By Marilyn Jones

Thinking about a family vacation? Perhaps the most important, and first, decision to make is the location — ideally, you want a place that offers something every member of the family can be excited about and enjoy. Here are a few ideas:

Williamsburg, Va.

Colonial Williamsburg, the historic area of the city takes visitors back to the American Revolutionary era, when the city was the Colonial Capital of Virginia and still under British rule. History buffs will appreciate the closeness of Jamestown Settlement established in 1607 and Yorktown Battlefield, the site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.

The Williamsburg area also is home to Busch Gardens theme park, Water Country USA, and other family-fun attractions.

For more information, visit www.visitwilliamsburg.com.

Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

The centerpiece of Wisconsin Dells is the Wisconsin River and its scenic beauty. For more than a century, vacationers have traveled to central Wisconsin to cruise the river and take in the sights. These days, another famous attraction is its waterparks. Nicknamed “The Waterpark Capital of the World,” the area pioneered the indoor waterpark, and today, in addition to being home to the largest waterpark in the world, it has the greatest concentration of indoor and outdoor waterparks anywhere.

For more information, visit www.wisdells.com.

The Black Hills, S.D.

The Black Hills are home to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, the 1880 Train, and Custer State Park with its buffalo and wild burros. Visit the haunts Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane in Deadwood, take a scenic drive, pan for gold, take a gold mine tour, go horseback riding, or fish in one of the crystal-clear mountain lakes.

Head east and experience the dramatic otherworldly landscape of Badlands National Park. Head south and explore the underground beauty of Wind Cave National Park, or travel west to the dramatic Devils Tower National Monument. Once you are in the area, you easily can spend several days exploring without a lot of extra driving.

For more information, visit www.blackhillsbadlands.com.

San Antonio

San Antonio is home of the 18th century Alamo and four other Spanish colonial missions making up the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. Take a hop-on/hop-off bus tour and explore other areas of the city, meander along the city’s famous Riverwalk, and board a sightseeing boat for a leisurely tour.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas, San Antonio Zoo, SeaWorld San Antonio, San Antonio Aquarium, and several water parks are nearby as well.

For more information, go to www.visitsanantonio.com.

Sedona, Ariz.

Surrounded by the famed Red Rocks of Sedona, families can take a Pink Jeep Tour off-road excursioninto the mountains or visit Blazin’ M Ranch, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, and one of the area’s state parks.

 

One hundred miles to the north is Grand Canyon National Park, making Sedona a great base for visiting the famous destination.

 

For more information, visit http://visitsedona.com.