Stories

As more places open up from the pandemic, people find themselves breaking out their maps and to-do lists. Everyone wants to travel and everyone wants the comfort of nostalgia. So, why not pursue both? A word of warning: this list may cause major nostalgia. For anyone who's been to these places, daydreamed of them, or seen countless videos and pictures, these places can have a lot of memories attached to them. Have you been to any of them? Are they on your travel list? Disneyland offers a vacation for the whole family Parents and children hold Disneyland as a place near and dear in their hearts. Kids can exert some excited energy in a magical environment while parents chaperone and even enjoy themselves as well. RELATED: Here’s How Nostalgia Can Help You Cope During The Coronavirus Pandemic Though, some people don't want adults without kids to be allowed in places like this. But the place is big enough for everyone, as Disneyland then expands into seven other "lands" to explore. SeaWorld was a surprise hit Originally meant to be an underwater restaurant, SeaWorld ended up being a vast marine park. Located in San Diego, SeaWorld offers educational opportunities amid grand spectacle and engaging architecture. If you know of SeaWorld you might have also heard about the controversies surrounding the place. In 2013, the documentary Blackfish tackled the topic of captured killer whales. The most famous of these remains Shamu, though the original Shamu died decades ago. But performances of this nature are getting phased out, so plan to see something else there instead. Vacation among nature at Great Smoky Mountains National Park Going to this national park puts you among some 11 million other visitors the park sees, making it the most popular and visited in the United States. The sprawling area offers visitors breathtaking scenery without having to leave their cars. The park premises also has some other impressive numbers. For instance, the park has among the highest mountains in the entire eastern North America. Seeing those firsthand means seeing the grandest of them all. The Catskills Mountains are impressive in different ways The Catskills Mountains gained popularity in an area known as the Borsch Belt, and fittingly became a famous vacation spot among those of Eastern European Jewish descent. During its heyday, the area offered grand, luxury hotels for the most opulent of vacations. If you've ever stayed at one of these, you've been to a resort that helped inspire the one in Dirty Dancing. Some of these stunning resorts sought business elsewhere after a time, when the area saw less foot traffic. But plenty still remain that are worth visiting. Niagara Falls offers a truly landmark vacation spot Where Traveler writes that Niagara Falls was a popular honeymoon spot as far back as the 1800s. And in the 1900s, it even got the title, Honeymoon Capital of the World. To this day, it enjoys the same status - though with even more visitors flocking to the falls. Indeed, now Baby Boomers who fondly remember visiting Niagara Falls for a honeymoon and vacation go along with children and grandchildren. There, they can share their experience and history with the breathtaking place. Read onto the NEXT page for MORE nostalgic vacation destinations... Yellowstone National Park is a sight unlike any other Whether you're a photographer looking for a great shot or a scientist talking about remarkable bacteria Yellowstone National Park is probably on your radar. The location's vents of intense heat would be hazardous - even deadly - to almost all other living organisms. But there's a special kind of bacteria, which are called thermophilic, that can actually thrive in those temperatures. Think about that while you visit Old Faithful Geyser, the world's most famous geyser, which happens to be located at Yellowstone National Park. That's hardly the only one you'll see, though, as that park alone has half the world's geysers. A good vacation still includes Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard stood as a well-known secret since the '50s. People went to the area less for the vineyard and more for the chance to sail and fish. Gradually, it got more and more publicity, particularly from presidential visits and the like. Indeed, these visits proved to be the real draw to Martha's Vineyard as a vacation spot, more so even than the making of Jaws in the '70s. But as the spotlight continued to shine on the vineyard, so too did the list of activities people got up to there, from hiking to biking and more. Vacation at Palm Springs, a favorite among the elite This California resort sits in the desert area of Riverside County. A lot of people flock to this location, based on 2010 census data. The census from a decade ago put the population of the Palm Springs area at about 44,552. It's a popular retirement location but attracts a lot of visitors looking to get away from cold weather in their native northern homes. As far as vacations go, some people find it too good to ever fully leave. That's why Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, and Dinah Shore all built second homes there. That's a pretty good selling point! Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today... Vacations to New York offer it all, depending how long you have and where you go. But as a sprawling city with so much to see and do, a lot of people put this high up on their travel list. New York boasts history, scale, and fun. Plus, how many big events take place on various TV programs? How many times have you seen the ball drop on New Year's Eve, a time-honored tradition, and wanted to be there in person? New York as a nostalgic vacation spot is at the center of many attractive opportunities. Fight the cold by skating at the rink at Rockefeller. Support the arts in a cool theater along Broadway. All these and more can be found in the city that never sleeps. Or visit the nation's Capitol for your next vacation New York isn't the only vacation location with a lot of historical weight to it. In fact, as the capital of the United States, Washington D.C. has a lot of momentous parts to the sprawling territory. A vacation can easily turn into the chance to honor the departed at the Vietnam Veterans memorial. Or you can visit the largest library in the country at the Library of Congress - just look out for Nicolas Cage, he has a history with the Declaration of Independence! History fans, in general, have a lot to satisfy their cravings, as the Smithsonian has some 17 museums to go through and learn from. Visitors can embrace feelings of fondness while getting away from the stresses of work. Have you been to any of these locations?