San Antonio's incredible historic and cultural offerings are unique, easily accessible for families, and moderately priced.

It would depend on how old your children are.

1) Orlando and surroundings are generally impressive to most kids both younger and older. Avoid summer if possible because of crowds. Disneyworld, other theme parks, Space Center (don't miss) plus ocean nearby. A total vacation package.

2)NYC is good for older kids. Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, top of Empire State, Rockefeller Center, WTC Site, Central Park, first Broadway play, maybe one museum. Shopping in Soho/West Village/NYU area.

3)DC is good for older kids. Don't go in summer because of heat. Capitol Building, White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln, Jefferson Memorials, Ford's Theater, Air and Space museum, Native American Museum, one other museum of their choosing. Shopping in Georgetown.

4)Grand Canyon. All kids.One stop vacation shopping. Sedona red rocks nearby.

5)San Francisco and surroundings for older kids. Wharf and Marina districts, Chinatown, cable cars, seals, head North to redwood forests and South to Hearst castle.

6)Alaska, the whole state, for youngsters to older kids. Very, very impressive for a driving vacation. Mountains, mountains, vistas, vistas everywhere. Bears, moose, elk, caribou.
Denali if it's not clouded over in particular. Maybe a bit repetitive for MTV generation but outdoor oriented kids should appreciate it.

7)Hawaii, most islands for youngsters to older kids. Volcano Park, snorkeling, whales, seals, NaPali coast, Haleakala, Hanalei.

That's all I can think of for kids except some of the National Parks.

The Big Island of Hawaii. Flowing lava, towns trapped under old lava flows, ancient Hawaiian ruins, fantastic snorkeling and hiking, amazing scenery. And, on the practical side, good hotels and food.

Although there are a lot of LA haters on this Forum, I would say the greater Los Angeles area. The entire world in 4,800 square miles, two counties and over 100 separate cities, yet completely and utterly its own unique creation. A state of mind as well as a geographic location. In fact, the whole southern region of California offers years worth of unique experiences.

New York City as well stands out, although some cynics call it "a neurotic impression of the capitals of Europe". Not me. I go back year after year after year and it still excites, stimulates, dazzles, and thrills me.

San Francisco definitely stands alone as a gorgeous city. In fact, the whole northern region of California offers years worth of unique experiences. Well, what can I say? It's kinda neat out here in CA....

I will disagree on Orlando. It is almost entirely a collection of theme parks-- expansions and improvements of theme parks originally found in southern California. But yep-- kids love it.

Big Bend Nat'l Park.
M

You can't go wrong with New Mexico. Fly into Alberquerque, short drive to Santa Fe - stay a few nights and enjoy the architecture, cuisine and culture - lots to do here - and take a side trip up to Taos (ski or just sightsee); then head south - drive to Carlsbad Caverns - they are amazing, and be sure to stay for the "bat flight" which is incredible; make your way back up north via White Sands National Park (complete with stealth bombers flying overhead from the nearby airbase)- another unforgettable experience for kids and adults alike; from there, drive north and stay at a native-American "resort" in Almorgordo and then make your way back to Alberquerque.

I'll second Sante Fe, NM and Venice, Italy!

And I'll add the dunes at Provincetown, MA.

The Hawaiian Islands stand alone.

"Unique" does not take a modifier, so no place is "very unique." Unique means one of a kind.

Can it be a place bigger than a city in the lower 48?

What about California--Yosemite, Redwood Forest, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, coldest place Truckee, hottest place Death Valley, highest place Mt. Whitney, weirdest place Berkeley, oldest and tallest trees, most famous governor,longest state coastline of Pacific Ocean, best US wine region, garlic capital, artichoke capital, raisin capital, agriculture capital, highest GDP, most nobel prizes, best state university system, highest population, most members of Congress, California mission trail, Golden Gate Bridge, 5 baseball teams, 4 basketball teams, 3 football teams, 3 hockey teams, great weather, multi-culturally diverse and DISNEYLAND. Plus, I am sure there is more...

The Great Smokey Mountains

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on the Minnesota Canada border.

Have your kids ever been to a more-than-a-million-acre wilderness area where there are no roads, and even airplanes are prohibited from flying under a certain ceiling?

Ever gone a week without TV, radio, CD players, telephone?

Ever had to get where they were going only by paddling a canoe across some of the hundreds of stellar lakes and carrying packs?

Ever gone three days without seeing another living human?

Ever involuntarily started whispering, just because it's so quiet there it seems like a normal, respectful thing to do?

Ever seen moose, beaver, bald eagles, loons, otters living their lives, many of them so unused to people they don't know enough to be scared of us?

Ever caught dinner and had it cooking in a matter of minutes?

Ever been so happy for a shower and a cold glass of milk when they got back to civilization?

Ever been really happy to see people, cars and towns again but have a lingering feeling that this trip - hard, messy, unpredictable, risky - was life-changing? And that maybe, just maybe, there is a way to live without...and love it, at least for a little while?

Sorry, I'm evangelizing. But my nephews, ages 6 and 8 on their first trip, loved it. And its made them better people (even if they don't really know that yet).

Lex1 you are like my wife, an unconscious corrector of all things grammar and spelling. I appreciate it, hand her a typed full page and in 2 milliseconds it seems she has spotted 3 spelling errors!
Author: Lex1
Date: 01/13/2006, 02:53 pm
The Hawaiian Islands stand alone.

"Unique" does not take a modifier, so no place is "very unique." Unique means one of a kind.

Southern Utah - Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef National Parks. Definitely no where else in the world.

Sobolik: It appears as though you have a loving, caring and highly intelligent and educated wife. Enjoy your sojourn.

The places I remember from family trips and most enjoy returning to are the natural locales.

If you want "nowhere else like it," I'd definitely say the Grand Canyon. I don't know where you're from but, if it's not a desert, the drive there is an experience in itself. The vastness of the canyon is amazing and the opportunies for hiking and rafting would be fun for the kids.

My second choice would be Yosemite. I took my husband there last summer for his 30th birthday and he said he felt like he was walking through a magazine of famous pictures...climbers on El Capitan, panorama of the entire valley, sunlight shining off Half Dome. If you're interested in a city as well, this is easily combined with San Francisco.

Good luck!