For those of you that have kids or have already raised kids

We have only been RV ing for one year now with our seven year old but we have been very busy. Living in SoCal sometimes has perks. In addition to lots of wonderful State Parks and more local destinations, we have been to Yosemite three times, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Zion, Big Sur, Monterey and more. In a few months we are headed to Grand Canyon, Page, Zion, Bryce, Vegas, Lake Meade, and Joshua Tree. Many of those I consider must see spots, if not twice. Every trip to Yosemite has revealed more wonderful surprises.

Mesa Verde, a trip up to the PNW, San Francisco, Death Valley, Lake Tahoe, Pinnacles NP, and Yellowstone will be some of our next major destinations soon I hope. Our 24ft former rental has been good to us so far. Lots of wonderful memories and precious family time. Nothing is more important than that! :)

Yellowstone, Grand Tetons AND Glacier. Of the 3, I like Glacier the best. A lot less people and incredible beauty.

Add in Yosemite but only off season. It's a zoo during the summer.

San Francisco. There is so much going on in that city, it would take at least 5 days to take it all in. From the zoo, golden gate bridge, Levi stadium, all the civic centers, Golden Gate park

We didn't like Grand Canyon. 2 or 3 hours and had seen enough.

The everglades was pretty wild.

Disneyworld and Disneyland. they are not the same. Both are great, each has it's own personality and feel.

If you seek adventure, retrace the pony express route, the continental railroad, the Oregon trail. If you read up on the history first, it will make for some thoughtful campfire stories. For example, we camped on a creek where indians raided a wagon train heading to Oregon. A young girl was abducted and the soldiers at the closest fort were too frightened to head up a rescue. One section of the Oregon Trail had 10 graves average for every mile, marked with piled stones. Things like a piano dumped along the route only made the mind and imagination go tilt to the stories that must have lead to that.

If you enjoy skiing, Lake Tahoe is great. Heck, it's great any season, just less crowded during the winter. Try a full-moon night time snow shoe hike to a big meadow with campfire and a chuck wagon waiting to fill your belly. Or a sleigh ride through a meadow, a tram ride to the top of Squaw Valley, home of the winter Olympics where 'High Camp' has a beautiful skating rink, hot tubs next to the ski runs and award winning spas and dining. Put the kids in ski/board lessons and do the spa thing, then get together as a family for all sorts of resort activities.

here are places i took my kids camping
Calif
Sequoia Nat Park
and right next door
kings canyon park, different trips, both inside the canyon and at the south end where it joins sequoia
Utah
Lava Beds Nat monument
Bryce Canyon
Capitol Reef
Az
Grand Canyon

this is camping, at least a week
there were side trips to other sights

I had the good fortune to be able to travel and see pretty much all of the "must see" list as a kid (many on a long tent camping trip with my mom). IMHO I would drop Rushmore from the "must" list to the "nice" list; it seems to me to be the sort of place you see just to say you've been there. I personally was also somewhat less enthralled with the Grand Canyon, but I think I was very much in the minority about that, and also suspect I might have a different impression now.

I do remember being quite enthralled with climbing around the Badlands. I also very much enjoyed the tour of Hoover Dam. Washington, DC is absolutely worth a visit of several days. I enjoyed both Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns a lot.

Although I didn't go there as a kid, I think the St Louis City Museum ought to be a must see. I'd probably rank it above Disney, even, though they're quite different.

Alaska would be a trip of a lifetime. Going down CA route 1 over the course of a few days is great if you're comfortable driving it, either with or without the camper. The Kennedy Space Center is a good stop, even with the rather commercialized glitzy veneer they've put over it. (The Apollo exhibit is very well done.)

I still have one daughter who has not been to the Grand Canyon. That of course is #1.

The girls are in their fifties and on their own.

For my DGD and DGS, Scott's Bluff/Chimney Rock, Gettysburg and Washington DC for the monuments and the Smithsonian's.

Because we would travel by MoHo there are several hundred related places we would see along the way. But these three are vital to learning about and visualizing our country's history.

By the way, the DGKs have been to most places above I-40 and from the Pacific to the Dakotas. Carlsbad would be one for the wonderment of Nature along with White Sands and Great Sand Dunes.

Ask the kids.

You retain the final say, of course. Just let the kids have input to the trip planning.

All of the southern Utah national parks and rent a Jeep for Arches in Moab. :)

You listed Yellowstone but Grand Teton is right next door and is a must especially for gorgeous hikes of all abilities.

The Oregon coast - you'll find none finer!

Alaska is the highlight!

The list could go on and on.....

The thing that really made an impression on me as a kid was boondocking -- learning to pick likely spots on a map, and discovering that sometimes the most beautiful places are ones nobody has heard of.

Don't get too caught up in the "must see's".

Good idea. I look forward to seeing everyone's lists.

Doug