Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer

Lifestyle News

Top 10 U.S. Family Vacation Travel Destinations

Author LauRen Merola

Ready to start planning your next family-friendly travel adventure? Family vacations are a popular way to spend time with and bond with your family, but where to go?

Summer will be here soon and if a vacation with the kids is in your future, Yelp is here to help. They’ve just come out with their picks for the top 10 family friendly destinations in the country.

According to Yelp, families are increasingly looking for travel destinations that are fun for the entire family. Searches on their site for places that are “good for kids” were up 88% last year compared to 2021.

  • To help parents find the spots everyone in the family will enjoy, Yelp analyzed searches for “good for kids” and “family-friendly” that saw the biggest increases, then finalized the rankings with the expertise of Yelp Trend Expert Tara Lewis.
  • The best family-friendly destination in 2024 is Fredericksburg, Texas, located in the state’s Hill Country, just a short drive away from Austin and San Antonio. It’s known for its small-town charm, scenic views, as well as activities like hiking at Enchanted Rock and the Pontotoc Vineyard Weingarten for wine for mom and dad and bites to eat.
  • Napa, California, known for its wineries, comes in second. It’s home to the outdoor sculpture walk at Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, nature experiences at Connolly Ranch, and shopping at Oxbow Public Market.

Top 10 Family Friendly Travel Destinations for 2024

  1. Fredericksburg, Texas
  2. Napa, California
  3. Charlottesville, Virginia
  4. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
  5. Breckenridge, Colorado
  6. Burlington, Vermont
  7. Ithaca, New York
  8. Virginia Beach, Virginia
  9. San Luis Obispo, California
  10. Salem, Oregon

Wondering where else you may want to go with your family? Check out this list of great travel destinations in the U.S.

vacation

LauRen Merola Strager is a former NFL & NBA cheerleader turned radio host. LauRen is a former Miss Pennsylvania USA and is a proud wife and mother of two. She is the owner and chief editor for her fashion and lifestyle Blog “All Of The F-Words” and is a champion for the Autism community. You can read all about LauRen’s thoughts on motherhood, pageant life, and everyday life through her online content.

Two North Carolina Cities Are The Safest Vacation Destinations

What do you look for when planning a vacation? Ease of access? A plethora of things to do? I love a place that has plenty of unique restaurants and bars. But one thing that, especially domestically, you may not have at the top of your mind- is safety. Now I do consider it when choosing a hotel, it can be easy to find something where the price almost seems too good to be true. And that often can be due to a not-so-great location. I’ve definitely stayed in one or two of those before. But what about the overall safest vacation destinations? There are actually some high-quality places on the list. Ones you may be planning to visit anyway. Would you believe two North Carolina cities were named as some of the safest vacation destinations? It’s not the safety that surprises me, more than people use vacation days to visit.

The Safest Vacation Destinations

Nothing against either of these cities, they are actually the two places I’ve lived in my lifetime so both hold a special place in my heart. And maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time in both that I wonder why people would travel long distances to visit. But both made this list, which was compiled by The Boutique Adventurer. They used FBI Crime Data including the cost of crime, the opportunity cost of crime, incarceration, crime prevention, and more. Only cities that have a population of 100,000 or more that they considered to be “vacation spots” or “tourist hubs”  were included on the initial list by The Boutique Adventurer. The total list included 19 destinations across the US.

Two NC cities were included among the safest vacation destinations. You’ll find those below as well as the top 3 and one other notable place that I bet a lot of you have traveled to or are planning to travel to. Curious about the entire list? You can find that here.

  • 1. Honolulu, HI

    Hawaii beach Honolulu city travel landscape of Waikiki beach and Diamond Head mountain peak at sunset, Oahu island, USA vacation.

    It’s good to know that the island paradise of Hawaii, more specifically Honolulu is the safest vacation destination. While I’ve never been lucky enough to visit, I hope to one day.

  • 2. Virginia Beach, VA

     

    Aerial view of the Virginia Beach oceanfront looking south at sunset. vacationers on the beach and the boardwalk. ocean waves beaking

    The second safest destination- a beach not too far from the Carolinas. Virginia Beach is a touristy destination complete with a three-mile boardwalk full of whatever attractions you can imagine.

  • 3. San Diego, CA

    Overview from hillsides of San Diego Skyline on the edge of San Diego Bay with all it's boats anchored in the water.

    Third on the list is one of my favorite cities in the US- San Diego, CA. Though this southern California city isn’t quite as warm as you may expect there is no shortage of fun things to do in the area.

  • 6. New York, NY

    Liberty Island, New York City, New York, USA. The Statue of Liberty seen from New York Harbor.

    While not in the top 3, I had to recognize NYC for making this list. A lot of people may not have thought this popular destination is one of the safest as well. And for such a bustling busy city that’s great news. Also great news as I’m planning a trip in the coming months.

  • 9. Charlotte, NC

    Drone Aerial of Downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, NC, USA Skyline.

    While I personally wouldn’t rank Charlotte near the top for tourist destinations it’s nice to see the city recognized for safety. I guess there is a lot to see and do if you aren’t from the Queen City, but for the rare unicorn who was born here, I can’t see using vacation days to come here.

  • 12. Raleigh, NC

    Raleigh, North Carolina, USA downtown skyline.

    Lastly, Raleigh came in at number 12 on this list. And yes, Raleigh is basically my second home. I visit often for sports and friends. So I’m very glad to see if recognized for safety as well.

Make Sure You're Signed Up For The Kiss & Tell Newsletter

Get the latest celebrity and music buzz find out what's happening in Charlotte, plus exclusive contests, and more!

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Author LauRen Merola
Category:
Tags:
,,,

More Human Interest

Load More