With 50 individual, unique states that each boast their own culture and personality, there's a ton to see and do across America. That's why road-tripping is so great: It's the best way to see and do it all. Plus, it'll make for some great memories for your kids! Here are our favorite RV adventures to have in each state before your kids grow up:
Arkansas: Dig for diamonds. Visit Crater of Diamonds State Park to find your own gemstones. It’s the only diamond-producing site in the world that is open to the public, so start digging!
Idaho: Go hot spring hopping! Idaho has the most useable hot springs in the country: There are about 130 total. Try Lava Hot Springs-- the pools are open year-round, are super clean, and don't cost much to enjoy. Plus, the town is a funky little community worth exploring!
Illinois: Watch a baseball game at Wrigley Field! The Chicago Cubs have called this historic stadium home since 1914, and everything about it, from the ivy-covered outfield to the vintage scoreboard, is classic Americana. Bonus points if you eat a Chicago-style hot dog while you watch the game!
Iowa: Cross the High Trestle Bridge! High Trestle Bridge, though originally built as a railroad bridge in the 1970s, has undergone a significant facelift in the past five years. It spans the Des Moines River, and is crossed by about 3,000 people who are hiking the High Trestle Trail every week. It's a 13-story high, half-mile-long bridge that is meant to resemble a mine shaft, in honor of the Italian immigrants who worked in the nearby mines. Every night it's illuminated until midnight.
Kansas: Stop by Oz! The Wizard of Oz famously has Dorothy Gale blown into the Land of Oz by one of the state's notorious tornados. The Oz Museum delves into the history of the book, by L. Frank Baum, as well as the famous 1939 film adaptation, with loads of memorabilia and artifacts.
Kentucky: See a horse race. Take a tour of Churchill Downs, the legendary home of the Kentucky Derby. Watch a race, place a bet, and admire all the pretty horses.
Louisiana: Listen to some tunes! A jazz crawl of the French Quarter is a great way for older kids to learn about and appreciate the incredible music scene happening in New Orleans.
Michigan: Explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Michigan has a gorgeous freshwater coastline, and one of its highlights is the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The kids will wear themselves out running up and sliding down the dunes while you enjoy superb views of the Great Lakes.
Minnesota: See the humble beginnings of the Mighty Mississippi! Itasca State Park is home to the headwaters of the country's biggest river, and at this point on the Mississippi, it's short and shallow enough to walk across. Plus, since Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", you can canoe or kayak on one of the 100 bodies of water that are within this state park alone.
Mississippi: See where the first Coca-Cola was bottled. The Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum tells the history of America’s most popular soft drink. Even though Coke was invented in Atlanta, the soft drink wouldn’t have reached the popularity it enjoys today without Biedenharn’s bottling method! Put it in park at the historic Askew’s Landing Campground nearby.
Missouri: Climb the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. The Gateway Arch (officially, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) was built in the 1960s as a symbol of progress. It still stands as one of the most popular man-made attractions in the country, and offers gorgeous views.
Montana: Drive Going-to-the-Sun Road. Travel down one of the most dramatic roads you’ll ever see. It’s carved into the cliffs within Glacier National Park, and winds around mountains, giving you the feeling of driving into the heavens. Oh, and movie buffs will appreciate that it was featured in the opening credits of "The Shining".
Nebraska: Visit the world’s largest indoor rainforest. The Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha is one of the world's best zoos. Henry Doorly's indoor rainforest is the crown jewel of the attraction, and is home to 90 different species. It also features an indoor desert that’s also the largest of its kind in the world.
Nevada: Delve into Great Basin National Park’s Lehman Caves. These ornate marble caves are covered in elaborate stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, flowstone, popcorn, and more stone formations than you can imagine.
As you make your way across each of the 50 states to cross activities off your bucket list, you're guaranteed to have a great time and make memories that will last forever!