February is also Black History month in the US and Canada: a good chance to explore African American history. Many places that are great to visit year-round with kids stage special events during February.
Atlanta is a city where it's easy to introduce kids to some important history. The neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up is now a Historic Site managed by the National Park Service, with a Junior Ranger program for kids. And the African American Panoramic Experience (APEX) Museum shows videos about African American experiences, including children's shows.
Memphis, meanwhile, has Beale Street, a center of African American commerce that later birthed the blues; Beale Street has a Walk of Fame that honors top musicians.
The Center for Southern Folklore has exhibits about life in the Mississippi Delta, a restaurant with Southern food, and videos about Beale Street.
Older kids might visit the Lorraine Motel, now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum, and the place where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated.
Both Atlanta and Memphis have general family fun, too: such as Memphis' Mud Island River Park, where a River Walk recreates the lower Mississippi River in miniature.
See also a multi-part article, American South Road Trip, by guest writer Sheila Scarborough, starting in Montgomery, Alabama.
Check out other suggestions for family travel during Black History Month: in New York State, South Carolina, North Carolina... and for many more suggestions, see Soul of America, which has a calendar of events and also highlights historical black districts in many cities, top black museums, and heritage tours.
- continue to London, England- Bargain!
