I’m starting a new tradition with the kids this year. For their birthdays, instead of toys, clothes, and a party, we want to dedicate that money to memories. I want to start taking them on vacation, even if only for a few days to off the wall places. We’ve been to Myrtle Beach, PCB, etc. but want to visit less crowded areas. Their birthdays are around spring break. Ages are 7 & 9 now, both girls. What are yall’s favorite “off the beaten path” spots?
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Cincinnati zoo was nice.
My mom took us to Wisconsin Dells once. It was a lot of fun. Pools and amusement parks.
Take a trip to St Louis, MO. City Museum, Science center, and their Zoo were all things I really liked as a child. With their City Museum being at the top if that list.
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Where are you located?
My fav trips growing up were DC and Asheville/Boone NC
Try national parks!! Mesa Verde is part of our next trip, it’s not too popular and so beautiful!!
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Lake George ( Mohican hotel ) there’s a 6 flag water park and etc
Hocking hills, ohio seriously the cheapest and most fun trip we have been on as a family.
Chattanooga TN
They have nice parks (one has a carousel), lots for kids to do downtown (aquarium, children’s museum, a great library), Ruby falls underground waterfall and more
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Charleston SC was awesome! My son still talks about it, and it was 2 years ago.
Smithsonian museums in DC
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Omg going to Tennessee with my mom and sister’s was the best!! Its so beautiful there and there is a ton of stuff to do.
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Niagra falls. Memphis zoo is a really good zoo to go to. Childrens museum is a good kids place to in memphis. They alao have a awesome botanical garden also
Gatlinburg/pigeon forge tn
Cherokee NC
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DC, Atlanta Aquarium (there are also other fun attractions in the area), Hocking Hills in Ohio, etc
Drive thru. Its awesome
Blackwater Falls State Park
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Idk how far it is from you, but Cumberland Gap, KY and also Natural Bridge, KY. They’re beautiful and they’re tourist spots but not as popular as Tennessee etc.
Branson and Lake of Ozarks
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You need to include where you live.
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For my daughters bday we are going to the hershey factory and making our own candy bars
I lived on a tiny island called Oak Island, NC and it’s seriously 15 minutes from myrtle beach, but it’s a lot less crowded but you can still access a the gun myrtle beach stuff pretty easily. Maybe not this trip since you went to MB before but in the future! They have a seafood place there called Jones Seafood and I swear you will yearn for it the rest of your life. I loved living there but going back is even better. Dont forget the fudge shop they have there! Same lady for years and it’s so delicious.
Art museums, plays/musicals, visit different cities and be full blown tourists. Go to beaches, the circus, a magic show. Movies, paint nights, pottery classes together. Water parks, amusement parks. So many options. Go online and look around. Its amazing g what can be found. Take the kids interests and fly with it.
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Maybe save up a couple trips and do something big. I am in South Dakota and theres plenty to do here all year but going to a different state is always fun
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Cosi in Columbus, Ohio
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg
There is so much to do with kids especially when it’s warm outside
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My favorite vacation with my family was the road trip where we get in the car and drive and when ever we decied to stop that’s our vacation we look for attractions based in that area
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wichita kansas has an amazing wildlife park called Tanganyika you can do a ton of stuff petting kangaroos feeding pigmy hippos and more. they also have a regular zoo as well and they have other activities and super cheap! also missouri (branson) has so much stuff to do and in the middle of mountains. wyoming is super beautiful jackson hole yellowstone just outdoors stuff but its breath taking!
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Have you ever considered teaching them about charity and helping others? Perhaps donating or even just spending time with people in need like the old people in old age homes?
St Louis zoo but can’t do I. One day.
Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas. What you find you keep.
There’s a safari north of San Antonio (which is one of our destinations tgis year)
A bison ranch in Cheyenne
Elephant sanctuary in southern Indiana.
A really cool dinosaur museum near New Haven, CT.
Parthenon in Nashville was amazing.
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So I started a tradition a few years ago with my kids. Each year they get a “mommy and me” date (I’m a single parent) where they get to pick something to do and where we go to eat. Just me and the birthday kid! Then on their “big” birthday (ages 10,13,16,18) they are 12&14 now, they get a family party with a bunch of family, a friends party where they get to invite a few friends to go do something and a mommy and me date.
Depending on where you live maybe a new theme park each year or find a tradition that you can start now where you go to the same place every year!
Williamsburg VA is amazing. Bush Gardens and Colonial square. Plus Jamestown.
Visit to DC. Where you can hit MD too and see lots of imagination playgrounds like Wizard of Oz theme.
Hershey PA to the chocolate factory and Hershey park on the weekend.
NJ has Diggerland which us a cool place to visit and Adventure Aquarium with lots of hands on tanks. Plus a 6 flags thata really nice up there.
Smokies mountains were always my favorite to go through as a kid.
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We loved Fernandina Beach in Florida. Much less crowded than other places in FL. Also if you’ve never visited the Kennedy Space Center at Cape CanaveraI highly recommend it. Even my teenagers thought it was cool!
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If you like nature you could come to the Shenandoah valley in virginia! It’s so beautiful all year around and you can go hiking on skyline drive, they have super easy trails for kids that also have little “did you know” fact boxes along the way so it’s also educational. There is also a water park at Massanutten resort that was fun!
I have also heard the great wolf lodge is super fun, I think it’s close to Williamsburg va. There is a bunch of different things to do there.
In natural bridge Virginia there is a safari park and a zoo!
I’m from va so that’s what I know lol.
We’ve done Chicago twice and Minneapolis once. We also went to a city near where I used to visit every summer for a week. This summer we’re doing a few day trips. Depending on where you are located you could do the local attractions you’ve always wanted to but never had the time for. Vacations can be whatever you want them to be.
I’m in the Kentucky area and I have been taking my 13 year to the smaller museums near us we go on and adventure day almost once a month we can drive to a lot of cool places and because they are smaller less known museums the prices aren’t overly expensive. You might try looking into those kinds of places near you 
Google the location. Based on of course how far you want to travel and add staycation. All awesome local possibilities
Virginia Safari Park. You can rent a KOA cabin for the weekend and it is right next door. It is a awesome place!
A ride on Amtrack, so fun to ride the train.
Virginia Beach, Ocean city md, Hershey Park
Go to a different national park each year maybe? Think Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon etc
We just went to Lauderdale by the Sea (not really off the beaten path) it was fantastic!
Tubing/kayaking and also caves
universal studios hollywood
Train ride from NEw York to California.
Darien lake old forge Hershey park
Go to Savannah GA or Charleston SC