Last Minute Family Vacations

Oshkosh

Located on the shore of Lake Winnebago where it meets the Fox River, Oshkosh is a modern Wisconsin city best known for EAA AirVenture, the largest aviation event in the world.

• The city’s EAA Aviation Museum is a kid’s delight with historic planes and real flight stimulators.
• Menominee Park Zoo has about 50 native and wild animals enjoying eight-acre wildlife park.
• Paine Art Center and Gardens is a beautiful historic estate surrounded by typical English country-style gardens.
• Lake Butte des Morts is the local spot for fishing and swimming in the summer.
• Pollock Community Water Park is a great family place with diving pools, slides, and splash areas.
• Oshkosh Public Museum is an Ethnography museum that covers 13,000 years of humans living in the region.

Duluth

A large Minnesota city, Duluth is a port city on the north shore of Lake Superior. It is hard to believe that you are not on the ocean when you see the massive oceangoing vessels that travelled 2,300 miles from the Atlantic through the Great Lakes Waterway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

• Duluth has a famous freshwater aquarium that introduces animals living in and around the Great Lakes.
• For more animals, visit Lake Superior Zoo, which has some big cats, bears, primates, and a mini trail.
• The Aerial Lift Bridge across the Duluth Ship Canal is fun to watch as it lifts 135 feet to let the ships pass.
• Spirit Mountain is a popular ski area in the winter and during warmer months has an adventure park and a network of hiking and biking trails.

Myrtle Beach

From the moment you arrive in Myrtle Beach and the kids see 50 miles of fine sand, you will have no problem keeping them occupied, because that massive beach is surrounded by one fun attraction after another.

• There is the huge SkyWheel, the biggest Ferris wheel in the country. Then there is the Family Kingdom with all sorts of rides, and the entire boardwalk full of arcades and games. You can’t even go for a dinner without something fun happening.
• You can watch medieval jousting during your evening meal at Myrtle Beach Medieval Times or Polynesian fire dance while eating at Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show.
• Kids will also love touching sharks and stingrays at Ripley's Aquarium.

Wallace

Wallace is a small yet fascinating town in Idaho’s Silver Valley, world famous for its huge deposits of silver, which gave it the name Silver Capital of the World.

• Downtown Wallace is the original mining town, beautifully preserved, with original buildings which tell the story of a mining community in 1884.
• Visitors can take one of many mining tours and go down into the depths of the Earth to see where all the treasure comes from and what the miners had to do to get it out.
• Nearby is Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area, the location of many skiing and hiking trails and the famous mountain bike trail, Route of the Hiawatha Trail.

Wilmington, NC

Wilmington is North Carolina's jewel, a port city, and the coastal playground where the graceful past merges with lively present in one fascinating package.

• Strolling along the brick sidewalks through the city historic district means exploring 230 blocks of architectural treasures, stately churches, ancient live oaks, and magnificent antebellum homes.
• There’s music as well as live performers and flowers everywhere, together with charming shops, restaurants, and cafes.
• Keep going to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk by the sea, the or pedestrian-only Riverwalk in the Port City Marina.
• Take the kids to the Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park for some hair-rising rides or hop on a water taxi to visit the World War II battleship North Carolina.
• The North Carolina Aquarium is located at Fort Fisher, and Wrightsville Beach is the perfect spot to enjoy some watersports.

Santa Fe

New Mexico’s capital Santa Fe in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains is famous for its amazing pueblo buildings and a thriving art community that calls it home.

• Santa Fe life revolves around its traditional plaza, a lively place with music and a market full of delicious food.
• Founded in 1610 by the Spanish.
• The whole area around the plaza is a well-preserved historic district with narrow streets and adobe landmark buildings, such as the Palace of the Governors, which today houses the New Mexico History Museum.
• Visit Loretto Chapel with its legendary spiral stairs and hear the story about them.
• Get out of the city and stroll through lush, green Hyde Memorial State Park surrounded by fragrant pines.
• El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living museum of life in a 18th/19th century Spanish village, with a schoolhouse, a hacienda, and guides dressed in period costumes.
• The Santa Fe Children's Museum is playful, hands-on center for learning through play with a puppet stage, a garden, and a climbing wall.

Gettysburg

History buffs will definitely want to put Gettysburg on their short list of must-see towns on the East Coast. The Gettysburg National Military Park preserves the history of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle, which inspired Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address. Today, the rolling green hills and nature trails throughout the former battleground provide a full day of walking and hiking while contemplating the historic events that took place on the hallowed grounds. This quaint Pennsylvania town has plenty of unique attractions in addition to the battlefield, including haunted and historic tours, theater, golf, wineries, distilleries, and authentic cider makers.

Columbus

The capital of Ohio, Columbus, is located on the Scioto River, and much of the city life happens on the river banks. The city’s Scioto Mile consists of a chain of parks with a network of hiking and biking trails and a large interactive fountain. The Center of Science and Industry is located on the west bank of the river and is a fascinating interactive science museum with hands-on exhibits and experiments for kids of all ages. The German Village is another fun spot to explore, with its typically German brick houses built by German settlers in the 1800s. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is one of the best in the country, while the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens features an exceptionally rich collection of plants and gardens as well as nature-inspired art exhibitions.