12 Amazing Places to Visit on a US Road Trip

Ready to hit the road on an adventure with your family? There are so many amazing places to visit in the United States with your family. Sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming to narrow down your destination options. Let today’s podcast guest, Catherine Parker, from Carful of kids joins us to share her family’s 12 favorite places to visit in the US. They have visited all 50 states as a family so they have seen a lot of great places. Learn more about their 12 favorites!

iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Podbean

Cather Parker has visited all 50 US States with her family. Here’s her list of must-see places in the country!

Yellowstone or Yosemite. Take your pick and you can’t go wrong! Yellowstone is a week-long destination and Yosemite can be explored in a weekend. Both have beautiful natural beauty, animals, camping, lodging, and iconic national park vibes.
The Grand Canyon. You can visit here time and time again and always have a new experience. The season and time of day will change the lighting and the views. You can enjoy scenic lookouts, hike, raft, and camp here.
Visit the Black Hills in South Dakota. There is so much to explore in this area! Custer State Park (buffalos!), Minute Men Milssle Silo, Badlands National Park, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, and Mount Rushmore. If you want more details on what to do in this area, check out our Epic 4-day Trip Itinerary for Visiting South Dakota.
Redwood State and National Park. This is in Northern California. Beatiful area with a variety of things to do such as visiting Lady Bird Memorial Grove, hiking, tide pooling, beach walks, and bike trails. It is only two hours away from Lassen National Park so you could add that to your visit to the area.
New York City. This iconic US city is a great destination with teens. Catherine likes to take her kids on one-on-one trips here. It’s a great place to learn so many important travel lessons such as how to navigate subways, how to explore a dense city, how to hail a car, ride on a ferry. Be sure to visit the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and art museums. You can check out Our Favorite Free Things to Do in NYC and Three Unique Things to do in NYC with Kids.
San Fransisco. Another great city where you can teach your kids travel lessons about using public transportation. Amazing vistas, streetcars, and great weather are other factors that make this a great family destination. You can read more about Five Teenager Approved Things to do in San Fransisco.
Boston. History! Middle school ages and up are great for this destination. Learn about history while exploring this classic US city.
Washington D.C. Another fantastic destination to share great history lessons with your family. Many of the museums are free! Be sure to check out our All the Things Families Should See and Do in Washington D.C. podcast episode with lots of info on this city.
Southern California & Disneyland. We love national parks but Disneyland is also a favorite destination for kids of all ages. Consider spending time in San Diego, Los Angelos, and Orange County. Beaches, sun, surfing, whale watching, shopping, and so much more.
Florida Beaches & Disneyworld. Fly into Orlando to experience all of the Disney fun plus great beaches.
Hawaii. Pick any island and you won’t be disappointed. Heading to Maui? Check out or family’s favorite things to do. Or check out our blog post about How to Make the Best Memories in Kona, Hawaii.
Alaska. This is an amazing US destination. One great way to explore Alaska is on a cruise. Of if you want to fly into Anchorage, check out our episode about Planning an Amazing Alaskan Vacation for your Family.

As you can see, there are so many fantastic places to visit in the US. Of course, there are countless places, but this list is a great place to start.

Where is your favorite place to visit in the US?

Thank you to Catherine Parker for sharing her top 12 US destinations list with us. Connect with Catherine:

On her website

On Instagram

This week’s sponsor: You can check out our Amazon Travel Shop to find all of my favorite travel gear, games, and gift ideas.

If you loved this episode of the podcast, please consider supporting it…