Let's face it, traveling can provide a "reset" to our lives and refresh even our day-to-day experience when we return home.
But traveling -- especially outside of the U.S. -- can seem scary these days. Either the prices are out of sight because of unfavorable exchange rates, or fuel costs have escalated ticket prices out of existence.
And that's not even to mention the uncertainty of health conditions like the recently-discovered Swine Flu or simply the fear of terrorist attacks.
So traveling closer to home makes a lot sense.
And it sure is a lot easier to handle -- no passports or visas and no special vaccinations to worry about. Definitely the avenue to friendlier and easier family vacations.
What sorts of places make for great family vacations?
Well, Orlando Florida, for instance, is home to a great variety of theme and amusement parks. You'd have to live under a rock to not be aware of the "magnet" theme park, which anchors the rest of the theme parks like Macy's anchors a shopping mall: DisneyWorld.
There are no less than 9 different major theme parks, with a variety of restaurants, waterparks and other amusements within the area.
If you decide that Disney World is your destination -- and, if you've never been there, it's certainly one of the "must see" amusement parks -- be aware that it is actually many theme parks in one.
Before you go, it helps to peak over the shoulder to see how one family vacationed at Disney World, which you can see here.
In addition, SeaWorld also has a home in Orlando.
Why might you prefer going to SeaWorld instead of Disney World?
Well, you can find out why one family chose SeaWorld in an article here.
Beyond amusement parks, venturing into the history of our great country can truly be awe-inspiring.
If you've not spent time in Washington, D.C., seeing some of the original founding documents of our country not only is exciting, but educational as well.
These are just three destinations that might be worthy of investigating when considering your family vacation. While the large number of tourists attracted to Orlando, with its many theme parks, can help to bring the cost of the vacation down, traveling to Washington D.C. may be a tad more expensive. But standing next to the Lincoln Monument, or the Washington Mall, or seeing the Smithsonian "Castle" can make it more than worthwhile.
You can discover even more places to visit here in the U.S. at the new travel review site.
