A friend and his 5 year old son and family are visiting the U.S. for the first time

[Cruzan]

The father's quite loaded, probably has a couple week trip in mind, and I think is planning on an April visit. Any destination ideas and sites you'd recommend? Just off the top of my head I'm thinking Florida and Disney World, NYC, maybe Washington DC, and some California time, but I don't know. He wants to chat with me about it in a few days.

[elleng]

1. April is GREAT for DC; CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME!

[pipi_k]

2. Well, I'm sorta partial to New England...

There's lots of History in Boston...skiing in VT and points North, even some pretty good skiing in Western Mass...quaint little villages all over the place (where one can find some neat antiques), and just the whole New England experience.


I know we can't compete with Disney for excitement and novelty, but we're still pretty neat.


:7

[TxRider]

3. Ugh Disney..

Where are they from?

How about the Grand canyon, Yellowstone, Meteor crater, Grand Tetons, Carlsbad caverns... Some things like that?

[booksenkatz]

9. I'm with you, Tex

If you've been to one amusement park, you've been to them all. Give me natural wonders like the ones you listed any time. Throw in Niagara Falls while we're at it! It's my little boy's favorite place in the world.

(And howdy to you from a Ft. Worth chick parked in chilly Michigan!:hi:)

[Skittles]

14. INDEED

[Obamanaut]

4. Not something like Disney World. Every country has theme/amusement

parks of some sort, so why do here what can be done there. Find something that they don't have.

[uppityperson]

13. I VERY much agree with this. Go to dino digs/museum, aero-space stuff

[cali]

5. Where are they visiting from and what are the dad's interests?

[snagglepuss]

6. What are his interests? What kind of person is he? Is he interested

in learning or does he he prefer simple entertainment? Hard to know what to recommend without some sense of him.

[Cruzan]

8. I kind of get the sense the trip is more for his son

The father seems to be one of those parents trying to dump as much information and experiences into his young son as possible. Piles of children's science books and Discovery Channel DVDs and the like. So maybe the trip will have a science, technology and history focus (or at least as much as a 5 year old can take) leavened with some amusement park visits and other 'fun' stuff.

[elleng]

10. Great museums in DC, all the science and history he could want,

presented for all ages.

[rwheeler31]

7. Check out the great children's museums, an active 5 year old

would love them. Chicago is a great trip.

[lunatica]

11. Have him take a trip up or down Highway 1 in California

It runs down the spectacular West coast. Just driving from Half Moon Bay, CA to Carmel and a little further south for a couple of hours and it will take their breath away.

If they get a chance to see Yosemite or the Grand Canyon they'll never regret it. We have a fantastic country.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. History buffs? A few historic sites even in the US...

Oh and DC... definitely the Smithsonian and the Air and Space