Family

Best Labor Day Weekend Getaways

From hidden gems and quirky festivals to towns where history, culture, and nature collide, these spots prove that a Labor Day getaway doesn’t have to be ordinary.

I took this photo of the tree at Lincoln Center on our way to see the Nutcracker at the Met

Best Places to Go on Christmas

Christmas vacation ideas and places to visit are some of the most unique and magical trip inspirations of the year, and honestly, they’re some of my favorite kinds of getaways.

My photo of Wildflowers in the Colorado mountains near Silverton

Best Places to Visit in Colorado

Colorado is best known for its first class ski resorts, where you can enjoy every type of snow sport imaginable, but there are equally exciting outdoor activities for all seasons.

Best Last Minute Family Vacations

Last minute family vacations can still be some of the best trips you’ll ever take, and they’ve become some of my favorite ways to make memories without the stress of overplanning.

Best Day Trips in Arizona

From iconic national parks to underrated small towns, I think that Arizona offers some of the best travel experiences in the country.

I took these photos from the air while flying from the Big Island to Maui (And the gecko when we landed).

Best Places to Visit in Hawaii

I love how each island offers the best mix of breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture, and underrated local gems. From lush rainforests and volcanic craters to golden beaches and colorful towns, every corner of Hawaii has something unforgettable to offer.

My photo of unique scenery on our day trip in Virginia

Day Trips & Small Towns in Virginia with Kids

Visitors can step back in time to the city's colonial-era days and take part in living history demonstrations depicting typical 18th- and 19th-century life throughout the region at a number of living history sites throughout the area.

Places to Go on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving means taking some time to appreciate all the blessings you have in your life, so why not give yourself even more to appreciate by planning a weekend getaway?

Hi, We are Ema and Chris and we've spent years on the road. While our website VacationIdea.com is small with under 200 pages and all the content written by just the two of us, you'll find a host of diverse and hidden vacation ideas for weekend getaways, day trips, and longer vacations, based on our personal travels. Keeping this website small allows us to keep it up to date with our latest discoveries and photos while we travel. We hope that reading this inspires you to travel to our favorite hidden gems. Why trust us? We founded this site decades ago and not only are we expert road trippers, but we also work with tourism agencies to stay pluggend into the latest openings and what's new and unique in travel. Chris is an award-winning photographer and designer, giving our contant a visually stunning polish. We've received many awards and media mentions for our work. More about us.