Yosemite National Park

Standing in El Capitan Meadow, you crane your neck back and still can't fit the whole wall of granite into your field of view — it's just that big, and it doesn't feel real until you're actually there. Most families passing through spend time on the Valley Floor, pulling over at Valley View to get their bearings before walking the Mirror Lake Loop, an easy five-mile trail that winds through forest and along the base of the canyon walls. It's flat enough for kids who aren't serious hikers but interesting enough that nobody's checking their phone. In Yosemite Village, the Ansel Adams Gallery is worth a stop — not because you have to, but because seeing his prints in the place where he took them hits differently than a museum wall. For meals, Degnan's Kitchen in the Village handles a quick lunch without much fuss, and if you're willing to call ahead and check the dress code, dinner at The Ahwahnee Dining Room is the kind of meal the trip ends up being remembered for. If you're mapping out a California road trip and trying to figure out whether Yosemite is worth the detour, the trips people have actually planned through here might help you decide what fits your family's pace.