Recently updated on August 13th, 2023 at 01:30 pm
Multi-generational travel has been on the rise for years, but a skip-gen vacation trend is emerging as a new take on the family vacation. We’re living in an age where our grandparents are healthier and more active than ever and our parents are working full time jobs and longer hours, meaning kids vacationing with grandma and grandpa is a sensible way to ensure our children are still experiencing the world.
Also, grandparents often live hundreds of miles away from their grandchildren, meaning skip-gen vacations are the perfect way for them to spend time with their grandchildren, travel the globe and make new memories. All the while, mom and dad get to enjoy a few blissful days of rest (or catch up on their emails in peace).
Road trips, touring national parks and experiencing the great outdoors are the most popular style of skip-gen family vacations to take in the United States. Here are 6 skip-gen adventures to take in the United States.  Â
1. America’s Great Desert National Parks (10 days)
If the grandkids are a little older, road trip a little longer on your skip-gen family vacation. Explore the great desert landscapes, get to know the locals and uncover life that flourishes in such a harsh climate with this trip.
This 10-day trip will journey from Las Vegas to Phoenix, passing through Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Death Valley National Park. Drop into Palm Springs to soak in mid-century architecture, then learn about the Mojave and Colorado desert ecosystems in Joshua Tree National Park. Keep exploring the desert sands and soul-stirring sights of America’s beautiful landscapes in Coachella Valley, Yuma, Tucson and Kartchner Caverns State Park.
GET INSPIRED: America’s Great Desert National Parks
2. National Parks Wonders (9 days)
If you’ve always wanted to see Mount Rushmore in real life, consider this your chance. Over nine days this tour travels from Idaho through Wyoming to South Dakota, where the famous faces grace the cliff face.
But teaching your grandchildren about presidents of the past is not the only lesson told when you travel together on this skip-gen vacation. Nature revealed some of her finest work in Yellowstone. The bubbling mudpots of America’s first national park are just one of the unique hydrothermal and geologic wonders within.
Plus, on tour we’ll journey past the icy peaks of the Grand Tetons and venture into lawless backwater towns where Wild West legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Crazy Horse once ruled. Giddyup!
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3. California’s Great National Parks (8 days)
America’s west is truly home to some of the world’s greatest national parks and reserves. If the above tours didn’t feel like a right fit, perhaps the parks of California tick the box.
We think the skip-gen travel trend will make US National Parks some of the most popular places to explore. After all, the great outdoors is safe to visit with plenty of space for distancing.
Get up close with groves of larger-than-life sequoias in the Land of Giants. Experience the inferno of Death Valley, and wander the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Explore California’s incredible natural wonders on your skip-gen family vacation.
GET INSPIRED: California’s Great National Parks Â
4. Best of Hawaii (10 days)
There’s nothing like the lush green mountains and soft sandy beaches of tropical Hawaii. Take your skip-gen travel overseas – without leaving America – when you fly into the Aloha state.
Bouncing from Honolulu to Maui, experience the best of Waikiki and learn about Pearl Harbour. On the big island of Hawaii visit a black sand beach and see the world’s largest volcano in UNESCO-listed Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In Maui, get up close with marine life before saying farewell to your tour at a traditional Hawaiian Luau.
GET INSPIRED: Best of HawaiiÂ
5. Majestic Alaska (10 days)
If you prefer the cool climates, maybe the scenic river valleys and snow-capped peaks of Alaska are calling. Our 10-day Majestic Alaska trip is well-paced for skip-gen travel. It lands in Anchorage, spending two nights there plus in Denali National Park, Fairbanks and Valdez.
You’ll traverse Denali’s tundra and the Alaska Railroad. Explore Kenai Fjords National Park on a sightseeing cruise, passing humpback whales and glacial icebergs while enjoying lunch. We’ll hit the Harding Icefield Trail, visit Resurrection Bay and explore Prince William Sound.
GET INSPIRED: Majestic Alaska
Interested in jumping on the skip-gen trend and taking a family vacation as grandparents and grandchildren? Or do you think skip-gen travel is unfair to the parents? Let us know your thoughts about skip-gen vacations in the comments…