What’s new for kids at Walt Disney World
One in five grandparent surveyed by Disney reported they’d taken a Disney vacation with their children and grandchildren and that certainly seemed evident here in Orlando.
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City lights. No cameras. Lots of action.
Wearing a gray hoodie and sunglasses, a suspicious man was trying to debrief us while also not being noticeable. This was: Accomplice the Show: Greenwich Village.
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Bumpkins on a river cruise in Jamaica. Seriously
Seriously. We are at River Bumpkin Farm and have floated down about 1.5 miles of the 75-mile long river.
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Meeting the people through a unique program in Jamaica
We are visiting Doris Morgan, who has been welcoming tourists—more than 1000—since the mid-1980s, showing them a bit of Jamaican cuisine and culture through the little publicized Meet the People program. Did I mention she does this for free and that there is no charge to the tourists?
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Learning Jamaican heritage on a walking tour of Falmouth
In the early 19th Century, when grand balls were held at the famous courthouse in Falmouth, Jamaica’s oldest seaport, young women would sew fireflies into their gowns so they would literally sparkle.
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Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Travel Diaries
A private villa in Jamaica with a homey feel and lots of space
We are eating dinner on the terrace listening to the ocean, feasting on Caribbean lobster. No we aren’t at a tony restaurant in Jamaica. We are at Serenity on the Beach, one of the 100 private villas in Jamaica managed by Villas by Linda Smith.
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Setting standards for family vacation – Half Moon Resort Jamaica
John Bartels has no interest in going home. He, his two sisters, and his parents have been spending a vacation week at Half Moon, a Rock Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, that has been setting a high bar for resorts here for more than 50 years
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Safari Clothing Packing List: What women should wear
The result of packing for a safari cannot be the scene of Meryl Streep traveling to the Ngong Hills in Out of Africa, and it doesn’t need to be.
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A fortress castle, a toy museum and a huge Christmas market
Nuremberg has long been a center of toy making and this museum is one of the city’s top tourist attractions. More than a dozen local toy manufacturers developed model railways and Nuremberg’s toymakers were known for coming up with new ways to make toys move.
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A GPS scavenger hunt in Bamberg’s Christmas market
Uniworld Cruises has arranged a special way to see the picturesque city of Bamberg for the families on board—a GPS scavenger hunt organized by the company City Hunters that does such tours in cities across Germany.
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On River Cruise – exploring Wurzburg and Rothenburg
We’re in Wurzburg in Bavaria, the third day on our Uniworld Cruises family trip in the middle of Germany in a city that was nearly all destroyed by British bombers during allied bombing in 1945.
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What’s in Your Waffle? Our Christmas Market River Cruise
The 16 kids aboard Uniworld River Cruise’s special Family Christmas Market sailing in Germany are all members of the clean plate club by the time they are done cooking with Chef Peter Tarnok and Senior Pastry Chef Ciprian Ghiluescu. In fact, most of them have seconds… Lorelei George, 8, licks her plate.
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Exploring Jewish Berlin – dark history and revival
You can’t visit Berlin without considering the horror of the Holocaust–the six million European Jews (600,000 of them German-born) who perished. Countless others had their lives uprooted, among them millions of children. Germany’s capital city confronts the horror head-on at places large and small.
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A family-style river cruise to the Christmas Markets
Frankfurt has one of Germany’s 2500 Christmas Markets and one of the country’s oldest, locals claim, dating back to 1393, though those in Nuremberg dispute that.
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Berlin’s new dining scene – not wurst and kraut
Berlin cuisine is a mixture of a lot of cultural styles—the Croco Blue bar has gained its own following for its portfolio of old and rare spirits.
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Berlin – at Checkpoint Charlie and the Spy Museum
The idiosyncratic Mauer Museum at Check Point Charlie that is at the original border crossing between the Cold War American and Soviet sectors of Berlin. The location is no accident.
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Westin Gets it Right for Families in Berlin
Westin and Le Meridien Hotels have just introduced new family programs, they say, in response to a changing global demand for family travel. Rather than focusing on a kids club, this idea stresses that playing “knows no borders or language barriers but rather inspires kids to explore learn and build relationships.”
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A Journalist and a Fan finds the LA Clippers are a Nation
What was a room I have only seen on television was a standard NBA Press Conference room. It was open seating, so I sat in a comfortable second row to await for LA Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers. Journalists were not shy asking about the tough questions.
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The Season of Force Awakens at Disneyland
I walked into the entrance of Star Tours–The Adventures Continue. That was the first ride of the day, yet I wondered, “What galactic troubles can I get into next…?”
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The Force Awakens ahead of the movie at Disneyland
The Force Awakens at Disneyland today, just in time for the holidays –and of course the much-awaited Star Wars movie debuting Dec 18.
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Aboard the New Anthem of the Seas
Kids of all ages give high marks to Royal Caribbean’s second Quantum Class ship Anthem of the Seas which will be home-ported year round in Cape Liberty, NJ.
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A local tour of Seattle’s Pike Place Market
We’ve signed on for Seattle’s only chef-led tour of the market with Elizabeth McClure’ new company Eat Seattle Tours. She also does cooking classes in the Market’s Atrium Kitchen, shopping with the students first for ingredients .
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Hotels restaurants increasingly focusing on local food and healthy choices
It is Friday night in Seattle. But what’s interesting is the Sazerac with its distinctive chandeliers and hip-but-casual vibe and food best described as modern South meets Northwest is in Kimpton’s Monaco Hotel.
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Innovation on display at Seattle Museum
Seattle has always been a center of innovation and it’s on display at the Bezos Center of Innovation at the Museum of History and Industry. Did you know the Native Americans and traders invented a whole new language?
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Shopping in Tokyo’s ‘Kitchentown’
There’s shop after shop of kitchen wares—ceramic sake cups, wooden bowls for miso soup, colorful bowls for rice, all varieties of chop sticks and of course hand-made Japanese knives that will be engraved on the spot with your name in Japanese. And everything is a bargain!
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What for dinner in Tokyo? How about 14 courses, small but delicious?
If you think a 14-course dinner might be a little much to handle, come sample Chef Kenichiro Ooe’s fare at Kozue on the 40th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo with stellar views of the city.
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Hiroshima school: memorial and symbol of peace
The Honkawa Elementary School is in the heart of Hiroshima and when the Atomic Bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, all but one of the 420 students and teachers perished. Today is a again a bustling school and a memorial to those who died.
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Exploring Japanese pop culture at the Manga Museum
These aren’t just any comics. These are the enormously popular and traditional Manga, the basis for Anime, at the Kyoto International Manga Museum which is run by Kyoto Seika University and the Kyoto City Government. The University teaches aspiring Manga artists and writers in its design and fine arts department.
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Best of Taking The Kids | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Travel Diaries
Cruise follies, foibles, TMI, TLI and unexpected discoveries
No cruise is complete without its follies and unexpected discoveries.
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Kids have a different take on cultural exchanges on cruises
Listen up parents — if you thought the educational part of cruising was only seeing historic and cultural sites, you were wrong. It seems much more cultural exchange happens right on board at the kids’ and teen club, kids say.
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In Hokkaido: navigating on our own is not that difficult
The ship staff had warned that navigating on your own in Japan is different than elsewhere. Very few locals speak English and signs are only in Japanese. I understand now why in the U.S. Japanese tourists always move in a group with a guide.
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A visit to a Japanese hot springs in Hokkaido
Good news! I’m going to live at least seven years longer. That’s because I’ve visited a Japanese Onseng—a hot springs resort. They are ubiquitous in Japan—there are thousands of them.
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Japanese hot tubs and amenities on the Diamond Princess
The on board Izumi Japanese Bath features indoor and outdoor bathing experiences ($15 for 90 minute visit), including misted steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and hot tubs, some open to the sky.
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East meets West on a Princess Cruise in Japan
Until I came aboard in Yokohama, I hadn’t thought much about the cruise experience being educational but here, with more than 1000 Japanese passengers, we westerners are getting a lesson in Japanese culture and food.
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At the Tokyo Fish Market: mixing culture and tradition in unique culinary ways
It is eight in the morning and we are at Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Fish Market, Japan’ largest. More than 15,000 people work here; international tourists line up in the early hours of the morning for the chance to watch the famous auctions of the fish, including the tuna.
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A long flight to Japan – jet lag cured with spa treatment at Conrad Tokyo
The Mizuki Spa at the Conrad Tokyo is the largest spa of its kind in Tokyo and boasts Tokyo’s only true Hinoki bath. Treatments are inspired by the moon and the water.
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Religion, education, culture at Indy Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the largest children’s museum in the world, hopes to inspire children—and their families—to think about religion in new ways with the opening of National Geographic Sacred Journeys on Aug 29.
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Jake and Tobey go on a Safari in Style in Tanzania
Jake and Tobey Bill, ages 12 and 13 from Weston CT, went on a “Safari In Style” tour of Tanzania with the tour operator Abercrombie & Kent. They had heard great things about Africa and watched a few PBS specials about it, but nothing prepared them for what them saw and experienced in this amazing place.
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Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries | Volunteer & Service
Enesi’s excellent adventure in the Dominican Republic – Part 2
Sixteen-year-old Enesi Domi shares his daily diary from a youth service experience in the Dominican Republic with the community service organization Rustic Pathways. This is the second of two installments. More than 5000 youths will go on Rustic Pathways service trips this year.
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Enesi’s excellent adventure in the Dominican Republic – Part 1
Sixteen-year-old Enesi Domi shares his daily diary from a youth service experience in the Dominican Republic with the community service organization Rustic Pathways. This is the first of two installments. More than 5000 youths will go on Rustic Pathways service trips this year.
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The new One World Observatory in New York – breathtaking
“It’s like you are on top of the world you’re so high,” said Aman Gaudani, from Oakbridge, NJ who was taking in the view from the newly opened One World Observatory, atop the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
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In Edinburgh, where Harry Potter was written and history abounds
Welcome to Daigon Alley. No, this is not at Universal Studios Orlando. It’s here in Edinburgh, where JK Rowling famously wrote the first book in a coffee shop.
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At Gleneagles, falconry is more than for the birds
Margo is a Harris Hawk at the British School of Falconry here on the grounds of the historic Gleneagles Hotel, the first in the country and extremely popular with kids. In fact, we had an audience as I was learning to hold Margo and let her fly.
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Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland – a foodie paradise
What is vacation without good food and Gleneagles Hotel certainly delivers. It is home to Andrew Fairlie, chef of Scotland’s only two Michelin-starred restaurant. But the other restaurants offer something special as well—maybe trying Scottish food for the first time.
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Gleneagles: Famous for golf but beloved by UK and US families
Gleneagles is known for golf—it is home to three of Scotland’s best championship courses but today, only 30 per cent of guests play golf and Gleneagles is a kid-friendly resort that draws families from the United Kingdom as well as the United States back year after year
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Cruise shore excursions: go with a group or on your own?
When you take a cruise, you can opt for a shore excursion offered by the cruise line, or you can take your own, often booking local guides.
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At sea with Windstar – connecting families and generations
Of the 204 passengers, there are 117 who have sailed Windstar, some as many as 11 times. While you may think of this as a cruise line for adults, I’ve been thinking of this as a way for grown and mostly grown kids to connect with parents and grandparents, sharing new experiences.
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A hidden gem of a restaurant in Scotland
Three Chimneys Restaurant and six-room inn is on an out of the way stretch of road on the Isle of Skye where you brake for sheep crossing the road and the fish you eat for lunch might have been caught that morning, the lettuce just harvested.
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Learning about the origins of the Titantic in Belfast
We are on day two of our cruise aboard the Windstar yacht Star Legend – the Gaelic Explorers tour. We’ve anchored in Portrush and taken an excursion bus for the one-hour trip to Belfast to learn about the building of the Titantic.
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Cruising Ireland and Scotland on a Windstar yacht
We are on an eight-day Gaelic Explorer Windstar Cruise on a yacht with just 212 passengers can go to smaller ports. Windstar, known for its sailing yachts, has added three more yachts from Seabourn—these without sails–that after a $12 million refurbishment have joined the fleet.
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When in Ireland, soak up culture in Dublin
Our guide says the mistake Americans make when visiting Ireland is rushing around too much. “Give yourself time,” he says. Don’t rush off on day trips to the west of the country. “I don’t go to New York to see Chicago,” he said. Here are some places he suggests you visit
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A multi-gen foodie heaven at Ireland’s Ashford Castle
The great food at Ashford Castle in Ireland is inspired by Lord Ardilaun, a scion of the Guinness family, who insisted on only the freshest and most varied of local produce, a tradition continued by new executive chef Philippe Farineau
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Ireland’s Ashford Castle – beloved by American families
We are at Ireland’s School of Falconry—the oldest in the country—at Ashford Castle that dates back to 1228 on the shores of Lough Corrib, the largest lake in Ireland, and the River Cong, which is reputed to have the best salmon and trout fishing in Europe.
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Touring London with a local journalist – curry anyone?
Will Hide, a London journalist, jokes that locals say Chicken tikka masala should be Britain’s national dish. Indian food—especially “takeaway” is so popular. Vacations, of course, are a great time to try new cuisines and when in London, that means Indian food (actually mostly Bangladeshi).
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Fans and their families love the Harry Potter Studio tour near London
The Warner Brothers Studio Tour where the Harry Potter films were made outside of London draws 6,000 visitors a day but is well worth the effort for families with Hogwarts fans.
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Hotel VIP Lounges – great for families on extended vacations
It’s not that I need to be treated like a VIP. I just want to de-stress experience as much as possible—especially with kids. That means not having to wait to be served breakfast or a snack or paying through the nose for food the kids won’t eat.
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Tea with Charlie at a hip but kid-friendly London hotel
In Britain these days, one young local explained, tea “is for a special occasion—like a birthday. Maybe it’s going to see your first West End Play—say Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
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Souvenir shopping rule #1: don’t buy something you can buy at home
Sure London has lots of sites to see but there is something to be said for spending a morning wandering along with local families. Come on a Sunday in July when Regent Street is closed to pedestrians.
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Take your family to Lisbon
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is a city webbed with narrow cobblestone streets, opening onto squares of medieval cathedrals and monasteries overlooking the Rio Tejo. With its yellow trams, open parks, 1930s cafés, and ghostly spirit, Lisbon is a city that has plenty to offer every member of the family.
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Lake Tahoe On a Budget: The Beach Retreat & Lodge
Lake Tahoe is one of the largest alpine lakes in the world, with a full menu of recreational options to match its grand size. Combine the cobalt blue water with miles of pristine nature trails and you’ve got a perfect match for lovers of the great outdoors.
