We went to Death Valley NP right before the Coronavirus shutdown, and it was one of the best trips we've taken as a family. I had no idea how diverse the landscape would be. In the same day we hiked around the hot salt flats, drove up a mountain and played in the snow, and then hiked to a waterfall. It was so incredible!

La Paz and Bolivia in general- felt other worldly

San Antonio. We had a blast there and have gone back! Omaha and western Michigan (Grand Rapids/Traverse City) also really exceeded my expectations.

Other places my wife has gone on business that she liked more than she expected to: Oklahoma City, Dayton, Memphis.

For our international trips, I think I did so much research that I had very accurate expectations, but Manuel Antonio (Costa Rica), the Tour du Mont Blanc (Italy/France/Switzerland), and Niagara on the Lake (Canada) were all very fun.

Japan

Anonymous wrote:Not a vacation spot, but I dropped my kid off in Huntsville for Space camp one summer, and was surprised by how quaint their downtown area is. We enjoyed our short stay there.

If this is safe next summer (or possibly the summer after this) we are thinking of doing this and then doing a little regional travelling for a bit and then renting a beach house with the kids down in the gulf shores area for a few days (which we have never been to but the beaches look great for just relaxing at nice house)- glad to hear the town itself would be cute for a day or so too

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horseshoe Bend in Arizona
Boat ride through these canyons in Arizona

Munich with toddlers. The beer gardens all have playgrounds. Try to have one adult remain sober in order to wrangle the kids on the playground. If you take your kids to an indoor beer hall, no one will care if they are screaming because it's so noisy in there. WHo knew?

Custer State Park. We broke all the rules and petted the buffalo who were suprisingly friendly.

Shame on you. Then when a buffalo attacks, which happens every year, they blame the poor animals.

+2 Don't touch wild animals. That's very selfish b.c it does actual harm to the animals just for you to have a couple of seconds of excitement.

+3

Santorini. Everyone told me how touristy it was. I guess we hit Oia on a quiet non cruise day but it was lovely and not crowded at all, and our resort was on the far side of the island away from the main towns and so peaceful. The island was stunning.

20 years ago- Nice, Cinque Terre, Siena

There was a great quiet period where I had no budget for travel.

More recently, I’d say Universal Orlando and Kaua’i. Super pleasantly surprised by the fun at UO, and Kaua’i was really just gorgeous, especially Waimea canyon and some of the cave swimming right off the road.

I hope to travel more when our kids are older. Planning trips to Japan and Scotland in the next five years.