Taking the Kids Logo
June 21, 2013
Some of our favorite cities to visit in summer
Have you planned your summer vacation yet?

Dear family travelers:

 

Maybe you don't want to go too far from home. Maybe you just have a few days. Maybe you don't want to fly this summer (AAA says the vast majority of us will drive.)

 

That shouldn't hamper your summer fun. Take a long weekend to visit a city near your home.  Let each child plan a day of the itinerary. You will be amazed where they lead you! 

 

 Here are some kid-friendly options in three of our favorite cities featured in our Very Best Summer Vacation Ideas:

 

NEW YORK CITY reports more families are visiting than ever and it's easy to see why - world class museums. A real kids' favorite is the American Museum of Natural History with its stand-out kids' website. (Here's what I wrote recently). On Broadway, Matilda  the musical is the hottest ticket in town.  Then there's Central Park, one of the great places to take a walking tour and have a scavenger hunt with our Taking the Kids app.  Two  major league baseball teams-the Yankees and the Mets as well as the chance to see a minor league team play.  Eat great ethnic food (who doesn't love Little Italy and Chinatown). Shop til you drop.  And be sure to visit the 9/11 Memorial.  Opt for the Conrad in lower Manhattan and get a well-appointed suite right next to Battery Park for the same price as a room.  The concierge will arrange for you to visit the 9/11 Memorial too.  (Here's what I wrote about a visit to lower Manhattan.)  The new edition of my The Kid's Guide to New York City will help the kids to lead the way!  

 

LOS ANGELES  has everything from Hollywood-and the chance to see the magic behind the movies on the studio lot tour-to the chance to see the space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. Even Angelenos don't realize that LA has more than 100 museums-kids especially love the Le Brea Tar Pits and  both locations of the J.Paul Getty Museum-the Getty Villa in the Pacific Palisades the Getty Center in Brentwood because they have terrific family programs.  The city has just initiated itineraries that enable you to get around without a car via public transportation.  Go to the Original Farmers Market downtown for lunch and stroll over to the Grove outdoor shopping center and see if you spy and TV stars. Many work at the studios nearby. Let the kids see who their hand prints match up with at the Chinese Theater - is it their favorite star or Mickey Mouse.

 

CHICAGO is at its best in the summer. There's the famous Lakefront where you can ride bikes, inline skate or, in Lincoln Park, visit one of the few free zoos in the country where kids especially love the polar bears.  Take in a concert in Millennium Park, where you can't help but be awed by "The Bean," as locals call the giant CloudGate sculpture where you can see a reflection of the skyline in its shiny surface.  Some of the best kid-friendly museums in the country are here too.  Let the kids lead the way through a great art museum at the Art Institute Chicago (always free for kids under 14). Kids especially love the Thorne miniature rooms and the Ryan Education Center where you can get gallery games and information.  See the most complete T-Rex in the world at The Field Museum, commune with creatures from the deep at the Shedd Aquarium (everyone loves the beluga whales and the dolphins). Board a German U Boat and descend into a coal mine at The Museum of Science and Industry, where little girls especially will love the miniature Fairy Castle.  We can't forget that the first American Girl Doll store was here and still is a top tourist attraction, drawing 1.5 million visitors a year.

 

 




Also on TAKING THE KIDS:

A special place in Orlando for families with sick children

  

  And from our partners at Family Travel Forum  

Banjo, Folk, Country Songs - Driving Appalachia's Crooked Road

 


Our Kids' Guides Series from Globe Pequot Press continues to grow with new books on Los Angeles and Chicago publishing later this year!
   
Kids Buide to New York City  
 

 

   

Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  View our videos on YouTube  Visit our blog   

 

 

Join Our Mailing List