Maya Lin’s Wave Field Mountainville, NY

In an abandoned quarry an hour north of New York City, rows of undulating grassy hillocks resemble the swells and peaks of the sea. This six-acre outdoor sculpture was designed by Maya Lin, best known for the Vietnam Veterans’ memorial in Washington, D.C., and is the newest permanent addition to the Storm King outdoor art center. Walk among the 15-foot green crests, or view them from on high, where the mounds appear to lose their solidity, resembling waves breaking on shore.

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Wyoming Dinosaur Center Thermopolis, WY

The thrill of discovery keeps travelers on their knees, scraping for bones in the dust of the Rockies. This dinosaur graveyard is home to one of the richest collections of fossilized remains in the world. Its popular “Dig for a Day” program enables travelers to become amateur paleontologists and look for 150 million-year-old fossils. After a day rescuing Jurassic remains from the detritus of time, explore the 12,000-square-foot museum and its 20-plus mounted skeletons.

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Biosphere 2 Oracle, AZ

This massive three-acre greenhouse was built as a research station to simulate the conditions of space colonization. Constructed to be airtight and self-sustaining, Biosphere 2 was the site of a two-year experiment with human “Biosphereans,” which went awry in 1991 when oxygen had to be pumped in, and subjects were sent crucial lifesaving supplies. Now managed by the University of Arizona and home to ongoing global-warming experiments, the self-contained mini-world with several climactic zones, including its own ocean with a coral reef and a rainforest, welcomes visitors.

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From animal encounters to ziplining, family vacations are redefining fun.

From February 2011 By April Orcutt

 

Nate Levinson of Katonah, NY, was only seven years old when he came face-to-face with a jaguar. Pacing just inches away, the majestic cat—easily three times his size—eyed him with curiosity. Fortunately, a sturdy fence separated the two at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL. The thrilling experience for Levinson, now 17, is the reason the Gulf Coast family trip still ranks as his all-time favorite.
“I earned a lot of points with my kids by taking them to the Big Cat sanctuary,” says Nate’s father, Bruce Levinson.
Ten million families took trips with children in April 2010, according to John Packer, vice president of TNS Custom Research, and with improvements in the economy that number is expected to increase in 2011.
Say “spring break,” and most people think sun and sand, but for families looking to get away as winter thaws, there’s a world of options today—many of which have the ingredients to create lifelong memories. Whether heading to beach, desert, city, or the last remnants of snow, parents are ready to seek out new experiences beyond the norm—or just enjoy the great outdoors and some togetherness.
Take the arid red-rock country around Moab, UT, which includes the ultra-scenic Arches and Canyonlands national parks and a wide variety of hiking trails, paved bike paths, and mountain-bike routes over smooth ground called slickrock. Some families crave the fresh desert air so much they want to literally get up into it. Greg Simpson, 45, of Telluride, CO, took his daughter, Izzy, 10, and son, Aiden, 8, for a hot-air-balloon ride over and through crimson canyons.
“The kids were blown away by the amazing rock formations and folded ridges below,” says Simpson, “and by watching birds fly eye-level with us.”
Of course, some families want to continue winter sports fun—but with a warm-weather twist. Kid-friendly Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, CA, accommodates them; after heavy-snow winters like 2010–2011, lifts are expected to operate through the Fourth of July.
“It just doesn’t get any better than skiing in a T-shirt,” says Joe Marca, 46, of Riverside, CA. Marca’s son, Quintin, 12, agrees—although he likes spring sledding, too.
As tempting as the bathlike warm water and sugar-white sands are, beach-bound families still need creative ways to cool off. Lucy Pritzker, 40, of Scotch Plains, NJ, took her three children to feed dolphins at Clearwater Marine Aquarium—just half a mile from popular Clearwater Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Her six-year-old daughter, Hannah, even got a kiss from one, a kiss she’ll always remember—and one she describes as “Wet!”

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From February 2011 By April Orcutt 

America's Top Roadside Attractions

The kids are cranky. They shout, “Are we there yet?” every two miles. Your family road trip to Orlando—and that endless ribbon of I-95—feels like it will never end. That is, until you detour over to U.S. 1, where there’s a roadside attraction to lighten moods, lift spirits, and inspire dreams: “Lunch with an Astronaut” at the Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Cape Canaveral National Seashore.

“Every parent’s hope is that a family trip will inspire kids for the rest of their lives. You want to give them as many opportunities and as much exposure as you can,” says astronaut Chris Hadfield, who will command the International Space Station in 2012 and is the father of three grown children.

The road trip is an annual ritual that recalls the early days of our national highway system: parents load the trunk with luggage, pack a cooler with snacks, strap kids into the backseat, and, with a full tank of gas, hit the road. From the Joad family, to the Merry Pranksters, to the Griswalds, the collective road trip is ingrained in our national travel consciousness.

While not every road trip can raise the ambitions of a young astronaut, the stops and detours will be as memorable—and as fun—as the destination itself. Travel + Leisure sought out the coolest places to get out of the car, stretch your legs, and arouse the passions of little ones dozing in the backseat.

Children can dig in the dirt for dinosaurs that have been dead for the last 150 million years, when you take the family through Wyoming’s Big Sky country. Teenagers can hop on an Olympic bobsled to experience the force of gravity and the thrill of competition, right off I-80 in Park City, UT. And your entire crew can climb aboard a captured German U-boat beside Lake Michigan when you head south on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive.

“Kids today stand a very good chance of fulfilling the dreams of President Kennedy—who challenged us to explore—and I hope they will,” says Buzz Aldrin, the Apollo astronaut who was the second man to set foot on the moon.

A childhood journey can be a world-changer if it creates a future explorer, explains Aldrin. Or, in the words of John F. Kennedy, “This country was conquered by those who moved forward.”

By Sarah Rose