Strap the clown shoes on the kids and head to circus central in Sarasota, Florida. A long time ago, the Greatest Show on Earth headed out by rails around the country to show off Jumbo the Elephant, Emmett Kelly the clown and trapeze artists galore. But the circus train always managed to find its way back to the sleepy, little, Florida town that is home to everything circus-related.

The Ringling Museum of the Circus in Sarasota opened 60 years ago and has been thrilling visitors ever since. What began as a simple collection of circus memorabilia has expanded to include such must-see attractions as the "World's Largest Miniature Circus," (not to be confused with the world's smallest big-screen TV), and a real highlight: the world's largest collection of circus posters. A trip to the Ringling Museum of the Circus is a trip to a museum that kids will actually love. The circus really was the Greatest Show on Earth before the arrival of radio, the movies, television and the Internet. Those circus posters are about as low-tech in terms of advertising as it gets, but compared to the incessant pop-up Internet ads and TV commercials, those circus posters are the equivalent of the fine art.

Unless you suffer from coulrophobia, the Ringling Museum of the Circus is an absolute delight. What is coulrophobia? The bane of the Ringling Museum of the Circus and circuses around the world: fear of clowns. But don't despair; the museum is devoted to all things having to do with the circus, and clowns are but one part of this amazing destination site. Traveling to Sarasota is like walking back into time when every kid looked forward to the day the circus came to town. It reminds parents of a certain sense of innocence and nostalgia.

Okay, you can't really get your kids a degree in foreign relations by visiting Denali National Park in Alaska and looking at Russia from atop Mt. McKinley, but it is still a worthwhile trip. There is probably no better spot in all of America to give your little Nintendo DS fanatics a taste of what the great American outdoors was like before kids reduced their interest in nature to when it appears on television.

Has your little one ever watched Balto or been thrilled by the fast-paced excitement of the Iditarod? What kid doesn't want to watch big husky dogs pulling a man on a sled behind them? And what about you? Did you ever have one of those Ansel Adams calendars pinned to the wall inside your kitchen? One of Ansel Adams' most famous sets of black and white photographs captured the majestic beauty of the aptly named Wonder Lake. Just the beauty of Wonder Lake will be enough to make your kids appreciate the incredible power of going on a vacation that doesn't feature roller coasters or even museums. No museum on earth can fully capture the sheer, overwhelming awe of the features on display at Denali National Park.

Denali, the most gorgeous of America's National Parks, is ideal for families that enjoy hiking, backpacking, fishing, climbing and all those things that people used to do on vacation before "virtually" enjoying a vacation became the standard. Sure, you could go down to the Country Bear Jamboree at Disney World, but wouldn't you rather show your kids what black bears and grizzlies look like before they are wiped off the face of the earth? In addition to bears, a visit to Denali National Park will probably result in encounters with caribou, moose and possibly even the elusive wolverine. Just remember, however, that wolverines in the wilderness aren't like the semi-domesticated types who play football in Michigan.

Did you know that Hershey Park is one of the oldest amusement parks in America? It originally opened in 1907. Over time Hershey Park grew to look more and more like a traditional amusement park. The amusement park built on the rotten teeth of American children actually has more rides than the Magic Kingdom.

The thing that really separates the amusement park in Hershey, PA is the smell. I'm not sure whether they pump the smell of chocolate in artificially or if just naturally wafts over from the factory, but arriving at Hershey Park has much the same effect as looking for a new house where the owners were smart enough to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies before you arrived.

The truth of the matter is that Hershey Park is not really particularly distinguishable from a Six Flags park or even Disney, but there is one thing that Hershey Park has that those areas don't: proximity to the Hershey World of Chocolate. Once you get your thrill from the rollercoaster and other wild rides, it's time to take a tour of what Homer Simpson would describe as The Land of Chocolate. Don't go mistaking the idea of a regular Taste of Whatever with the tour in Hershey World. Yes, you get to sample chocolate at your leisure (and what child won't go crazy over that?), but the tour is really an interactive experience featuring animatronics and special effects. Do you remember that wild boat ride in the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"? Well, that's nothing compared to the 3-D show that they put on at Hershey. While you won't actually see any Oompa Loompas, the animated characters flying directly in front of your eyes are a pretty good substitute.

After you See Rock City and give the whole looking at seven states from atop the peak of Lookout Mountain a try, there is only one place left in this Tennessee vacation spot for you to hit. It is time to turn your kids into mole people, lace up their finest hiking boots and trek down into the ground beneath the surface of that majestic plateau of Tennessee limestone. What awaits you and the kids in the coolness that can only be found in the summertime 1,200 feet underground?

Ruby Falls! Yeah, sure, you've heard of Niagara Falls and all the other spectacular falls that America has to offer, but they are all aboveground. As amazing as the sight of a raging river falling over a cliff in the great outdoors may seem, that's nothing compared to the 145-foot drop of Ruby Falls, which takes place entirely beneath the ground. There is simply no other waterfall in the United States that compares to Ruby Falls.

How many times have you heard that what's important is the journey rather than the destination? Well, you can have it both ways at Ruby Falls. The destination is, of course, that amazing waterfall, but along the way you will be treated to all the memorable sights that make up a spectacular cavern. In addition to the expected stalagmites and stalactites (your kids can probably tell you which one is which if you are confused), there are also unusual rock formations with memorable names. Although you will probably see any number of these amazing rock formations, it is almost guaranteed that your kids will remember one rock formation in particular twenty years after the visit to Ruby Falls. It is called Steak and Eggs. Keep an eye out for it!

Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain and Rock City make up a fascinating trip for kids and adults alike, and anyone living in proximity should make a trip to all three.

See Rock City.

There is nobody from the immediate north, south, east or west of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee who has not passed a veritable multitude of barns with the words "See Rock City" painted on them. Rock City is just one of the many fantastic sites to see in the Lookout Mountain area near Chattanooga. And Rock City is definitely a hot vacation spot for travelers with kids.

Kids in particular will go crazy at Rock City. Why? Because, well, it truly is a rock city. Rock City is a long, winding path of rock formations, which the guys in charge have doctored and dolled up to present a kind of story. In fact, if you pay close attention while you meander along these truly extraordinary rock formations, you can kind of create a little plot line for you and the children. Kids really love to turn a vacation into an adventure, and in too many cases that means pretending to be spies while chasing each other through the corridors of the hotel. Instead, the kids can squeeze through the narrow passage of Rock City known as Fat Man's Squeeze and pretend they are trying to escape from pirates. Or they can pretend they are helping some gnomes escape through the tunnel at Goblin's Underpass. And do not forget the myriad thrills as they cling to life on the magnificently frightening Swing-A-Long bridge. Of course, if you or the kids have a phobia about heights or swinging rope bridges, you bypass this particular thrill, fold up your umbrella and seek comfort beneath Shelter Rock. The more adventuresome members of your party can create a back story to the crossing of the bridge.

No one who sees Rock City forgets its undeniably magical appeal. If you take your kids to see this natural and even mystical wonder, you can bet that in another twenty years or so they will be eager to re-experience the pleasure through their own children's eyes.

Lookout Mountain is a place that any kid would love because, after all, where the heck are you going to see seven states while standing in one spot? Oh sure, there is that one little tiny spot out west where you straddle four states at once, but only one or two people can do that at any one time, and that's only four states. At Lookout Mountain, seven states can be glimpsed by dozens or even hundreds of people at once.

Lookout Mountain is located in Tennessee, and in all honesty, Lookout Mountain is a molehill, but in the grand scheme of things, especially in the flatter portions of Dixie, Lookout Mountain is a majestic plateau that rises into the warm southern sky near Chattanooga. It is also quite near the northwestern tip of Georgia and the northeastern quadrant of Alabama. Well, let's see, that's three states. But Lookout Mountain presents itself as a spot from which you can peer off into the distance and set your gaze upon seven states. What are the other four states?

The promotional material for Lookout Mountain suggests that in addition to Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, on really clear days you can see in the distance land belonging to the citizens of Kentucky, Virginia and both South Carolina and North Carolina. If you want to be completely and brutally honest with your kids, you'll have to tell them on top of the mountain that they are not necessarily seeing those states. If you want to make their trek up the mountain one they will remember for a lifetime, go ahead and let them think they saw the land of George Washington and Daniel Boone. Who is going to know the difference by the time your kids reach adulthood, right?

What really makes Lookout Mountain a destination spot that kids will enjoy is that there is more to it than the mountain itself. But you'll have to come back later to see Rock City ...

Our trips to destination sites every kid should see has been taking us to the natural wonders of America that Hollywood filmmakers have exploited for such legendary films as "Stagecoach" and "Creature From the Black Lagoon."

Now it's time to fill you in on one of the goofiest and somehow most American of all tourist destinations in this great country. The Alamo is famous to every American who ever studied history, although with the rise of the importance of standardized testing, it is entirely possible some of your kids will be thoroughly unfamiliar with Davy Crockett's escapades at the Alamo.
Believe it or not, this entry is not about taking your kids to the actual Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.

You see, in the early 1960s John Wayne decided to retell the story of the Alamo on film. The Duke discovered what most visitors to the actual Alamo find out: It's too dang small! And so, about 100 miles to the west the producers built an exact replica of, not only the Alamo mission, but the surrounding community. While San Diego's actual Alamo is surrounded by the historical inconveniences of 21^st^ century society, taking your kids on a trip to Brackettville, Texas is actually like taking a step back to the Texas of the 1830s.

Known as Alamo Village, in addition to a full-sized replica of the Alamo mission at which the famous battle was fought, this magnificent piece of unreal real estate also includes what used to be called an Indian store, a cantina, restaurant, trading post, church and jail, all looking exactly like what they might have looked like back during the time Davy Crockett fought for the independence of Texas. In addition, the Alamo Village does contain a bit of the 21st century in the form of a souvenir shop and gallery of the celebrities who have filmed movies there. John Wayne's version of The Alamo was not the only the Alamo movie filmed in Brackettville, you see. The Alamo Village, understand, is actually more realistic than the authentic
Alamo.

Weird, huh?

Family vacations can be a lot of fun. But they can also be a lot of stress. I remember my mother keeping most of the games, books, toys and snacks with her. Even when we got a little older. What resulted was not pretty. Mom looked harassed all the time; with five kids, one of us was always clambering for something. One way I've learned from her mistakes is to let my son be in charge of his own stuff. He's five years old, and perfectly capable of managing his own backpack with snacks, books, toys, games and coloring books (with crayons, of course).

Choosing backpacks for children
You do want to make sure that your child can handle his or her backpack. My son's backpack is slightly smaller and easy for him to carry. Your child should also be old enough and mature enough to handle keeping track of his or her things. If you travel on airplanes a lot, you might consider a wheeled backpack. This can make things easier between flights. Here are some other features that you might consider when choosing travel backpacks for your children:

• At least one zip pocket in the front (two or three is better). This is an ideal place for the snacks. They won't get lost if they are kept in the front pocket.
• Tall enough to fit a coloring book without having to bend it to make it fit.
• Lightweight.
• Sturdy.
• Small enough that it will fit under the seat of an airplane. You don't want to be constantly trying to get it out of the overhead.
• Side pockets (if necessary) for electronics. Sometimes these pockets are located on the inside of the bag.

Before you leave, make sure you show your child how to pack the backpack. Check to make sure that it is not too full, by having your child walk around with it for a while.

You can make your family vacation a little less stressful by allowing your child to be responsible for access to his or her own entertainment.

Portland, Ore. offers both natural beauty and a progressive approach to making education entertaining.

Portland, Ore. is perhaps the biggest tourist secret in America. Depending upon which direction you take, a two hour drive from Portland can be like a tour of America in miniature. The majestic beauty of this state is a never-ending surprise featuring incredible natural wonders that take the breath away. Where else in America can your kids spend the morning watching whales breach through the surface of the ocean, drive up a mountain in the afternoon and enjoy an incredible sunset among crested buttes in a desert setting at night?

Mt. Hood's snowcapped peak is the centerpiece of Portland and a trip to this amazing city would not be complete without driving along the winding roads that will ultimately present you and your kids with a spectacular view of the city. Not too far away is the equally magnificent site of Multnomah Falls cascading 620 feet down into the Columbia River Gorge. Getting to Multnomah Falls involves some intense physical activity, but even those kids who consider getting up off the couch to get something to drink during their third straight hour of playing video games to be too much exertion will be captivated by the extraordinary sights they will discover on the way. Once you actually get to the waterfall, every single step is immediately forgiven. Multnomah Falls is one of those enthralling examples of nature that few ever forget.

Portland is a great tourist spot beyond what Mother Nature has given it, however. For instance, there is the Kidd Toy Museum, containing over 10,000 toys collected over the years by just one man. Many of these go back to the 19th century, making this museum a little history lesson in the bargain.

The Oregon Zoo is considered one of the finest in the country and is home to an extraordinary collection of animals. The Portland Children's Museum is a must for those with younger children, featuring a revolving series of special exhibits and a vast collection of opportunities for kids to engage in interactive and hands-on learning experiences. Older kids will enjoy the renowned Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, which offers everything from a tour of a submarine to Imax movies to a thrilling motion simulator that offers a series of virtual experiences including a Grand Prix race and a trip into a volcano.