Family Gap Year: Visiting All 50 US States

If you’re from the United States, you probably think of it as just “home.” But the US is one of the biggest countries in the world, with incredibly diverse geography, and you could explore it for years without getting bored.

Just as the song says, “from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam…”

Sunrise on South Padre Island, Texas

Many people have the goal of visiting all 50 states, and our family is no exception. In the past two years, our family of six has traveled the US full-time and visited 45 states.

Counting previous trips, we’ve actually been to 49 out of the 50 states (just Alaska left to visit!), so it’s safe to say we are experts on traveling with a family in the United States!

Why Travel the United States

The US contains a vast array of geographical landscapes and cultural experiences. You can enjoy a tropical beach in Florida, explore the deserts of the southwest, visit Hollywood and New York City, see a volcano in Hawaii and a glacier in Montana, ski down a mountain in Colorado, admire the prairie grasslands in Kansas, and so much more.

And it’s all incredibly accessible! When you travel within the continental US, you can reach every area by car or RV. Laws are generally the same from state to state, and you can freely travel across state borders.

When our family decided to move from the southwest US to the east coast, we thought, “Why not take our time getting there?”

Two years later we still haven’t settled down. We are traveling full-time and loving every moment. While we do want to head overseas, the 2020 pandemic delayed those plans, so in the meantime we are just enjoying seeing as much of the beautiful USA as possible.

Devil’s Bridge in Sedona, Arizona

How to take a family gap year

We started with the idea that we’d take one year off to work remotely, homeschool our kids, and travel — what’s become known as a family gap year. Now is the perfect time to take a family gap year, as modern technology has made travel more accessible than ever before.

Many full-time traveling families live in an RV, but we don’t. The six of us travel in our minivan and primarily stay in Airbnbs for four weeks at a time. This lets us take advantage of the hefty discounts that Airbnb owners often offer for long stays, enjoy the physical space of a house or apartment, and really experience each location like locals.

I could write a novel about all the details of how to take a family gap year, but the two major tips are:

1. Sell or rent your house and put your mortgage/rent money toward your lodgings, and

2. Work remotely and homeschool.

If you’re willing to give up the comfort of having a homebase, at least temporarily, and you have a job that you can take on the road, then you have ultimate freedom!

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico

How to visit all 50 states

Our route to 45 states in two years has been a little…how should I say this? All over the place! We’ve made three loops across the country so far with a fourth coming up soon.

We like to visit the southern states in the winter and the northern states in the summer (for obvious reasons), and we’ve been alternating exploring new places and revisiting old favorites. We often stay for about a month at each location, but sometimes we visit destinations for just a weekend, in between longer stays.

If you want to be super efficient in your US travels, you might want to check out Randy Olson’s optimal US road trip maps, or TripSavvy’s list of must-see American attractions in an ordered loop you can begin at any point.

However you decide to travel the US, there’s beauty and fun to be found wherever you go!

Glacier National Park, Montana

Must-Visit USA Destinations for Families

Hopefully the information that follows helps you to plan your ultimate USA travels, whether you hit the road full-time or make separate trips over a number of years. We haven’t been everywhere, but we’ve been a lot of places, and these are our favorites!

Pacific Northwest

We began our travels in the Pacific Northwest, an area of the country that we had never visited before. It was like a magical land, always misty with very tall trees and rocky beaches.

Our Airbnb on Whidbey Island even had a family of deer that liked to relax in the yard.

Must-visit destinations in the Pacific Northwest:

Whidbey Island

Check out the “disappearing cannons” at Fort Casey
Attend the annual Kite Festival

Fly a kite at the Whidbey Island Kite Festival

Friday Harbor

Learn about whales at The Whale Museum
Go orca watching at Lime Kiln Point

Seattle

Go up in the Space Needle
Visit Understory at the Amazon Spheres
Watch the fish throwers at Pike Place Market
Take a boat ride at The Center for Wooden Boats

Ride a wooden boat on Lake Washington

Portland

Browse the shelves at Powell’s Books
Get a Voodoo Donut
Visit the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

California

California is a unique state that deserves a category to itself. Spanning almost the whole Pacific coastline, there is much to see from the northern vineyards and redwood trees to the bustle and beaches of southern California.

Must-visit destinations in California:

Northern California

Hug a giant redwood tree
Visit a Sonoma vineyard

San Francisco

Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge
Visit Fisherman’s Wharf
Have some chocolate at Ghirardelli Square
Drive or walk down Lombard Street
Ride a cable car

Ride a cable car in San Francisco

Drive the Pacific Coast Highway

View from Pacific Coast Highway

Southern California

Walk the Santa Monica Pier
Hike to the Hollywood sign
Visit Disneyland
Learn about space at the Griffith Observatory

Visit Griffith Park for great views of Los Angeles

Southwest USA

We lived in Arizona for 15 years, so we are well-acquainted with the southwest! Growing up in Maine, I never knew the desert could be so beautiful, but the vistas of the southwest are something wonderful to behold.

Just keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas, and scorpions, all of which we encountered at one time or another!

Must-visit destinations in the Southwest:

Nevada

Walk the Las Vegas Strip

Utah

Drive through colorful Zion National Park

Drive through Zion National Park for gorgeous vistas

Arizona

Stay at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66
Drive Gate’s Pass in Tucson for gorgeous desert views
Watch a gunfight in Tombstone
Marvel at the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon makes every jaw drop

New Mexico

Attend the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Four Corners

Stand in four states at once!

Texas

Another state big enough to have its own category is Texas! As they say, everything is bigger in Texas. There are several major cities with lots to offer, from Austin to Dallas to Houston, and there’s also quite the impressive coastline on the eastern side.

Our favorite Texas cities are San Antonio and South Padre Island.

Must-visit destinations in Texas:

Amarillo

Spray paint the cars at Cadillac Ranch

Add your mark on the cars at Cadillac Ranch

San Antonio

Tour the Alamo
Take a boat ride along the Riverwalk

South Padre Island

Ride the go-karts at Gravity Park
Visit the rescued sea turtles at Sea Turtle Inc.
Take a sandcastle building lesson

Learn how to build the perfect sandcastle on South Padre Island

Florida and the Gulf Coast

We love visiting the Gulf Coast, from the rich history in New Orleans, to the miles of white sandy beaches in southern Mississippi, Alabama, and along the Florida panhandle.

As a family with young kids, we’re no strangers to the theme parks of Orlando, and we love the tropical paradise of Miami and the Keys.

Must-visit destinations in Florida and the Gulf Coast:

New Orleans

Visit the French Quarter
Listen to some jazz music at Preservation Hall
Eat a beignet at Cafe Du Monde and a muffaletta from Central Grocery

Alabama

Relax on the perfect sandy beach in Gulf Shores
Attend a Mardi Gras parade on Dauphin Island

Florida

Visit Disney World
People-watch on South Beach in Miami
Visit the southernmost point in Key West
See the mermaids at Weeki Wachee

These mermaids perform incredible feats underwater!

Southeast USA

There’s so much history, culture, and good food to be found in the south! Visit in the fall or spring for weather that’s “just right”. We fell in love with South Carolina when we visited on our travels and now plan to settle down there and live the beach life!

Must-visit destinations in the Southeast:

North Carolina

Walk through the dreamlike UNC botanical gardens in Charlotte

The UNC Botanical Gardens are straight out of a fairytale

South Carolina

Try all the flavors of moonshine at the Kentucky Mist Distillery in Myrtle Beach
Watch the sunrise from Surfside Beach
Take a carriage tour through the streets of Charleston

Tennessee

Make some music at the Musician’s Hall of Fame in Nashville
Try Nashville Hot Chicken (if you dare)
Tour Sun Studios in Memphis

The Mississippi River

Take a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River

Georgia

See the Spanish Moss in Savannah
Try all the flavors in the World of Coke tasting room in Atlanta

Mid-Atlantic US

The mid-Atlantic is where our country was born! There are lots of historical sites to visit in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York, gorgeous beaches along the shore, and of course the one-and-only New York City.

Must-visit destinations in the Mid-Atlantic:

Virginia

Stroll the Virginia Beach boardwalk
Visit Historic Jamestowne

West Virginia

Hike part of the Appalachian Trail

Hike the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia

Washington DC

Tour the three branches of government
Visit the national monuments
Explore the (free!) Smithsonian museums
Watch the pandas at the National Zoo

Say hi to the pandas at the National Zoo

Pennsylvania

Tour Independence Hall and visit the Liberty Bell

New York

See a Broadway show
Go up to the crown inside the Statue of Liberty
Visit Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park
Visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
Spend a day at Coney Island

Ride the rides or enjoy the beach at Coney Island, New York

New England

New England will always be home to me! I love the beaches and port towns of Maine and New Hampshire and the rich history of Massachusetts. Visit in the summer for beach weather, in the fall to see the gorgeous leaves, or in the winter if you’re brave!

Must-visit destinations in New England:

Boston, Massachusetts

Walk the Freedom Trail
Take a Duck Tour
Visit Faneuil Hall
Watch the fish at the New England Aquarium

Enjoy the picturesque foliage in fall

There’s nothing like the fall foliage in New England

Maine

Go shopping in Kennebunkport
Have the greatest pizza of your life at Pizza by Alex in Biddeford
Eat pier fries in Old Orchard Beach

Midwest USA

We spent four weeks in Louisville, Kentucky, and then explored the rest of the midwest on a whirlwind three-week excursion, hitting all the hot spots. Here are some of our recommendations for a trip through the midwest!

Must-visit destinations in the Midwest:

Louisville, Kentucky

Tour Churchill Downs (attend the Kentucky Derby if you get the chance!)
Watch baseball bats being made at the Louisville Slugger Factory

Ohio

Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Indiana

Go duckpin bowling
Drive a racecar with the Indy Racing Experience Driving Program

Detroit, Michigan

Sing in Studio A at the Motown Museum
Take the Coney Dog Challenge

Chicago, Illinois

Take a reflection picture in the Bean
Visit the Art Institute of Chicago
Put your forehead against the glass at the top of Willis Tower
Eat a Chicago-style hotdog and deep-dish pizza

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Visit the Milwaukee Public Market and get something cheesy

St. Louis, Missouri

Go up in the Gateway Arch

Look out on the west from 630 feet high at the Gateway Arch

Central USA

I wasn’t sure if we’d ever make it to some of the central states, because we tend to take routes that don’t pass through them. But on our mission to visit as many states as possible, we made sure to head that way! What can you see in the middle of the US?

Must-visit destinations in the Central US:

South Dakota

Visit Mount Rushmore

Nebraska

See Chimney Rock (remember it from playing Oregon Trail?)

Chimney Rock: even better than the 8-bit version!

Kansas

Go 650 feet underground and explore a salt mine

Oklahoma

Visit the National Oklahoma City Memorial

Mountain West

The Mountain West region encompasses lots of different terrain, from the Rocky Mountains in mile-high Denver, to Yellowstone’s effervescent springs in Wyoming, and the frozen glaciers in Montana.

Must-visit destinations in the Mountain West:

Idaho

Eat baked potato ice cream at Westside Drive In

Looks like a potato, tastes like ice cream!

Glacier National Park, Montana

See a glacier
Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road

You’ll never forget the gorgeous views at Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

See Old Faithful erupt
Marvel at the Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone is a truly unique geographical experience

Colorado

Stand a mile high on the Denver Capitol Building steps
Tour the haunted Stanley Hotel
Visit Garden of the Gods

Alaska & Hawaii

Alaska is the only state we haven’t visited yet, but it’s in the plans! Hawaii was our honeymoon destination back in 2005, and we hope to visit again someday with the whole family.

Must-visit destinations in Alaska & Hawaii:

Alaska

See the Northern Lights

Hawaii

Tour a volcano
Watch the surfers at the North Shore
Attend a luau
Walk on a black sand beach

I hope this has given you a ton of great ideas for how you can travel and experience the United States with your family. There is truly so much to see and do, from coast to coast!

Author Bio

Megan Tenney travels full-time with her husband and four children. At Family Gap Year Guide, she teaches regular families how to take life on the road! Grab her free guide on how to afford full-time travel and live your dreams of seeing the world with your family!

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