Taking the Kids: So many choices for fall getaways

You will find deeply discounted hotels in cities like Philadelphia — where COVID cases are down and where museums have begun to reopen. Kids can have an out of classroom American History lesson at the Museum of the American Revolution or at Independence National Historical Park. (Bring along Eileen’s new Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia!)

Check out less visited national parks, including Congaree National Park in South Carolina, North Cascades National Park in Washington State and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas. Visit a national park for free on National Public Lands Day, Sept. 26. Apply in advance. Fourth-graders and their families still get in free with the Every Kid Outdoors initiative. If grandparents are taking the kids, the National Parks Service Lifetime Senior Pass costs $80 or $20 for an annual pass (plus a $10 processing fee if you get it online.) An additional three adults and kids under 16 in the same vehicle are admitted. Expect to be on your own as many visitor centers remain closed and ranger programs have been canceled. The educators’ section on every national park site, designed for teachers planning field trips, can be an excellent resource.

Zoos are a great bet during this pandemic year as infectious disease experts say we are safest outdoors. Membership in your local zoo may also get you in free to a zoo where you are visiting. The Bronx and Smithsonian Zoos are welcoming visitors as are the Denver Zoo, the San Diego Zoo and the North Carolina Zoo among others. You can find a zoo where you are at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums website.

Many ranches are open into October and some are open all year ‘round, like Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson and Spring Creek Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Taking the Kids visited Spring Creek Ranch, unusual in that visitors stay in their own condo-like accommodations and have the amenities of the ranch — guided tours of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Some, like Flathead Lake Lodge in Montana, will focus on adults in September — great for those with grown kids.

Wherever you go, follow health guidelines – wearing masks, social distancing and washing your hands thoroughly and often. Be prepared that, despite state mandates, mask wearing can be uneven as Taking the Kids found on a Western Road trip, even as infectious disease experts tell us mask wearing is the best way to protect ourselves and others from the spread of COVID-19. If you don’t think you need a mask, remember that many of those spreading the virus are asymptomatic and can infect at-risk family members.

Keep up with the states that are imposing quarantines to be sure your itinerary is a realistic one.

You also want to be mindful of whether COVID-19 is spiking in the area you want to visit, suggests Dr. Arthur Lavin, an Ohio pediatrician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which offers advice for families about COVID-19. The highest risk, Dr. Lavin said, is in a crowded, indoor setting. The lowest risk is socially distancing, spending much of your time outdoors.

Happy travels!

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid’s Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid’s guide series, was published in 2020, with The Kid’s Guide to Camping coming in 2021.)