Spring break is going to be here before you know it! It’s never too early to start planning a fun-filled family vacation. The question is, how do you start the planning process and where should you go.
Why not make it a road trip? They’re not that expensive and you never know what interesting things you’ll run into on the way. It can be an exciting time for your entire group.
That still begs the question of where should you go? We’ve got a couple of family road trip ideas that you’ll be sure to love. Check out this itinerary.
1. Planning
Before we get into where you should go, we’re going to give you some ideas of how to start the planning process. The main question to ask yourself here is “what’s my budget”?
There are four main categories that you’ll need to work your budget around: your accommodations, fuel, food, and activities. Once you have these nailed down, you can start figuring out where you want to go to make your awesome vacation memories.
Accommodations
Since you’re driving in a car, you have some flexibility as far as where to stay. You can head to websites to find hotels in your area. As long as you skip out on staying in a tourist trap, the cost of your room shouldn’t be too high.
If you want to avoid the extra expense, you can drive over to a campsite. You’ll still have to pay a fee to stay for the night, but it might not be as expensive as a hotel.
Fuel
Mitsubishi Outlander the perfect family sized SUV gets decent gas mileage. Even so, you don’t want to get caught off guard and run out of gas. That can put a damper on the whole family bonding experience.
Plan out how much gas you plan to use up. You might be able to save on your gas money tab by fueling up in smaller towns vs being in a big city.
Food
If you plan to stay at a campsite, you can keep the cost of food down to a minimum because you’ll be making your own food. If you’re thinking about staying in a hotel, you’ll mostly eat out for the entire trip.
That can get costly after a while depending on where you go. You’ll be spending at least 10 dollars on each person.
Activities
On your road trip, there will be a wide variety of free things that you’ll be able to do. Not every activity will be free, however. You’ll need to set aside a small amount of money for things to do.
2. Pacific Coast Highway 101
The Pacific Coast Highway trip goes through California, Oregon, and Washington. As the name suggests, you’ll be traveling alongside the Pacific Ocean, which offers some unbelievable sights.
There are plenty of things to see and do. You can go visit the Space Needle in Seattle. You can let everyone get out and stretch their legs by walking around Cannon Beach in Oregon.
Once you reach California, you can make a pitstop in Eureka to explore all the old Victorian-style mansions there. You’ll also see unbelievable trees that are hundreds of years old.
3. Pasadena to Big Bear
Pasadena is only about ten miles out of LA. It’s a great trip if you want to let your kids get a good dose of fun and education. There are tons of exhibits you can take them to.
This includes the Huntington Library. There are also bookstores that have a nice children’s section. For the nature lovers in your group, there’s the botanical garden as well.
From Pasadena, you’ll make your way to Big Bear. It’s an amazing vacation destination that’s about three hours and some change away from Vegas. It’s known for its gorgeous lake where you can get some prime fishing time in.
4. Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a classic family road trip idea. There are a million and one ways for you to travel to and around the area, which makes for tons of road trip opportunities.
Depending on how you make the trip, you can have a short road trip or a long one. Your choice is only a matter of how much you want to explore and how much fuel you have to work with.
We will go ahead and warn you that The Grand Canyon sees millions of travelers each year. You’re sure to run into a large crowd no matter what time of year you decide to go.
5. Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is one trip that every child should go on. It runs from Cape Cod all the way to Portland, so it’s pretty lengthy. Your kids will get to experience several wonders of the world all at once, though.
That sort of makes all the driving time worth it, right. Before you set off, go ahead and get some beach time in while you’re in Cape Cod.
Once you hit Rochester, get out and explore some of the historical sites. You’ve got to let your children see the Toy Hall of Fame and Susan B. Anthony’s house.
If your family is baseball fanatics, you’ll need to stop in Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. You can’t leave New York without seeing Niagara Falls Park.
If you’re taking your trip in August, you and your family can visit the Iowa State Fair. From there, make your way to Mount Rushmore and then make a pitstop in Yellowstone.
Get out and stretch your legs in Bend Oregon. There are several hiking trails around you can try out. Once you’ve got your fill of hiking, it’s on to Portland.
Family Road Trip Ideas Your Entire Group Will Enjoy
It’s never too late to start planning your kid’s spring break vacation. One of the best ways to travel around and see a bunch of sights at once is to hop in your SUV and drive.
Fuel up and head toward one of the fun family road trip ideas on this list. There’s a world of adventure waiting for you.
Before you go on your trip, you’ll need to look over your SUV to make sure it’s in good working order. Check out our maintenance guides to learn what needs to be done.