Enjoying our last night Italy and finding very-hard-to-find bad pizza
Now, I’m determined to enjoy our last night in Italy—and it would be hard not to at the Four Seasons Milan — considered by those in the know as one of Italy’s top city hotels.
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Learning how to “e-bike” in the Lake Garda Region of Italy
Before setting out to sample how Austin Adventures runs cycling tours in Europe, I should have — as they suggest — practiced on my bike at home. I didn’t. So I have no one to blame for my skinned knees but myself.
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Riding bikes in the Alps: our Italy adventure moves to Lake Garda
Yes the Alps. We’re out for our Sunday ride in Italy with my friend Ron van Dijk who directs European Operations for Austin Adventures and has been leading bike trips in Europe for more than 30 years
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Salamanders, giants, horses — a Renaissance palace
How many salamanders can you find? There are dozens carved into fireplaces hidden in paintings in the Palazzo Te in Mantova in northern Italy, a gem of a Renaissance City as yet undiscovered by American tourists.
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Mantova Italy – a hidden gem of history, art, music and literature
We stay in Mantova, between Milan and Venice and near Verona, an off-the-tourist-track town that has an amazing history in art, music and literature. Shakespeare wrote that Romeo bought his poison here.
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Aging cheese, lots of cheese, at a special artisan shop in Italy
Welcome to Luigi Guffanti 1876 in the northern Italian town of Arona that has been buying cheese from the same production sites since 1876, then refining them in special “caves,” sometimes for years before they are sold around the world. They are artisans and specialists who oversee more than more than 200 kinds of cheese here.
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A special dinner at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como
It’s nice when a hotel can make the experience special for the youngest guests as well as their parents and those who may be here to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or an engagement.
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Exploring the beautiful villas along the shore of Lake Como, Italy
Could this place be any more beautiful? The three-story villa is directly on the lake shore located in Laglio between Cernobbio and Tremezzo on Lake Como, with private dock and lake access.
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George Clooney’s temporary neighbors discover the virtures of a Lake Como villa
I think George Clooney is lucky to have a villa in the tiny village of Laglio—just 700 people on Lake Como in northern Italy. I can say that from personal experience because I am the Clooneys’ neighbor—well, their temporary neighbor at a lakefront villa
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After the wedding, time to explore the Charlottesville VA area
Correspondent Melissa Miller had time to spend touring the Charlottesville VA area after a spectacular wedding this month. Here is her report.
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A family visit to New Bedford MA, once America’s whaling capital
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the largest museum in the country devoted to the story of whaling and the history and seafaring traditions of Massachusetts’ south coast region.
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Monticello is super kid-friendly, just like Thomas Jefferson was
It is only fitting that the home of our third President and the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence is so kid friendly. Jefferson was very fond of his 12 grandchildren, many of whom lived here with him after his retirement
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A high schooler leaves his comfort zone in Costa Rica
Luis Cruz had never traveled far from home. This summer he got the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with a group that sponsors community service trips. This is his diary of the trip.
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What the kids say about 18th Century Williamsburg VA
What’s it like to see 18th Century history unfold in the street of Colonial Williamsburg, VA? We asked some of the “junior interpreters” what they thought.
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21st Century meets 18th in Colonial Williamsburg – huzzah!
21st Century meets 18th Century—that’s the idea of Colonial Williamsburg. The audience was enthralled by the street theater Revolutionary City where costumed interpreters play out different aspects of the politics surrounding the American Revolution.
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Jamestown Settlement: the place to start your Historic Triangle history tour
Jamestown Settlement is the place to start a visit to the Historic Triangle—and to teach a lesson in tolerance in the process as you learn the trials and tribulations of the settlers and the Powahatans learning to coexist.
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History and fun for families in Virginia’s Historic Triangle
Williamsburg has plenty to offer families—from Busch Gardens, famous for its coasters and Water Country USA, to plenty of American history. This is the heart of the Historic Triangle, of course, home to Colonial Williamsburg
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Disney Simplifies Generational Family Travel
Taking the Kids Correspondent Susan Finch navigates the many parts of Disney World with her daughter, utilizing time saving Disney technology
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Disney Gets High Tech with a Personal Touch
Taking the Kids Correspondent Susan Finch discovers the new high-tech services provided at Disney World take some of the stress out of travel and line management
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Walking in the Cotswolds – so much for families to see and do
There are literally thousands of footpaths that crisscross the Cotswolds in Great Britain. We found so much for families to see on do on just a few of them.
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In the Cotswolds, like walking onto the set of Downton Abbey
I feel like I’ve walked onto the Downton Abbey set. Actually, we’re at Ellenborough Park in the Cotswolds in Great Britain that dates back to the early 16th Century.
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English History at Sudeley Castle in Cotswolds
We learn some English history at a bonafide castle that was home to kings, queens and now a 21st Century family headed by an American—Sudeley Castle is in Britain’s famous Cotswolds
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Sherlock Holmes: major exhibit to open at Museum of London
He’s one of the most famous residents of London and a brilliant detective known all over the world — so famous he now has a museum exhibit devoted entirely to him.
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London’s food scene takes it to a new level at Camden Lock
The Global Food Kitchen at Camden Lock Market in London is famous not only for good eats but for its shops and stalls—more than 200. No wonder it attracts 6 million visitors a year and is the hub of the growing street food movement here.
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Curry, beigels and bacon sarnies on a family food tour of London’s East End
London’s East End famously was home to immigrants for centuries—French, Irish, Jewish, and most recently Indian (the famous Brick Lane lined with Indian curry restaurants is here). There are also hipsters and artists — the area is as famous for its street art and pop up shops these days.
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Two London hotels that treat kids like royalty that lives across the street
The Rubens at the Palace and Egerton House hotels in London offer families an upscale experience. The kids are treated like the royalty that live across the street from the Rubens.
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Kids discovering “Horrible Histories” of spies at the Imperial War Museum in London
Real spies know there are a lot better ways to disguise your looks—like putting cheek pads in your mouth to change the shape of your appearance. At the Imperial War Museum in London, kids gave a thumbs up to the Horrible Histories Spies exhibit.
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A Family Day in Denver: Bikes and Botanic Gardens
Taking the Kids Correspondent Allison Tibaldi says Denver is one America’s most bike-friendly cities and its bike-sharing program makes it easy to get around on shiny red bikes.
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A Kid Facing Fears and Pushing Limits at Mount Snow Family Camp
Sheri McDonald writes that her children have all gone to summer camp, but it was really special to be with them together at Mount Snow Family Camp while they gained confidence and took on new challenges
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The Family Table at Mount Snow Family Camp
Sheri McDonald says it easy to grab a plate of food and sit in front of the television or keep working while we eat. On her recent trip to Mount Snow Family Camp she had a reminder of how valuable the family table is.
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Unplug and Reconnect at Mount Snow Family Camp
Sheri McDonals’s son was having trouble imagining a week with no iPod, computer or video games. Once they arrived at Family Camp, they didn’t think about wifi again.
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All you need for date night – Denver’s Larimer Square
Situated in the heart of Denver, Larimer Square is a host to many delicious restaurants, bars and entertainment – we never even left the square during our date night.
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A mountain biking lesson well learned at Smugglers Notch VT
It’s a lot different to bike on a mountain trail with uneven terrain, rocks and tree stumps. All the more reason to take a lesson, like we did at Smuggler’s Notch VT
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Kids and grownups zipping through the treetops in Northern Vermont
We’re at ArborTrek in Jeffersonville, VT right near Smuggler’s Notch Resort about to set out on what USA Today has dubbed a top zip line adventure in the country
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Kids learning farming and history at Shelburne Farms in Vermont
I’m at the Shelburne Farms Children’s Farmyard near Burlington, Vermont where there is also a cow, goats and the fanciest chicken coop I’ve ever seen — home to 60 chickens.
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A family outing for late summer beauty in Northern Vermont
I’m at the Topnotch Resort Spa, one of the largest in the quintessential New England mountain town of Stowe, Vt. where I’m indulging in the Little River Stone Massage, one of the expansive spa’s signature treatments that uses hot stones, cold stones, massage and aromatherapy.
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Families flock to the World War II Museum in New Orleans
Jack Lucas became the youngest Marine ever to receive the United States’ highest military honor. The wallet he had in his pocket that day tells just one of the many stories at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
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Kids cooking it up for their parents in New Orleans hotel
I like that Omni is as interested in encouraging kids to expand their palates when they are on vacation as in feeding their parents. As part of its Sensational Kids program
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Hello gator! On a eco swamp tour in the Louisiana bayous
We’re on a Pearl River Swamp Eco Tour in the Honey Island Swamp in Slidell on Louisiana’s Northshore in St. Tammany Parish, about 40 minutes across Lake Pontchartrain from downtown New Orleans.
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On a culinary tour of New Orleans with a former history teacher
We’re in the so-called Mystery Dining Room at Antoine’s in New Orleans, the famous restaurant that has been operated continuously by the same family since 1840, our first stop on a wonderful New Orleans Culinary History Tour through the French Quarter led by former history teacher Naif Shahady.
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An old-fashioned family crab boil in Lake Charles, LA
I’m at a Fais-Do-Do, A Cajun Dance party, at Travel Media Showcase and Marilyn Dawdy, I learn, mid-lesson, is catering the big event for the conference in the Lake Charles Civic Center overlooking Lake Charles.
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A Family Friendly Guide to The Florida Keys
Riding down the highway towards the Florida Keys, I caught a glimpse of aqua marine colored medians, and even they began to soothe my stressed soul.
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Farmer John knows how to grow pumpkins in Half Moon Bay
Farmer John Muller, who is a third generation farmer and happens to be the Mayor of Half Moon Bay, knows how to grow a great pumpkin!
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Fish right out of the water, strawberries, goat cheese and more
At Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay near, where we were staying at the Beach House, locals either have downloaded the free FishLine App or call 650-726-8724 to see what fresh-caught fish commercial fishermen are selling “off the boat.”
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Half Moon Bay, CA — no crowds or rush yet near San Francisco
My daughter is planning her wedding near Half Moon Bay. I can see why she loves this area — between the mountains to the East and the Pacific to the west. The best part—it’s not busy or crowded, though we’re less than hour’s drive from San Francisco.
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Relaxing in the mineral pools at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
Water Yoga anyone? What a way to start the day. I’m moving from one mineral pool to the next at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn.
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Exploring Bodega Bay CA – bike rides, redwoods, great food
People come to Bodega Bay to watch the whales, hike among the huge Coast redwoods — some are 1,000 years old and 250 feet tall like in the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville — and of course, eat.
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Families up close with African animals – in Sonoma County CA
Who knew there is the chance to see so many rare endangered African animals right in the middle of Sonoma County, just 75 miles north of San Francisco
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Discovering the family and foodie side of Sonoma County CA
Sonoma County CA – Twenty coastal beaches… soaring Coas Redwoods… 11 state parks, 27 historical landmarks… 120 farms open to the public and 12 farmers markets… 400 wineries and more than 500 restaurants committed to bringing you food grown locally.
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A Two-Nation Vacation to Roosevelt’s Campobello and Downeast Maine
Campobello is an island off the Maine coast, located in New Brunswick, Canada. Unless you’re a U.S. history buff, you might not know that our longest serving President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, spent countless summers vacationing on this Canadian island.
