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Educational sights for family vacations

12th March 2015 Print

America… What a great place to live. Why? Not only do we enjoy a life of freedom and liberty, but our spectacular country offers so much in the way of interesting, beautiful, and historical sights to see. From the Liberty Bell to the Golden Gate Bridge, our marvelous country is riddled with great opportunities for family vacations and road trips. These sights are all educational, so the kids, and even yourself, will have a great experience going to see any of them. Here is a list of some really awesome sight to be seen right here in the USA!

1. The Statue of Liberty

What a truly stunning sight she is! The Statue of Liberty, built in 1886, stands tall on Liberty Island in New York. She stands at 305ft. tall and weighs a total of 450,000lbs. If this is the destination for you, be sure to prepare your legs. Climbing the stairs within the statue is quite a task, with 354 stairs to climb! With about 3.2 million visitors per year, be sure to get tickets in advance!

2. Gettysburg National Park

The Battle of Gettysburg was a battle during the Civil War, which is said to have been the bloodiest battle of the war. This is the battle that President Lincoln gave his “Gettysburg Address” speech about, which is consistently covered in history classes in every grade school in the country. Today, there is a museum and visitor’s center on site. Kids can sign up to be “in the army” of the Civil War for an hour. There are reenactments and tons of other things to do as well. This is a great place to plan a family vacation.

3. Mount Rushmore

Four of the largest heads in the world, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln stand 60ft. tall in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The staggering sight of this monumental shrine provokes a real emotional feeling towards our amazing country. The Canadian government donated six mountain goats to America for the Mount Rushmore National Park. That number has grown significantly since then, so there are some great wildlife viewing opportunities as well. As of 2014, this park gets an average of 2.16 million visitors per year.

4. Native American reservations

From the Blackfeet Indian tribe to the Chickasaw tribe, there is a host of educational and historical vacation opportunities on reservations. Various tribes are covered in history classes in grade school, so why not let the kids pick the tribe to visit? Many of these reservations have visitor’s centers and museums. Also, many of them have some really cool activities for kids, which show them what it was like to be a Native American in the 1700s. Activities like corn grinding, arrowhead making, and learning the symbolism behind war paint are some of the ones that can be shared experiences for the whole family!

5. Mt. Whitney and Death Valley

Why two-in-one? Because they are only 84 miles apart. Mt. Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States, at 14,505 ft., and Death Valley is the lowest, at 282 ft. below sea level. With only a couple hour drive between the two, why not make them a joint trip? It’ll be twice the fun and experience! These remarkable sights are in beautiful California, so it may be the perfect chance to do a camping vacation, or RV trip. 

These are just a few of the miraculous sights that out great nation has to offer. Take advantage of them, and use them as a chance to bring your family closer to each other, and a chance to learn some things you may not have known before. These are especially educational places to take the kids. Seeing these things for themselves will really help history class be a bit more fun and exciting. Don’t let your life go by without seeing these stunning marvels across America!