Family

Small Town Weekend Getaways with Kids

Whatever you like to do, kids will not be bored on their trip to small American towns and cities.

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

7 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.

I took these photos while hiking during Labor Day

8 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.

My photo of Hayden Planetarium in NYC on a sunny spring day

15 Last Minute Family Vacation Ideas

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.

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 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 this photo of palm trees on our day trip near LA

3 Day Trips from Los Angeles

Los Angeles is surrounded by some of the best day trips in California. It’s always been of my favorite cities for quick adventures.

My photo of a relaxing walk near a lake on our day trip from Dallas

Day Trips and Weekend Getaways from Dallas, Texas

Dallas is conveniently located near many historical sites, interesting small towns, outdoor recreational parks and lakes.

My photo of unique scenery on our day trip in Virginia

Day Trips & Small Towns in Virginia to Go 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.

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

6 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.

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?

Strolling along the lakeshore at Lakeway City Park on a summer day

Lakeway City Park: Trails, Sports, Playgrounds, Dog Park, and More

Lakeway City Park was the kind of place that offers a little bit of everything: water, trails, picnic tables, and space to simply be.

Recreation park with small pond and downtown Richardson, Texas

Things to Do in Richardson, Texas

For me, Richardson is one of the best cities in Texas because it combines unique cultural events, outdoor beauty, and unforgettable food in a way that always leaves me with new favorite memories.

Hi, We are Ema and Chris and we started this website in 1999. While our home is in Texas, we've lived in many different places months at a time reserching travel. 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 in the USA, 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 visual polish. We've received many awards and media mentions, including Forbes Best of the Web, abc6 Morning Show, UMich, 7News, WA State Department, and many others.