Suggestions for the first 70.3

I've only done one HIM, Steelhead, in 2006 before WTC took it over.  Lake Michigan is a wildcard, but the bike and run were decent courses.  

Wisconsin offered about a half-dozen HIM's (10 years ago).  

Those have the advantage of proximity meaning relatively easy travel logistics.  

I've used IM's as justification to go to some destination.  IMCdA to hit Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, and Glacier NP (not to mention the Corn Palace in Mitchell SD) on a 2 week driving vacation.  Vineman to visit NoCA wine country, Yosemite, and San Fran.  

Maybe ask your kids to help pick destinations and then research races in their top choices?  

NC70.3 (Wilmingon) could be a good destination.  A bit of a drive, but usually decent weather (disregard Hurricane Florence), a fast swim (I went 48:00 vs. my usual 1:10:00 at B2B), relatively flat single loop bike, and well shaded run.  (B2B was taken over by WTC and since discontinued.)  I think it's during the school year so combining it with "family vacation" may be a challenge.  

I was going to suggest Chattanooga too but its a May race.  She has a marathon in April so I would think she needs a July or later race.  That's going to mean a hot race...probably Ohio or Muncie would be good choices (especially since she doesn't have a wetsuit).

Barrelman in Niagara Falls, google says it's an 8 hour drive.  https://niagarafallstriathlon.com/

Swim is a single loop in a rowing basin, very easy to navigate.  Bike is flat on quiet roads and the two loop run goes past the waterfall twice.  It is very beginner friendly, they cap the registrations around 1000 and space the waves out well so it is not crowded at all.  The bike is point to point but don't let that sway you, they have the logistics of getting everyone where they need to be down pat.  Highly recommend the race to anyone. 

Added bonus is the race fees are in Canadian $ so you get a 20% discount coming from the USA! 

 Edit to add that a wetsuit wouldn't be a requirement at all.  This year there was worry from many people that it wouldn't be wetsuit legal, I think it ended up being about 2 degrees C below the cutoff on race morning.

I really liked the Door County Half Iron.  The swim can be quite wavy (like any open water I suppose) if the weather is bad, but it's by Green Bay so protected a bit.  On my race day it was totally flat.   I was (am) a very nervous swimmer and felt very comfortable.  They had something like 40 buoys!  I hope they still do that.   Very comforting.

The bike is dead easy and the run is mostly rolling hills, but two good inclines.  Although I would rule it out because of that.

Also,  price, location, natural beauty.   

It's been 8 years since I did the race, so there's that grain of salt, but I've always heard good things.

The New Orleans swim can be very hard.  FWIW, I know a couple of guys that raced it a couple of years ago, both uber swimmers. They said conditions were very tough on race day...one of their hardest swims.  One of the guys was first out of the water at Kona several years ago and the other one was 6th in the Oly trials 1500 one year.  It was a wetsuit swim with the April date.  I'm guessing it's probably still a wetsuit swim with the October date.

If you are not entirely set on doing a branded 70.3, then you can consider an independent one.  Someone posted a pretty comprehensive list of independent 70.3 races on the ST forum a while back.  Go to the triathlon forum and use the search feature to find  "Complete (mostly) list of Independent Half Distance Races".  Another poster on the thread created this map (Independent 70.3 Races - North America).  I'm sure you'll find a few within your travel zone.