Comfort, great food, close to everything: Sofitel, Berlin
I admit what I like best is the breakfast buffet. I’ve love the chance to try foods that Berliners might typically have but I wouldn’t at home
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Touring the Sites of Rememberance of the Holocaust in Berlin
“There were many unsung heroes,” said Nadav Jakobovitch, our Tours by Locals guide on our second day in Berlin. He comes from a family of Holocaust survivors by way of Israel
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Walking the Berlin Wall – Reconciliation Matters
We had just walked between what had once been called “the death strip,” the area between West Berlin and East Berlin, between the wall and safety of the West
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One Big Adrenaline Rush at Adventures on the Gorge in West Virginia
While a lot of people are still trying to figure out what an “adventure resort” is, Adventures on the Gorge is showing their guests of all ages what a vacation destination should look like
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Energy and body restoration at the Four Seasons Resort in Vail
I’m at the Four Seasons Resort in Vail with one of the best spas in the Vail Valley. The idea, of course, is not only to relax but to restore your energy and your body
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Families love the Four Seasons in Vail Co. for “glamping” and more
Get ready to get spoiled—for a few days anyway. That’s why the Johnstons, including Kendall, 11, and Reagan, 13, have decamped from Denver to the Four Seasons Resort in Vail for their fourth weekend—this time the Fourth of July.
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Kids learning nature through fun at the top of Vail Mountain
this is July Fourth weekend, the resort’s busiest of the summer season. It’s family central at Adventure Ridge located at the top of the gondola at 10,350 feet. Wow what a view!
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At the Broadmoor’s Sunday Brunch you might want to start with dessert
It’s hard to resist when Banana Fosters, plum Calvados crepes, bread pudding, apple cobbler, ice cream sundaes, strawberry buttermilk panna cotta, raspberry mojito cupcakes, snickerdoodle crème brulee, even a vegan chocolate pot au crème are there for the taking
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Up in the mountain air at The Broadmoor’s Cloud Camp in Colorado
Cloud Camp is the historic Broadmoor resort’s highest wilderness experience. But my daughter Mel and her boyfriend Hank Lockhead – experienced backpackers—think it’s more of a luxury experience with well-appointed log cabins, beautiful bathrooms, gourmet meals…
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Generations gather to reconnect at quadrennial family reunion
There are lots of milestones at our reunion—25th and 35th anniversaries; 80th, 70th, 60th, 50th and 30th birthdays. One of the grandmothers tried to give the family a quick family history lesson
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In Rocky Mountain Nat Park – hikes are great, but beware crowds
if I’d done my homework, the Rocky Mountain National Park rangers would have told me to hike early, as parking spots at some of the popular trailheads—like Beaver Lake, a four-mile round trip hike that is kid-friendly—are gone by 8:30 am.
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YMCA of the Rockies is Family Reunion Central
Welcome to Family Reunion Central. In fact, the Estes Park Center and its sister resort Snow Mountain Ranch host more than 1,300 reunions a year—more, they believe, than any other venue in the United States.
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Orlando’s Top 5 Hotspots for Teens
Orlando is bursting with trendy and exciting places to visit, especially if you’re a teenager.
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Bikes, Beans and Blooms in Victoria, BC
A recent trip to beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, hit the outdoor foodie sweet spot. We participated in casual outdoor adventures by day and dined on delicious cuisine each evening.
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Greenwich, England, and the pluses of getting off the beaten track — a bit
Pietro La Rosa, with his flowing mane of gray hair, beard and lilting Italian accent, is not like any pub owner I’ve ever met nor is The Prince of Greenwich pub menu typical
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Orlando Is Universal: Volcano Bay Impresses Big Time
f you are an amusement park enthusiast, you know Orlando is full of them. However, Universal Orlando has brought a new water theme park like none other: Volcano Bay.
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Experiencing the All-New Animal Sanctuary & Grand Hyatt Amenities at Baha Mar
After years of multiple false starts and financial headaches, the $4.2 billion, 1,000-acre development simply known as Baha Mar finally opened its doors to the public last April
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Visiting the interactive Graycliff Chocolatier Factory
Children and adults of all ages are as giddy and equally excited to experience the Graycliff Chocolatier factory, located inside the iconic Graycliff Hotel in Nassau, The Bahamas
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Tales From The Spa at the Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa in Punta Cana
Even if your child is still an actual child, the Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa offers manicures, pedicures and hair braiding just for the little ones.
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Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Travel Diaries
Mother-Daughter Dining Options At the Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa, Punta Cana
It would be impossible to go hungry at the Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa in Punta Cana. Besides free room service, the property offers plenty of menu options,
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A Spring Trip to The Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Arizona
It’s great that the south rim of the Grand Canyon so close to Flagstaff, Arizona. We could envision wanting a hotel room and shower to stay in after backpacking in the desert heat for 5 days
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Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Travel Diaries
A Mother-Daughter Getaway to the Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa in Punta Cana, DR
The all-inclusive, family-friendly Grand Palladium Bávaro Suites Resort & Spa is very large, but we’re New Yorkers, so we’re not intimidated by big.
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Lectures, entertainment and fun on Queen Mary 2
Cunard—and the flagship Queen Mary 2 —is famous for its guest lecturers on board and its planetarium. Some days, the tickets are gone before 9 a.m. for the afternoon shows
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On Queen Mary 2 – You might just lose weight!
A Canyon Ranch meal on Queen Mary 2: red velvet cupcakes, macadamia chocolate tarts, chocolate fondant, three-chocolate mousse, chocolate cake pops and a chocolate fountain to dip cookies on a stick.
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Keeping the kids entertained aboard the Queen Mary 2
The first Queen Mary had a kids club that entertained a young Princess Elizabeth. Today’s Queen Mary 2 has a Kids Zone plus plenty of board games and other activities for families
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Gourmet food, formal dining on Queen Mary 2
Fifteen thousand meals a day, not counting snacks and High Tea! Twenty-five hundred guests and 1,250 crew have to be fed every day on Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2.
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An Atlantic Crossing on the Queen Mary 2
Welcome aboard Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 as she takes a week to sail the Atlantic from Southampton to New York.
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What’s in the garden for family vacationers at Chewton Glen?
The resort, a five star Relais & Chateaux country house hotel is just over 50 years old but the house dates to the 1700s.
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200 Years Later – Celebrating Jane Austen’s short life in her hometown
This tiny house is where Jane Austen was her most prolific—writing in the morning after breakfast at a tiny table. She lived with her mother, her sister and a family friend during the last eight years of her short life.
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Greenwich, England – famous for time, history and friends
In Greenwich, England, famous for “mean time.” You can see famous sites any time. Sharing a meal with new friends…not so much. More ravioli please!
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‘Taking the Waters’ in Ancient Bath, England
People have been coming here to “take the waters” since the Romans first built the baths and temple here to worship Sulis Minerva, Goddess of the Thermal Spring.
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London’s Athenaeum Hotel is a favorite for visiting families
London’s Athenaeum Hotel is family run with whimsical touches –miniature toy soldiers or taxicabs mounted as room decoration, photographs of the Beatles and Spice Girls in the hallways, just reopened last summer after a multi million dollar make over
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Learning how the princes and princesses lives
Kensington Palace is one of London’s historic palaces where for more than 300 years Britain’s young royal families lived in the heart of Kensington Gardens
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Flying can be pleasant – upgraded on British Air flight to London
In expected the usual indifference of US carriers at JFK. Instead, the British Airways staff couldn’t have been nicer and I breezed through security. The gods must have been smiling on me because I got upgraded!
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Disney Springs – No Entrance Fee; Plenty to see, shop and eat
Deviled Eggs, hush puppies and fried chicken on biscuits. Yum! But I’m not in rural Florida. I’m in the middle of Orlando at Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Florida Kitchen.
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The food is part of the adventure at Disney’s Pandora-The World of Avatar
Welcome to Pandora-The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom that is set to open May 27. The food is a big part of the experience
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Sneak peek at Disney’s Pandora — the World of Avatar
the challenge is riding on the back of a giant Banshee high over floating mountains, plunging through ancient caves, splashing a scary giant sea creature
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A Weekend Trip to Boston for Baseball and History
Boston has long been a city synonymous with history and sports, and while the Patriots and Tom Brady have had quite a successful decade, if you ask any sports fan in Boston who the number one team is, they will emphatically let you know this is a Red Sox town.
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Westgate River Ranch Resort Offers Upscale Cowboy Living in Central Florida
When we got to Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo and soaked up the sights of longhorn cattle and horses, I immediately forgot we were in Florida.
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A Family Visit to Wales: Land of Legends
Wales is celebrating 2017 as the Year of Legends. This country is known for its verdant natural beauty and rich history. Our recent trip exposed us to both.
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Hit the Beach at LEGOLAND Beach Retreat in Florida
There’s a lighthouse just a stone’s throw from Orlando that’s calling your name. LEGOLAND Florida’s new Beach Retreat is a beacon for weary families looking for a place to unwind
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Backyard Vacations | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
A Portland, Maine Family Vacation at the Inn by the Sea
The Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. A private boardwalk leads through a wildlife sanctuary to an idyllic sandy beach, where you’ll see lobster boats and sunsets straight out of an Edward Hopper painting.
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Amenities galore in the business and first lounges at Dubai Airport
Even after midnight the lounges are busy, as Dubai is a major gateway and global connection point. (There are appealing packages from Emirates for those who want to stop over for a day or two.)
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Dubai: biggest building, biggest mall, mixing pot
The woman is busy taking selfies at the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest skyscraper in the world – 2,716.5 feet and more than 160 stories.
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A Trip to Cubs Spring Training with my Dad
I convinced my dad to join me this spring in Arizona for spring training. As coincidence would have it, two of his very best friends from his college years at The University of Texas were also planning a trip.
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A mixture of Bedouin tradition and modern: Dubai
Dubai is such a mixture of the old from the Bedouin tradition and the new—the tallest building in the world–The Burj Khalifa–and the biggest indoor theme park
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On a long-haul flight, Emirates Airlines thinks of everything
It’s the extra touches—the captain signing their travel journals, the chance to have their picture taken in a flight attendant’s or captain’s hat
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Off the rails and trails in Arizona for Cubs Spring training
A quick father-son trip to spring training in the Cactus League to see the World Champion Chicago Cubs (yes that’s still sinking in). Air travel misadventure our first day followed by adventure in the Sonoran Dessert on day 2.
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A Quick Spring Getaway to Aspen
Hank and I went on short spring getaway to Aspen. Although only 12 miles as the bird-flies from where we live in Crested Butte, in the winter it takes about 4 hours to drive around the mountains.
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Montreal Celebrates 375th Anniversary
In 2017, the city of Montreal is celebrating its 375th anniversary, and the festivities run all year long! With activities ranging from festivals, shows and more, there is always something new to explore
