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INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES
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50 Places Every Kid Should See

The historic and the modern, the manmade and the natural, the zany and the iconic: There are so many astonishing sights to see. Even if you're technically not a kid anymore, it's not too late to experience them. What do you have left to do on your checklist?
by DIANE BAIR AND PAMELA WRIGHT - June 2009

Published in Kids :: Kids

Being grounded may not sound so bad once your kids pay a visit to ALCATRAZ ISLAND, home of the infamous penitentiary. This summer, the Rock will offer a new tour of the garden, where only a few well-behaved inmates were allowed to work. SAN FRANCISCO; www.nps.gov/alcatraz

There's no better place to let kids frolic in the great outdoors than ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, with its soaring 14,000-foot peaks, 200 campsites and 359 miles of trails. Estes Park, CO (64 miles from DENVER); www.nps.gov/romo

Don't miss a Cajun Encounter boat tour of a steamy, eerie bayou swamp. The HONEY ISLAND SWAMP is one of the wildest swamps in Louisiana. Watch out for gators! NEW ORLEANS; www.cajunencounters.com

More than 40% of Americans can trace their ancestry to ELLIS ISLAND. In operation until 1954, the station processed more than 12 million immigrant steamship passengers. Check out your own family tree through the searchable records. NEW YORK; www.nps.gov/elis

Take a trip back to the 17th century at PLIMOTH PLANTATION. Kids will love talking to the reenactors - and no, they won't know what an iPod is. Plymouth, MA (41 miles from BOSTON); www.plimoth.org

Two launches and a flight test are scheduled this summer at the KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. Get more hands on and sign up for a two-day family Astronaut Training Experience. Cape Canaveral, FL (55 miles from ORLANDO), www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy

Look up! An old-growth redwood tree can be more than 200 feet tall, and they usually live to be 500 to 700 years old. Walk among these giants at REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK. Ranger led programs are offered through Labor Day, covering topics like bears, Native American cultures and redwood ecology. Crescent City, CA (355 miles from SAN FRANCISCO); www.nps.gov/redw

The SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM has the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. Touch a real lunar rock, take a 3-D trip through space, and man the controls of the flight simulators. WASHINGTON, DC; www.nasm.si.edu

The best way for kids to take in the view from the SEARS TOWER - the tallest building in North America - is to print out and bring the online scavenger hunt, which points out landmarks in each direction. CHICAGO; www.theskydeck.com

The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, housed at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, reminds us that the global fight for human rights continues. MEMPHIS; www.civilrightsmuseum.org

THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS - the largest in the world - just keeps getting better. Its newest exhibit, "Take Me There: Egypt" (opening June 27) will immerse kids in Egyptian culture, from learning Arabic words to visiting a lively open-air market. INDIANAPOLIS; www.childrensmuseum.org

History class will come alive at INDEPENDENCE HALL, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and the LIBERTY BELL, which allegedly rang to summon citizens before the first public reading of the life-changing document. PHILADELPHIA; www.nps.gov/inde

Every child has to visit WALT DISNEY WORLD. There are six theme parks to explore, including Disney's Animal Kingdom, where the Kilimanjaro Safari will take you by cheetahs, rhinos and lions. Animal keepers use 3 tons of food a day - that's a 4.5-year supply for the average person - to keep 1,000 animals happy. ORLANDO; http://disneyworld.disney.go.com

The EVERGLADES is the third largest national park in the continental US, and most of it is 6 inches below sea level. Take a narrated boat tour of backcountry waters, paddle a canoe through mangrove tunnels, and stroll nature trails to see sunning gators. Homestead, FL (33 miles from MIAMI); www.nps.gov/ever

While a visit to the UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM can be upsetting, it is one of the most powerful museums in the world and should not be missed. WASHINGTON, DC; www.ushmm.org

Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie will appear on stage for the first time as living characters at THE CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY. It's another winning production from one of the largest and best kids' theater companies in the world. MINNEAPOLIS; www.childrenstheatre.org

Watch giant whale sharks; touch sea stars and stingrays; get up close to sea dragons, beluga whales, eels and a giant octopus at the GEORGIA AQUARIUM, the largest aquarium in the world. ATLANTA; www.georgiaaqaurium.org

It may only be 2.5 miles long, but the FREEDOM TRAIL is a 200-year walk into history. Follow the red brick path to 16 historic sights, including the Paul Revere House and the Old South Meeting House, where the Boston Tea Party began. BOSTON; www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail

The only time sea turtles come ashore is when the females lay their eggs. At Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, visitors can watch them hatch during a nighttime SEA TURTLE WATCH, held June and July. Titusville, FL (38 miles from ORLANDO); www.fws.gov/merrittisland

Did you know the STATUE OF LIBERTY - one of the most recognized symbols in the world - has a 35-foot waist and weighs 450,000 pounds? Given to the US by France, Lady Liberty was dedicated in 1886 and restored for her centennial in 1986. NEW YORK CITY; www.nps.gov/elis

When Tim and his wife, Kim, adopted their son, Cole, they brought him home the week of the Indy 500 at the INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. "He was at the track for his first 'formal' picture," Tim says. "We go every year for his updated photo." Did we mention Cole was named after the 1924 Indy 500 Pace Car, which had a Cole Motor Car Company engine? And his full name is Cole Andrey Robinson (CAR). The next major event is the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on July 26. INDIANAPOLIS; www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com

Young ones will love watching the world-famous crew throw fish through the air at the lively PIKE PLACE FISH MARKET, where you can soak up local color and buy a fresh catch. SEATTLE; www.pikeplacefish.com

It's nearly impossible not to feel patriotic when visiting the NATIONAL MALL and MEMORIAL PARKS. Anchored by the Washington Monument and the US Capitol, the mall is also home to the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials and nine Smithsonian Institution museums. WASHINGTON, DC; www.nps.gov/nacc

Weird and wonderful VENICE BEACH is an action-packed, sidewalk circus that kids adore. Grab an ice cream cone and enjoy the spectacle of Muscle Beach body builders, breakdancers and street performers. Venice Beach (14 miles from LOS ANGELES)

Six million cubic feet of water goes over the crest every minute during peak hours, making NIAGARA FALLS the most powerful waterfall in North America. BUFFALO/NIAGARA, NY; www.niagarafallstourism.com

Take a snorkeling tour at JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK, an undersea world of coral reefs and 260 species of fish. Key Largo, FL (60 miles from MIAMI); www.pennekamppark.com

Kids will remember the courageous story of James Bowie, Davy Crockett and crew long after they leave the ALAMO. SAN ANTONIO; www.thealamo.org

Passports aren't needed to visit San Francisco's CHINATOWN, the oldest in the US and the largest outside of Asia. SAN FRANCISCO; www.sanfranciscochinatown.com

You have to see the GRAND CANYON - again and again - to believe it. Not only is it humongous - 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep - it's simply gorgeous. From hiking and bus tours to free ranger programs, there are many ways to make the most of a trip to the South Rim, open year-round. Grand Canyon, AZ (228 miles from PHOENIX), www.nps.gov/grca.

Nearly 95% of YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK is designated Wilderness, a distinction granted by Congress to protect land from development. It's 1,100 square miles of mountains, meadows and waterfalls, for you to explore. Fridays from 9am to noon (through Labor Day), families can volunteer to help protect and restore the habitat. Yosemite, CA (192 miles from SAN FRANCISCO); www.nps.gov/yose

The WHITE HOUSE, home to the most powerful family in America, has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms. To see the inside, book a tour six months in advance (available for groups of 10 or more). WASHINGTON, DC; www.whitehouse.gov

At COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG, street performances, rallies, protests, firing muskets, and fife and drum parades will transport you to a lively 18th-century village. NEWPORT NEWS/WILLIAMSBURG, VA; www.history.org

NOAH'S ARK is the largest waterpark in America. As if 49 slides and the only 4-D dive-in theater in the world weren't enough, Curse of the Crypt - a plunge through a spooky cavern - opens this summer. Wisconsin Dells, WI (123 miles from MILWAUKEE); www.noahsarkwaterpark.com

It's over-the-top, bright and loud, which are just a few of the reasons kids love the LAS VEGAS STRIP. Where else can you ride three of the world's highest rides, see white tigers and travel to a sunken ship surrounded by sharks - all in one day? LAS VEGAS; www.visitlasvegas.com

The ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, one of the country's premier fine art museums, throws out a big welcome mat for families with kid-centric exhibits like the ongoing Touch Gallery. Be sure to visit the free family art studio, where budding artists can create their own masterpieces. CHICAGO; www.artic.edu/aic

"It was totally sick!" 12-year-old Olivia Bolen said of landing her first big catch while DEEP-SEA FISHING. ("Sick" as in cool, awesome, great.) This area outside Tampa features some of the best offshore fishing waters in North America. Clearwater/St. Petersburg, FL (23 miles from TAMPA); www.floridasbeach.com

Kids can channel their inner Huck Finn while riding a paddlewheeler down the mighty MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Gateway Arch Riverfront offers a variety of trips. ST. LOUIS; www.gatewayarch.com

At DINOSAUR WORLD, kids can wander an outdoor area filled with more than 100 life-sized dinos. Glen Rose, TX (70 miles from DALLAS/FT. WORTH); www.dinoworld.net

Nothing says America the Beautiful like a drive down the BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY. Each year, about 20 million visitors drive the road, which passes through 26 tunnels. ASHEVILLE, NC; www.blueridgeparkway.org

The temples and pyramids of the ancient Mayans in the Yucatan are truly awe-inspiring, especially EL CASTILLO (The Castle) in Chichén Itzå, and Tulum, which overlooks the Caribbean. Most of the nearby resorts offer day-trips. Various locations near CANCUN

An aquarium, all-digital planetarium, natural history museum and four-story tropical rainforest are just a few of the things that will amaze curious minds at the CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES' new building, which took nearly 10 years and $500 million to build. SAN FRANCISCO; www.calacademy.org

The SAN DIEGO ZOO is the only one in the Western Hemisphere where you can see both giant pandas and koalas. "This enormous zoo is a must-see for anyone, but especially children," says Allen W. Nyhuis, co-author of America's Best Zoos: A Travel Guide for Fans and Families. "Its highly rated Children's Zoo includes an insect house and many different small animals. Kids also delight in watching polar bears jump at them (from behind glass) in the Polar Bear Plunge. With the widest variety of animals in the nation, this zoo provides a great opportunity for kids to learn about animals." SAN DIEGO; www.sandiegozoo.org

Ridin', ropin', hootin', hollerin' - there's nothing like an old-fashioned COWBOY RODEO. Events are held across the US (check the Pro Bull Rider's schedule at www.pbrnow.com). The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the country's biggest and best. HOUSTON; www.hlsr.com

Massive deposits of fossils were recently excavated in the LA BREA TAR PITS, one of the world's most famous urban excavation sites. At the on-site Page Museum, watch bones being cleaned and check out more than 1 million prehistoric specimens. LOS ANGELES; www.tarpits.org

Kids will delight in the rides that bring their favorite characters - like Shrek and Jimmy Neutron - to life at UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FLORIDA. ORLANDO; www.universalorlando.com

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the invention of the telescope. What better place to commemorate Galileo's contribution than at ADLER PLANETARIUM, America's first planetarium? CHICAGO; www.adlerplanetarium.org

There's always room for dessert at HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD. New this year is the Chocolate Tasting Adventure, an interactive experience with a chocolate expert that ends with the presentation of a Master's Degree in Chocolate Tasting. Hershey, PA (15 miles from HARRISBURG); www.hersheys.com

There's something undeniably uplifting about walking through gardens filled with colorful, flittering butterflies. Thousands fill the air at BUTTERFLY WORLD. Coconut Creek, FL (18 miles from FT. LAUDERDALE); www.butterflyworld.com

Let your imaginations run wild exploring EL MORRO, the massive 1539 Spanish castle and fortress (cannons, moats, towers, oh my!) overlooking San Juan Harbor. SAN JUAN, PR; www.nps.gov/saju

 

Published in Kids :: Kids

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