Family Travel, Outdoor Adventure & Wellness
Family Travel, Outdoor Adventure & Wellness
When the Midwest is ablaze in amber, auburn and crimson, it’s time to pack up your family for a leaf-peeping adventure. Whether you want to stick closer to home or travel further afield with a Midwest road trip, these Midwest fall getaways deliver gorgeous turning leaves, relaxing outdoor pursuits and family vacation ideas that are fun for both kids and adults:
I’d never been whitewater rafting before, but I wanted our visit to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia to be the pinnacle of our recent family vacation, so I chose a trip with Adventures on the Gorge in hopes that my 10-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son would have a great summer vacation memory to look back on when school arrived in the fall.
The best Midwest road trips are a great way to stretch your vacation budget by sticking close to your home state while still spending time together someplace new. And as the pandemic continues, more people are turning to car trips.
More than just a rite of passage, family road trips are all about the journey. And for outdoorsy families, they’re an affordable way to discover new hiking trails, lakes and waterfalls together.
Ohio’s Hocking Hills region is an hour southeast of Columbus. It offers tumbling hills, towering Black Hand sandstone cliffs, trickling waterfalls, recess caves and ample hiking opportunities. Stunning in every season, Hocking Hills bursts with blossoms in the spring and waterfalls freeze to form a magical wonderland in winter.
While Illinois is the second flattest state (Florida is the first); it’s not quite as flat as you might think. The rolling hills of Southern Illinois are home to Shawnee National Forest, which protrudes with towering rock formations at Garden of the Gods and huge sandstone bluffs at Giant City State Park. Bring your next outdoorsy vacation to unexpected levels by zipping through the trees on a canopy tour, toasting to good times on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, staying in interesting accommodations and interacting with animals amongst natural beauty.
Black sand beaches and long, lingering meals of fish fresh from the ocean beckon you to soak up the good life on the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located off the northwest coast of Africa, this Spanish volcanic island rewards visitors with seemingly infinite sunshine and ideal temperatures year round. Explore the largest of the Canary Islands to enjoy all its microclimates, and put your head above the clouds on the tallest peak in Spain.
If you’re searching for a drivable, small-town beach destination with abundant fresh air activities, Amelia Island, Florida, may be just what you’re looking for. A barrier island off the northeast edge of Florida’s Atlantic coast, Amelia Island offers a relaxed escape with 13 miles of quartz beaches, AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carton Amelia Island, AAA Four Diamond Omni Amelia Island Resort, plenty of private rental properties as well as championship-caliber golf, several state parks, beach horseback rides and even hang gliding.
