Parents and grandparents who believe that travel constitutes an irreplaceable element of a youngster's education are seeking destinations closer to home. They are reappraising significant American landmarks that they can explore with their children and grandchildren. Proximity, affordability, interest and an opportunity to learn are major criteria in choosing an appropriate journey.

Editors of Family Travel Handbook at www.budgettravel.com have picked top sites, reordered from West to East, that every kid should see before he or she morphs into an adult. Most are suitable for youngsters from 6 to 17 and for grownups of all ages.

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor: Our own somber site ranks high on the list of must-sees. Sunk by a surprise attack on Dec. 7, 1941, the USS Arizona remains six feet below the water as a lasting monument to World War II veterans. A memorial that spans the sunken battleship was dedicated in 1962 (www.nps.gov/usar, free).

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: Investigate what wind, water and erosion can do. At 5,000 feet deep and an average of 10 miles across, the Grand Canyon is the most magnificent natural wonder in this country, and perhaps on the planet (www.nps.gov/grca; $12; vehicles $25; kids 16 and under free).

Redwood National Park, California: Everyone feels awed when exploring in the shadows of 300-foot-tall trees — many of which are more than 1,000 years old and some gargantuan enough to drive through (www.nps.gov/redw, free).

The Alamo, San Antonio: The stories of courage in defending this frontier fort against overwhelming Mexican forces will be ever remembered (www.thealamo.org, free).

National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tenn: The motel where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed has been converted into a museum chronicling the African-American struggle from slavery to Rosa Parks and beyond (www.civilrightsmuseum.org, $12; kids, $8.50). Also highly worthwhile for insight into the American black experience: Alabama's Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (www.bcri.org, $10; kids, free) and Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (www.freedomcenter.org; $12; kids, $8).

Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Va.: Kids growing up with e-mail and iPods might not believe it, but there truly was life before electricity, and even before a United States. This 301-acre open-air museum features hundreds of restored, reconstructed and historically furnished buildings, along with costumed guides telling riveting stories of the men and women of the 18th-century city (www.history.org; $37; kids 6 to 17, $18).

Monticello, Va.: Besides the Declaration of Independence, one of Thomas Jefferson's other masterpieces is the estate he designed and tinkered with over the course of five decades, located seven miles from the University of Virginia — which Jefferson also founded (www.monticello.org; tours from $15; kids over 6, $8; free for children 5 and under).

Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.: This is a city of inspiring sights — including the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Jefferson and Vietnam Veterans memorials. Still, the 19-foot marble statue of our 16th president is a can't-miss (www.nps.gov/linc, free).

Gettysburg, Penn.: It's never too early to learn about the sacrifices of those who came before us. In the bloodiest war in our nation's history, this Civil War battlefield was the bloodiest of all. Visitors can also see the spot where President Lincoln delivered his famed Gettysburg Address in 1863 (www.nps.gov/gett, free).

Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Penn: This is where George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the founding fathers laid the nation's foundation in the form of the U.S. Constitution (www.nps.gov/inde, free but tickets for timed tours are required from March through December).

Ellis Island Museum, New York: Approximately 40 percent of Americans today are descended from someone who immigrated through this station. Visiting is a powerful experience, thanks to the smartly curated exhibits — and you get a terrific view of the Statue of Liberty on the same ferry ride that transports you to the island (www.ellisisland.org, free guided tours or audio tours, $6).

Ground zero, New York: The hole in lower Manhattan is sacred ground to all Americans and evokes powerful emotions. The nearby Tribute-WTC Center exhibits crushed firefighter helmets and other sad recovered items (www.tributewtc.org; $10; students, $5; kids 11 and younger, free).

Niagara Falls, New York: The most powerful falls in North America, with as much as 6 million cubic feet of water plummeting over the gorge every minute, have awed visitors — and especially honeymooners — for generations. Try crossing into Canada to see them from the other side (www.nysparks.com, free).

Freedom Trail, Boston: Visit Bunker Hill, Paul Revere's house, and other spots pivotal to the American Revolution. Walk the clearly defined trail on your own for free, or book a tour with a guide in 18th-century garb (www.thefreedomtrail.org; $12; kids, $6).

Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.