Since we travel 200+ days of the year, we try to take the time to celebrate each person in our family. Summer vacation is a great opportunity to plan some dad-focused adventures. You’ll be rewarded for taking the time to do so with memories that will last a lifetime. You don’t have to do it on Father’s Day. Pick a day this summer to celebrate dad with an adventure that you can create for the fathers — and father figures — in your life.

Camping

Camping is an inexpensive and fun activity that many dads enjoy. All of the dads in our family love camping. You can camp at a nearby state or national park or take a road trip to another city or state. Some of our favorite camping spots are in the national parks in Utah. The dad in our immediate family loves Moab, Utah, so this would be an epic dad gift for him.

Camping is also such an amazing opportunity to connect with your family. Most camping locations have poor cell phone service. This means the kids will actually have to put the phone down and communicate with their family members. I always love connecting with the family over s’mores around the campfire.

All Aboard

Dads just love trains! Why not take your dad on an overnight train vacation? It can be a short weekend trip or you can even take week-long train vacations through companies like Vacations by Rail. This company only sells vacations via rail through the U.S., Canada, and Europe. This can be such an incredible way to see the country.

dad day gift ideas

Winery or Brewery

Another great place to take the dads in your family for a surprise is a winery or brewery. If the dad you’re celebrating loves wine, look for a local winery, or even consider going on a longer trip to somewhere like Napa Valley in California.

If he likes beer, you can tour a brewery like Maui Brewing Company in Hawaii. We took a behind-the-scenes tour of this local brewery in Hawaii, and it was an incredible experience to watch how our favorite beer gets made.

Hawaii can be an expensive way to celebrate dad, so you may want to look for a winery or brewery in your own hometown or even a few hours away. A lot of your favorite beers and wines offer behind-the-scenes tours and tasting experiences.

father's day gift ideas

Historic Getaways

My dad loves history! I remember driving eight hours in Georgia just to see a historic land marker. If your father is like this, look for a historic getaway. It can be a trip to Boston or Washington, D.C. It can even be a local trip to a fort or historic land marker. Check to see if they have any behind-the-scenes tours to make it more educational for your history buff.

Dad bonding time ideas

Take Him Out to the Ball Game

If your dad is a sports buff, look into his favorite sport. It could be the off-season for his favorite team, but those are usually some of the best opportunities. Check to see if they’re offering any tours or events this summer. Our local baseball stadium has backstage tours during the off-season. Sports dads would love this type of experience.

dad gift ideas

The Need for Speed

For the race car fan in your family, driving behind the wheel of a race car is the ultimate experiential gift. I have been lucky enough to drive behind an Indycar and a Nascar race car. Both experiences are exhilarating!

Check the race tracks near you to see if they offer tours or car-driving experiences. As a Floridian, I have the Daytona 500 race track about two hours from me. It offers tours, the Daytona 500 Experience attraction, and the Daytona 500 Racing Experience. Doing one — or all — of these experiences would be a thrill for a race car fan.

dad gift golf

Tee Time

Golf is such a popular sport with fathers of all ages. One of our favorite golf destinations is Orlando, Florida. There are more than 150 golf courses in Orlando (including Disney World), and you’ll have sunny skies all year long.

Most golfing destinations also have hotel packages, so the dad can hit some balls on the green and the family can enjoy the pool and hotel amenities afterward. It is a win-win!

Think about the dads in your family this summer. What adventures would they love? It can be an adventure in your hometown — or around the world. This summer, help create memories for the dads in your life.

About the author

Allison Jones

Allison Jones

Allison loves to play! Her entire business focuses around playing. For her job, she gets to ride roller coasters at theme parks, zip line across cruise ships, or snorkel with turtles in Hawaii. She created and runs an online travel business at www.destinationsinflorida.com, specializing in family travel. She gets to travel around the world playing with her husband and two kids, Kelly and Hunter. You can follow along with The Jones Family on their travel YouTube channel,Jones Family Travels, or at www.jonesfamilytravels.com.

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