The Top 10 Summer Vacation Spots for 2009

Nothing can bring the family closer together, creating warm memories that last a lifetime than a wonderful summer vacation. This year, many will forego their annual summer travel under the fire of ludicrous gas prices and air industry difficulty. With the media hammering home in what poor state the economy is in, there may be many families who decide that this year would be best spent at home, enjoying the meager joys their towns have to offer.

If, however, your family has decided to buck the trend and get out on the open road this summer, you’ve come to the right place. As every year, the United States is packed with summer vacation destinations just waiting to steal your heart and leave you with lasting impressions you’ll talk about for the rest of your life. If need an adventure this summer, here are ten destinations sure to make your family vacation one for the record books.

#10. California Gold Country

On a recent survey, Americans named California as their number one summer travel destination, and it’s not hard to understand why. With its picturesque beaches and the lure of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and other wildly cultural and exciting destinations, California seems to have a little something for everyone. Put that together with its warm climate and historical importance, and California is naturally a state that jumps to mind when it comes to vacation spots.

Rather than focus on the obvious, however, we’ve chose California Gold Country as our number 10 vacation spot. A visit to California Gold Country can take you back to America the way it was in the 1800s, when pioneers and settlers from all over came to the Golden State to seek their fortunes. Visit Columbia State Historic Park, a town that has been preserved in much the way it was left in the nineteenth century. Take a trip down to Grass Valley, where you can tour gold mines and see how miners made their hard but profitable living in the days before movies, television, and even radio. If you want something a little more contemporary, Palm Springs is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, with its beautiful mountain scenery, and the lure of a ride in the Aerial Tramway.

#9. St. Augustine, Florida

The country’s oldest city is our choice for the number nine travel destination for families this summer. You might think a visit to such an historic area might tend too far toward the educational (and thus, boring), but you would be wrong.

There are a plethora of fun adventures in St. Augustine, with delights for each and every member of your family. First of all, it’s right on the beach. Secondly, there are a number of historic places to visit, such as the Castillo San de Marco, or the Ponce de Leon Fountain of Youth.

When you’ve had enough history, head over to St. George Street, a beautiful long walk full of merchant shopping, lunchtime restaurants, and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum. At night, head over to the Old Jail to begin your trek on a St. Augustine Ghost Tour, which is certain to thrill the kids and adults alike.

#8. Orlando, Florida

Since it’s just a ways down the road, we went ahead and put Orlando in our number eight spot for the top ten summer vacation destinations. It would be ponderous and repetitive to name all of the things your family can do in Orlando, but we’ll give it a brief overview of the highlights.

The name of the game, of course, is theme parks. Disney World itself comprises four different parks, including The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Then there’s Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for those that want a little more thrill to their theme park experience. Theme parks aren’t the only things Orlando has to offer for family vacations, though. Have dinner at Medieval Times, and visit the Wonderworks Museum, which is both fun and educational.

#7. Atlanta, Ga

Atlanta doesn’t get mentioned a lot when it comes to summer travel destinations, but there’s plenty to do and see, especially if your kids have grown out of the Mickey Mouse holiday.

You can tour the CNN building where the cable channel hosts and brings the news to you on a twenty four hour basis. There is Atlanta underground, a lush shopping area for the bargain hunter in your family. Then there is the Atlanta zoo, one of the few places in America you can see real life Pandas. Just a short trip down to road will bring you to Stone Mountain, where you can see a laser light show while looking at one of the United States’ oldest and most venerable monuments.

#6. Asheville, NC

If you’re in the mood for a cooler climate, as well as some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the world, Asheville might be your preferred summer vacation getaway. Get a hotel underneath the towering Blue Ridge Mountains, and enjoy your vacation with a little rest, relaxation, and peace. Warning: you may never want to leave.

#5. Williamsburg, VA

Colonial Williamsburg is a popular summer travel destination, rich with history and alive with beautiful green scenery and the calm peacefulness of a town at rest. Here you can stroll the streets of Williamsburg, one of the first settlements in the New World, and interact with actors playing the parts of the early colonists.

When you’ve had enough of the history, head down the road to Busch Gardens and thrill your family with both monster coasters and the taste of Europe.

#4. Cedar Point, Ohio

Speaking of monster coasters! Cedar Point is one of the most famous and extravagant thrill parks in the world, and a lifetime of theme park enthusiasm is not complete without at least one trip through its gates. It offers an unprecedented seventeen roller coasters, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

If you’re looking for lodging, you can’t do much better than Castaway Bay, Cedar Point’s amazing resort that is part hotel, part water park.

#3. Washington, DC

What would make a better summer vacation than a trip to the nation’s capital! Visit the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Lincoln Memorial to get a sense of history and place, and learn a bit of what you might not know about this country’s government. You might even get a glimpse of some of the country’s most prominent politicians!

Washington is also the home of the Smithsonian, which is absolutely one of the most amazing museums in the world. The Smithsonian, in and of itself, could eat up a week’s worth of vacation time.

#2. The Grand Canyon

What can we say about the Grand Canyon that hasn’t been said a million times? It’s beautiful, and it has to be seen to be believed. More than a summer vacation spot, this is one of those natural wonders you should make it a point to visit before you die. Bring the kids and give them something to remember for the rest of their lives.

#1. New York City

When you think of summer family vacation spots, New York City doesn’t usually spring immediately to mind. However, if you have children who are quickly on their way to adulthood, the theme parks may not be getting it anymore. That’s why we’ve chose NYC as our number one destination.

To say there is something here for everyone is an understatement of the highest magnitude. Broadway plays, the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, the list could go one for another ten pages, even without expounding. If you want a city that can give you a summer vacation you will talk about for ages, New York should be the apple of your eye.