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Welcome to Family Favorites

Our Family Favorites section includes our short list of "must see" places to visit, along with favorite
family vacation spots that have been submitted by others.

We love hearing about
great family vacation spots, so don't be shy, suggest a favorite family vacation
spot so that others can learn about your great family vacation spots.

While you are here, take a few minutes to scroll down through this page, and see if anything catches your
eye. If not, check out some of the other pages on our site so that we can help you find something that the
whole family will enjoy, and get excited about.

Have a great family vacation!

Family Road Trip - Dallas to Arizona

A couple of years ago our kids had their fall break around the end of September,
and we were going to take the week and drive out to Phoenix to meet up with my
parents and my older brother. Along the way we decided to take in some of the
sights. First off we stopped at
Carlsbad Cavern and did some exploring, and ate
lunch at the snack area deep inside the cavern, then on the way out to Tucson we
stopped at the
White Sands National Monument. We got their around 5 PM and
had a wonderful time running around on the sand dunes for a couple of hours.

In Tucson, we visited the
Pima Air and Space Museum, and then spent a couple of
days in Phoenix. Just outside of Phoenix we spent the afternoon near Apache
Junction at the
Goldfield ghost town. Here we took a mine tour, train ride, and had
lunch, and explored this old western town at the edge of the Superstition
Mountains. We then drove up to Williams, and the next day took a tour of the
Grand
Canyon.

It was a great trip, and we really enjoyed seeing all of the interesting things along
the way.

Submitted by:  Rich Herman                              Date:  06/20/2006
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family road trip vacation

Family Houseboat Vacation - Lake Ouachita

Hill's Lake Escape on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas rents houseboats with jacuzzis
and slides. There are lots of rooms for everyone, including a kitchen and
bathrooms. Port the boat everyday in a new location, little coves around the lake,
perfect for swimming, exploring, with lots of wildlife to watch. We saw a deer swim
across the lake in the early morning. Great place to catch stripper fish, or just hang
out in a water tube all day. You can also rent a speed boat and go water skiing and
tubing. Fun, Fun, Fun!

Submitted by:  Mendy Yarbrough                     Date:  07/07/2006

Norris Dam State Park - Knoxville, Tennessee

My family just returned from a great, inexpensive ($600 for food, lodging, and fun for
a family of 5!) trip to
Norris Dam State Park outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. We
rented a cabin (sleeps 6) there, did all our own cooking, hiked, fished, boated,
swam, and had a great time. The cabins are clean and well-kept by the National
Park Service; the scenery is beautiful;  in the summer the Park Rangers do different
FREE programs all day long -- we did innumerable nature crafts, the "Owl Prowl"
and Bat Watch at dusk, an early morning fitness hike, and a history hike along
Norris Dam... you get the idea.

There are basketball and tennis courts, several playgrounds, a recreation center
with ping pong, air hockey, foosball, etc., a junior Olympic sized pool and large
kiddie pool with plenty of chaises overlooking the lake, a clean, bright laundry
facility... I could go on and on.

We will go back to this park, and I plan to explore other Tennessee parks as well. I
took a similar trip to Watts Bar, TN, when I was a child and enjoyed the same type
of activities and perks.

Good luck!

Submitted by:  Kate                                             Date:  07/19/2006

Visit The Old West - Winthrop, Washington

If you enjoy the Old West and the great outdoors, then you may want to consider a
family vacation to
Winthrop, Washington. We just returned and had a wonderful
time there. The entire downtown area looks like a page from the old west, with false
front buildings, boardwalks, and original buildings from the 1890's when there was
a flurry of mining activity.

There are quite a few hotels, guest ranches, or resorts to stay at. Many of the
resorts have cabin rentals. We normally stay in hotels, but decided to try a cabin
rental on this trip. We stayed at
The Virginian Resort. The log cabin that we had
worked out great, as it had a small bedroom, plus the living room had two day beds
that worked out well for our two children. There is also a small bathroom and
kitchen, which is equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. The cabins are rustic
and cozy and the kids really thought they were neat. They have a nice outdoor pool,
and gas barbecues are available for grilling if you want to minimize dining out.


While in Winthrop, be sure and play a round of miniature golf and get some ice
cream at
Sheri's Sweet Shoppe.  Three Fingered Jacks is a great casual
restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Be sure and visit the
Shafer Historical
Museum to walk through some of the original cabins and buildings, and see
genuine mining equipment, and other interesting items.

If you like the outdoors there are many places to hike, fish, swim, or boat. We took a
drive up
Sun Mountain and stopped at Patterson Lake. Its a beautiful lake part way
up the mountain. We rented a row boat there for $8/hour, and later took a hike along
the Patterson Lake trail. There are lots of deer around Winthrop so don't be
surprised if you see some along the trails or off in the distance. The
Chewack
River Guest Ranch is a wonderful place to ride horses.

All and all Winthrop is a great place to take the family. We had a wonderful time. We
hope you enjoy your trip there.

Submitted by:  Rich Herman                                  Date:  08/07/2006
Other Family Vacation Destinations to Consider:
Family Vacations to the Black Hills

Family Vacations to Colonial Williamsburg

Family Vacations to California's Gold Country

Turner Falls - Davis, Oklahoma

family road trip vacation
Our family just returned from a weekend excursion to Turner Falls in Davis
Oklahoma. It is about halfway between Dallas, TX and Oklahoma City, OK just west
of I-35, in South-central Oklahoma.

Nestled in the Arbuckle Mountains, this scenic area has a 77 foot waterfall, natural
swimming areas, several caves, hiking trails, picnic areas, camping, and plenty of
great shallow places to wade in Honey Creek. The creek meanders its way through
this valley, which is heavily wooded, and contains many interesting rock formations.
The creek is crystal clear, shallow in most places, with stepping stones perfectly
positioned for navigating from side to side or exploring along the creek. Your kids
will love it!

One attraction located here that is a "must see" is The Castle. It is based on an Old
English castle, and was built in the 1930's by a professor from Oklahoma
University. It is built out of native materials and situated on a hillside overlooking
Honey Creek. You and your family will have a great time exploring The Castle and
all of its structures. Be sure and take the path up above The Castle to the top of the
mountain for some great views from above.

This was a great weekend excursion for our family. While we were in the area we
also visited the
Chickasaw National Recreation Area outside of Sulphur, OK. This
area is loaded with much of the same type of scenery (neat rock formations,
mineral springs, clear creeks for wading in, lakes, hiking trails,  camping and much
more!

Here's a few photos of the Turner Falls area. Enjoy!

Submitted by:  Rich Herman                                  Date:  10/16/2006
Turner Falls right above the pool
Honey Creek
One entrance to Outlaw Cave
The Castle
The Castle

Family Rafting Trip - Maine

Our favorite family vacation spot is  Big Island - Indian Pond. It is located in the
camped on Big Island for 10+ years.  We hire a Maine whitewater rafting company
(Professional River Runners) that takes us rafting, funyaking and lake touring on
our 2-day vacation to Maine.  Our kids love exploring the island trails, looking for
fossils, collecting driftwood, singing around the campfire and scarfing on the
hand-cranked ice cream they helped make.  What we like best about this
Maine
vacation spot
is its rugged beauty, the smell of the pine trees and the fact that the
entire family is back-to-nature with no electricity, no running water and no
electronic entertainment.  We play cribbage and sing songs around the campfire
(and all the meals are prepared for us by the rafting guides!!)  It's amazing .... when
7:00 p.m. comes around, the kids are exhausted and ready to settle down.  

Here are a few photos of our rafting trip. Enjoy!

Submitted by:  Kathy Beauchamp                        Date:  02/28/2007
Kennebec River Rafting
Sunset At the Dock
Cabin Rentals

Inspiration Point Lodge - Nova Scotia, Canada

Inspiration Point Lodge is located on West Bay, Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia,
Canada.

The lodge is located on the Bras D'Or Lake Scenic Drive in Cape Breton.  It is
situated halfway up the mountain side with Spectacular views of the lake and
mountains beyond.  The lodge has eight bedrooms, each with a private bathroom.  
There is a great room with a big screen hdtv, a bose stereo system, leather
sectional(very comfortable), a bar, a huge fireplace, and the entryway opens to a
large wraparound deck.  There is a professional kitchen and dining room for 20-24
people, a hot tub , a billiard table and some exercise equipment. You can rent the
whole lodge for a family holiday, special event or just a private getaway for a few
good friends to enjoy. The location is great for the nature and history buff.  A great
starting point to discover all Cape Breton has to offer, .....the Cabot Trail, Fortress
Louisburg, St.Peters on the Canal, Baddeck and the Alexander Graham Bell
Museum.

Submitted by:  Brenda Siebel                        Date:  06/12/2007
international travel

Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast - Clark Fork, ID

Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast is located near Clark Fork, Idaho.

Huckleberry Tent  and Breakfast is a complete, old-fashioned camping experience
with all the comforts of a B&B.  Everything is provided except food for lunch/dinner,
ice and your suitcase.  Comfortably furnished canvas tent cabins feature a
queen-size bed, plank floor, wood stove, camp kitchen, outdoor shower, campfire
and s'mores. Big farm-style breakfast is served at the solar-powered, backwoods
homestead. Very private--only 3 tent sites at this end-of-the-road 42 acres.

Submitted by:  Christine                                  Date:  07/25/2007
We flew into San Diego & rented a car. We spent a day each at the San Diego Zoo
(the sleeping animals didn't impress our kids ages 9 & 7), but they loved
Sea
World & Legoland
.  Next we traveled to Santa Monica & checked out Mann's
Chinese Theater & Rodeo Drive
which were too touristy & also didn't impress, we
should have rented bikes or roller blades/skates to ride along the ocean. They
enjoyed the
Santa Monica Pier. We then traveled through Big Sur & stopped at a
few national parks along the way.  A big hit was renting a dune buggy in
Pismo &
stopping for dinner at one of the restaurants with a great view of the area.  Next we
went to Monterey to visit the
Monterey Aquarium & climb the rocks in the bay &
check out the tide pools -we all loved it!  Finally we ended up in San Francisco
biking in the Golden Gate Park,
Zeum (incredible experience for the kids) eating
dim sum, Ghirardelli deserts & sourdough bread, a cruise in the bay &
Muir
Woods all impressed them.  They even let us do a winery tour in the end.  It was
10 days of fun! We used the Unofficial Guide to California w/Kids which was a
tremendous guide.

Submitted by:  Lisa Cohen                                  Date:  08/15/2007

Family Fun - The California Coast

family road trip vacation
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Travel to U.S. Cities - Branson, Missouri

Truly a remarkable vacation destination, Branson has 52 live performance
theaters, three pristine lakes, 12 championship golf courses, an international
award-winning theme park, dozens of attractions and museums, shopping
galore, a full range of dining options, and a host of hotels, motels, resorts and
meeting and conference facilities... all waiting for you.

Submitted by:  Dustin Watkins                         Date:  10/07/2008

Gold Rush and Pioneer Adventures - Julian, California

Gold Rush Adventure
Smith Ranch in Julian, California offers a wide range of fun and exciting
adventures. Enjoy a 1 mile train ride and visit  an 1870 gold rush mine, and pan
for gold. Other historic field trips or tours are available, including:   a Pioneer
Adventure.

Submitted by:  Greg Smith                                  Date:  10/13/2008
Branson, Missouri
Cabin Rentals

Knoebels Amusement Resort - Elysburg, Pennsylvania

Knoebels Amusement Resort is located on Route 487 ner Elysburg, Pennsylvania

The largest "free" admission park in the United States.  Ticket books are available
to pay for the rides but the rides are relatively inexpensive.  The unused tickets can
be saved for another visit in the future or passed on to someone else to use.

Lots and lots of rides for kids of all ages and adults, too.  The food is not bad
either and surprisingly not that expensive.  The park is huge, well maintained, and
the rides seem to be a lot of fun.  We visited there with six grandchildren and had
as much fun as they did but we never rode anything more strenuous than the tea
cup ride.

Wonderful family atmosphere.  We camped in one of their two campgrounds for
three days.  They ran a shuttle back and forth between the park and the
campground.  There is also a campground adjacent to the theme park that will
allow you to walk to all of the excitement.

Family campground/theme park not to be missed.

Submitted by:  ShaRon Conway                                  Date:  04/20/2009
theme park
campground

Lake George - New York Adirondacks Area

Fishing
Lake George is located in the southeast corner of the Adirondack Mountains in
upstate New York.


Lake George is a good family vacation spot. My family and I enjoy that we have
the option to do things or simply enjoy time at the beach or fishing. There are lots
of kids for my grandchildren to play with. It is a family spot! Although we enjoy it
we are interested in looking for something of the same nature maybe a different
location. Our children range in ages from 17 down to 6.


Submitted by:  Pat Milazzo                                  Date:  01/14/2010

Family Guest Ranch - Quincy, California

Greenhorn Creek Guest Ranch is located in Quincy, CA approximately 70 miles
from the Reno Tahoe Airport.


At Greenhorn Creek Guest Ranch, you have the opportunity for a truly magical
vacation! The owners of the ranch, in addition to their wonderful staff and
amazing Wranglers, make you feel like family.  While the horseback riding
program is one of the best anywhere, guests can hike, swim, fish, line dance,
play volleyball, karaoke, roast marshmallows and sing at the campfire...or simply
relax and unwind on your cabin's porch swing. The frog catching and frog races
are a blast! I have been to the ranch numerous times, and in every way it's a truly
memorable family get-away.  The big bonus: you'll never hear your child say "I'm
bored!"

It's true what they say at Greenhorn...you are creating a saddlebag of memories
and lifelong friendships.

Submitted by:  Kathy Gatherum Lucker                       Date:  01/21/2010
Horseback Riding