Two dads who visited 48 US states reveal their top underrated family travel picks
- Chris and Rob Taylor launched the first LGBTQ family travel blog
- Together they have visited over 48 states and their goal is to ‘visit them all’
- Their top locations include Hatcher Pass in Alaska and the Maine Highlands
If you want to take a road trip but avoid the crowds, two dads who have visited 48 US states together share their top picks for places to visit that are off the beaten path.
Florida’s Chris and Rob Taylor launched the first LGBTQ family travel blog with their site 2Travel Fathers and plan to visit all 50 states.
Together with their two young children, they want to visit lesser-known destinations so they can all learn something new from the experience.
Speaking with Company InsiderRob arranges Alaska as one of his favorite hidden gems.
Living in the 49th state, he recommends avoiding the popular route along the Parks Highway, which runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks, and opting for a more rugged stretch of road that takes you to Palmer and on to Hatcher Pass.
Florida’s Chris and Rob Taylor are proud to have launched the first LGBTQ family travel blog with their site 2TravelDads. Pictured above in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska
He said of this route, “People skip the really nice side of the state because everyone drives the Parks Highway.
‘On the other hand, you can drive through the wilderness and experience the tundra. It’s not a mainstream destination… [and] It is more than worth the detour.’
Some family-friendly activities include bird watching and moose watching, as well as a mining tour where you can learn more about the history of the area.
If you go to Montana, Rob recommends visiting Glacier National Park, approaching the park from the east side, where there are “far fewer people” and you can have an “experience of disconnection from the rest of the world.”
If you’re short on time in Utah, the avid traveler recommends skipping Zion National Park and opting for the less-visited Canyonlands.
He describes the landscape there as “very red, orange and gold,” with lots of “canyons and washes” to explore.
Capitol Reef, where about a quarter of all visitors to Zion come, might be another option. “Really big sandstone monoliths” and “natural bridges” might be worth a look, for example.
Rob travels to the east coast and calls Columbia in South Carolina a top destination for a city trip.
The metropolis has “a lot of wonderful civil rights and post-Civil War reconstruction history,” and Conagree National Park is a short drive away.
Rob says the following about the beautiful nature reserve: ‘It is a beautiful cypress swamp full of snakes, alligators, birds and fireflies.
“It’s beautiful, it’s creepy, and it’s squishy. It’s a unique park visit with kids.”
Rather than heading to the Maine coast (which gets crowded quickly in warm weather), Rob prefers to head to the Highlands.
If you go to Montana, Rob recommends visiting Glacier National Park, but from the east side.
He says of the picturesque spot: ‘It’s a really beautiful place for wildlife, and you get a sense of what the Northeast was like before the cities became so popular.’
The Visit Maine According to one tourism website, the Highlands are home to “more than 200 waterfalls, countless miles of hiking trails, great hunting opportunities and some of the best snowmobiling in the world.”
Through their website, the Taylors provide advice on traveling throughout the US and a number of international destinations.
They estimate that they drive their car about 6,400 kilometers each year.
Their mission statement is as follows: ‘Our mission is to normalize non-traditional families and promote the acceptance of loving, caring people regardless of family composition.
“Our goal is to empower families like ours to be visible in the world, to travel outside their comfort zones in a safe way, and to pave the way for the next generation of LGBTQ people to feel confident that they are creating the family that’s right for them, wherever they are.”
