DFW
Anywhere from Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth sits in the middle of the map, which makes both coasts and the Caribbean ordinary long weekends.
These are places with enough of a reason to leave Dallas/Fort Worth, not a thin list of every airport code we know. Prices are not shown here because a fare without a live source would be a guess.
Destin
Clear water and a kitchen, which is the whole brief for a lot of families.
May, early June, and September. Spring break and July are the crowded, expensive weeks.
Cancún
A beach reset with meals included, close enough for a long weekend from much of the East and Midwest.
December through April for drier days. Summer is hotter, cheaper, and still very swimmable.
Denver and the Rockies
Mountains without committing to a resort town price on night one.
June through September for high trails. December through March if the wish is actually about snow.
New Orleans
A city with a point of view, reachable from most of the South in a short hop or a drive.
February through May, and late fall. Summer is a steam bath with excellent food.
San Diego
Mild weather and a city you can enjoy without a packed schedule.
March through June and September through November. June can be gray in the morning and perfect by lunch.
Orlando
Theme parks, warm water, and a flight that is nonstop from a lot of US cities.
Late January through early May, and again in November, when the parks are cooler and slightly quieter.