Travel guides are helpful. Whether in book form, or online they can give you ideas that may appeal to your family. I have found though that often they are repeating publicity information from the place itself, or rehashing what was in a travel guide from years ago. We all appreciate hearing personal experiences and I find those more helpful.
Being married to a Soldier, my family has lived all over the place. Once thing we realized early on is that sooner we started exploring, the sooner we started having fun. One of my favorite ways to explore was to drive around and get lost. Often this would be helpful when out with the hubby and realizing I'd been lost there before and knew my way around. We loved checking out the local museums and trying to find the things to do that were off the beaten path.
I've made my list of things to do and want to share it here. I've been to every place on the list except two, but included them based on my friend's experiences. I share my opinions about what age range the place is better suited for and things my family really enjoyed about it. I hope you and your family enjoy exploring these places as much as mine did. Please share my list and let me know your experiences and other places I should add. Remember to check on any Covid related changes or restrictions at each place before you go. You can get the list here.