Title: 
Holiday Vacations with a Theme

Word Count:
788

Summary:
Themed holiday vacations are a fun idea to plan for your family.  One of our most memorable vacations was our “Cowboy and Indian” vacation.  We took our sons through the West, stopping at tourist sites along the way.  We stopped at Dodge City to explore the cowboy side of life, and then made our way to Southern Colorado to explore the ancient ruins of the cliff dwelling Pueblo Indians.


Keywords:
train,  vacation, destination, fun, travel guides, solo


Article Body:
Themed holiday vacations are a fun idea to plan for your family.  One of our most memorable vacations was our “Cowboy and Indian” vacation.  We took our sons through the West, stopping at tourist sites along the way.  We stopped at Dodge City to explore the cowboy side of life, and then made our way to Southern Colorado to explore the ancient ruins of the cliff dwelling Pueblo Indians.  It is hard to choose only four family fun options, but I chose those I thought my grandkids would enjoy the most.

Of course, the first one should be the Disney themed holiday vacation.  Who can resist the thought of being in Florida during the cold days of winter and enjoying the sites and sounds of Disney World?  This is a constant favorite of children and adults alike.  There are so many attractions and sites; it will be hard to decide which one to visit first.  You have the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Universal Studios, MGM studios and Disney even has its own cruise line.  The cruise liner has all the Disney characters on board so it will be a themed vacation.  Disney World is not the only attraction in the area; the Kennedy Space Center is nearby as is Sea World.  Sea World is a wonderful attraction with special shows.  Inside Disney World, you can stay in a hotel that has a monorail train to take you to all the attractions.  

Are you thinking of a winter holiday vacation in sunny Southern California?  You will find many attractions and they are easily worked in around your available time.  The San Diego Zoo is a popular attraction with adults and children as well as Sea World.  LegoLand is also found in the San Diego area and is a big hit with the little ones.  If you’re looking for theme parks, go north just up the road to the Anaheim and Los Angeles area.  There you will find Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studio, and California Adventure Theme Park.  After taking in what sites and attractions you wanted to see, take a day or two to just relax and soak up the sun on the many beautiful beaches on the coast of Southern California.  Drive a little further north up the coast and visit historic San Simeon and the beautiful city of Carmel.  Take a tour around the area on the 17-mile drive in Monterey California and stop for a moment just to see the beauty of Pebble Beach Golf Course.  There is something for everyone in the sunny state of California.

One of the best themed family vacations we had was our historical trip to the East Coast.  We wanted our sons to be immersed in the colorful history of our Country.  We had some fun times, stopping in Hershey Pennsylvania.  We visited Hershey Town and stood amazed at the light poles in the shape of candy kisses.  We visited historic sites in Virginia, visited George Washington’s home, and sat on the same veranda he sat on to watch the river go by.  It was awesome, and in Virginia, southern hospitality shines through.  It’s a pleasure to visit there.  Then on to our most important goal, Washington D.C.  We took the time to picnic on the mall, went up the Washington Monument, visited all the Presidential Memorials, and even took a tour of the White House.  Being a history buff and patriotic, the highlight of my son’s trip was our visit to the sacred land of Arlington Cemetery.  It is fitting that he grew up and is serving in the military.  The Smithsonian is an experience that no one should miss.  There are so many different buildings and sections in the buildings that it is hard to take it all in.  We spent one whole day in just one building and then found out we had missed the hall of the First Ladies.  This was something I was interested in, so we went back the next day and found the section that we missed before we went on to other areas.  It’s a memorable family vacation and can instill in your child a real love and patriotism for their country.

National Parks and Monuments is another wonderful themed vacation the whole family will enjoy.  Those “must see” attractions could include Yellowstone National Park to see Old Faithful go off, or a trip to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.  The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder that everyone should see at least once in his or her lifetime.  Believe me, your children don’t have to teenagers to enjoy their themed vacations and have their memories to last for a lifetime.