12 trips in 12 months: Vacation destinations on our bucket list this year

Vacations aren’t just for the holidays, spring break, and the summer. Any time of year is a great time to travel. Even when the weather is frightful, there are plenty of amazing vacation destinations. And traveling off-season can lead to some great deals too. To help with your travel inspo, we’ve put together 12 trips in 12 months: a bucket list of travel adventures.

Your 2023 travel bucket list: 12 vacations in 12 months

January: Beaver Creek, Colorado

January is a great time to snag some post-holidays travel deals. Winter is the time for a ski trip and Beaver Creek, Colorado, has amazing skiing opportunities. Beaver Creek is close to Vail but smaller (i.e., more manageable, especially with small kids).

February: San Antonio, Texas

Winter is an excellent time to visit San Antonio because the weather is warm-ish, but not too hot. Temperatures are a comfortable mid-60s during the day. Families can grab a bite to eat along the San Antonio River Walk, visit the Alamo, and listen to live music at one of the many music festivals during February. 

March: Grand Canyon National Park

During the spring, crowds are thinner and the weather is mild (though winter snowstorms aren’t out of the question). If your family is into baseball, you can also catch some Spring Training baseball games in the Phoenix, Arizona, area, which is about four hours away by car.

April: Washington, DC

Two words: Cherry blossoms. The trees typically burst into billowy clouds of bright pink in late-March or early-April, though it depends a bit on the weather. Cherry blossoms aside, spring is a great time to visit our nation’s capital before the hot and sticky summer months arrive.

May: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Late spring is the perfect time to visit the Outer Banks. The weather is ideal for swimming and sunbathing, without having to worry about the tropical storms of the fall and the sticky heat of the summer. Families can fill their days building sand castles and jumping in the waves, but Outer Banks also has plenty of non-beachy activities too. The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is a family-favorite and kids can earn a junior rangers badge and enjoy STEAM-based activities at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

June: Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park has tons of family-friendly hikes. In the summer, the weather is warmer and the rain is less frequent, though there is still a bit of snow, especially in the higher elevations.

July: Banff, Canada

Our family visited Banff in July a few years ago and it was honestly one of my favorite trips ever. The lakes in Banff National Park are other-worldly gorgeous and wildlife is abundant. You can easily spend a week strolling through Banff, hiking its many trails, riding the ski lifts and visiting the nearby icefields and glacier that are a day-trip away.

August: Yosemite National Park

Another favorite national park is Yosemite. August can get a little hot and crowded, but it is so worth it. There are tons of family-friendly hikes (and short walks) and no shortage of mountain streams to dip your feet in.

September: New Orleans, Louisiana

Forget Mardi Gras, fall is the season to visit New Orleans. The weather is cooler and September is oyster season. So you can stroll through the French Quarter eating beignets or oysters while listening to live music. 

October: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The hills are alive… with colors of fall! The Smoky Mountains are a great family vacation spot any time of year, but fall might be the best time. In addition to a wide range of lodging in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, families can also stay in a vacation rental, many of which have amazing views. In addition to hiking, families can go zip-lining, go-karting, or walk across the Gatlinburg Sky Bridge. Oh, and don’t forget about Dollywood!

November: Hawaii

Any time is a good time for Hawaii, and in November the weather is great and the crowds are gone. Families can often snag some good deals on flights and at resorts before the holiday rush. There is more rain than usual in November, but it often comes at night so your days will be warm and dry. November is also the beginning of whale watching season when thousands of North Pacific Humpback whales begin their annual migration.

December: New York

The Christmas tree and ice skating at Rockefeller Center. A visit to see Santa at Macy’s. All those amazing window displays. There is no shortage of things to do in New York anytime of the year, but the holidays in New York are downright magical.

Bon voyage! Here’s to a year of travel adventures!