Summer is winding down: try something out of your comfort zone – like Via Ferrata!
By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids
Via Ferrata, anyone? It’s an assisted high-alpine, high-adrenaline climbing adventure, I learned at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico.
There are only a few in the United States. Here at an altitude of 11,500 feet, it features a 100-foot- long skybridge suspended in the air, a double-cable catwalk and fixed iron rungs in rock cliffs at 11,500 feet. There are several in Colorado, including Telluride and Ouray.
Gulp. Matt Kahabka, a former chemical engineer, who is an EMT and ski patroler in the winter, leads Taos Ski Valley Via Ferrata tours in the summer. Instead, he took me around the mountain in a UTV (utility terrain vehicle).
Kahabka said this experience is particularly popular with families with teens (kids must be 12). It doesn’t necessarily require climbing experience. “We find routes that work for everyone’s level of experience,” he said. “Some parents drop their kids and say, ‘bring them back tired.’”
Maybe you never got away this summer. Even if the kids have already started school, you can grab at least a weekend away with Labor Day coming up. (We loved The Blake at Taos Ski Valley at the heart of the resort where a two-bedroom unit was ideal for our getaway.) Maybe you want an adult getaway after dropping your last child at college.
Maybe you want an adventure in the mountains like Via Ferrata or a steep mountain biking course. Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park Resort just 42 miles from Denver features more than 40 miles of trails, including jumps and excellent progression areas for learning. Keystone Resort, about 50 miles from Denver, is known for rugged technical terrain and now has a new deluxe hotel, Kindred Resort.
Maybe you prefer theme park thrills. Save on one-day Silver Dollar City tickets in the Ozarks for just $69. Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey is touting a special DC Heroes and Villains Fest on select nights through Aug. 30 with immersive experiences and appearances by favorite characters, including Batman and Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman and more.
Both Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau and Grove Resort & Water Park Orlando offer complimentary water park access with every stay.
Look for hotel and resort deals. The Resort at Glade Springs in West Virginia is offering 15 percent discount, plus breakfast, until the end of September. There are pools, pickleball courts, fishing access at Mallard Lake and two kids stay and eat breakfast free when sharing a room with an adult.
At New Hampshire’s Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, save 20 percent on your late-summer stay; in Florida, Save 30 percent on a three-night stay at Islamorada Resort Collection and receive a $200 resort credit to spend on dining and drinks when booking the Celebrate the Florida Keys.
Save up to 20 percent at the Marriott Cancun, an all-inclusive resort when booking a stay of three nights or more by Aug. 27, 2026, for travel through September. (Kids will love the interactive splash park.) Families can also save big on all-inclusives getaways at Beaches Resorts’ new Endless Summer Sale, available to book at Beaches Turks & Caicos and Beaches Negril – up to $1,750, including airline credits.
Consider a cruise. You may well be able to sail from a port that’s a drivable distance from home. There are many that are just three or four days. The deals change often so check the special offers page, like that for Carnival Cruise Lines and book as soon as you see a deal that works for you. Cruise Critic enables you to search for the best deals on last-minute cruises with some under $100 a night. Look for deals that offer upgrades, discounts, onboard credits and kids-free, if you are taking the kids. MSC Cruises is running a sale from now through Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, that includes: Up to 35 percent off cruises, up to $500 onboard credit, and kids sail free. Holland America’s Save on Sunshine deal features up to 40 percent off select sailings, onboard credit and free kids fares starting at under $100 per person per day.
But perhaps you want to take an adult-oriented cruise to celebrate becoming an empty-nester. Windstar Cruises, known for their small-ship sailing yachts has some deals offering a complimentary all-inclusive package and reduced deposits, as well as last-minute deals. Celebrity Cruises is touting 75 percent off the second person in a cabin, plus other discounts. Cruise Croatia, Croatia’s largest small-ship cruise company, is offering discounts on upcoming departures in September and October 2026, and guests can save over $750 on select sailings complete with local guided experiences.
Opt for a city escape. How about St. Louis? Forest Park, recently named the “best city park” in the country by USA Today, is celebrating its 150th anniversary with special events. Get the new Forest Park Passport, an interactive guide featuring more than 150 activities, including hidden gems throughout the park. James S. McDonnell Planetarium has just reopened with new live shows and hi-resolution digital programming. Come on Aug. 29 for Paint Louis, the world’s largest graffiti festival with more than 400 street artists transforming two miles of the Mississippi River Floodwall into a masterpiece. Perhaps there is an end-of-summer festival in a city near your home?
Get your kicks on Route 66, which is celebrating its centennial. Drive from Albuquerque, which has the longest continuous urban stretch, 18 miles. Drive the stretch from Chicago to St. Louis and Loews Midwest hotels is touting Loews on 66, inspired by the original stretch of the Mother Road from Chicago to St. Louis, including themed suites, rental car discounts, a retro pop-up diner in Chicago and a soda fountain experience in St. Louis.
You can now drive up the California coast on famous California Highway 1 through Big Sur. It’s now open end-to-end, resorting in a connection between Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. Don’t miss the wonderful Monterey Bay Aquarium with its huge Open Sea exhibit, home to one of the most diverse communities of open-ocean animals in any aquarium that connects visitors to marine animals and birds of the Pacific. This renowned aquarium also is the place to learn about the sea life of Monterey Bay and California’s Central Coast, including the beloved sea otters that were rescued.
Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo boosts one of the U.S.’s longest-running weekly night markets every Thursday that takes over five downtown blocks with local produce, live music, street food and more.
Of course you can opt for an escape right near your home, whether city, lake, or beach. You’re guaranteed to have fun exploring plenty of places you’ve never had time to see.
Happy last-minute travels!
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)
©2026 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.