Mt. Rushmore and the surrounding Black Hills provide the classic American road trip. Smack dab in the middle of the country, a road trip to western South Dakota is a doable drive within a day or two of most places in the U.S. When you get there, the family can enjoy not only Mt. Rushmore National Monument, but lots of other family-friendly attractions -- from the Crazy Horse Memorial, to the buffalo herds at Custer State Park, and the gold rush town of Deadwood. Plenty of drive-through attractions are available in the Black Hills area as well, including the Needles Highway and the drive-through wildlife zoo of Bear Country. Plan your trip by visiting the webpage of the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau, where you can peruse the area's hotels and campgrounds and get more information on the area's attractions.
The Pacific Coast Highway -- stretching from the northwest tip of the United States all the way to southern California -- is a delight of a road trip, filled with endless possibilities. While not as fast as traveling along Interstate 5, the scenery along the way is well worth the extra time. Depending on how often you stop, a road trip along the PCH can take two days, or twenty. Start your family road trip in Seattle, where you and the kids can sample some fresh fare at Pike Place Market and get views of the Puget Sound from the Space Needle. Then head south along Highway 101, through gorgeous old growth forests, and past gorgeous views of the Pacific. Camp along the way in one of the countless state parks, or find lodgings in one of the many coastal hotels. Make stops at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Redwoods National Park in northern California, and Chinatown in San Francisco. When you make it to the southern portion of the highway, reward the kids for a long journey by stopping off at Disneyland in Anaheim, or Sea World in San Diego.
Experience some of the rugged west when you take a road trip through Yellowstone National Park. The park is located in Montana and Wyoming -- deep in the heart of some of the most rugged country in the nation. As one of the United States' most well-known and well-loved national parks, there are many different options for fun things to do at Yellowstone. Drive through the park and seek out bears and elk, experience the famous geyser of Old Faithful or one of the other 300 geysers at Yellowstone, or check out the gorgeous waterfalls of the park's Canyon area. When it's time to bed down for the night, stay at one of the park's campgrounds, or book a room at the Old Faithful Inn. Check out the National Park Service's Yellowstone National Park website for information on getting to and staying in Yellowstone.
