In 1620 the Pilgrims docked at Plymouth, liked what they saw, and settled in. They weren't the only ones in the neighborhood, the Wampanoag Indians had lived in the area for centuries and showed the Pilgrims how to plant crops to survive. On our visit to Plymouth, it was fun to see the houses of our kids' ancestors, John and Elizabeth Howland. On the Mayflower voyage, John Howland fell overboard, but lived to tell the tale.

Tip: The combination ticket for Plimoth Patuxet and Mayflower II is a saving and good for 2 consecutive days. Plimoth is about 3 miles outside the town of Plymouth, where the Mayflower II is docked.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels, all styles and price ranges, convenient to fun things to do with kids in Plymouth: