April just might be the best month for traveling with your family. In many parts of the country, you’ll enjoy milder weather and the beginning of spring blooms. If you’re overdue for a getaway and need a few ideas for your trip, we’ve rounded up the 16 most fun April travel destinations.

There might still be a chill in the air if you’re spending your April vacation in Grand Rapids, but it’s the perfect time to see the cherry blossoms at the 85-acre Leila Arboretum. Plus, if you need to warm up, grab a coffee and a donut at the family-owned Sweetwater’s Donut Mill before or after your trip. Visiting on a weekend? See the Kingman Museum, a natural history museum with free admission located on the grounds of the arboretum. If April showers put a damper on the trip, head to the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The 15,000-square-foot indoor garden houses exotic orchids, fig trees and a waterfall.

This month in Louisville, gear up for the Kentucky Derby with a slew of events that make the city rank high on the list of April travel destinations. If possible, book your trip mid-month or later to enjoy the most choices as the city prepares for the big event in May. Keep your eyes on the skies for the mid-month Thunder Over Louisville Air Show and Fireworks event, or please your palate at the Taste of Derby Festival if you’re traveling with foodies. One of the most beautiful sights will be in the skies later in the month when the BB&T Great BalloonFest takes over Louisville. Or send April off in style with BB Riverboats in the Great Steamboat Race featuring classic riverboats and the family-friendly, equestrian-themed Pegasus Parade.

If you’re into sports, Pittsburgh is another one of the best places to visit in April. You can kick off the month with the last Pittsburgh Penguins home hockey game or catch a Pittsburgh Pirates game most weeks. Early April offers fun for lovers of international pop culture with the Tekko event, an annual Pittsburgh convention celebrating Japanese pop culture, fashion, anime and more. April in Pittsburgh also means the annual re-opening of the patio at the Café at the Frick, one of the city’s most beautiful settings for enjoying locally-sourced, seasonal fare.

Baltimore is one of the best April travel destinations, especially for families. The main reason: Baltimore has some of the best museums in the country (and many, like the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum, are free). On a sunny day, walk around the Inner Harbor to the American Visionary Art Museum, where “The Secret Life of Earth” art exhibit is ideal viewing for Earth Day. Then, take a quick trip to Sherwood Gardens to see 80,000 tulips in bloom (the flowers are usually at their peak bloom during the last week of April). If you’re visiting Baltimore around Easter, the Maryland Zoo holds its annual Bunny BonanZoo. The celebration includes nonstop Easter egg hunts and a chance to see animals play with special Easter eggs.

It may drizzle in April in Seattle, but that shouldn’t dampen your fun as the mercury climbs up to the high 50s. Pops of brilliant color—the forms of annual flower blossoms brighten overcast days. Take a day trip to Mount Vernon and see thousands of tulips at the popular Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The University of Washington campus is awash in cherry blossoms each Spring. The season is short, but the University’s Twitter account will keep you up to date on the best time to see them. Nothing says Spring like a baseball game. Catch the Seattle Mariners play at T-Mobile Park—seats are less expensive in the outfield—and sample some unusual treats. Food vendors have included everything from wontons to fried crickets.

Whether you’re traveling with family or friends, Nashville is one of the most interesting places to visit in April. The month is known as “Awesome April” here, because there’s an event going on every week—from the earlier Nashville Comedy Festival to the later St. Jude Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon. The April event calendar also includes Nashville Fashion Week and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day at Centennial Park. Got kids? Take them to the mid-month Easter Bunny Excursion at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. There, you’ll hop aboard a vintage locomotive for a trip to the historic city of Watertown for Easter fun. (Pro tip: Book early to get a seat in the glass-enclosed section of the dome car for the best views.)

With an average high of 73, Charlotte’s April weather will inspire you to get outside—and the late-April Tuck Fest at the U.S. National Whitewater Center will inspire you to enjoy every minute. This annual celebration of all things outdoors includes everything from kayak and bike races to yoga classes (including kid-friendly sessions) and live music. If you’d rather take it easy, the Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend is an ideal way to treat yourself. Or combine food and fitness at the Charlotte Rail Trail, a public trail that happens to take you by the city’s best breweries.

A vacation to Pigeon Forge is full of family fun and usually centered around a visit to Dollywood—and you can expect to catch the annual Festival of Nations (a showcase of international food and entertainment at Dollywood) through mid-month. If you’re looking for something different from the usual park experience, go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the annual late-April Wildflower Pilgrimage, where you can join guided hikes to enjoy blooming flowers. For a slower-paced hike, there’s the Riverwalk Greenway Trail, a pet-friendly 4-mile paved loop trail that follows the scenic Pigeon River. Hungry? If you’re in town at the beginning of April, you can fill up at the Chuck Wagon Cookoff Competition while you learn about the Old West one plate at a time.

If you’re looking for April vacation ideas for families, Greensboro is an ideal location. The smaller scale of the city makes it easy to explore with kids or teens. Plus, the mid-April activities tend to be fun for all ages—like the annual Sound of Music Singalong and other classic film screenings at the Carolina Theatre, a historic venue dating back to 1927. The Greensboro Farmers Curb Market (Saturdays and Wednesdays starting mid-month) offers affordable fun as host to the annual Crepe Breakfast and Go Green Garden Show events. Or pack a lunch and head to downtown LeBauer Park, which you’ll spot easily thanks to an installation of colorful suspended nets titled “Where We Met” above the park. A perfect spot for kids and families, the park features a Sensory Space interactive sculpture, a playground, a dog park, an ornamental garden, ping-pong and foosball tables, interactive fountains and at least three walkable local food options, as well as occasional live music performances. While you’re here, walk over to Center City Park to see the peaceful sculptural fountains—you might also catch some live music at the park’s bandshell stage.

Portlanders emerge from hibernation in April, lured outdoors by blooming flowers and civilized early Spring temperatures in the low 50s. Portland, Maine’s peninsula—7 miles of alleyways, city trails and sidewalks—feature views of Mount Washington. Learn more about the state’s top crustacean on a lobstering tour. The 90-minute Lucky Catch Cruises on the waters of Casco Bay immerse you in the daily routine of lobstermen. You’ll sail past lighthouses and Civil War forts and haul up traps. There’s no shortage of lobster rolls to be sampled in Portland. The bougie Highroller Lobster Company serves theirs on a brioche roll, or try the lobster grilled cheese sandwich. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a stop by Gorgeous Gelato in the Old Port for an all-natural selection of Italian treats.

The cuisine of New Orleans’ French Quarter is so good, you’d normally need a few vacations to try it all. Or you could plan your New Orleans vacation to coincide with the mid-April French Quarter Festival, featuring more than 60 food and beverage booths from the region’s best restaurants and bars and jazz music from over 20 stages. You'll also find plenty of food, music and fun at the end of April at the famed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. If your April vacation takes you to New Orleans early in the month, you can enjoy a festival-like atmosphere at the new Pythian Market any time. There are multiple food and drink vendors, plus a schedule of fun competitive events, like trivia or drag bingo.

If you’re trying to narrow down where to travel in April, consider Austin. The weather is warm (but not searing) and the South by Southwest festival has finished, so there are considerably fewer crowds. You might even make a few new local friends as you score a vintage bargain at the Austin City-Wide Vintage Sale. You can also tour the houses at the annual Weird Homes Tour. In the middle of the month, immerse yourself in the art scene at Art City Austin, where you can view the works of over 75 national artists, rock out to performances on two music stages and sample new flavors from local restaurants. Also mid-month is the Fusebox Festival, featuring an eclectic mix of theater, dance, film, music, literature, visual and culinary arts that trend toward the adventurous

With it’s proximity to outdoor fun in Arches National Park, Moab is heaven for active types. If you’re feeling adventurous, sign up at the start of April for the annual Easter Jeep Safari, a series of day-long trail rides and “safaris.” You’ll have to bring your own Jeep (there are rentals in town), food and fuel. (If you’ve got family in tow, the drive into and around Moab on Utah State Route 128 is widely considered one of the most scenic highways in the country.) Moab also has some of the darkest skies you’ll find in the lower 48, creating some of the best opportunities for stargazing. Dead Horse Point State Park is the most accessible place to enjoy the night sky (and park staff often schedule night programs for guided tours of the heavens). Try to plan your trip to see early April’s “Pink Moon,” or come in late April for the Lyrids meteor shower. Regardless of your plans, you’ll probably want a bit of caffeine to make it through the day. The Wicked Brew Espresso Drive Thru will keep your energy levels high.

Things to do in Wilmington include the early-April Azalea Festival, which celebrates the colorful blooming bushes. But it offers so much more: There’s fireworks, chalk art, a multicultural street fair, races and a shag contest (the dance of the South) on the banks of the Cape Fear, just to name a few. But if you miss the festival, you won’t miss out on seeing stunning flowers. Just go to the Airlie Gardens, open daily. The fishing is also great this time of year in Wilmington (and even more so when you head to nearby Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach). Add this fishing trip checklist to your tackle box before you visit. In April, bonito and gray trout signal the start of fishing season. Stay in the city limits and head to River Road Park. Located on the edge of the Cape Fear River, this park has a fishing pier and a small boat ramp. Just an FYI: Before you cast your line, you’ll need a fishing license, available from most area bait and tackle stores.

Say goodbye to lingering winter blues with a trip to the El Paso Municipal Rose Garden. April visitors can experience the full bloom of the garden’s 1,900 bushes, which include more than 500 different varieties of roses. Afterward, take a trip to one of the two big festivals this month—the annual El Paso Lobster Festival, where live Maine lobster is prepared in the World’s Largest Cooker, and the El Paso Comic-Con, where the guests include William Shatner. Then, enjoy dinner and a show at the University of Texas at El Paso Dinner Theater, the only year-round full-time dinner theater on a college campus in the country.

Athens, Georgia is a college town—go Dawgs!—so naturally it knows how to party. April rolls around with temperatures in the low to mid 70s, ushering in the festival season. The UGA International Student Life Festival, now in its 22nd year, is first up. Held in College Square and free of charge, it’s a celebration of cultural exchange with performances, food and fun for the whole family, featuring a children’s corner with craft activities. In late April, the streets of downtown Athens overflow with pro-am cyclists from all over the U.S. and the world, and their supporters for the Twilight Criterium. This free block party includes an expo, fireworks and food. Also free, the Springtacular Makers Market showcases the creativity of modern makers, artists and vintage curators—more than 100 of them—under balmy Georgia skies at Bishop Park. Food trucks and live music for which the town is famous for, add to the good time. Pick up something for your favorite mom at the market.