Great Holiday Trips

When you consider all the places you could go for your holiday family trip, it can be overwhelming! There are so many great destinations to choose from, so how do you make that choice? 

We have some great suggestions for places you can visit this holiday season with your family in an RV.

When you’re traveling with kids, not all destinations are created equally. If you’re traveling with kids, you want to make sure that the places you go have kid-oriented entertainment to keep the kids engaged throughout your vacation. We put together this list of some of the best U.S. spots for kid-friendly family vacations — spots that offer ample opportunities for fun for visitors of all ages. Whether it’s outdoor explorations, children’s museums, or high-flying roller coasters, these destinations make for out-of-this-world family or adult only trip experiences.

1) Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is an immensely popular driving route that snakes through nearly 500 miles of mountainous Appalachia. The route features an extensive RV support infrastructure as well, making it a great choice for new RV’ers. During summer months the route can get heavily trafficked in certain areas, but the impressive scenery is more than worth the trouble. In winter, you can combine this trip with some wonderful landmarks and visit Monticello, or Williamsburg and even a trip to Six Flags in Williamsburg would be very entertaining for the family. And, while you have to be cautious with snow and ice, the mountains of the Blue Ridge are beautiful in any season.

2) Big Sur Coastal Highway

The Big Sur Coastal Highway is a true gem for those looking to experience expansive ocean vistas. The route travels along the central coast of California, making it a great choice if you are interested in making a trip between tourist-friendly urban centers in Northern and Southern California.

3) Columbia River Highway

The Columbia River Highway makes for an excellent RV road trip in the Pacific Northwest region. The route begins near Portland, Oregon, and continues alongside the renowned Columbia River Gorge. Throughout the trip, you’ll find plenty of RV campgrounds and scenic points of interest, from dense forests to rocky waterfalls and more. If you want to include valuable history lesson, travel part of the route that Lewis and Clark traveled, just across the Columbia River from the Columbia River Gorge.

4) Route 66

Route 66 is the penultimate cross-country road trip route, stretching all the way from Illinois to Southern California. In a way, Route 66 has become larger-than-life. Many parts of the route are not really navigable at present, but there are alternative roads nearby and, in many places, e.g., Winslow, Arizona, you can still see the memorable landmarks along this route. It is featured heavily in popular Folk Americana: movies, novels, and music. If you’re interested in tackling Route 66 in an RV, make sure to plan ahead — you may want to just choose some parts of the route and see them!

5) Historic New England

An RV trip around New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, etc.) is a diverse experience that includes both natural wonders and historic sites. New England has a lot to offer RV’ers looking for something different. If you have extra time, consider driving north to Quebec so as to loop in Montreal and Quebec City, each of which features a spectacular culinary scene and distinctive old-world architecture.

6) Yellowstone National Park and the Rockies

Yellowstone National Park in Montana is one of the world’s premier RVing destinations, and is worth a trip on its own. When making your way to Yellowstone, however, try to plan a scenic route that passes through other interesting points of interest in the Rocky Mountain region (i.e., Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Teton National Park).

7) Desert Southwest

The American Southwest is an incredibly scenic landscape worth exploring in an RV. Though the region contains famous parks like the Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, don’t forget to explore thriving urban centers of the Southwest, such as Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is renowned for its pueblo-style Native American architecture and vibrant creative arts scene.

8) Southeastern Seaboard

The Southeastern Coast of the USA is in many ways the Southern analog of a New England RV trip — though perhaps not as popular among RV’ers as classic road trips to Yellowstone and along the Big Sur Highway, the diverse landscapes and cities of the Southeast certainly make it a memorable trip. For your route, hug the coast from Virginia down through the Carolinas (stopping at Virginia and Myrtle Beaches), then stop in Savannah to explore a city steeped in Southern history and culture.

9) New Orleans and the Gulf Coast

New Orleans has experienced a stunning revival over the latter half of the past decade. Though it is not commonly seen as an RV destination, a route through the Gulf Coast region makes for an excellent RV road trip. The Gulf Coast itself — and its beach tourism infrastructure — has seen a substantial and sustained tourism drop-off in recent years due to media coverage of oil spills, so it’s a good choice for RV’ers on a strict budget.

And when you have decided to take that RV trip to your next holiday adventure, make sure and contact your closest El Monte RV Rentals location to reserve an ideal RV for your family.