Just because the kids are back in school doesn’t mean that learning should be restricted to the classroom. As Mark Twain (and Peter) say, “Don’t let school interfere with your education.” With the Election Day fast approaching, travel is one way to let your kids learn about U.S. history, the presidency and the election process. In her Window Seat or Aisle Seat column this month Kerri Zane, family travel expert and author of It Takes All 5: A Single Mom’s Guide to Finding the REAL One, on sale now, offers up four historic trip ideas perfect for families.

Did you watch the presidential conventions as a family? The conventions have sparked debates across the nation all gearing up for Election Day, November 6, 2012. As a single mom and an experiential learner, I am a big fan of making education come to life. There is no better way to do this, than organizing a family vacation to the places where presidential history happened.

Ken Budd, author of The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem, knows first-hand the power of experiential traveling. Not only did Ken travel to a destination, he spent his time volunteering in meaningful actions like rebuilding homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and caring for abandoned infants in Kenya. Budd said, “Everywhere I went I learned about that place on a far deeper level.” He suggested that when planning an experiential educational vacation think like a kid. Go for the full adventure not a just tour!

Middle school educator, mother of four, and author of Mom! There’s a Lion in the Toilet, Lisa Anderson said it best, “Parents can provide invaluable experiences with real-life field trips to explore the places and cultures that are covered in the school curriculum. They can also instill a love of life-long learning, by sharing in the visits as a family.”

Here are four ways to make history come to life for your children and bring a whole new light to Election Day results in your home.

Presidential Roadtrip

For a solid overall presidential history lesson I would suggest you check out the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area. Known as “Where America Happened,” this area holds more American history than any other region in the Nation. Within the 180 mile swath of land that runs from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia, there are nine Presidential homes, 13 National Parks, 16 National Historic Landmarks, 47 National Historic Districts, 30 historic towns and villages, and the largest single collection of Civil War sites in the nation (remember many major Civil War 150th anniversary events taking place for the next 2 years). In addition to the Civil War, there are Native American and African American sties, French and Indian War sites and so much more. The hallowed ground website offers families a self-guided map, travel book and additional reference materials for more interpretive and historic details about the sites within the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area. Further it can assist with packaged tours through licensed operators. The site even has educational programs so your children can learn about some of the sites before, during, and after their travels as well.

Inside the U.S. Capital

Rotunda of the National Archives

Jump right in to the thick of Presidential mania with a visit to our nation’s capital. Your kids can learn about how this great nation got its start by visiting the National Museum of American History. As part of the Smithsonian Collection, this museum is open to the public with no charge and features artifacts like Abraham Lincoln’s top hat and George Washington’s uniform. To get a closer look at our founding fathers, the National Archives houses many of the documents that frame the way we live today including the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

It’s not just about sightseeing. Why not also sleep in history at The Madison? Opened in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, The Madison is one of the most distinguished hotels in the city. Referred to as “Washington’s Correct Address,” the hotel has played pivotal roles in international politics, acting as a temporary Kremlin in 1987 while Soviet leaders met with the Reagan Administration as well as a temporary Oval Office for George W. Bush, just before he took office in 2000. The Madison is a short walk from the White House, the National Mall and the Smithsonian Museums. To book a historic trip to Washington, D.C., visit them online or call 1-800-424-8577.

Outside the U.S. Capital

Monticello, image credit Wikimedia, user: YF12s

It’s not just about Washington, D.C. Consider a trip to the Holladay House Bed and Breakfast, located an hour and a half outside of Washington D.C., in Virginia’s wine country. Why?  The Inn sits near to six Presidential mansions.

Friendly and knowledgeable B & B owner, Sharon Elswick says, “Get past memorizing that list of presidents and vice-presidents and visit where they grew up, conceived the country, engaged in other pursuits of the day, and died.”

Three miles from the inn is James Madison’s Montpelier. There you and your children can learn the story of James Madison, the man who wrote the Constitution, and his First Lady, Dolly Madison. Twenty-eight miles from the Inn is Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, on the UNESCO list and James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland. A little further, seventy miles from the Inn is George Washington’s Mt. Vernon and Woodrow Wilson’s Presidential Library. All sites are kid-friendly with lots of hands-on demonstrations, kids only tours and plenty of room to run around and explore. The Inn accepts children of all ages. For more information contact Sharon and Sam Elswick innkeeper @ holladayhousebandb.com

All Around the U.S. Capital

Washington, D.C. is located next to Maryland, where in the state’s capital, Baltimore, has a rich history of its own. Right now, the Hyatt Regency Baltimore is showing guests all the history surrounding the War of 1812. There are walking tours that highlight twenty historic venues and museums associated with the War of 1812. Sites include the Maryland Historical Society, the home of the original manuscript of “The Star-Spangled Banner” the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, where the 30-by-42-foot flag that flew over the fort during the Battle of Baltimore was sewn; and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine where U.S. soldiers fought off the British Navy’s 25-hour bombardment and changed the course of the war and more. Then you can take a Star-Spangled Banner Harbor Cruise to see where Francis Scott Key saw the bombs bursting in air and was inspired to write the poem that would go on to become our National Anthem. Finally check out three of Baltimore’s most celebrated African American museums, the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, and the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park.

For more historic ideas, check out:

• Travel Tip: Visiting Historic Estates
• Slideshow: Historic Travel in 2012
• Six Great Back to School Family Vacation Idea
• Washington, DC Travel for Obama Inauguration & Beyond

By Kerri Zane for PeterGreenberg.com. For more advice on health, beauty and travel, visit her on the Web at KerriZane.com.