55 Vacation Inspiration Ideas

This is a list intended to give you some ideas you could personalize and flesh out for your family. 

Just scroll through the list and see if anything stands out to you, do some research in your local area to find some new destinations. Once you have found something interesting take a look at your budget and adapt one of these ideas to create your perfect vacation!

Overnight 

1. Visit a dark sky park and skygaze
2. Rent an RV or campervan on RVShare.com 
3. Be a tourist in your own home town
4. Night in a hotel in your own town
5. Road trip to a natural landmark
6. Rent a room on AirBnB in your state capital 
7. Visit Family and Stay with Them 
8. Travel to a place you have read about
9. Cruise
10. Pitch a tent in your own yard
11. Sleep in a treehouse (hipcamp.com)
12. Sleep in a converted train 
13. Be a guest in your own home, sleep in the guest room!
14. Photo scavenger hunt in another state
15. Draw a destination from a hat
16. Road trip with no screens
17. Tour a family member’s childhood neighborhood 

Day Trip

19. Picnic in a local park 
20. Find a drive in theater
21. Fly a kite 
22. Yard Sale in a neighboring town
23. Blind coffee taste test from several local cafes 
24. Read a local author
25. Buy art from a local artist
26. Take a walk in the historical part of town
27. Do a nature scavenger hunt 
28. Walk by a local river or pond
29. Sketch a local scene
30. Volunteer at a food bank 
31. Birthday party for a historical or fictional character (complete with cake and gifts)
32. Buy a new game at a local hobby shop
33. Stay home and find 15 things to donate
34. Eat at a new restaurant 
35. Visit a new playground
36. Local outdoor festival 
37. Visit a Local bakery and get a cake for no reason 

Educational Destination

38. Roadside historical markers (App: Field Trip)
39. Art Gallery 
40. Small local museum
41. National parks
42. Nursery for local plants
43. State Capital 
44. Weather station
45. Observatory 
46. Bilingual Church Service 
47. Drive through tour of a city 
48. Virtual Vacation (https://virtualvacation.us/)
49. Participate in a state or county fair 
50. Virtual Museum tour
51. Take a Course as a family (Great Courses or Skill Share) 
52. Aquarium 
53. Cooking Class 
54. Visit grandparents or aunts and uncles and record family history
55. View historical documents