We’re putting together a list of places we’d like to go this year. Our 2017 Travel Bucket List includes quite a few familiar spots, and a couple of new ones.
If we had more money, this list would be much different. We’d be like that family that is looking to hire a travel nanny to follow them around all year. Alas, we have jobs and all that good stuff to manage. So with that in mind, here are the places we want to go this year.
Day Trips
Day trips are pretty economical. You don’t have to splurge for a hotel and you might even be able to eat breakfast and/or dinner at home. There are a lot of cool places within a few hours of where we live.
New York City
The Big Apple is right in our backyard, yet we don’t get into the city for family fun more than once or twice a year. This year, our bucket list includes crossing off one of those classic New York City experiences that our kids haven’t enjoyed yet: The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We also plan on exploring the parks and museums, and catching a few shows. Lisa will be taking Bella to her first Broadway show, and Lisa and I will be seeing Hamilton this summer, which should make for a great date night in NYC.
Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley is such a beautiful place. We would love to make a day trip to Warwick, NY for some apple picking or even the apple festival! We love Sleepy Hollow Country in the Fall because of the Great Jack O’lantern Blaze. This year, we are aiming to make it an all-day experience and really immerse ourselves and celebrate Halloween in the place that inspired the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Mystic, CT
A Ferry ride from the tip of Long Island can take us across to Connecticut and a visit to the Mystic Seaport and Aquarium. We could even try out some Mystic Pizza.
Weekend Excursions
I work weekends, so perhaps we’ll have to be flexible with how we define weekends. Getting away for a couple of weekdays during a school break could fall into this category.
Washington, DC
Our nation’s capital is one big open-air museum, and the indoor museums are all FREE! Despite the strong educational vibe, we found that our kids LOVED visiting Washington, DC. It’s only a few hours away by car, so it’s a perfect getaway destination. We’d love to visit during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, so perhaps a spring trip will be on our calendar.
Boston, MA
With relatives just outside of Boston, we find ourselves up this way a couple of times a year. But we don’t get into the city of Boston all that often. A return to the New England Aquarium, the Boston Children’s Museum, and taking in some of the historic sites is definitely in order this year.
Pennsylvania
Last summer’s road trip took us to the Poconos. We stayed for a couple of days, but realized that Kalahari Resort was more of a day trip destination. That may change with the opening of Phase II this spring. That will double the amount of things to do at Kalahari. We’d be down to head back and check it out, or maybe try out Great Wolf Lodge.
Our road trip also took us to Hershey Park. Chocolate World was amazing, and the amusement park itself was fun, though very different that a day at Disney. A return trip is definitely something we’re thinking about… during October they have Halloween events that could make for a sweet visit!
Vacations
Vacations are a necessary luxury, in our opinion. They are definitely tough on the budget. The trade off is that they are so much fun, educational, and create such great family bonding moments. We MUST go on vacation. It is that simple.
Walt Disney World
Our annual visit to our home away from home is happening early this year. We’re heading down during President’s Week to participate in the Princess Half Marathon Weekend. We don’t have any plans to go more than once this year, but I wouldn’t rule out something later in the year. Lisa and I still feel guilty about being their for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party without the kids this past year.
California
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA at sunset.
A trip to the west coast has been on our bucket list for a while, and it just hasn’t happened yet. We were in the planning stages last year when we realized the money just wasn’t there. Will this be the year? We don’t know yet. But our dream trip would include stops in San Francisco, California Wine Country, San Diego, and of course, Disneyland.
Hawaii
This is probably not going to happen, but I had to include it because it is always on our list. If we hit the lottery, maybe we can go to Hawaii and just relax on the beach… maybe learn to surf. A guy can dream, right?
National Parks
With Bella in 4th Grade this year, we can take advantage of the Every Kid in a Park program to get free access to National Parks for the entire family! This year, getting to those parks is definitely going on the bucket list!
Hotels.com is currently running a promotion for hotels near National Parks. Visit a National Park for Free Park Day! Don’t wait, book today! 
Well, that’s our 2017 Travel Bucket List. What’s on yours? Do we have any destinations in common?
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Mike Ellis
Tuesday 17th of January 2017
Great choices for some incredible travel destinations! Make sure you take the kids to Cheers when you go to Boston, and even more fun, climb Bunker Hill! I've done that with Cindy and Sophie, and it's a lot of work but a lot of fun and some great views!
James Cameron
Sunday 22nd of January 2017
That Bunker Hill climb sounds awesome! We did quite a bit of walking the last time we were in Boston, but it's nothing compared to Disney!
distherapy
Monday 16th of January 2017
What an impressive lineup! I couldn't agree more- family vacations are a NECESSITY; they are without a doubt the best memories you'll ever make. Best of luck with that California dreaming... :D