By Dan Meade
Provided by WorldNow
It's a familiar sensation - once the calendar turns to August, you realize that summer is nearly over and school will begin in a few short weeks. Once that happens, the kids will be busy with homework and sports, parents will have projects and presentations, and no one will have time to bond. Now, at the end of the summer, may be your last chance for a long period of family bonding.
Many families will look for one last summer hurrah with a just trip to the beach or to a theme park, but there are more ways to vacation. With a mind toward getting your kids back into a scholastic frame of mind, here are eight great educational family getaways you can go on.
Virginia's Historical Triangle
For all those future historians, there are a multitude of sites across the country which recreate historical time periods, but Virginia lays claim to having some of the best. History really does come alive when you enter Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement, or Yorktown: when you walk down the street, you can hear the sound of anvils ringing from a blacksmith shop, smell freshly made bread (that was made from scratch), and hear terms like "freedom," "patriotism," and maybe even "revolution" peppered thought the conversations of the good townspeople.
For some more modern fun, Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA are not far away.
Remember the Alamo!
Deep in the heart of San Antonio lays the last vestige of a heroic fight to the death that has lived on through the years - the Alamo. During Texas' struggle for independence from Mexico, on March 6, 1836 Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna overran the Alamo's walls and defeated the American garrison, including folk icons Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett. Today, you can walk through the corridors of the Alamo, and re-live the battle first hand.
Beyond the Alamo, San Antonio also offers its River Walk downtown area, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and SeaWorld San Antonio.
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
From Paul Revere to the Tea Party, Boston and nearby Lexington and Concord, are full of Revolutionary-era American history. You can walk the Freedom Trail, on a tour led by National Park Service Rangers or on your own,and learn the role that Boston played in the American Revolution, visit the USS Constitution (first launched in 1797), or see where Paul Revere rode and the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in Lexington.
Boston is also a first-class city full of many modern sights to see, is the home to three sports teams that have won their championships in recent years, and has some of the best colleges in the country (for those families with high-schoolers who might be interested).
Become a History "Phanatic"
While Boston is awash with Revolutionary War history, Philadelphia was where America declared its independence. The Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, and the homes of American icons like Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross are all available to visit, along with Philly's "other" museums.
Like Boston, Philly is home to many superb universities, a thriving arts scene, a team from all four major sports leagues, the Phiily Phanatic, the Rocky statue, and some great places to enjoy a Cheese steak.
Acquire a Taste for the Old South
During the Civil War, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman was marching his troops through Georgia. After he burned Atlanta, he came upon Savannah and was said to be so impressed by its beauty that he could not destroy it. Instead, he "gave" the city to President Lincoln as a Christmas present. Thanks to Sherman sparing the city, Savannah now offers visitors nearly three hundred years of history, beautiful parks and gardens, and plenty of "haunted" homes.
Twenty minutes east of Savannah is Tybee Island - a beach community where dolphins can be seen, delicious seafood can be sampled, and a variety of boat, bike, and kayak trips are offered.
3.... 2 ... 1 ... Liftoff
Learn what it really means to be an astronaut at the Johnson Space Center
(© Another Off The Wall Production, Inc.) |
Cape Canaveral and Houston have one thing in common - the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA. The Johnson Space Center (in Houston, Texas) and the Kennedy Space Center (in Cape Canaveral, Fla.) offer tours, exhibits, and workshops that will show your children what it takes to be an astronaut when they grow up, and help them understand the important of science and technology.
Houston also has Six Flags Splashdown, a Children's Museum, and many of the other amenities you'd expect from a large city. The Kennedy Space Center is only a short drive away from the theme parks in Orlando.
Saddle Up, Partner
Get a taste for life on the frontier at one of the Dude Ranches located in the Wild West. Leave the video games behind and brace your family for the fresh air and wide open spaces that Dude Ranches offer. From learning how to ride a horse, to campfires and cookouts, a taste of the real lives of cowboys could be just the trick to make your child want to learn more about what life was like for those who lived their American history lessons.
The Dude Ranchers' Association can guide you to over 100 Dude Ranches found in the western USA.
Show Them Some Literary Landscapes
Have a child reading "The Grapes of Wrath"? - why not check out Steinbeck's old stomping grounds in Monterrey and Salinas, California. Is "The Old Man and the Sea" a favorite? - take the family fishing off Hemingway's old haunt of Key West, Florida. More of a Faulkner fan? - take a trip to Oxford, Mississippi.
For nearly any book set in America, you can bring your child to its location to help them visualize it in a whole new light.
There are plenty other educational getaways available through the country, but even if a weekend getaway can't be squeezed into your schedule (or budget), you still have options. You can always get the family together one night and watch a period-piece movie like "Gone with the Wind" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" if you can't make it to Savannah or to a Dude Ranch. You can check local museums for new and student-friendly exhibits if Boston or Philadelphia is out of the question. If there are no museums nearby, you can always research your hometown's history to see what may have happened right in your own backyard.
Should all else fail, and you can't manage a last minute summer vacation, you can always start planning now for a family vacation during the upcoming winter or spring breaks.
