As every parent knows, taking your children on holiday can be a rather tiring experience, from the planning stage right up to the execution and the aftermath. Choosing a holiday destination for you and your family may be hard, but there are always attractions that will provide you and your kids with a great deal of enjoyment. One of these family-friendly destinations is the Olympic National Park, Washington. Visitors can take the ferry from Seattle and, most importantly, be prepared for wet weather: the average annual rainfall is 140 inches, nearly three times as much as the state capital, Olympia. The highlight of the Hoh Rainforest is the Hall of Moses Tour, and Crescent Lake which is so deep people used to believe it was bottomless. Hurricane Ridge provides excellent views of Mount Olympus, and though most visitors camp, there is great nearby accommodation in nearby Port Angeles.
Orlando is perhaps one of the most obvious destinations to take your children, but don't let the pleasurable chaos of DisneyWorld overtake your life. There are plenty of Mickey-free attractions that both parents and children can enjoy, such as the Polynesian Resort, a South-Sea Island style Resort Hotel with a monorail service, and the Wilderness Lodge, a rustic turn of the century lodge complete with totem poles. Add to this the joys of Sea World, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, and you've got yourself an Orlando Kids Holiday that doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with Disney at all.
Of course, one of the most important pilgrimages that any child should make is to Graceland: but even if you and your children have no interest in visiting the home of the great bard of rock 'n' roll, Memphis still has plenty to offer on a family vacation. Check out the Rock 'n' Soul Museum, just near Sun Studio where Elvis recorded, to get glimpse of America's music legacy. The National Civil Rights Museum, situated in the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, is another attraction that should not be missed, as are the secret tunnels at Slavehaven, one of the most interesting sites along the Underground Railroad.
One of the above vacation spots is sure to appeal to your kids, but if they don't, there is yet another prime American tourist spot that both children and adults will find it hard not to love: Hershey, Pennsylvania. The home of American chocolate lovers provides a brilliant family holiday destination and an essential place to visit for any American child. At Hershey's Chocolate World some of the secret workings of chocolate production are revealed through a series of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-like tours and tastings. Following the tour, visit Hershey's Park, an amusement park designed especially for visiting families and workers in the factory.
If you're still struggling to come up with new and adventurous ideas for your kids' holidays, many hotels offer special services which can guide you towards the best family-friendly attractions in a specific location, such as Embassy Suites Kids-Eye View making your vacation choices that much easier.
Author of the article is Michael Hanna. For further information check Embassy Suites.
