We are looking to combine an East Coast trip by car from NYC area to SW Florida for a family vacation: 3 kids all under 10 and 2 possibly 3 adults.

1) First thought was to stay at Shenandoah NP on the way down, mainly for the adults and older kid; does that seem reasonable and how many days should we stay? Should we look into other National Parks - Mammoth Caves, Smoky Mountains, or more local "nature" sites?

2) Also, my son is very interested in forts, he loved St. Augustine and we are looking for other forts/castles that would be relatively convenient for a family somewhere up and down the East Coast. We saw Fort Pulaski near Savannah, thoughts on that or others?

3) We do want to sample some good BBQ, and were looking at Lexington. Anywhere nice to stay with a family around there, or should it be a "grab and go" experience?

4) Finally, we feel a bit bad for the kids so were looking for an amusement park or boardwalk not too far off of 81 or 95 that would give them a chance to go on some rides and eat some greasy food. And anything like that in SW Florida?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give us. We have two weeks total, and probably will spend one week in SW Florida, the other week for travel and short stops.

Check the National Park web site for the states you will be going thru. Also the various state tourist sites.

http://www.nps.gov/

http://www.recreation.gov/statelinks.jsp

You might consider stopping in tbe Tampa Bay area, where you could visit Fort Desoto, stay in a beach setting, and go to Busch Gardens. I've always liked Busch Gardens because it's a great combination of animal park and amusement park. Every time I've gone, I've seen baby animals just born, and other animals making babies. My kids still giggle at the memory of giant Galapagos tortoises "doin it". Fort Desoto has a beautiful beach, fishing pier, bike trails, kite surfing, dog park, canoe trail, boat launch, and even camping. Just off the coast there, if you have access to a boat (you can rent nearby at Tierra Verde Boat Rentals), you can go to Egmont Key, which has another neat fort, a lighthouse, and harbor pilot community. Beautiful beach too.

Kings Dominion amusement park is on I-95 outside Richmond, Va. There is also Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I know there is a fort in the Hampton Roads area, but I'm not sure if it's open to visitors.

Other than the Mouse, amusement parks in Florida include Busch Gardens Tampa, and Cypress Gardens. If you'll be going north on I-75 into Georgia, Wild Adventures is in Valdosta. If you'll be going through the Chattanooga area, Lake Winnie is just a little ways off I-75 and it's a great, small, old-fashioned amusement park. http://www.lakewinnie.com/ for info and directions.

San Fran plus Fort Point Park ... a city of distiction.

Fort Sumter in Charlotte is really interesting and great to visit. It is on an island in the harbor.

And Fort McHenry (oh say can you seeee...) is outside of Baltimore.

Luray Caverns at the top of the Skyline Drive in VA are very nice. Not as big as Mammoth Caves but very interesting. You are apt to see deer on the Skyline drive. I think Mammoth is too far out of your way.
When is your trip? There's a big water park in South Carolina, maybe Hendersonville. Sounds like you might want to make a stop at the Biltmore Estate near Ashville NC. Not quite a castle but a very interest tour. Early indoor swimming pool etc. Adults can enjoy a wine tasting.

Thanks for all the responses. We'll be going in the summer, probably beginning of July (we are used to Florida in the summer, having gone many times). We will definitely add Fort DeSoto to our list; my FIL lives near Tampa, and we've thought of going there before (just blanked LOL!).

I am posting a new one about Shenandoah, I think we'll be sticking to that NP.

Thanks for the tip on the amusement park in SC.

I had a history teacher friend who spent much of his travel time covering the entire US mainly to visit forts. His favorite of all -- Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. Can your trip to SW Florida include Key West for that trip?

As a former teacher, I loved being able to introduce my 5th graders to US history. For that reason, I'd like to reinforce capxxx's sugggestions. Fort McHenry, located in Baltimore harbor and within sight of I 95, is a must do. A coastal fortification that was bombarded by the British during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the words to what has become our national anthem. Make that stop on your way down before heading west into the Valley.

On your tight time schedule you won't have time to do much Civil War history in the Shenandoah, but take time to stop in Lexington and tour VMI (Virginia Military Institute) where Stonewall Jackson taught prior to the CW and cadets from this school fought in the Battle of New Market. Lexington is also home to Washington and Lee University where Robert E. Lee resided until his death after the CW. Both Lee and Jackson are buried in Lexington. From there you might want to continue on down the Blue Ridge Parkway, staying at the Peaks of Otter Lodge ( http://www.peaksofotter.com/ )before going over to Bedford to visit the National D-Day Memorial ( http://smokeys-trail.com/USA/bedford-2001.html )which should really make an impression on your son. After that stop, continue on down the parkway towards the Smoky Mountains NP or take I 26 down to Charleston SC to visit Fort Sumter where the Civil War began.