Is your family planning an upcoming travel adventure? Looking for some inspiring places to visit in the USA? I have written before about how my own adventures in travel when I was a kid have shaped me into who I am today. You can read more about that here. In this series of posts sponsored by my friends at Prudential, I’ll be exploring my goals and aspirations and sharing them with you! I began with a list of 10 places in the USA I would love my family to visit in the next 10 years. I cannot wait to explore these amazing places together!
In no particular order, here are 10 places in the USA to visit in 10 years:
1. New York City — Central Park, Ellis Island, Empire State Building and more.
2. Yellowstone National Park
3. The Grand Canyon
4. Niagara Falls, NY
5. Orlando, FL — A theme park adventure of Disney World, Legoland, and Universal Studios.
6. Great Smokey Mountains National Park
7. Colorado — Garden of the Gods Park
8. Maine
9. Washington, D.C. — National monuments and museums.
10. Arches National Park
Financial Challenges Ahead:
It is challenging to save for travel while also saving for our kids’ college and our own retirement. I frequently share ways to keep kids entertained using common household items on this blog. This is partly out of sheer laziness in not wanting to schlep the kids to the craft store for every activity, BUT it is also in an attempt to save money on family entertainment! With a bit of creativity and planning, we were able to save a significant amount in this area.
To make saving a bit easier, my husband and I set up a separate savings account designated solely for family travel. With each pay check we receive, a flat rate is automatically deposited into the account. This was easy to set up with our payroll companies and ensures that the account will grow without us having to remember to deposit funds every month. As an added bonus, many years ago we cut our cable and have been saving that money without really “feeling” it. Even a small amount can add up to a significant savings over time! For example, just $20 a week will add up to over a $1,000 by the end of the year.
Having a yearly planning session can go a long way towards achieving these financial goals. I love this video from Hillary as she explains how she is inspired to plan her personal finances in the same way she does for her business.
Question for YOU:
What are YOUR aspirations and inspirations? Share your vision by joining the growing community of women inspired in the comments below, or on Twitter using the hashtag #womeninspired.
With your long-term goals in mind, do you have any financial challenges that you want to tackle?
Great post! I, too, have a “travel fund” with an automatic deposit every week. It’s fun to see it grow and dream about where to travel to next 😉
The automatic savings deposit is a BRILLIANT idea! Alas, we don’t have payroll deposit. I know all too well how easy it is to “forget” to make that deposit. Even when stretching thin and pinching pennies, a family get away is so important. We camp which helps with costs a lot.
I love love LOVE your list of places to go. I already had many on our wish list but have now added a few more.
We have made 5 of these in the last 5 years with hopes of hitting 2 more this summer! Great list!