Thanks, Harry. Suddenly, teens, college students and even twenty somethings who aren’t big fans of family vacations much less getting out of bed early are standing in line before 9 a.m. with their parents, positively giddy with excitement
For years, everyone from the FAA to the American Academy of Pediatrics has been saying that young children are safest when restrained in a safety seat on board an airplane
SPLAT! The water balloons pop on cue. The music is loud and energetic, with Nickelodeon dancers dressed in orange and green — down to their plastic orange-and-green Crocs — spurring on the crowd, some of whom came dripping wet from the waterslides, including the Epic Plunge, the biggest waterslide at sea, just for the chance
Since New York started this program in 1992, the Big Apple Greeters have squired around 95,000 visitors from around the world and have a cadre of more than 300 Greeters who range from 20-somethings to those in their eighties who share a passion for New York that they want to pass on to you.
Had we been here in the 1800s, we would have been hunting whales rather than photographing them. Provincetown was a very busy whaling port.
Especially when it’s hot—as it has been unbearably so on the East Coast—and especially on vacation, it can be tough to keep your cool. The kids are going to bicker and complain just like at home, even though you are spending $$$$ for hotels, meals and souvenirs, not to mention entertainment.
Thanks, Harry. Suddenly, young people, who wouldn’t spend much vacation time with their folks, much less get out of bed this early if they didn’t have to, think family vacations are fun again, especially when mom and dad or grandpa pay for the trip and pop for $100 wizarding robes (yes, despite the 90-degree Florida heat, fans traipsed around the park in the floor-length robes, wearing Hogwarts ties as belts) or $30 wands.
The kids can’t wait. We’re aboard Norwegians new megaship Epic (153,000 tons!) that has forged a partnership with Nickelodeon that means kids—and their parents-have the chance to get slimed, get up close and personal with SpongeBob, Patrick Star, Dora the Explorer, Diego and Jimmy Neutron at breakfast or “meet and greets.”.
The cruiselines certainly think bigger is better. I’m heading out for a quick look-see of Norwegian’s new EPIC (http://epic.ncl.com) — 153,000 tons! — which is being billed as the world’s largest floating entertainment venue.
I smile thinking of that hot day at Disney World when my son and older daughter worked so hard to convince their little sister that she really was “grown up” enough (and tall enough) to ride Space Mountain. “So cool!” they told her. “Not too scary,” they promised.
We’ve started off on a morning walk on our second day in Provincetown and about a mile from town. We come across an inn at the top of a hill so striking we have to stop for a look. Land’s End Inn is not only spectacular with amazing ocean views but kid friendly too with a pile of kids’ games.
Had this been the 18th Century, we would have been hunting whales from Provincetown, MA, especially after the whales’ oil and bone
On one of the hottest days of the year so far, the Department of Transportation reminds us that hyperthermia caused by kids being left unsupervised in cars kills at least 27 children every year. That makes it the number one non-crash vehicle-related cause of death for of our nation’s kids.
”The wand learns from the wizard and the wizard from the wand,” the Wandkeeper tells us, standing behind the counter in the small room that is lined floor to ceiling with shelves packed with wands in all kinds of boxes.
The much anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter has just opened and even the most avid fans who planned their trip to Orlando around the new attractions seem unprepared for the crowds. But that doesn’t stop the fun.
Finally, a Caribbean beach that’s everything a Caribbean beach should be – quaint, with hammocks strung from palm trees, crystal-clear water perfect for snorkeling, white sand, a first-rate beach bar and enough water toys to keep the kids happy (banana boat ride anybody?)
Yum! We’re at American Seasons run by husband and wife team Michael LaScola and Orela Murphy-LaScola, who juggle the restaurant with being parents to their toddler.
Another full load of passengers stranded in a hot crowded airplane for four hours yesterday! This isn’t supposed to happen… Congress need to close another loophole and you can help… Here’s how
There is a lot of history we learn on this small island. In fact, the entire island is a historic district designated as a National Historic Landmark and has more buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places than anywhere in Massachusetts, including Boston.
It’s that perfect beach day… blue skies, warm but not too hot. Colored umbrellas dot the Nantucket beach. Kids play on boogie boards while smaller ones build sand forts until… the two pups discover each other.