The United States offers many attractions and experiences for family vacations, day trips outdoors, to museums, to nature in zoos or theme parks.
On this International Day of Families, discover some of the essential recommendations for your next family vacation to the United States:
Chicago, Illinois
From Chicago icons such as the sculptures, fountains, gardens, event spaces of Millennium Park to the giant silver bean-shaped “ Cloud Gate ” sculpture by revered Anglo-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor, you can consume anything the city ​​has to offer. You can also head to The Ledge, a glass platform on the Skydeck at Willis Tower, or the 360 ​​Chicago Observation Deck on North Michigan Avenue, where the TILT experience leans you 300 meters above Michigan Avenue.
Then there’s a beautiful cityscape where you can stroll along the Chicago Riverwalk and enjoy a waterfront meal, sip a drink, or take an architectural cruise on the Chicago River.
The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois has a variety of exhibits, including the Evolving Planet and Ancient Americas exhibits, to learn all about the world of natural history. It houses the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found. The 67-million-year-old EUS is believed to have weighed around nine tonnes. The museum also displays mummies, totems and meteors. It’s perfect for kids of all ages, but those under the age of six will especially enjoy the interactive fun of PlayLab.
You can also take the kids to one of three iconic and family-friendly attractions: Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, and Lincoln Park Zoo. The Navy Pier is one of Chicago’s most popular attractions. Centennial Wheel towers 150 feet above Pier Park theme park for an exhilarating ride. Visiting Wrigley Field can be a memorable sporting experience. If your kids love animals, visit the Lincoln Park Zoo, where they have penguins and polar bears, as well as farm animals and monkeys.
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a high-tech city with a historic legacy and international appeal. Its location in the vast Tennessee Valley makes day trips for mountain adventures easy. Venture to Round Top Mountain (also known as Monte Sano Mountain), home to Monte Sano National Park, to enjoy the peaceful Japanese Garden or to hike trails covered with azaleas in spring and colorful leaves in autumn.
Kids ages seven and up will love visiting the US Space and Rocket Center’s space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, where they can explore space vehicles, from capsules to rockets. Sign up for a family camp and train for a mission to the International Space Station or to become a fighter pilot.
An art lover? We’ve got you covered as the city invites visitors to view a variety of permanent and temporary exhibits, including the unique Sellars art collection by American women at the Huntsville Museum of Art. The city also hosts the Panoply Arts Festival, an annual weekend celebrating the arts, music and more downtown.
Another place for the kids to have just as much fun is the Huntsville Botanical Garden which showcases the wonders of nature instead of humanity. It features the children’s garden full of favorite characters, cool water games in the summer, and the world famous Purdy butterfly house.
Also read: Here are some top picks for traveling in the United States
Cedar City and Brian Head, Utah
Cedar City is a surprising sanctuary of fresh mountain air and world-class cultural attractions in stunning proximity to the vast outdoor adventure of southwest Utah’s famous Mighty Five National Parks – Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion National Park. Cedar City is also known as “Festival City USA” as the plethora of year-round events include free music festivals, downtown parades, and touring bike races.
Cedar Breaks National Monument has the most distinctive and beautiful natural scenery. Take a moment to scan the horizon as limestone arches, towers, and hundreds of red rock spiers appear. You can also explore by taking a hike.
Brian Head is America’s ultimate resort town, with an impressive base elevation of nearly 3,000 meters and a maximum elevation of 3,400 meters. This region is best known for its resort and world-class skiing in winter. After the snow has melted, there is still a lot going on for outdoor enthusiasts. Brian Head Resort offers hiking, archery, ziplining, biking, tubing… the list goes on, so you won’t be short of things to do all year round. It is also well known as an affordable outing for families, making it a gem among Utah’s fabulous sites and attractions.
Portland, Oregon
Home to both an urban wilderness and the world’s smallest dedicated park, Portland offers visitors a breath of fresh air.
Washington Park is home to the impressive Portland Japanese Garden, where children and adults alike can explore the winding paths, bodies of water, and Zen gardens.
The Oregon Zoo, founded in 1888, is home to 2,000 animals, with more than 230 species. The star of this conservation zoo is its elephant land habitat, which is home to a growing family of elephants. The habitat includes various landscape areas and play structures, as well as opportunities for visitors to see these magnificent creatures up close.
The Oregon Science and Industry Museum is another must visit for kids where they can experience the USS Blueback, a retired US Navy submarine and planetarium. Along with outdoor adventure at the Portland Children’s Museum is a space where kids can explore sculptures, landscaping, streams and trails. At the campsite, kids can build their own forts out of natural materials like logs and rocks. The meadow gives young people the opportunity to get acquainted with a variety of plants.
The clear waters of the Sandy River at Oxbow Regional Park are like an oasis for swimmers, kayakers, rafters and floaters just 20 miles from downtown on a hot summer day. If you don’t have tents for camping, family yurts and luxury cabins provide comfortable overnight options.
Latourell Falls is one of the prettiest waterfalls that can be visited near the city, on a loop trail less than 4 km long. A little further on, the Punchbowl Falls hike features stunning falls of the same name and a popular swimming hole. The Willamette River is one of the few rivers in America that offers salmon and rainbow trout fishing in a large metropolitan area.
Another awesome Portland attraction is the majestic Snow Capped Mountain. Hood that offers family fun all year round. In winter, three ski resorts offer skiers and boarders of all ages and levels a snow-covered playground with varied terrain.
Orlando florida
There is no place like Orlando, which is the ultimate theme park destination and has so much more to offer for all age groups.
Starting with the biggest: Walt Disney World Resort, is a huge theme park complex that includes four individual parks – Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, as well as two water parks, dozens of restaurants and accommodations. single themed.
Other world famous attractions include LEGOLAND, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Orlando Resort, home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Here, the newest, most spectacular and state-of-the-art water park, Volcano Bay offers all the right sensations, from the most exciting to the most serene. Divided into four distinct areas anchored by the towering 200-foot-high Krakatau volcano, the park is a stunning testament to the Waturi philosophy: “Water is life and life is joyâ€.
All parks have enhanced safety and sanitization measures to protect you and your family, including face masks and social distancing guidelines, contactless payment options, and more.
The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando is a giant 400ft (122m) observation wheel in the eastern United States where you can take a 23-minute ride inside one of 30 air-conditioned capsules. This is the best view you will find of Orlando; it is particularly pleasant at night, when 64,000 LEDs light up the wheel.
There are plenty of treasures in small towns if you take a road trip from Orlando to Tampa. Do you like to know dinosaurs? You can also take a detour on the Tampa Way to Dinosaur World to encounter life-size dinosaur replicas amid lush tropical foliage. And before you get to Tampa, stop at a U-pick farm in Plant City – the winter strawberry capital of the world – to pick juicy red berries right next to the bush.
For outdoor travelers, Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka is a great place for hiking, biking, camping, and swimming or snorkeling in the cooling 72-degree springs.
