California

10 Family-Friendly U.S. Destinations That Actually Live Up to the Hype

Choosing the perfect destination for a family holiday is not an easy task. Although the USA promises incredible family-friendly destinations, not all of them live up to their hype. Family holidays are not just about sightseeing. You will want to look for memorable experiences for all the family members, and that is undoubtedly not easy. But don’t stress out, we are here to tell you about some of the family-friendly U.S. destinations that actually live up to the hype and give you unforgettable memories with your family.

After reading this post, you will likely have a better idea of some of the best family-friendly destinations. We have done our research to bring you an incredible list of some of the best destinations for a family holiday in the U.S. this holiday season. So, let’s not waste any time and help you decide your next family holiday destination.

1. Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida, is likely one of the most popular family holiday destinations in the country. As the theme park capital of the world, this vibrant city attracts numerous families and offers an array of activities for people of all ages. It won’t be wrong to say that this city is the gold standard of family fun. This city is ground zero to some of the most iconic theme parks and themed hotels. Also, the shopping scene here is incredible. It is truly packed with all the family fun that you might be looking for in your family holidays in the U.S.

2. Miami, Florida

Here is another Florida destination that is among the family-friendly destinations that actually live up to the hype. We are all familiar with Miami’s electric nightlife scenes and beach parties. But there is another separate side that is truly family-friendly. There are numerous parks, kid-friendly beaches, and many other attractions to explore. So, if this is what you want, it’s time to book your holidays in Miami from the UK and start preparing for the most incredible family holidays.

3. San Diego, California

If beaches, sun, and the perfect weather are what your family is looking for in their holidays, San Diego is truly the most incredible option. Everyone loves the family-friendly beaches and the laid-back vibes of the region, along with endless activities that will make your family holiday worthwhile. In addition to the glorious beaches, you get numerous other attractions like the San Diego Zoo, the USS Midway Museum, Balboa Park, and many others that you must explore with your family.

4. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming/Montana/Idaho

Yellowstone National Park is quite a popular destination among families for all the right reasons. You will be glad to know that it surely justifies its hype. The natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and a wide range of activities make it perfect to spend some unforgettable time with your family. There are only a few destinations like this one that seamlessly blend education, adventure, and relaxation in a natural setting. You and the kids will surely fall in love with the pure nature here that gives you time to bond and have a screen detox.

5. New York City, New York

You can never go wrong with planning a trip to New York City with your family. There are magical parks and Broadway shows in the city that your family will enjoy. Also, the bustling city charm of this incredible world-famous destination makes everyone fall in love with it. There are also numerous museums and iconic landmarks to explore while in the city. Every year, many people plan holidays in New York from the UK to experience its charm.

6. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

There is no denying that Myrtle Beach is ideally suited for family holidays. You get the perfect beaches here, along with amusement rides that add to the whole experience. Another great thing about this destination is that the beachfront boardwalk is lined with ice cream shops, arcades, and mini golf courses. Additionally, you can easily find affordable accommodation here, which also attracts many families.

7. Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is another incredible US destination that lives up to the hype. This is the place where history combines with hands-on fun to create an unforgettable experience for your family. Don’t miss out on visiting Colonial Williamsburg, where kids can dress up, try colonial crafts, and interact with the actors. There are also numerous modern entertainment opportunities here that you won’t want to miss.

8. Chicago, Illinois

If you’re looking for urban fun in the USA, Chicago won’t disappoint. This beautiful city is full of family-friendly attractions and scenic boat rides that will give you some unforgettable time with your family. Get ready to explore the famous attractions like Navy Pier, the Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium. Also, treat yourself and your family to some of the delicious deep-dish pizza while you’re in Chicago.

9. Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Families looking forward to spending time in glorious nature and indulging in adventurous activities will fall in love with Lake Tahoe. This natural wonder is breathtaking in all seasons. Also, you can indulge in endless thrilling activities around this natural wonder. From hiking, swimming, and skiing to paddleboarding and snowboarding, countless adventures await you at Lake Tahoe.

10. Asheville, North Carolina

Another beautiful destination that lives up to its hype is Asheville, known for its natural charm. It is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are not only unmatched in their natural beauty but also offer a quirky charm and a rich culture that is truly worth exploring. There are numerous kid-friendly trails here that you and your kids will enjoy. Also, visit the fascinating Biltmore Estate.

Summing Up…

The US is full of incredible family-friendly destinations, but not all of them live up to the hype. We have mentioned some of the destinations that truly live up to the hype and will give your family the most unforgettable time. Now is the time to decide on a destination and contact Zippy Holidays to make your dream family holiday a reality.

Guest post by Elsie. Elsie is a passionate travel blogger who explores the world one city at a time. Through her stories and tips, she shares hidden gems, cultural insights, and travel inspiration to help others make the most of every journey. Follow her adventures and get inspired to explore beyond the map. She can be reached at elsieblogger5@gmail.com.

Images courtesy of pixabay.com, freepik.com and istockphoto.com

A Short Visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Overview

After a few days in Yosemite National Park in California we drove south through Fresno and then east, climbing the hills up into Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks via Highway 180 that enters Kings Canyon National Park from the northwest. These two Parks adjoin one another. We spent two nights in Sequoia National Park and that was just enough time to see the major sights. Sequoia National Park felt very quiet compared to Yosemite, even with pretty full campgrounds and regular shuttle buses operating. It’s all relative!

*Map of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.*

The giant sequoias are unique to this area, with climate conditions that are perfect for their growth over thousands of years. These trees are also naturally resistant to fire, disease and insects due to the high concentration of tannin in the sequoia’s bark. In the Parks, you will see evidence of fire and how the trees have survived.

Below are a few highlights of our visit.

General Grant Tree (Kings Canyon NP)

The General Grant tree was not far from the entrance to Kings Canyon and we made this our first stop. General Grant is 40 feet wide at its base, the widest-known sequoia tree and “just” 1,700 years old (some sequoias are 1,000 years older!). It was proclaimed to be the Nation’s Christmas tree in 1926. Good thing they didn’t cut it down! Other fun facts are shown in an image below.

*The General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon National Park is the 2nd (or 3rd, depending on which literature you read) largest tree by volume in the world.*

*A few facts about the General Grant Tree.*

*Left and Middle Images – Fallen sequoia trees near General Grant. Right – near General Sherman.*

Since we arrived late in the afternoon, after visiting General Grant we drove to Lodgepole Village and Campground in Sequoia National Park, passing through a small burn area at the entrance.

*The Northwest entrance to Sequoia National Park, on the Generals Highway.*

After getting settled in camp, we enjoyed a great park ranger talk that evening at the nearby amphitheater where we learned a great deal about the local black bear population (we learned that that black bears can be white, brown as well as black!).

General Sherman Tree

During the summer, shuttles operate between Lodgepole Village/Visitors Center and Moro Rock, so rather than drive and try to find parking at each stop, we took the shuttle, a very convenient way to go.

Our first stop was the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume, it’s 2,200 years old. A half-mile trail from the shuttle stop leads to General Sherman and provides access to other nearby trails.

*A few fun facts about the General Sherman tree.*

Big Trees Trail

A short distance south of General Sherman is the Big Trees Trail, a 1/2 mile loop that will take you on a tour of some of the other massive sequoias in the Park. Everywhere you look are these giant trees, making you feel very small! Also, along another 1/4 mile path, you can visit the Giant Forest Museum where the geology and history of these trees and area is explained.

*Examples of the giant sequoias, note in the right image how the tree has swallowed up part of the huge boulder!*

*Additional images of the Big Trees trail. On the right – Robyn is standing next to a very young sequoia that will probably outlive me by 2,000 years or more!*

*Near the Big Trees trail we saw a couple bears – we were a little way off and they didn’t pay much attention to us.*

Moro Rock & Tunnel Log

Continuing south from Big Trees Trail, and a short drive off the main road is Moro Rock. You can climb to the top via a 1/4 mile stairway taking you 300 feet up this granite dome for some amazing views of the surrounding mountains.

*View from the top of Moro Rock, looking east. Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., is at the eastern edge of Sequoia National Park (not quite visible here).*

*The shuttle also travels past “Tunnel Log” near Moro Rock. Our camper van is too tall to take this tunnel, but if you have a car, go for it!*

We camped at Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia NP, a good location for visiting the primary sights in the Park. Lodgepole Village has showers (although they are not the cleanest showers I’ve seen), laundry facilities and a small cafe and convenience store. As with Yosemite, we planned ahead (3-4 months) to ensure we got our campsite reservations.

Unfortunately we did not have time to really explore Kings Canyon National Park, I wish we could have. Please note there is really only one road into the primary area of Kings Canyon National Park (north of Sequoia NP) and it’s a pretty long drive. My recommendation would be to spend a least one night in Kings Canyon and then two nights in Sequoia National Park. Plan enough time for your visit, the roads are not fast, as with other roads in the area, they are windy, narrow and slow. We exited the Park on the southwest corner via Highway 198 towards Visalia and Bakersfield.

Visiting Yosemite National Park – Some Images and Tips

As much as I’ve traveled within the U.S., once place I’d never visited until this year was Yosemite National Park in California. When we bought a camper van last year we put Yosemite on our list as one of the places we definitely wanted to visit. Yosemite is certainly one of the most stunningly beautiful places I have ever been, and the world knows it. You will find many Californians here (of course), plus people from around the world – we heard a lot of different languages being spoken on the trails and around the sights.

*Views of Yosemite National Park, entering the Valley from the west.*

Left-Bridalveil Fall. Right – El Capitan – it’s difficult to capture in an image the sheer size of this granite monolith! We thought of Alex Honnold and his unbelievable free solo climb here in 2017. You can hike to the top via a tough 16+ mile trail.

Yosemite Falls

*You can hike to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls if you don’t mind scrambling over big granite boulders – it was fun!*

*At the pool below Lower Yosemite Falls.*

*We hiked up to Columbia Rock, on the trail that leads to the top of Yosemite Falls. It was steep, so be prepared! A view of Half Dome in the distance.*

Merced River

Glacier Point Road

This 30 mile (or so) drive from Yosemite Valley is so worth it! The views from Glacier Point are awe-inspiring. If you plan ahead, you can get a tour shuttle up to the Point and take a steep one-way hike down to the Valley (about 4 miles). If I had been smart, we would have done this – the shuttle was already full when I called just a day or two in advance. There’s lots of parking at Glacier Point, but it does fill up – the good news is that people are coming and going all day long. There’s also a small gift shop and restrooms at the Point.

Views from Glacier Point – a great shot of Half Dome from here. If you really plan ahead and have the stamina, you can hike (about 8 miles) up to Half Dome and take the incredibly steep ladder/cable ascent to the top, we saw people at the top of Half Dome from Glacier Point. Permits are required. My nephew and his family did this just shortly after our visit.

From the Glacier Point road, you can take a hike (less than 2 miles) to Taft Point (highly recommended!) with another great view of western Yosemite Valley. Right image – that’s me out on the rock looking straight down 3,500 ft. to the Valley floor at Taft Point!

*This was the view (called Tunnel View) coming down from Glacier Point- every spot is a “Kodak Moment!”*

Mirror Lake

Tips for Camping In Yosemite

If you want to camp within Yosemite and especially within Yosemite Valley, you need to plan (way) ahead. We started looking at campgrounds in February for a July trip and learned there is a four month rolling reservation window, meaning we had to book our campsite in March for July dates. We wanted to be in the Yosemite Village area, right in the heart of Yosemite Valley for my first visit (my wife had visited Yosemite as a child with her parents on several occasions). We spent 3 nights/2 full days in the Park. This was long enough to give us a good introduction to Yosemite. If you wanted to hike a lot of trails and explore the far reaches of the Park, then you might want to spend a week here.

Camping in Yosemite Valley has its pluses and minuses. The main plus is that you are very close to the well-known Yosemite attractions, the main minus is the lack of solitude. Even if you book (on recreation.gov) at the right time and date (at 7 am Pacific exactly 4 months from the date of your planned visit) there is no guarantee you will get a camping spot, they fill up within seconds of being released. We were lucky and were able to get a spot in Upper Pines Campground, right next to the Merced River, almost directly below Half Dome and within minutes of many Valley attractions. I wish I had taken photos of the campground. Don’t expect privacy – the campgrounds are always full, the spots are close together with a few pine trees scattered about. Bear lockers are provided and essential. While the campgrounds have the standard restrooms and water spigots, I don’t believe any of the campgrounds have RV hookups (e.g., water, electricity, sewer), but they do have dump stations where you can take care of your RV’s needs. There are several small stores in the Valley where you can get supplies and snacks, and several restaurants as well.

In addition to typical tent/RV campgrounds, you will find other accommodation options in the Park – from luxurious lodges to cabins, established tent communities and prison-like bunks in semi-open cinder block structures that have a table and not much else (the least appealing option in my mind, these are located in Housekeeping Village).

*Some of the canvas tent accommodations available at Curry Village in Yosemite National Park.*

Since we were on an extended camping trip (having also visited Lake Tahoe and Sequoia National Park as part of the same trip), access to laundry and shower facilities was helpful, these can be found at Curry Village and Housekeeping Village.

Getting Around

Given the volume of traffic and day trippers into Yosemite, car parking can be a challenge. If you can, bring your bicycle and leave your car or truck at the campsite, bikes are a great way to get around Yosemite Valley, the Village and adjacent hiking trails. I was glad we brought our bikes. You can also rent bicycles there.

Other Tips

The roads in Yosemite National Park are narrow, steep and windy, so driving is slow–it’s a big Park, so plan your time accordingly. During the summer months, if you do not have a camping (or other accommodation) reservations inside the Park you will need a timed reservation just to enter the Park, even for a day visit. The lines to enter the Park on a summer morning can be long (miles long). We came in via the Big Oak Flat entrance on the western side of the Park in the afternoon and had no wait. We left via the southwest entrance (Wawona, near Fish Camp) and saw a very long line of cars waiting to enter the Park at around 9 am. There are public buses that come to Yosemite as well from neighboring towns, and this might be an option depending on how long you want to stay.

I know my comments above may scare you away from visiting Yosemite, but in spite of the crowds, it is definitely worth the effort, just plan ahead and figure out your best options.

A Visit to Hearst Castle

The castle grounds are beautiful.

If you want to visit a castle and not leave the U.S., Hearst Castle is your place. Although not old compared to the castles of Europe, Hearst Castle reminded me of those magnificent structures and for good reason.

Another view of the castle exterior.

Hearst Castle is now a California state park. The setting is superb, in the hills overlooking the California coastline, near the small town of San Simeon, about half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

One of the entrances to the castle.

Much of the interior décor was imported from Europe and the mansion is essentially a museum with priceless works of art from all over the world.

The grand reception room. Where arriving guests would have gathered.

The dining hall.

A parlor for after dinner drinks and smoking.

William Randolph Hearst (1863 – 1951) was a publishing magnate (newspapers, magazines) and spent a good part of his vast fortune building Hearst Castle on property where he had spent his youth camping with his family. His desire to build the castle began early. At about 10 years of age, he accompanied his mother on a year-long trip to Europe and gained a love for and fascination with European architecture, art and culture.

Billiard room.

Unusual for the time, he hired a woman, Julia Morgan as his architect to design and oversee construction of the castle. Construction started in 1919 and continued for almost 30 years—to this day it is not complete. Hearst kept changing his mind and expanding his vision of what the castle and grounds should be. The engineering and logistics required to build the mansion in these hilltops and in this relatively remote location boggle the mind.

The indoor Roman pool, located underneath the tennis courts. There are more than a million Murano glass tiles here, some with a layer of gold leaf inside. The pool is 81 ft. long.

The famous Neptune Pool, with statues and Roman columns from Europe. The pool is undergoing some repair work currently.

Inside the theater room for showing the latest Hollywood productions. Charlie Chaplin was a frequent guest at the castle.

He even built an airstrip to make it easier to bring in supplies and guests. Hearst hosted the elite of Hollywood, political leaders and many others here. It was an incredible honor to be invited to Hearst Castle during its heyday.

One of the guest “cottages” as Hearst Castle.

Practical information:

Information on the castle can be found here. There are 3 main tours offered. Although the location is somewhat remote, Hearst Castle receives (and is prepared for) hoards of visitors. They have a large visitor’s center, museum and huge IMAX theater with a film about the building of the castle. Your ticket provides a specific time for your tour and buses take you from the visitors center up the road (about 15 minutes) to the castle. Plan on 2-3 hours for your visit. Also, about 3 miles north of San Simeon is a elephant seal beach area, where we saw probably 30 or more seals enjoying the sun and sand. It’s well worth the 10-minute drive to see these huge creatures laying on the beach enjoying the comfortable surroundings.

Elephant seals on the beach just north of Hearst Castle.

The Ghost Town of Rhyolite

The entrance to Rhyolite.

When I think of “ghost towns” what normally comes to mind for me is a mining camp or old railway stop from the 1800’s with a few wooden structures. By comparison, Rhyolite is a relatively modern ghost town from the early 1900’s. It is located near the small town of Beatty, Nevada on Highway 374, one of the main entrances to Death Valley National Park. The town is now a national historic site. Mining was a major industry in this area in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. In Death Valley National Park, there were an estimated 6,000-10,000 mines.

Rhyolite is about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NV.

The Las Vegas & Tonopah Train Depot, erected in 1909. One of the three railroads serving Rhyolite.

I think this caboose is here for the duration…

Rhyolite was a boomtown whose economic heyday lasted 4 years, although the town survived for about 15 years. It all began when prospectors Shorty Harris and Ed Cross found gold in the area in 1904. The townsite was established in 1905.

Old Mercantile building, erected in 1906.

Funding for the mining decreased due to the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, which destroyed the California Financial District, and then the New York Financial Panic of 1907. Even still, by 1908 the population of Rhyolite was 8,000, a pretty good-sized town for the area and time, but shortly thereafter the mines began to fail. By 1910, the population was declining, and in 1919 the Post Office finally closed. By 1920, there were just 14 people left in Rhyolite.

The Cook Bank Building ruins - it cost $90,000 to build in 1908. Included a Post Office, bank, and business offices. Had electric lights, steam heating and marble floors.

The Cook Bank Building ruins – it cost $90,000 to build in 1908, a small fortune. The building included a Post Office in the basement, bank on the first floor, and business offices on the second and third floors. It also had electric lights, steam heating and marble floors all of which must have made it a showpiece in its day.

Tom Kelly's 3 room bottle house - built by Tom Kelly in 1906, to raffle it off. Use of sustainable materials would make the house popular today!

Tom Kelly’s three-room bottle house (visible wall is built out of bottles) – built by Tom Kelly in 1906. He wanted to raffle it off – not sure if he was successful. Use of sustainable materials would make the house popular today!

The Rhyolite town jail. Erected in 1907. It’s near the Red Light District – hmm…wonder why?

Ruins include a few homes, bank, school, mercantile, jail and train depot. Beatty is about 2 hours from Las Vegas, NV, and Rhyolite is about 5 miles west of Beatty. Keep in mind summers here are HOT. We visited in December and the weather was cool and pleasant.

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers