As a Dad, sometimes you’re faced with making a decision such as going on a vacation. Your kids probably have their own desires, your partner as well, and often, you have your own places you want to visit. If all of your decisions collide or don’t match, then you all have to compromise. That is why you should know about all the possible vacation destinations for families. Better yet, you can offer to go on a road trip together and here are some great destinations for such a fun family time.
Prepare Yourself and the Kids
Just like when doing business around the house, having a solid plan for your family road trip will save you the headache. You should know where you’re going and be the fun Dad along the way. So, plan the route, make a list of all the essentials you’re going to need and bring enough money.
The next Dad task is to prepare your kids for this family road trip. You can search on the internet how to prepare them, but your experience can already tell you what’s best to do. The main thing is to keep the kids occupied and entertained during the ride, so they won’t bug you and interfere with your driving. So, while planning the trip, you can plan the fun games you can play with your kids, such as “I spy”, bring their toys, make a fun playlist and similar things.
Now that you’re prepared, let’s take a look at those fun road trip destinations.
1. Acadia Park Loop
If you decide on this destination, be prepared for the 27-mile ride down the Park Loop Road. The main road will navigate you to the stunning Acadia National Park on Maine’s Mount Desert Island. You can start the road trip at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center and take your time down the one-way road and regularly stop for some fun and leisure time along the way. There, the scenery is breathtaking and you can see plenty of lakes, mountains, beaches and mesmerizing ocean scenery.
2. Utah’s Scenic Byway Highway 12
This road trip of 122 miles can easily be done in a few hours, but you should take a few days to appreciate it better. This road is also known as A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway and it is in the Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks. Also, along the way, you will pass through Escalante Petrified Forest, Anasazi State Park and Kodachrome Basin. So, there is certainly plenty of nature and landscapes to take in. Make sure you even bring some blankets and tents so you can fully enjoy this road trip and teach your kids about camping like a true Dad.
3. Dune Diving in New England
If you’re all up for some beaches and sand, then you should go dune diving in New England. Start at the Cape Cod’s historic 6A and follow it through the Cape’s sleepy towns. This road will take you and your family past mudflats, beaches and sand dunes and through the Cape Cod National Seashore before it ends in Provincetown.
There you can all sit and enjoy some whale watching on a cruise and engage in a personal tour of Cape’s chilled waters.
4. Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, and the Grand Teton
For those Dads who are looking for a road trip destination that lasts for more than a few days, then this is definitely a well-worn route. What is more, on this route you all will learn a lot and experience a cultural punch like no other. Start at the cliffside presidential statues of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota where you can learn a bit about the history and proceed to the Yellowstone Park.
Yellowstone is spread out over Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. You can easily spend a few days exploring famous sites such as Old Faithful and enjoy the abundance of wildlife with your kids. The next stop is Grand Teton National Park, where you can relax and enjoy the next couple of days in the fabulous mountain ranges and engage in some of the most fun hikes.
5. Pacific Coast Highway
If you are a family that loves the ocean, sand and relaxing at the beach, then you should definitely take a road trip on California’s Pacific Coast Highway. You can start in San Francisco and follow the road down to the coast of San Diego. Making occasional stops too at Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Malibu, Santa Monica and many other towns on the coast.
You can choose where to spend most of your time. Planning won’t be a drag because these towns are just a couple of hours apart from each other.
6. Blue Ridge Parkway
For all those nature lovers, Blue Ridge Parkway road trip will be a dream come true. Running between the Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, this road trip is 469 miles long and stretches near the Appalachian Mountain Range.
You can start the trip by spending a day or two in Charlottesville and end it in Asheville, and encounter plenty of beautiful things along the way. Also, you will encounter the Mile High Swinging Bridge on this trip, the natural waterslide Sliding Rock. It’s where you can engage in dozens of fun hikes.
If you’re an adventurous Dad who can stand long drives, that you should definitely go on a family road trip. There are plenty of natural beauties to see in the country, so why not explore them all each year.
Pack your things, get organized, start the car and enjoy the family ride of your life.
