Plenty to do with little ones in the Orlando area
So go ahead. Bring the little ones. You don’t have to stay a week. And you don’t have to see everything. You can’t even if you try.
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Sitting under the star listening to ukulele music – it’s Disney
We’re sitting on woven mats under the stars listening to the best Ukulele playing I’ve ever heard. Rather than a huge luau with terrible food and hackneyed performances, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa on Oahu has opted to celebrate Hawaiian culture with the Aulani Starlit Hui
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Touring the Largest and Newest Legoland in the World
“This isn’t passive entertainment,” promises Bill Vollbrecht, the LEGOLAND Parks designer who walked me through just before opening. “Kids aren’t just being entertained here. They are part of the process.”
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Hot dogs and chicken fingers? Not at all restaurants thankfully
I’m so tired of hotels and resorts touting kids-eat-free programs limited to traditional kids menus. Do we want to encourage children to eat a steady diet of mac and cheese, chicken fingers, hot dogs and fries? Do kids, once they are in kindergarten, even want that? Not the kids I know who love sushi and steak. Not their parents either. …
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The Long Goodbye – taking the kid to college
One thing I had learned. Like all of those other big parenting moments, it won’t go exactly the way we hope. Parents who expect one picture-perfect memorable moment after another will invariably be disappointed — just like the time when the kids whined at Disney World, or it rained in Hawaii. I just hope for a minimum of histrionics.
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Seeing the sights without the crowds at Yellowstone
Certainly we could tour Yellowstone on our own but Austin Lehman has been guiding families in the vast park for 25 years and this is an opportunity to get away from the hordes of tourists (up more than 10 per cent last year from 2009 with 3.6 million visitors) and experience the park with those who know it well. Sadly, the majority of visitors don’t get more than a quarter of a mile from the road when there are thousands of hiking trails in the park.
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At Mystic Seaport-Aquarium with two Fresh Air Fund boys
It’s easy to see why Juno the Beluga is a star here at Mystic Aquarium as well as a YouTube sensation— “dancing” to a Mariachi Band. He’s a growing boy, just like Jason and Enesi, the two 12-year-old boys who have left New York’s inner city, courtesy of the Fresh Air Fund to spend a week with us. We wanted to show the boys a place they’d never been and somewhere quintessentially New England, since they are spending 10 days in Connecticut, and what better place than Mystic?
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How to combat your family’s nature deficit
The next time you’re thinking about hiring a private soccer coach, more violin lessons or a new video game, take the kids for a walk in the woods instead. Inject a little nature on your next vacation too, even if you’re heading to New York City (how about a long walk through Central Park?) or Orlando (get up close and personal with the manatees, or go fishing). You’ll all be the better for it. …
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History and adventure abound at Mount Rushmore
So where can you see the guy with the 20-foot long nose? Here’s a hint: Conceived as a tourist gimmick and celebrating its 70th birthday, it’s recognized around the world as a symbol of the United States and democracy. The answer, of course, is Mount Rushmore, which literally will give the kids an in-your-face history lesson they won’t forget.
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Want an old-fashioned family vacation? Think Maine
Maine is ideal for an old-fashioned family vacation with plenty of modern touches. Indulge your young foodies at Portland restaurants ( www.visitportland.com) or shop till you drop in Freeport, home of L.L. Bean and more than 200 retail outlets. Eat blueberry pancakes (the season starts in mid-July). Head out on an old-fashioned schooner for a few days, like we did one summer aboard the Isaac H. Evans, where we ate our fill of fresh lobster on a deserted island, or explore Acadia National Park and hike some of the famous Appalachian Trail.
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History and Science for all at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum
The scientists are mostly under the age of 10. Welcome to the new “Treasures of the Earth” exhibition here at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, launched in partnership with the National Geographic Society and world-renowned archaeologists, at the largest children’s museum in the country, which draws well over a million visitors a year to Indy.
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Broadway is booming with family entertainment
How much would you pay for a memory? I was thinking about that looking around at the parents, grandparents and hoards of young children—especially little boys—at the Foxwoods Theater on Broadway where Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, the most expensive production ever mounted and one fraught with problems and delays, has recently opened.
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Early American history comes alive in and around Philadelphia
The Continental Army. Here in the heart of historic Philadelphia on a steamy summer day, we’ve time traveled back to the heady days of the American Revolution, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the making of Betsy Ross’ famous flag sewn at the request of General George Washington — all right where it all happened — thanks to 30 terrific costumed “History Makers,” as well as 40 first-rate storytellers from the nonprofit Historic Philadelphia organization .
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Five budget-minded tips for celebrating the Fourth of July
Which party are you going to? Across the country on July 4th weekend, everyone will be slurping ice cream cones, waving flags and having a good time — hopefully. If you want to do more than attend — or host — a BBQ in your backyard, you certainly have your pick. Here are five picks guaranteed to please without busting the budget
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In Freeport Maine, a restauranteur who gets it about kids and nutrition
What sets this place apart is his philosophy that I wish other restaurant owners and chefs would embrace. Rather than limiting kids to a kids menu, he offers smaller portions of just about everything on the menu – from calamari to filet mignon and Scottish salmon — at a reduced price.
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Maine’s Hidden Pond resort is designed for 21st Century families
Hidden Pond is just 16 spacious cottages spread over 60 wooded acres a mile from Kennebunkport’s famous Goose Rocks Beach that’s open just from May to October. It’s a place where kids can tool around on bikes, go for a hike, do cannon balls in the pool and gather around the fire pit for s’mores and even take an outdoor shower in the cottages or pick vegetables or herbs in the gardens
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Three Days in Maine — Day One on a Lobster Boat
We learn from our affable captain Dave Coleman that Maine provides the world with 75 per cent of its lobsters and that licensed lobstermen work very, very hard—with each one having about 800 traps and checking on about 150 a day. We see how much work it is for Dave to haul in just the one trap andcheck the lobsters for size.
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To Orlando for the first time? Here’s how to make the most of it
According to recent polls from Travelocity and Orbitz, Orlando is the number one destination for families this summer. It is affordable with some of the summer’s best room rates (plenty of hotels and condos under $100 a night and special deals for those in the U.S. military) and flights. And we all know you won’t run out of things to do
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On the road again — exploring America in an RV
RVing may not be for die hard backpackers like my grown kids, but it’s still a great way to get kids outdoors and get some R&R. You don’t have to worry about what to do when it rains either. Sure gas prices are high, but some families park their RV in one spot rather than touring the region. What a great way to explore one part of the state or one national park, returning to the camp ground in the evening where you’ll find congenial neighbors, activities, Wi-Fi in many places and even swimming pools.
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Among East Coast cities, Baltimore is sometimes an afterthought — WRONG!
Sometimes in our rush to take the kids to see major museums and historic sites, we skip smaller cities like Baltimore — ideally located 40 minutes north of Washington, D.C., and 90 minutes south of Philadelphia — that are not only easily navigable (even free buses) but can be easier on our wallets.
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Despite high gas prices, families will hit the road this summer
This summer, with every electronic accoutrement and despite high gas prices — the current national average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline is $3.95, $1.04 more than last year — most of us will still hit the road, according to AAA, though nearly four in 10 of us will adjust our travel plans as a result, suggests a new survey from TripAdvisor
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San Francisco — a museum-goer’s paradise
Whether your kids are science geeks, future engineers or artists, or you just want them to have a unique experience, San Francisco’s two-dozen museums deliver. The California Museum of Sciences — one of the city’s top tourist draws since its move to Golden Gate Park — is the only place in the world to combine a natural history museum, aquarium and planetarium in one building. It’s the greenest museum in the world.
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A backyard vacation at a unique resort in Northwest Connecticut
Talk about a unique family getaway — yes, while this is primarily for adults and couples there are family weekends with a litany of kids’ activities — pony rides nearby, a bonfire with s’mores, croquet on the lawn, biking and hikes, fishing in the pond… you can even sleep in a helicopter!
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Putting the lessons we learned about sustainable seafood to the test
After this trip to San Francisco, I don’t think I’ll ever buy or order fish the same way again. On our last morning, we eat breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental. Is the smoked salmon from wild or farmed fish, my daughter asks the waiter. “I’ve never been asked that before,” he admits and goes to find out. Wild salmon, he reports. Reggie nods approvingly.
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Letting the grown-up kids lead the way on vacation
I can’t remember the last time I rode in back. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t leading the way. But in this case, this weekend, I’m following—following the passions of my 25 year old daughter Reggie Yemma and her boyfriend Dan Foldes, who live in San Francisco. All I did was book the hotel
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A visit to the Marine Mammal Center, where they rescue creatures large and small
This is a wonderful place to visit. (Full disclosure—my daughter Reggie is working as an AmeriCorps volunteer here this year). There’s no charge and the work they do is amazing. The windswept day we visited, there were 25 patients (yes this is a full hospital with vets who do detailed blood work, x-rays, ultra sounds and keep copious records that have made this Center respected for the research it has done)
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San Francisco and environs — a foodie’s paradise
I don’t think there is anything you might want to try that you can’t find in San Francisco. Last night, we sample a restaurant on the Embarcadero, about a block from the restored Ferry Building home to the bustling farmers market selling and explaining their local goods
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Tinkering at the Exploratorium in San Francisco
I’m at San Francisco’s Exploratorium (www.exploratorium.edu ) which, when it opened in 1969, served as the prototype for museums becoming places for an interactive experience. That continues today as the museum staff work on what the museum will be when it moves to its new digs on Piers 15 and 17 on the Embarcadero in 2013
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Six days learning sustainability in San Francisco and Monterey
Ready to play dress up? If you stay in a kids’ suite at the Hotel Diva (www.hoteldiva.com) on Union Square, your little princess can do just that with sparkly shoes, a pink boa, jewelry and a drawer full of “gowns.” If you have a prince, he can play Wii among other things. Whimsical wall art suggests “Keep calm and eat a cupcake” Or “Keep Calm and Rock On.”
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At the Marine Mammal Center near San Francisco, little miracles happen every day
The 45 member staff and 800-plus volunteers here are responsible for rescuing some 800 animals a year—elephant seals, sea lions, harbor seals and the occasional whale or dolphin. People who spot a stranded or sick animal call (415-289-7325) and the staff mobilizes for a rescue. The center is responsible for 600 miles of Coast all the way from Mendocino south to San Luis Obispo, and since 1975 has rescued over 13,000 marine mammals
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Looking For Those Unique Moments in Orlando (As Long as You Can Afford Them!)
For those heading to Orlando this spring break — and millions of parents and kids do (www.visitorlando.com) — there is an ever-growing array of unique VIP adventures to help you get away from the crowds and, hopefully, up the memory quotient. Some are inexpensive, requiring just a little advance planning, but others can cost big bucks, not including park admission, of course.
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Learn origins of food at San Francisco Farmers Market
At a farmer’s market, kids can learn that food in season is more nutritious and tastes better because it is fresh. They can “eat greener” by opting for foods that are local rather than flown or trucked across the country. At the San Francisco farmer’s market, you can taste a kind of pear you’ve never seen or a Quince and ask the farmer how it’s grown.
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Too hot for you in Pompeii? Try Times Square
f you can’t make it to Italy, you now have an alternative: Discovery Times Square has just premiered “Pompeii The Exhibit – Life and Death in the Shadow of Vesuvius” with Over 250 artifacts – includes some never-before-seen objects and the largest collection of body casts ever on display including a dramatic skeleton collection.
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Spring Break is coming — start making your plans
There’s still snow on the ground in many areas of the country but spring break is just around the corner. Should you head for the beaches, mountains, vineyards, ballparks? The choices and deals are endless.
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Take the Kids to Broadway — see Lombardi coach the Packers before there was a Super Bowl
Super Bowl? The Packers? You should see Vince before there was a Super Bowl. The second week in February (Feb. 6 to 10) kids rule Broadway with free tickets (up to age 18, kids can see a Broadway show for free when accompanied by a paying adult) to shows like “Lombardi.” There are pre-theater parties, restaurant discounts, parking discounts, special-edition Kids’ Night Playbills and more.
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How to manage a whirlwind day at Disney World
Theresa Bennett and her extended family are all smiles—even as they wait 40 minutes in line at Epcot to see Soarin’ — the popular attraction that makes you feel as if you are hang-gliding over California
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Two days at Disney World and two on new Disney Dream
Wild Animal Trek gives you the chance to watch the cheetahs and lions through powerful binoculars, get to the edge of the river above where the crocs loll, albeit tethered to cables that keep a misstep from turning into a tragedy. Yes, we were also tethered going across the bridges
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When the grandparents lead the way on a family adventure
Upping the adventure quotient is exactly what a growing number of well-heeled and fit grandparents are doing to gather their far-flung progeny. They’re sailing in the British Virgin Islands, hiking in Yellowstone, exploring Costa Rican rain forests, bird-watching in the Galapagos Islands, heading to Africa on safari, fishing in Alaska and even studying marine biology in Virginia, typically picking up most of the tab
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January is the month to learn a snow sport — here’s how and where
No wonder I’m smiling. If you thought heading to the slopes this winter would be a budget buster or no fun for mom, think again. Large and small resorts across ski country are pulling out all the stops for families, featuring increased programming off the slopes as well as on, free or discounted lift tickets and even free flights.
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Something different in Orlando – an ICE show at the Gaylord Palms
As we were planning our trip, we decided that a day-off from Disney would be good, so that the kids could settle down and we didn’t have to fight crowds and lines all day. So, being from Colorado, we decided to go check out SNOW! and ICE! at the Gaylord Palms hotel in Orlando.
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in Orlando — what do you do when it rains? SeaWorld of course!
On our third day, we woke up ready to go get wet. When we looked outside, we were going to definitely get wet. It was pouring outside. But, since we didn’t have much flexibility in our schedule, and since we knew we were going to be sitting in the splash zone at Shamu, we were undeterred. In fact, it was raining so hard we were wet as we walked to the car.
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This holiday season, take the kids out to see the lights — they’re everywhere!
Wherever you are this holiday season, take some time to see the lights with the kids. In most cases, it won’t cost anything (except for a hot drink afterward). If your family is anything like mine, you are guaranteed memories that will last for years — though they won’t necessarily be the ones you anticipated. (We still talk about that Chicago “ice kiss” every winter.)
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Giving the Elves a Hand for the Traveling Family
If you were super-organized, you might have squirreled away “surprises” from your last family vacation — those souvenirs the kids wanted but you nixed — and can now present with appropriate fanfare. I wasn’t that organized this year and my kids wouldn’t let me buy even one more ornament for the tree. (“Enough already!” They said in Hawaii and Colorado.) But I’ve got a fall back plan: A photo book for each of them comprised of vacation shots taken over the years. (Hopefully, my picks won’t embarrass them too much.)
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Museums all over the country welcome you this holiday season
Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, make time to visit a museum — even if you take in just one exhibit. Museums are a great way to get the gang out of grandma’s house for a couple of hours, especially when it’s too cold to hit the local playground. And if you are a member of your local art, science or children’s museum, you may find that membership gets you in for free.
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Grabbing a Pre-Holiday Break
It’s not wishful thinking — even in this economy. All you need to do is gather the gang at a vacation destination rather than a relative’s house for the holidays. According to American Express, 40 percent of consumers plan to travel this holiday season, most of them staying in the United States. This year, AAA expects more of us to hit the roads and skies for Thanksgiving
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God Speed Major Garay
Whether facing a deployment or just trying to make vacation memories, this village is a terrific place to start. Lanier Motes, who orchestrates the events here at Sandestin, explains there is something going on every holiday
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Tennis anyone?
This program—you’ll find others around the country—is part of an effort designed by the U.S. Tennis Association to get more kids involved in the sport. They play with smaller rackets and on smaller courts. “It’s hand eye coordination, exercise, being outdoors,” Petty says, and the kids are learning a lifelong sport.
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Get your own Santa visit at Sandestin
If you are staying at the resort, you can arrange to have Santa come to your condo or cottage—gift in hand (he presented me with a soft stuffed lamb complete with a tag that reads “To Eileen from Santa”) and read a holiday story to the kids
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To the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park
We’re riding in a truck on a photo caravan into the heart of the large animal enclosures, which means, as we bump along, we get up close to not only the rhinos (Southern white, as well as greater one-horned) but also the giraffes (try feeding leaves to two giraffes at once!), Springbok, Cape buffalo, ostrich, Defassa Waterbuck, zebras and more.
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How to survive and have fun on college tours with your kids
Anyone who has ever toured colleges with a high school student — and I was on my third round that Boston weekend — knows that’s no small feat. I’ve driven four hours to have my son refuse to get out of the car because he didn’t like the look of the campus
