From Frommer’s, we have found the book “500 Places To Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up” both inspirational and invaluable. It has more than enough ideas to last a lifetime but more importantly they provide details about the places and suggested ages. The places they suggest range from the obvious to the obscure and include sites both in the United States as well as around the world. Here are just a few random examples:

1 - Monument Valley
2 - Redwood Forests of California
39 - Pirate cruising in the Caribbean
41 - Cruise the Fjords in Norway
52 - Montreal Underground
122 - Costa Rican Sea Turtles
154 - The Jurassic Coast in England
205 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa
246 - The Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Ohio)
311 - The Northern Lights
398 - Walking the Appalachian Trail
477 - On Camel Safari in India

The book is broken down into chapters and subchapters based on the type of excursion. For example, chapter 1 is Taking in the Scenery and is broken down into sub-chapters like Awesome Vista, Seven Beautiful Bridges, Drives, Train Rides, and Boat Rides. Chapter 8 titled For Budding Scientists includes Science Museums, The History of Flight, Inventions and Industry, and Stargazing.

The information is helpful, easy to read, short for quick glancing, and includes age appropriateness, pricing, and contact information.