Heading Down South? Check Out Our Family Vacation Guide First
Family vacations in the South -- whether you include Texas and Florida in your definition or not -- can be rewarding experiences or absolute disasters. It all depends on pretrip homework. To make planning easier, we've done all the preparation.As part of a Huffington Post Travel serieson traveling with children, here are recommended attractions for those planning family vacations in The South.
Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras WorldCemetery Voodoo Tour of St. Louis Cemetery #1Easy Rider
Address:1380 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone:504-361-7821
Hours:Open 7 days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Price:Adults, $19.95; seniors (65+), $15.95; children (ages 2 to 12), $12.95
The Outer Banks, N.C./Kitty Hawk
The Outer BanksKitty HawkWright Brothers National Memorialfly a kite
Address:Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, One Visitors Center Circle, Manteo, NC 27954
Phone:252-473-2138
Hours:The Wright Brothers Memorial visitor center and Centennial Pavilion in Kitty Hawk are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Check for best beach times. Peak season for beaches is early March until mid/late October.
Price:No cost for the beaches. Lodging rental options range from cottages to condominiums, information available on tourism website.
Discovery Place
Address:301 N Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone:704-372-6261
Hours:Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Price:Museum only: Adults, $12; children and seniors, $10. IMAX only: Adults, $10; children and seniors, $9. Museum and IMAX: Adults, $17; children and seniors, $15
Mammoth Cave In The Summer
About two hours southwest of Lexington, Ky,Mammoth Cavewas deemed by early guide Stephen Bishop to be a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place."The longest underground cave system in the worldhas no equal for labyrinthine tunnels and fascinating history. Daily tours range from regular meandering walks to all-day belly crawls. While you're there, you can also rent bikes and canoes -- it's where the great outdoors meets the great indoors (or "in rocks").
Address:Mammoth Cave National Park, 1 Mammoth Cave Parkway, Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
Phone:270-758-2180
Hours:Mid-summer (June 25 through Aug. 7 and Sept. 3-4), 8 a.m.-7:15 p.m. Late summer (Aug. 8 through Sept. 2 and Sept. 5), 8 a.m.-6:15 p.m.
Price:Tours range from $3.50 (for kids) to $48. Average price is around $10 to $20. Camp ground rates vary.
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
National Park ServiceEbenezer Baptist ChurchThe King Center
Address:450 Auburn Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30312
Phone:404-526-8900
Hours:Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (during the summer until 6 p.m.)
Price:Free; Accepts donations
The Tennessee Aquarium
Aquarium'sconservation outside in the natural environment
Address:One Broad Street, Chattanooga TN, 37402
Phone:800-262-0695
Hours:First admittance to the Aquarium is at 10 a.m. with last admittance at 6 p.m. The Aquarium closes at 8 p.m. The Gift Shops close at 6:30 p.m.
Price:Aquarium: Adults, $24.95; kids (ages 3 to 12) $14.95; younger than 3, free. IMAX: Adults, $8.50; children, $7; younger than 3, free
Center For Puppetry Arts
When it was first founded in 1978, theCenter for Puppetry Artswas host to a most distinguished guest at its ribbon cutting ceremony:Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog. The largest non-profit organization in the United States focused on the delightful art of puppetry, you'll find engagingperformances,exhibitsandworkshops.
Address:1404 Spring St. NW at 18th, Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone:404-873-3391
Hours:Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Extended hours during evening shows.
Price:Shows prices vary, but are generally $16 and include museum admission. Museum only: $8.25, all ages.
What's your favorite vacation spot in the South?
Lead photo:ScubaBear68; Flickr
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
