What makes a vacation great? Everyone has their own ideas. Maybe it’s about immersion in historical landmarks, or about exciting and daring experiences. Maybe it’s about relaxing and enjoying a beach, or seeing the sights.
When it comes to family fun, though, one thing that most parents can agree on is that we’d all like less stress. We’d like to spend more time at the attractions, and less time waiting in traffic; more time actually enjoying ourselves, and less time handling the logistics.
By these standards, some of the sites that provide the happiest vacations in the United States might not be the ones you think of first.
What Are The Criteria For A Low-Stress Family Trip?
Everyone has their own bucket lists and an idea of the places they’d most like to see. When Wonder started looking for the best places for a family vacation, though, they narrowed it down to a few criteria.
They were looking for child-friendly attractions, green spaces, and pleasant weather, to begin with. Then they sought out places with high walkability scores and ease of access to the scenery. For the lowest stress levels, they also considered safety scores, and the levels of traffic congestion and noise pollution.
With all of those factors in mind, they came up with a list of ten cities that offer beautiful spaces, attractions for the whole family, and an overall safe and pleasant experience.
Why San Diego Takes The Top Spot
With the San Diego Zoo and La Jolla among the top attractions, Wander rates it as the number one place for a family vacation. San Diego also has Belmont Park if you’re looking for an amusement park with rides and games, Sea World, and a ton of museums, many of them kid-friendly.
Aside from having lots of cool stuff to do for kids (and adults) of all ages, San Diego gets high ratings for being a bit less traffic-heavy than some other California destinations, for its good safety rating, for plenty of green spaces, and for comfortable average temperatures.
In short, it’s packed with options, whether your family likes animals, history, adventure, or classic roller coasters, and you won’t have difficulty finding a place for a picnic lunch on the grass or to let your kids run off some energy.
Florida Makes The List 3 Times
Florida thrives on tourism, and three different cities in the Sunshine State make the list.
At #2 on the list, we have Orlando, for being “one of the most purpose-built vacation cities in America.” Aside from major theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, there are also smaller amusement parks like Fun Spot America and other attractions like SeaWorld and Aquatica Orlando. LegoLand is within a reasonable drive, as is the Kennedy Space Center, and there are some fun things to do indoors, like the Crayola Experience.
#3 is Miami, which takes its spot on the list for the scenery and its high walkability (a score of 77). Aside from beaches, it’s a win for nature-themed activities. There’s also one of the largest zoos in the United States, and the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science, where your kids can enjoy hands-on weather and tech exhibits.
Florida is also home to the 5th city on the list: Tampa. Here, kids will enjoy Busch Gardens for the rides, ZooTampa for a smaller, more easily-walkable zoo experience than some of the bigger parks, and the Florida Aquarium. Wonder recommends it for warmth without extreme humidity.
California, Texas, And Nevada Pack In A Ton Of Family Fun
Three more top destinations are scattered across the South and West, from Texas to California.
#4 on the list is San Francisco. While it has one of the highest levels os traffic and noise pollution on the list, it also gets high ratings for having a lot of parks and recreation space. There’s the Golden Gate Park, and you can ride bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge for an experience that will make lifelong memories. For history and true crime aficionados, there’s also a boat ride to the infamous Alcatraz.
#7 is Austin, Texas, for its live music, festivals, and other fun events, as well as tons of green space and food vendors that make it easy to find something different for everyone. There’s also a very hands-on aquarium and a kiddie museum, the Thinkery, that’s great for the same reason.
#8 is Las Vegas, Nevada. You might think of Vegas as a very adult destination, since it’s a gambling mecca, but it also has tons of family-friendly events and attractions, like the Adventuredome, an indoor theme park where your kids can play and beat the heat, and the Discovery Children’s Museum. Also, many hotels have their own attractions, such as the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. So, even if the adults are visiting for casinos, there’s great stuff at easy access for the whole family.
Washington State, District of Columbia, & Massachusetts
Numbers 6, 9, and 10 on the list are widely scattered, but all are especially appealing to families who are interested in history.
#6, Boston, is a little cooler, temperature-wise, than some other locations, making it a good choice for summer. It’s incredibly walkable, and if your family likes American History, it’s going to be one of your top choices.
Follow the Freedom Trail to check out some of the oldest parts of the city, with a particular focus on sites central to the American Revolution. It’s about 2.5 miles long, and your family can follow the full distance or pick and choose what to see. It includes Paul Revere Park and the USS Constitution.
#9, Seattle, has the Seattle Center, where your family can spend hours checking out the Space Needle, the International Fountain, museums, parks, and scheduled events.
It’s a good location for lots of walkable areas, including walking tours and the Seattle Scavenger Hunt Adventure — in fact, at 77, it has one of the highest walkability scores on the list.
Finally, #10 is Washington DC, where history and history-in-the-making are prominent. DC actually has the highest walkability score on the list at 98, and the National Mall provides beautiful green space where your family can collapse on the grass and have lunch between other experiences.
A few must-sees are the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, which is awesome for kids and adults alike; the National Museum of Natural History; and the National Zoo, which offers free entry.