Plan a Family-Friendly Getaway to Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan, with a population of approximately 199,000. The Grand River runs through it
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Travel Diaries | Best of Taking The Kids | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Salmon River Rafting 2023 | Volunteer & Service
Parting ways after a great 6-day adventure on Idaho’s Salmon River
Ask people on the same river trip what resonates most — what they will remember —and everyone has a separate answer.
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Salmon River Rafting 2023 | Volunteer & Service
Getting out of your comfort zone on a river-rafting trip
For me, just being able to go on this trip was a huge milestone after what the knee replacement ordeal I’ve been through the past year
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Salmon River Rafting 2023 | Volunteer & Service
Living On The Salmon River on and off the grid
We also meet Bill “Bronco” Burchak who is one of the first wooden dory boatmen in the Grand Canyon and trained our trip leader
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Salmon River Rafting 2023 | Volunteer & Service
On this OARS river rafting trip everyone has a story
“I had not learned to advocate for myself,” she explained. “I went from being an active kid to being told I’d be in a wheelchair by 30″
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Salmon River Rafting 2023 | Volunteer & Service
Learning the history and magic of the Dory Boat on the Main Salmon River
Today we travel roughly 20 miles through nine named rapids, stopping to see an ancient pictograph and sample Barth Hot Springs.
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Salmon River Rafting 2023 | Volunteer & Service
Rafting the Main Salmon River in Idaho with a diverse group of adventurers
There are 22 of us on this adventure. Most have rafted before. We range from 30- to 70-somethings. The group includes five former guides
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Park City UT in Summer Offers Plenty of Outdoor Activities Plus Great Dining and Shopping
The Chateaux is a place where you can have a luxe hotel room or a four-bedroom unit with shuttles to Park City’s historic Main Street
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Jackson WY in summer – Good Eats, Good Sleep, Plenty of Family Activities
Jackson Hole is souvenir central, with everything from tee shirts and hoodies to cowboy hats and boots to fine Western Art
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A very unique hike with pair of llamas in Wyoming
Brush Creek Ranch has added llama experiences this summer. They are increasingly popular for backpackers in the mountainous states
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Most of the delicious food at Brush Creek Ranch is homegrown
Most everything will be used at the ranch restaurants; some at local farmers markets and restaurants. The rest will be consumed by the goats
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Wyoming Ranches 2024
In Wyoming, one of the most kid-friendly guest ranches ever
This may be the fanciest ranch I’ve ever seen, complete with its own goat herd, llamas, 100 horses, distillery, spa, and much more
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Travel Diaries | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
Value Vacations in Summer – Vail CO
Summer is much more affordable in Vail with lots to do. Rates are less than half than in winter with some lodging starting at $159
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging
Taking the toddler necessitates a new travel style
It was a different equation when they decided to take 16-month-old Dominic with them for a quick spring break in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
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San Antonio: 11+1 Reasons to Take the Kids
Happy Cinco de Mayo from San Antonio Texas, a major city in south-central Texas with a rich colonial and Hispanic heritage.
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The Fable of the Octopus and the Fisherman
Welcome to Scarlet Night aboard Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady. We were encouraged to wear red to honor the Red Night Sky
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A Different Kind of Cruise on Virgin Voyages
The minimum age is 18 on this mid-sized ship (about 2,400 aboard this voyage from Miami.) And that suits the passengers just fine.
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Travel Diaries | Best of Taking The Kids | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Families & Groups | Food and Dining
On Virgin Voyages a Tragic Event First Day at Sea
A young woman fell off her balcony to her death just hours after we had departed Miami for a six-night Caribbean cruise.
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How To Curate A 72-Hour Teen-Approved Itinerary in London
Guess what? teens are interested in the experience that comes with exploring new cities, countries and shorelines.
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Travel Diaries | Backyard Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
Aboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Halcyon
The “ship” is very well-appointed, celebrating its 275th anniversary! This is the vessel on which Princess Lea and Hans Solo honeymooned.
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Zero-proof cocktails now vogue at Walt Disney World
Just don’t call them mocktails. Zero-proof cocktails are for adults to have an elevated drink experience without alcohol, a whole new market.
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It’s Gingerbread Time at Walt Disney World Resort
At Walt Disney World’s Beach Club Resort, a Gingerbread carousel spins with candy colored horses named for Disney princesses
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Hawaii 2022 | Lodging
Meet Jack at the Surf Jack Hotel Waikiki
He’s the hotel dog at the boutique SurfJack and Swim Club Hotel in Waikiki. Jack has his own Instagram account @jackthehoteldog
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Turtles and more on Hawaii’s North Shore
They were oblivious to the paparazzi, splashing and sunning on the rocks as adults and kids alike gathered around snapping photos.
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Ollie the Collie Takes the Big Apple
I was so happy when we arrived at the Kimpton Muse Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where they are VERY doggy friendly!
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Hawaii 2022 | Lodging
Truly welcoming to kids: Four Seasons Ko Olina on Oahu
The Four Seasons Oahu Ko Olina, about a half hour north of Honolulu and the crowds on Waikiki, lives up to its promises
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Hawaii 2022 | Parks & Outdoors
Beauty and fun at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort
This place offers something for everyone from kids to those on honeymoons, celebrating anniversaries or a multi-generational vacation.
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Hawaii 2022 | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
Checking out the food scene on Kauai
The story of the Taro plant, a mainstay of Hawaii cooking, is spiritual. It’s the eldest sibling of the Hawaiian Royal Family in legend
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Hawaii 2022 | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service
At the literal end-of-the-road on Kauai HI
I came upon this 52-unit resort more than a decade ago when my daughters were hiking one day, and I’ve always wanted to return.
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3 Lessons RV Pros Taught a First Time RVer
My wife and I recently bought our first travel trailer. We had been waiting for months and we traveled from Colorado to Ohio to pick it up
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Families & Groups | Beach Vacations | Curacao 2022 | Destinations | Food and Dining | Travel Diaries
Cooking with the locals on Curacao
If you want to get the true sense of Curacao, you’ve got to meet locals. Try a cooking class with Kris Kierindongo.
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Best of Taking The Kids | Curacao 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service
The Amazing Cathedral of Thorns in Curacao
Think a maze made out of thorns—92 million fashioned into blocks in which art has been inserted, creating an open-air gallery of sorts.
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Curacao 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Volunteer & Service
Herbal Remedies with a long history on Curacao
Got pine needles? Brew them into tea to help with Covid-19 respiratory symptoms. We learned this at an eclectic herb garden in the Caribbean.
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Curacao 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging
Bon Bini from Curacao, a gem in the Southern Caribbean
Bon Bini means welcome in Papiamentu language of Curacao, a gem of an island with 150,000 people in the Southern Caribbean.
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The Big Apple is back!
Shops and restaurants are packed again! So are museums, especially now when there is a big exhibit on sharks to be seen.
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
How to ease the Disney experience with small kids
How to make the Walt Disney experience easier with small kids – stay on property, get to the parks early, afternoon nap, return evening
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Travel Diaries | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations
Away from the crowds in Park City UT
PARK CITY, UT — Crunch…Crunch. Crunch… The only sound out here in the Uinta National Forest outside of Park City, Utah is our snowshoes on the snow.
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Why a vacation rental is great for family trips
We are opting for a vacation rental because it offer a better value and a kitchen, especially important when traveling with young kids and extended family
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Snow day in Denver? Head up to Vail
Ruby Gorden, 8, was having the best snow day ever. Denver schools closed for snow, so Ruby, her dad, and younger brother drove up to Vail to spend the day on the slopes
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Families & Groups | Destinations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
Wrong turn and comfort zone on Vail Mountain
By Eileen Ogintz Uh OH… We took a wrong turn on Vail Mountain, not hard to do on such a big ski area with some 5,317…
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Vail’s perfect ski-in ski-out hotel
What’s the best part? We’re at the ski-in-ski-out Grand Hyatt Vail and guests—young and adult—have their faves about the hotel.
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Belize 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service
Cooking with a local master over an open hearth
Marco has been cooking at Chaa Creek for years and is working to become a master chef. He will be cooking at the Masters Golf Tournament in Georgia in April.
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Travel Diaries | Belize 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service
Chaa Creek: Wildly civilized romance in Belize
Romantic? You bet! This he Lodge at Chaa Creek on the Macal River about two hours east of Belize City. It bills itself as “Windly Civilized. The resort has an unlikely origin
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Travel Diaries | Belize 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service
Next Trip – Pack a Pound of School Supplies
Are you ready for a challenge before your trip to Belize? All you need to do is pack a pound less in your suitcase.
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Belize 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
Two Belizean Spas – all about nature
The Naia Resort & Spa on the coast near Placencia and the Chaa Creek Lodge hilltop spa inland are all about relaxation and nature
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Travel Diaries | Beach Vacations | Belize 2022 | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
Can’t see monkeys? Hear the howling!
We could hear the howler monkeys—boy could we hear them howl—on a jungle walk on the Monkey River near Placencia, Belize
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Families & Groups | Beach Vacations | Belize 2022 | Destinations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Vacation with ease – in Belize
Conch carpaccio or shrimp fritters? We are having lunch on the terrace at Naia Resort and Spa on the Placencia Peninsula of Belize
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A Farm Dog’s Trip to the Big Apple
When my parents told me we were taking a special trip into New York City — The Big Apple –I did a very big excite.
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Coconut Bay St Lucia: Multi generational haven
Finding the right place to accommodate everyone in your clan – from the youngest to the oldest – can be a daunting task, but it’s well worth the effort
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries
Gravity Haus: Hotels as part of community
Don’t you sometimes wish you could transport the parts of your community you love most—especially on vacation?
