Bend State Park. Conversely, there are small, quiet state parks with no frills such as Beartown in Greenbriar and Berkeley Springs in Morgan. For a full listing of West Virginia’s State Parks which details their features, see Wikipedia here.

See the Strange

West Virginia may be beautiful but it’s also home to some really strange attractions. If your family is the kind that thinks a road trip to see a state’s oddities is a good use of your family vacation, you’ll find that the highways and byways of West Virginia do not disappoint. Make sure that such a tour of the strangeness of the state includes The Mystery Hole at Ansted, the World’s Largest Teapot in Chester and Longest Single Arch Steel Span Bridge in Fayetteville, and the Home of the Mothman in Point Pleasant. To learn more about these and other oddities, you can see the West Virginia page of Roadside America.

The Standard State Attractions

If your family doesn’t go so much for the strange, you might consider taking a vacation to visit one or more of the major attractions in West Virginia. Fairmont is a popular attraction city for West Virginia Travelers. It is known as “The Friendly City” for its hospitality and charm. It is home to Pricketts Fort State Park which differs from the other state parks in that there are costumed re-enactments of eighteenth century life at the famous fort. But Fairmont isn’t the only place in the state where families spend their summers. A popular activity that many families enjoy is picking their own fruits and vegetables at orchards located throughout the state; Morgan Orchard is one favorite choice. Museums like the Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum, the Tomchin Planetarium and the Bottling Works Museum all make for good day stops during a West Virginia trip. Oh, and don’t forget to take a ride on the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad!

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in West Virginia!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Louisiana with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Ideas for Family Vacations in Louisiana

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Louisiana with your Kids

� Hurricane Katrina caused unspeakable damage to New Orleans and the state of Louisiana, but things are getting picked back up there and the state now has even more to offer its family travelers than ever before. Perhaps you want to visit the revitalized city to show your kids about perseverance, community and the rich culture that can still be found there. Or maybe there’s some other spot in Louisiana that your family can visit this summer to do your part to contribute to the economy of the state.

New Orleans

It’s now safe for you and your kids to go back to New Orleans to see this rich, interesting, vibrant city. Sure, it’s thought of as a Spring Break destination for wild college kids, but if you’ve ever been there, you know that it’s got activities for folks of all ages. And that a trip to this city is one that is memorable enough to never be forgotten by anyone in your family. Take a mule-drawn buggy ride or ride the steam-powered riverboat to see some of New Orleans from a new perspective. Visit the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audobon Zoo to see animals of all kinds. Or go to Mardi Gras World, where your kids can see the fun and exciting parts of Mardi Gras without all the bad-influence adult activity that fills the real event.



Baton Rouge

If the sights and sounds of New Orleans seem a bit too overwhelming for your family but you want to stick to a mostly urban environment, think about Baton Rouge as a summer vacation destination. You can check out the exhibits at the Enchanted Mansion Doll Museum, the plantation life of the West Baton Rouge Museum and the civil war history of the Old Arsenal Museum. See the swamplands of Louisiana at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. The Baton Rouge Zoo and Dixie Landin’ Theme Park are other family favorites.

Lakes and Nature

If you’d rather get away from the cities, maybe your family would enjoy camping at or lodging near one of Louisiana’s lakes or other nature spots. Some of the state favorites include Cypremort Point State Park, Indian Creek Reservoir Lake, and Lake Bistineau. Lake Pontchartrain is home to several different state parks and recreational areas, including Fontainbleau State Park which has playgrounds and other amenities just for kids.

Festivals

Louisiana has over four hundred festivals throughout the year, plenty of which happen during the summer months. So, if your family likes fair food and unique experiences, perhaps you should plan your summer vacation in Louisiana around one of these events. There is a corn festival in Bunkie, a Cajun Music Festival in Mamou, a Smoke Meats Festival in Ville Platte, just to name a few of the ones that you might enjoy with your kids.

Crossroads

If all of these decisions are too much for you, you might want to head towards Crossroads, so named because it’s located at the center of the state. This puts you in close to proximity to anything in Louisiana that you might decide you want to see, giving you some more flexibility in your summer travel planning. Bayou Pierre Alligator Park is located here, giving you a chance to see some Louisiana gators and share some real Cajun food with your kids. The Alexandria Zoological Park, Tunica-Biloxi Indian Museum and Lois Loftin Doll Museum are just a few of the other attractions in the immediate area. From there, you can just branch out.

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Louisiana!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Kansas with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Ideas for Family Vacations in Kansas

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Kansas with your Kids

Dorothy and Toto knew it best: there’s just no place like home. But, you probably don’t want to spend the entire summer vacation with your kids at home so consider heading to Dorothy’s home state to get away for a little bit. You can enjoy a week-long jaunt throughout the state or simply take a day trip there, depending on where you live. It’ll be nice to get back to your own home at the end of the vacation, of course, but you and your family will enjoy the time spent seeing the ins and outs of Kansas.



Animal Adventures

What kid doesn’t like seeing animals? A family vacation to Kansas gives your family a chance to see animals in a variety of different settings. There are three zoos to be found in Kansas: Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, and the Topeka Zoo and the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan. Also in Manhattan, you can go to a zoo that’ll thrill your kids if they like creepy-crawlies: the Insect Zoo. For a more adventurous look at wild animals, a trip to Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salinas may be in order. In contrast, a more laidback look at animals can be had by checking out the diorama exhibits and dinosaur fossils at the Natural History Museum in Lawrence.

Historical Explorations

The natural history of the state isn’t all there is to see in terms of the past. Your children can get some learning in during their summer vacation by visiting some of the historical points of interest and places of significance that are located in Kansas. The Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is a great place for teaching your kids about the importance of cultural tolerance and its place in the history of United States education. The Old Cowtown Museum and the Mid-America All-Indian Center can provide a place for education about the Native Americans of Kansas. And the whole family can explore the historical Midwest at the Period Piece town and tourist attraction known as Old Prairie Town.

Off the Beaten Path

Families that are interested in seeing the quirky and exploring the odd will find that Kansas has plenty of stuff that will make for excellent dinner table conversation for weeks to come. A tour of the state by a family seeking out the Kansas oddities might include a stop in Cawker City to see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, a visit to Argonia during one of the monthly Kloudbusters rocket launches (featuring rockets made of things like Legos), and a haunted trolley tour taken in Atchison, considered the most haunted town in the state. Additional oddities in Kansas include the open range zoo of welded metal animal sculptures, the sandstone formations of Rock City in Minneapolis and the Underground World in Ellinwood.

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Kansas!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Utah with your Kids

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Ideas for Family Vacations to Utah UT

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Utah with your Kids

Many families neglect to consider Utah as a destination state when planning their summer family vacations. This is usually due to one of two reasons. Either the family has a misconception about Utah as a state which is all about religion and not at all about fun or else the family just doesn’t know anything about the state and therefore overlooks it when thinking about travel. But families who don’t at least think about a trip to Utah are missing out on some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the country and therefore are missing out on a memorable summer vacation.



State Parks

A tour of Utah’s state parks would take your family the entire summer to complete. Utah is a state with a lot of land and some really unique geography so there are plenty of places to go for outdoor adventures and terrific picture-taking opportunities. Since you can’t visit all of the state parks in one shot, you probably want to know about the major ones that shouldn’t be missed. It’s a hard list to narrow down. But some of the top picks for families are Utah Lake State Park (home to Utah’s largest freshwater lake), Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (the beach without an ocean), Antelope Island (for viewing the buffalo), and Wasatch Mountain (for the camping).

National Parks

Even more impressive than the state parks of Utah are the National Parks which are located there. Canyonlands National Park is the largest of these, offering the chance to see everything from the history of the area’s Native Americans to the beauty of the Colorado River. In the southern part of Utah, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon vie for your family’s attention with their unique geographical formations and outstanding landscape. And Capital Reef National Park also makes the list of must-see-someday for its sandstone formations. Finally, Utah offers a gateway to the Grand Canyon.

Salt Lake City

If one particular part of the state is going to be your destination, it should be Salt Lake City. This city is definitely urban but has a hometown feel to it because of the friendliness of the community. There are numerous local parks in the city that afford you the chance to enjoy the naturally terrific weather that Utah has to offer. But there are also plenty of indoor activities for your family as well including Clark Planetarium, The Dinosaur Park, FastKart Indoor Speedway race center, Heber Valley Historic Railroad, Lagoon Amusement Park, and the Living Planet Aquarium.

The Old West

Most people associate Utah with the history of Mormon culture, but there’s another kind of history to be found in this state as well and that’s the history of The Old West. For a unique family summer vacation, consider a weekend or multi-day stay at a ranch. You can learn horseback riding with your kids, enjoy big family barbecue dinners and get an education in the history of this younger part of our great country. Further information on visiting Old West attractions in Utah can be found here.

Mormon Culture

Of course, there’s no denying that the Mormon culture is an important part of the history (and modern life) in Utah. If this is something that you’d like to explore with your children, there is no better place to do it than in Utah. There are attractions related to this history all throughout the state. See some of them listed here.

Here are more ideas for Family Vacations in Utah!

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Alabama with Your Kids

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Ideas for Family Summer Vacations to Alabama

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Alabama with Your Kids

Is Alabama a good vacation spot for you and your family this summer? As long as you can stand a little bit of heat, a trip to Alabama can be terrific. The place is rich with history, giving you a chance to give your kids an education during your travels. And believe it or not, even with that summer humidity and the high temperatures, there are some great areas of Alabama which allow for all-ages outdoor activities.

Northern Alabama

If your family is outdoorsy, you should think about centering your traveling plans on the northern area of the state. The Smokey Mountains are where a majority of outdoor travelers will be spending their Alabama vacation time. You can spend some quality time with the family by taking the kids hiking and camping in this area. Or give them a new experience with a horseback riding expedition.



Gulf Shores

Of course, there is a draw to the Southern part of Alabama and that’s the opportunity to explore a bit of a beachside vacation. After all, isn’t that what summer is all about? Not much of Alabama touches the Gulf of Mexico, but the area that does can be enjoyed by all families. The city of Gulf Shores features multiple white sand beaches, fishing and hiking opportunities, and even a theme park (Waterville USA) in case the kids do manage to somehow get bored.

Montgomery

For families which might want to spend more time indoors than outdoors, or who have a preference for urban areas, the capital city of Montgomery is a good bet for an Alabama summer vacation destination. Highlights here include educational museums like the Civil Rights Memorial, Blount Cultural Park for picnicking, and Old Alabama Town, a historic city where your kids can see what life was lived like before Gameboys and iPods.

Festivals

For families that like to spend their summer vacations attending events of different kinds, Alabama is a good destination. The biggest of these is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival which is held in Montgomery, but there are other events all throughout the summer, all throughout the state. Early in the summer, visitors enjoy annual events such as the local rodeo and the hot air balloon liftoff. Later in the summer, Alabama brings in travelers for 4th of July celebrations, BBQ festivals and historic commemoration events. Cities all throughout the state feature their own annual events nearly every week of the summer. And there are also weekly summer activities like First Friday art nights.

Things throughout the state

If you can’t make up your mind about where in Alabama might be right for your family’s summer vacation, here are some final highlights that might help you decide: ” The Montgomery Zoo - Widely recognized as one of the better zoos in the country, this makes for a great day trip for your family during an Alabama vacation. ” Gayle Planetarium - Located in Oak Park, this science center gives your kids a glimpse into a world beyond their own. ” Rosa Parks Museum - What a great way to teach your kids about the value of standing up for what you believe in. ” Little River Canyon - This is a favorite canyon hiking spot amongst outdoor adventuring families. ” Trains, planes and spacecraft - There are museums in Alabama featuring each of these different modes of transportation and exploration. The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is in Calera, The Southern Museum of Flight is in Birmingham and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is in Huntsville.

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Arkansas with Your Kids

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Family Vacations Summer Ideas for Travel to Arkansas

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Arkansas with Your Kids

Arkansas is one of the most family-friendly states in terms of summer travel. You can tell this just by checking out The Official Tourism Site of the State of

Arkansas which features an easy-to-navigate section for kids and families. They have an interactive map showing “101 Fun Things To See and Do in the

Natural State”. And they even make trip planning easy for parents by providing sample itineraries and web page where you can pick your city and length of trip and get suggestions on what to see. When a state makes it this easy to come visit with your kids, why choose any other places for your summer vacation? Here are some of the suggestions that you might come across when doing your Arkansas summer vacation trip planning:

 

The Ozarks

 



The bulk of the northern part of Arkansas is taken up by The Ozarks, a plateau surrounded by mountains where your family can go to get away from the fast pace of life and enjoy the beauty of nature together. This region also gives your kids a chance to experience a rather unique culture within America, since the people of the Ozarks tend to have a dialect and lifestyle which differ greatly from what your kids normally experience. The area is also filled with museums and places of historical significance so it makes for a great educational summer trip.



 

Quartz Crystal Travel

 





One of the things that some people don’t realize that Arkansas is known for is its abundance and quality of quartz crystals. An exploration of their history in the area can be a better family trip than you might think. There are dig-your-own crystal mines which your children will love. And there’s lots to do around the mines, including exploring the Ouachita mountains where the crystals are primarily located. These mountains have hot and cold springs and lots of nature and Native American history.

 



Lake

Activities

 



Arkansas admittedly does get a little bit warm in the summer so you might want to consider some lake activities when planning your itinerary. Luckily, Arkansas has plenty of these to choose from so you can design your lake vacation around your family’s desires and needs. For example, Bull Shoals Lake offers activities like tubing for older kids, Table Rock Lake has swimming and fishing and Beaver Lake is located near caves that can be explored.

 



Little Rock

 

Families seeking more of an urban destination inside of Arkansas should head to the capital city of Little Rock. It’s got all of the treats of a city including the Magic Springs / Crystal Falls Theme and Water



Parks, the IMAX Theatre and Aerospace

Center, bowling alleys and skating rinks and many museums. However, Little Rock is a small place as far as cities go and retains a kind of small town charm that would be lacking if your did your summer vacationing in a larger place. So, here, you just might get the best of both worlds.

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