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Fun Places To Go

By Teresa Plowright, About.com Guide to Family Vacations

We just keep on inventing more fun places: more theme parks, with crazier coasters; more slides and funnels at water parks; and more Polar Expresses. Families also still love to go sightseeing in famous cities, and to visit nature's grand attractions.

  1. Theme Parks
  2. Resorts With Water Parks
  3. Great Cities to Visit
  4. Legendary Beaches
  5. Great Outdoors
  1. Corn Mazes, Pumpkin Patches
  2. Holiday Train Rides: Easter, Halloween...
  3. Holiday Season
  4. Fun Things To Try On Vacation
  5. Mixed Bag!

Theme Parks

Multi-million dollars designed for fun: no wonder families like theme parks. Some -- such as LEGOLAND-- are specifically created for little kids; other theme parks compete to have the wildest rides.

Resorts With Water Parks

Photos courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge.

Winter and summer, resorts with private indoor water parks are creating a whole new type of hop-in-your-car weekend getaway. Many of these resorts add outdoor water parks in summer, too.

Great Cities to Visit

Photo of New York City harbour tour, The Beast - photo ©  Teresa Plowright

Pretty much any city is fun to visit with kids: it's fun to explore parks and historic districts and to go sightseeing. Many cities have children's museums, and even high-falutin' art museums are kid-friendly these days. Below are a few stand-out cities to visit with kids.

Legendary Beaches

Photo courtesy of The Myrtle Beach Area CVB.

No need for a fancy resort: kids are thrilled just to play at the beach, in the sand and the waves.

Great Outdoors

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - photo ©  Teresa Plowright

Family holidays in the Great Outdoors are not only fun, they're a welcome balance to all those hours kids spend sitting in front of screens.

Corn Mazes, Pumpkin Patches

corn maze photo

Starting in late summer, corn mazes start bustin' out all over and make fun outings for families. Most corn mazes have extra fun such as hay-rides, teen nights, pumpkin patches.

Holiday Train Rides: Easter, Halloween...

Polar Express train ride, New Hampshire

Grand Canyon Railway in Arizona, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in North Carolina: dozens of tourist trains transform themselves for holiday rides.

Holiday Season

Holiday Season - Santa in Christmas window - Photo courtesy of About.com's Guide for London Travel.

In the US, Thanksgiving starts the Holiday Season, but in any country that celebrations Christmas, by the end of November lights and decorations are up and you're sure to find festivities. A family New Year's Eve wraps up the year.

Fun Things To Try On Vacation

Stand Up Paddle Boarding - photo courtesy of Kona Village Resort.

Make a vacation memorable by trying something new and fun to do.

Mixed Bag!

A few fun places that draw families and defy categorization...

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