Dianne-TX Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I have a list of places to go for reasonable field trips or short little vacations around Texas (where we live) and in the U.S. that we'll get to some day, I hope. But, I'll see someone mention where they went and realize I've never heard of it. So, I thought I would ask here and get a large response at one time (hopefully!) and not miss out on something special and unique. Thanks! Here's a few on my list: (we've not been to these, but want to sometime) Glenrose museum (Glenrose, TX) Creation Museum (AIG) Silver Dollar City and other Branson sites (Branson) Passion play in Arkansas, I think Dr. Pepper museum (Waco, I believe) East coast for history tour of some kind and during the season change Washington D.C. Laura Ingall's Wilder festival in South Dakota, I think Sequoia National Park to see the redwoods Grand Canyon (of course) Really beautiful national parks (Crater Lake, etc.) Add to it, please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Arches National Park (Moab, Utah) - one of my favorite places Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 I also thought of going to see events like the Harlem Globetrotters, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Geography wise - it was important to me that my kids see both the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans - esp the Pacific since it's the largest body of water on the planet. Then they've seen the Mississippi River (both up north and down south), they've stepped in all five Great Lakes and seen the Appalachians and Rockies (and other mountain chains). They've seen Niagara Falls and the Thousand Islands (between NY and Canada in the St Lawrence River - it's actually more than 2000 islands). We've been to most of the National Parks and 49 of the 50 states (missed Alaska). History-wise, Valley Forge for the Revolution, Gettysburg for the Civil War, Pearl Harbor for WWII, DC because it's the capital and has great museums, Chaco Canyon for more "ancient" US history, and then assorted state history things. This is such an abbreviated list. I absolutely love travel and feel it is one of the best sorts of education out there. A book can give an outline. Good travel fills in the outline IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Arches National Park (Moab, Utah) - one of my favorite places My ds10 loves national parks. We've not been to any in person, but he enjoys reading about them and looking at pictures. We got a National Geo. video from the library that had 50 of the best U.S. national parks on it and we all loved watching it. It made us want to go. Some are so beautiful. I don't recall Arches. I'll have to look that one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastalGal Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Sturbridge Village in MA?? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share Posted January 26, 2011 Geography wise - it was important to me that my kids see both the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans - esp the Pacific since it's the largest body of water on the planet. Then they've seen the Mississippi River (both up north and down south), they've stepped in all five Great Lakes and seen the Appalachians and Rockies (and other mountain chains). They've seen Niagara Falls and the Thousand Islands (between NY and Canada in the St Lawrence River - it's actually more than 2000 islands). We've been to most of the National Parks and 49 of the 50 states (missed Alaska). History-wise, Valley Forge for the Revolution, Gettysburg for the Civil War, Pearl Harbor for WWII, DC because it's the capital and has great museums, Chaco Canyon for more "ancient" US history, and then assorted state history things. This is such an abbreviated list. I absolutely love travel and feel it is one of the best sorts of education out there. A book can give an outline. Good travel fills in the outline IMO. How wonderful! Great ideas! I agree with all you said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Hmm... Chincoteague, even if you can't go during the Pony Round-Up; Kitty Hawk, NC & Roanoke Island; various Presidential libraries & historic sites (I want to make it to Missouri for Truman's one day). One of our favorite places was a spur-of-the-moment one-day excursion to Salem when we were near Boston. What a neat place! Yes, there's all the witch hunt stuff, but there's also a lot about shipping (as someone who loved the book Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, this was amazing). Lexington & Louisville, KY, are great if you have any horse interest at all - the KY Horse Park, Keeneland racetrack, Churchill Downs... there's a small museum about the Falls of the Ohio, and there's also the Louisville Slugger factory! Baseball, Football, Rock N Roll Halls of Fame Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mtns National Park Memphis has the Peabody ducks and Graceland - who can go wrong there?!? Nashville has a reproduction of the Parthenon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I should also have added Plymouth, Jamestowne/Williamsburg, and St Augustine for Pre-revolution eastern history. The St Louis Arch (nice museum underneath) for Lewis and Clark/expansion west history. Crazy Horse for western Indian history. I'm sure there are others I'll think of in more time and reading more responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Dublin (TX) Dr. Pepper Bottling Museum, closer for us than Waco. The Florida Keys, been there, love it love it love it. I don't like cities so I tend to want to take field trips to national and state parks, and hiking trails. There are great museums in Ft. Worth/Dallas, just haven't been to them. I've always wanted to go to the Rockies. Davis Planetarium in Ft. Davis, TX., we've never been there either. Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia are full of history and beauty; the beach and mountains are all within a day's drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Historic St Augustine - the old fort is awesome, there are some great beaches, you can camp at the state park just outside the historic area if you like camping (this is what we did), and there is plenty of shopping and food if you like that as well. Oh, and the Alligator Farm right across the street from Anastasia State Park is actually more like a small zoo/preserve. We plan to take ds to DC for a Smithsonian trip, and if I can make it work we will take an extended spring trip to drive from Key West to Maine along US1 and A1A for a coastal tour - probably in an rv and probably taking at least a month so we have plenty of time to stop at any historic sites or cute little towns we find along the way. I would like to do the same sort of trip out Route 66 all the way to the west coast as well. Some of the other ideas on here sound awesome too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Palo Duro Canyon and the show "Texas" there. Dallas Heritage Village The Alamo Those are just Texas spots that are easy, inexpensive and relatively close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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