Places to Take the Kids this Year
Many American families have not taken a vacation in multiple years. The pandemic played a part in this, as some families didn’t want to travel in the face of Covid-19 restrictions and overall health fears. Now that vaccines and boosters have changed the game, though, some families target 2022 as the year they hit the road again for some recreation.
Vacations can bring families together and create some memories. If you have kids, you might look forward eagerly to a time when you can take the youngsters to a place they’ll like and snag a bunch of pictures you can look back on fondly in years to come.
Where should you take the kids, though? We’ll talk about some possibilities right now.
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Branson, Missouri
After getting your child vaccinated for Covid-19, you’re probably ready to come up with the perfect vacation this year. Presumably, they are just as excited as you are.
You might choose Branson, Missouri, as a place where you can take the kids in 2022. Why Branson, you might ask? If you didn’t know, Branson is a destination spot if you want some G-rated family fun.
If you stay in Branson, you will find that they have all kinds of shows that should delight young and old family members alike. You can go to a magic show or a Wild West-themed show with live horses, jugglers, clowns, etc. You can go to one of the Dolly Parton-themed shows since she left her mark on Branson in many significant ways.
You can walk down the main drag and get souvenirs, and you can eat in one of the many family-style restaurants. Branson may not be the first place you think of when you consider going on vacation, but if you have kids, it’s a great pick. It’s also not usually as expensive as some other popular destination spots.
Disneyland
If you feel like heading to California, Disneyland is truly a world of imagination for both kids and parents. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s hard to imagine a childhood where you don’t get to visit this wonderland at least once.
You can either fly or drive there, which will probably depend on where you live. If the drive is not all that far, you might be okay with it, but you may opt for flying if you live all the way on the other side of the country. Multiple days in the car isn’t usually much fun if you have young children.
However you get there, it’s hard to describe how much fun kids can have when you set them loose in the park. Disney owns the rights to the many Marvel characters, the Star Wars ones, and also the Harry Potter books. If your kids like any of those, they will enjoy meeting costumed characters from these franchises and riding the rides that range from gentle merry-go-rounds to much more intimidating roller coasters.
The Grand Canyon
Maybe you want to take your kids somewhere less commercial. If so, you won’t find much in America that competes with the Grand Canyon if you want to see a natural wonder that’s every bit as mind-blowing as the most impressive theme park out there.
You can reach the Grand Canyon’s location by car, or you can get a chartered bus there as well. It’s in Arizona, so you may not want to go in the middle of the summer when it’s nearly unbearably hot during the days. Instead, you might plan on a spring or fall vacation if you go there this year.
You can look out across the panoramic view with your kids, and you can grab a guide who can take you partway down the Canyon or even all the way to the bottom if you want. That probably depends on your kids’ ages and the rest of the family’s physical shape. If you don’t feel like you are up to hiking down into the Canyon, just seeing it from the top might be thrilling enough.
Miami Beach, Florida
Maybe you have some kids who love the beach, but they seldom get a chance to go there. If so, you should know there are tons of great beaches in the US. It’s tough to pick a better one than Miami Beach, though.
You might think mostly about retirees or the party crowd when you consider Miami Beach, but it has much more to offer than that. You can stay at one of the nice hotels with the beach right at your doorstep. The sparkling water should delight your kids, and you can also take them shopping for souvenirs and hunting for shells.
You will also find Jungle Island and the Children’s Museum there, proof positive that Miami Beach is a kid-friendly area. The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour is probably the best hotel at which you might stay, but you’ll also find tons of other great ones.
If none of what we mentioned appeals to you, you might take your kids to one of the great American cities, like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Dallas. Each one has some kid-friendly activities, such as museums, walking trails, public parks, and zoos.
If Covid-19 still worries you, you can wear masks when you’re flying or out in public. If you have any relatives with immunocompromised conditions, you may have to do a staycation instead.
That might not be quite as fun for the kids, but you should be able to find a way to make it a pleasure for everyone. You might allow the kids to pick their favorite meals for a week. You can take that time off from work so you can concentrate on family bonding.
It is not so much about your vacation’s price or where you go. It’s more about having fun with your kids and showing them how much you love and care about them. That’s what they’ll remember more than anything else when they look back.
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