5 Places for an Autism Friendly President’s Day Weekend Getaway

President’s Day is a federal holiday that gives numerous students around the country a long weekend or an entire week off from school. The amount of time your kids will be off is dependent on where you live. But no matter how many days your autistic family has to enjoy together, this is the perfect time to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Today, I am sharing my five favorite places for an autism friendly President’s Day weekend getaway. Now is the perfect time to start planning this amazing autism friendly trip with your family. 

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What to Keep in Mind for Your Autism Friendly President’s Weekend Getaway

The very first thing you need to keep in mind if you are traveling for President’s Day weekend is certain areas will be busier than normal. Many of those areas are on the list of my favorite places that I am sharing with you today. However, it is completely possible to enjoy your time away from home with your autistic family in these destinations. All you need to do is plan your time carefully and keep your autistic child’s needs in mind. 

Since this is the offseason in some destinations, you will find some affordable airfares. You may not need to fly to reach one of my favorite autism friendly President’s Day weekend getaways though. If you live within 4 to 6 hours of these destinations, you may be able to drive there without it being a major problem. 

I do recommend keeping in mind how many days you have for your getaway when planning this trip. You won’t want to travel too far if you only have 4 days for both travel and sightseeing. 

You will be able to travel much further if you have an entire week off to spend with your wonderful family! 

This post contains affiliate links, I earn a small commission if you decide to purchase something, this helps me keep blog posts like this one and running the site!

5 Places for an Autism Friendly President’s Day Weekend Getaway

Park City, Utah

President’s Day weekend falls in the middle of winter. And what better place to enjoy the snow and the cold than Park City, Utah? 

If your autistic family loves to ski and snowboard, Park City should be at the top of your list. There are plenty of family-friendly slopes in this area. Some of the resorts allow kids to ski and snowboard for free too. This will be helpful if your autistic child doesn’t love to ski or snowboard as much as the rest of the family. 

Oh, and if you aren’t into spending too much time out on the slopes, you have options. The resort villages are packed with other things to do during this fabulous time away from home. 

Any National Park 

There are 63 national parks in the US. However, once you add in National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Seashores, and a few others, that total grows to 423 national park sites. 

So, what better way to spend your President’s Day weekend getaway than exploring one of them with your family? You should be able to find one that is fairly close to where you live. 

If you want options though, Rocky Mountain National Park and Grand Canyon National Park are both gorgeous on President’s Day weekend. 

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia is an excellent place for a President’s Day weekend getaway. Your autistic family will love learning about history during your visit. 

Begin in Colonial Williamsburg and learn about a few of the past presidents of our country. You can even tour many of the President's homes in the area. 

Other places of interest include the Yorktown Battlefield, Poor Potter Archaeological Site, and the Yorktown Victory Monument. 

While in Williamsburg, you can skip the history lesson one day and enjoy the rides at Busch Gardens instead. I’m sure the kids won’t mind! 

Washington D.C.

A long weekend in Washington D.C., or an entire week, can be filled with everything this area has to offer. It is very easy for an autistic child to become overwhelmed in Washington D.C.. So you must plan your days carefully and avoid doing too much. 

Your time can be spent visiting many of the memorials and monuments. The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Jefferson Memorial are 3 that are perfect for visiting on President’s Day weekend. 

Or you can wander from one Smithsonian Museum to another. There are 17 of these museums in D.C. And 11 of them are right on the National Mall. 

Spending this time in Washington D.C. will give your kids a glimpse into our nation’s history. And yet, there are so many other things still waiting for you to experience during future visits! 

Alexandria, Virginia

There is no better way to celebrate President’s Day weekend than by heading to Alexandria to celebrate George Washington! Alexandria is our first president’s adopted hometown. This city is approximately 8 miles from Mount Vernon. 

During your visit this holiday weekend, I recommend watching the parade and the Revolutionary War reenactment. And if you happen to dine in a local restaurant, try one of the cherry-based dishes. These dishes are featured the most this weekend and they are quite yummy! 

These are my 5 favorite places for an autism friendly President’s Day weekend getaway. There are a few other places you can visit though to experience history firsthand. We can chat about which historical destinations are closest to your home if you only have a long weekend for your trip. And if you are lucky enough to have an entire week to travel, we can discuss your favorite historical destinations further from home. Contact me to get started with planning this amazing autism friendly vacation, in the destination of your choice, and teach your kids that travel is for everyone!