SocialMoms.com posted a fun starter topic "Share your Five Summer Getaways Every Kid Should Experience".  I was thinking about this and it dawned on me that depending on where you live in the country and how much "Fun Money" you have to spend could definitely influence what your answer might be. 

Growing up I did not take many vacations.  Once I was in my teens I was able to visit family in Ohio for one summer and visit the World' Fair in Canada another summer.  My kids have been pretty lucky that we have been able to travel more with them.  Of course they do not think they are lucky :)

So here are my top 5, even though not all of them are places I have even been to.  In no particular order I give you my list:

1)  Disney Theme Park

Depending on whether you live on the west or east coast you can choose Disney World or Disneyland.  Either way, they are wonderful places for kids.  It truly is magical!  Now the prices and lines are not magical, but as parents we can grin and bear that to see how happy our kids are.  We are lucky enough to live one hour from Disneyland and try to visit every few years.  Our last visit was last October.  We were also lucky enough to have grandpa give our family a wonderful Christmas present a few years back, a trip to Disney World.  I hope most of you have been able to visit one of them :)

2)  Washington D.C.

This is one place I have not been able to visit and would love to do so one day.  If you live on the east coast you may have gone many times.  Understanding how our government works and seeing all the historical monuments is something I think every American should be able to visit sometime in their life.

3)  The Beach

Living in Southern California you almost take the beach and the ocean for granted - sorry!  But there is nothing like laying on the beach for a day (with your sunscreen) and watching the kids play in the water, make sand castles and collect shells.  We have a few beaches within an hours drive of us that allow dogs - they are even more fun!

4) Where Your Parents Grew Up

We only live one hour from where my husband and I lived when we were in high school and I think the kids are probably tired of driving by all of the "old places", but I think it is important for them to see their history.  I highly recommend going "back" to where it all began with your kids so they can lean more about you.

5) A Road Trip - Anywhere

Now as a parent it might not sound like much fun, but secretly you know it is.  How fun is it to drive and stop at all the silly places along the way.  Hubcap museum, Largest Ball of Rubberbands.  Memories for a lifetime :)  Sometimes they are better than the destination you are heading for.   My teenagers love Pee Wee Herman, and there is a scene in one of his movies with a dinosaur.  That dinosaur is about 1 hour from our home but it is a road we never travel.  After coming back from a trip to Arizona we stopped there and they were so thrilled to talk about the movie and then come home and watch it and say "I was there". 

So, those are my ideas.  What are yours?  Where have you taken your kids or where did you go as a child that brings back great memories?  I would love to hear them - maybe it will spark a summer trip for one of us!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.