TL;DR
- Traveling is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day.
- There is a destination for every mom.
- Make sure you have a plan so she can fully enjoy the trip.
Mother’s Day is around the corner and you can make it even more special with a trip to a destination she loves. There are plenty of options to choose from, depending on your mom’s personality, so we tried to narrow it down a bit. Here are some destinations you can take her to for this special Sunday holiday.
Outdoorsy Mom
Our country has plenty of national parks that offer a variety of scenery and close contact with nature. We recently posted an awesome list with plenty of options depending on where you live.
However, you don’t have to fly or drive across the continent just to take her to see wildlife. Look it up to see if your state has campgrounds available already or a cabin in the woods you can rent for the weekend. Just the peaceful atmosphere of an isolated accommodation and the sound of birds should make this Mother’s Day even more special for her.
Artsy Mom
With concerts not quite yet back the way they used to be, an artsy mom could enjoy at least some time at a museum. We selected a few small-town destinations with interesting art galleries to include in your itinerary.
In Jackson, WY, you can find the National Museum of Wildlife Art. It includes more than 14 galleries with more than 5,000 pieces of art; In Water Mill, NY, there is the Parrish Art Museum holds more than 2,600 art pieces, including the largest public collection of work from William Merritt Chase.
When visiting Bentonville, AR, you may stop by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Its collection combines 400 pieces, including a portrait of George Washington, Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter, and Andy Warhol’s Dolly Parton.
Sports Mom
If your mom is a huge and loud fan of sports there are several destinations you may take her to. The NBA season is sailing fast and you don’t need to be in the arena to enjoy it. Regardless if you are in Pennsylvania or Utah, there are other cities with plenty of sport bars you can visit to watch any game, like Dallas, Indianapolis, or even Madison, WI, considered “America’s greatest college sports town,” according to ESPN.
Foodie Mom
Why settle for just a Mother’s Day lunch or dinner if you can have an entire weekend tasting different recipes? If your mom is down to a gastronomic destination, here are some options.
Breweries
To crack a cold one with the family, you may have to take an exit from the big urban centers and head to:
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Duluth, Minnesota
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Lubbock, Texas
- Missoula, Montana
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Sonoma County, California
- The Hudson Valley, New York
- Yakima, Washington
Seafood
From classics like fish and chips to more eccentric dishes, if your mom prefers to eat seafood for Mother’s Day, these are some cities you may try:
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Georgetown, Maine
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Provincetown, Massachusetts
May is the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in America, which means there is a lot of seafood to try across the country. Check out our post about where to eat Asian food in the U.S.
Vegan
If your mom would rather avoid meat on Mother’s Day, that’s no problem at all. The country is full of vegan-friendly cities. Here are some of them:
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Antonio, Texas
- Tucson, Arizona
BONUS: Travel Essentials Gifts
Packing it up
If your mom loves to travel, there are some essential products you can buy to make sure her next trip goes smoothly.
For moms who like casual traveling, it is important to always bring strong and durable luggage. There are plenty of options online. Make sure to check all the features, if it includes safety locks and extra compartments.
You can also upgrade your gift and get her some packing cubes. They are great to keep all your clothes and accessories separated, so if you need to open or repack, you only open the cubes you really need. You can mix and match with different sizes and colors but make sure they fit in her luggage.
Other moms may prefer bigger backpacks for more adventurous destinations. Ideally, you would bring her to the store and let her test the backpack first, since there is a sweet spot between the backpack adjustments and the person’s size.
Pay attention to the features the backpack offers, such as waterproof materials, external compartments for a water bottle, cushion for her back, and if it feels comfortable on her hips.
On the airplane
Traveling by airplane can be a bit challenging depending on how many hours you are staying inside the aircraft. If you want to buy your mom a nice present to make her flights easier, you should focus on comfort and entertainment.
One very good place to start is investing in a nice pair of noise-canceling headphones. This technology eliminates constant and unwanted sounds in the vicinity, and isolates your brain from being disturbed by them. It is the best experience to listen to music, podcast, or simply white noise for sleeping.
To pair with the headphones, you may also present her with a sleeping mask. This is great not only for where she is in the air but also at any accomodation. Her eyes will thank you and she will be able to wake up well rested.
If she would rather stay busy on the airplane, a book (or e-reader) is a great idea. Find a topic she is deeply interested in or a novel with a thrilling story she may devour in a few hours.
On the street
What is traveling if you can’t take good pictures? Despite the fact that we all have a camera on our phones these days, maybe your mom wants to upgrade her photo game and go pro or semi-pro.
In that case, a DSLR or a mirrorless camera should be a great Mother’s Day present. Check carefully if the box comes with a lens and not just the body. You can also get her extra batteries and a memory card.
For moms who like to walk a lot or enjoy off-road paths, a pair of hiking boots is a great gift. If they come with gore-tex — a powerful waterproof technology — they should last longer hikes and harder weathers.
Whatever your Mother’s Day present may be, don’t forget that having you in her life is the greatest destination she could ever wish for.
Have a nice trip!
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That’s all folks! See you in our next publiCATTions!
Photos: unsplash.com
