Following The Mermaid Trail In Norfolk, Virginia
Families who visit this culturally-diverse and exciting city will also be surprised to hear that Norfolk VA is famous for its interactive Mermaid Trail
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Discovering a hidden gem off the tourist track
Still doing holiday shopping? Take your pick of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, handwoven rugs and baskets — entire roomfuls that are handmade by Native American artisans. Of course, you can shop till you drop anytime!
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Visiting The New Family And Pet Friendly Hotel Indigo In Charleston, South Carolina
Hotel Indigo is fast becoming Charleston’s premiere upscale option and not just because of its fresh designs and inspiring service, but for its affordability, too. In other words, it’s got Southern Charm in almost every corner of its multiple-star property
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At NYC’s One World Observatory: Winter ONEderland
The Winter ONEderland: A Holiday Experience Above It All at One World Observatory in New York City is open until January 7, 2019. I experienced the journey on December 4, 2018 and highly recommend this magical, multi-media fun even
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12 places to see the holiday lights
Cities, towns and hotels, just like many families, are getting themselves holiday-ready earlier and earlier, kicking of the season with holiday tree lightings starting Thanksgiving weekend.
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Roswell N.M.: UFO Central and Much More
Picture thousands of fans of “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and other Sci-Fi movie franchises and their families descending on Roswell to see aliens at the UFO Festival
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Gathering for the holidays
According to AAA, more people will be traveling over Thanksgiving — 54.3 million, the most since 2005. But they aren’t all heading to a relative’s house
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Denver Performing Arts: Roller Skates and 80’s Hits
Xanadu, produced by Denver Center for the Performing Arts Cabaret, captures the spirit of the 1980s while appealing to many generations. The musical is adapted from the cult classic movie with the same title starring Olivia Newton John and Gene Kelly
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Learning a little military history this month
World War I was so long ago that as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of armistice of the first global war in which millions died and empires were destroyed, today’s kids never met anyone who fought or lived during that difficult time
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Two New York Hotels To Light Up Your Holidays
Those touring The Big Apple over the holidays certainly could use some after a day of ice skating in Central Park, checking out the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and all the holiday lights and/or hitting the museums
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Fun and festivals without the stress – holidays in Orlando
Welcome to the holidays—Orlando Style. The best part: You don’t have to wait until Christmas week to celebrate since Orlando’s seven famous theme parks and attractions celebrate for 59 days at 20 festive events
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To the National Museum of Play
The prestigious National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play is a top draw for not only visitors to Rochester, N,Y., but for all of upper New York state
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Visiting Maine in Winter – Family Friendly and Affordable
Unlike bears, Mainers don’t hibernate in winter. They like to encourage everyone who visits to get outdoors. Maine is the place to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, cross country ski, ice skate, tube, build snow forts and make lots of snow angels
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Happy Halloween – all month long!
No longer a one-day affair, Halloween has morphed into one of the year’s biggest holidays, with families taking off to experience haunted houses, spooky festivals and gruesome gourmet delights
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What’s in your bag of tricks for outdoor fun?
There’s no better time than autumn to get outdoors and get away, whether you have a day, a weekend or a week. ACES should be on everyone’s list when they visit Aspen with its terrific in-town nature preserve
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When a vacation rental is more than a place to sleep
Fall, of course, is harvest season around the country and there are many festivals to celebrate the bounty, including those that include showing off your prowess in the kitchen and the garden
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The Curious Theater Company’s The Cake Fosters Conversation in a Sweet Way
Talking about controversial issues doesn’t seem so hard when it’s paired with comedy and confection. That’s why The Cake, a play featured at Denver’s Curious Theater Company, is good for both the mind and the stomach
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The newest revival of Oklahoma! delights Denver audiences
The newest revival of Oklahoma!, which we just saw in Denver, shows that a good theater can produce a beloved musical that not only entertains, but provokes thought and discussion
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To the top of the city
Let’s hope you aren’t afraid of heights. We’re talking a hands-free walk 1,168 feet up on a 5-foot ledge — EdgeWalk at Toronto’s famous CN Tower holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Highest External Walk on a Building
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At the Crested Butte Chili and Beer Festival, It’s Not About Winning or Losing
For my husband and daughter, it proved a fun shared experience—choosing the recipe, shopping for ingredients, and then two evenings cooking in our VRBO rental
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How to Compete in a Chili Cookoff? Vacation Rental of Course!
This is one of the best equipped rentals I’ve ever experienced not only with plenty of dishes, pots, pans and utensils but basic spices and even tin foil and zip lock bags.
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Challenging kids to learn nature at Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
At the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), environmental educators including Denali Barron and Bowman Leigh think a grab bag of nature challenges can help kids engage with the outdoors—and get off their devices.
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What’s new at museums for families
Whether you have an end-of-summer trip planned or just a few days before the school year gets into full swing, consider checking out a new museum exhibit or two
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DISNEYLAND: ALL ABOUT PIXAR- EVEN THE FOOD
At a time when travelers — kids as well as adults — consider what and where they eat a key part of their vacation experience, Disney Parks up their game.
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Exploring Maine
Maine is as famous for its wild blueberries as its lobster. Thousands of acres of wild blueberries are harvested on and around Mount Desert Island where Bar Harbor is located. If you visit in summer
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Kids find a lot of bragging rights in summer in Breckenridge CO
You’re guaranteed to find plenty of bragging rights here, no matter what ages your kids, as Breckenridge Ski Resort now has Epic Discovery on the mountain
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Trooper’s Big Adventure Becoming a Mountain Dog in Breckenridge, CO
A first Gondola ride up a mountain is exciting for anyone—dogs included. And when Trooper gets to the base of Peak 8 on Breckenridge mountain, she is officially a mountain dog!
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Getting fit at the world’s biggest children’s museum
Welcome to the new outdoor 7.5-acre Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the world’s largest children’s museum, which welcomes 1.5 million visitors annually
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How to take a family vacation and make money with Airbnb
Let’s face it – family vacations can be expensive, no matter how frugal you are. But there’s a way you may not have thought of to get more bang for your vacation buck. List your home on Airbnb while you’re away on vacation.
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Denver’s Big Eat 2018 – Slow food for all tastes and sizes
There is almost too much to try at The Big Eat 2018, presented by Eat Denver and the kickoff to the Slow Food Nations Festival that draws tens of thousands to Denver. This year’s theme is “Food for Change”
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Sun, Sand And Turtles: Visiting Jekyll Island In Georgia
When you first visit Jekyll Island, you’ll notice a few things right away: the calm, serene beaches, the area’s unique Southern charm that dates back centuries
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Families together at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The world’s biggest and best children’s museum, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, has got it right: Families can play together—and learn together—at the same time
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Seeing what’s new in the Big Apple this summer
New Yorkers once avoided Times Square, except on their way to dinner and a Broadway show. Years ago the area just wasn’t safe, though more recently it has become a Mecca for tourists
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Visiting Wine Country In Sonoma County With The Kids
The rule of thumb when visiting wineries is to leave the kids at home. Luckily, on the West Coast and particularly in Sonoma County, California, that mentality is changing.
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Rebranded and Vibrant – Disney Springs!
The former Downtown Disney completed its multi-year transformation in 2016. Today, the rebranded Disney Springs has more than 150 shops, restaurants and other venues and is as popular with locals as for guests
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Eileen asks if you’re ready for the opening of Toy Story Land
Toy Story Land opens at Walt Disney World in Florida on June 30, 2018. Eileen sets the scene in these videos
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To Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation
“Many children were swept up in the drama of the American Revolution,” explained Dr. Elizabeth Grant, the director of education at the immersive the Museum of the American Revolution
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Summer fun and July 4 in the mountains
These days across ski country you’ll find not only plenty of old-fashioned celebrations for Independence Day but also a growing number of mountaintop and mountainside activities
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Visiting South Dakota: The Crazy Horse Memorial, A 10K Volksmarch and Starting New Family Traditions
The Crazy Horse’s mountain carving near Mount Rushmore has always been about family. Today, the Crazy Horse dream has been handed to the next generation with 4 of the 10 children and several grandchildren
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Sleeping Under The Stars: Under Canvas Glamping Near Mount Rushmore In South Dakota
Even though The Mount Rushmore state has numerous options when it comes lodging and accommodations, there’s a different way to enjoy a unique night’s rest: glamping
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In Kansas City, everything is up to date for the visitors and their dogs
We are in the midst of a cross-country road trip to our new home in Denver and a Kansas City stop is welcome—especially on a Saturday night when the hotel restaurant, the Reserve, presents Jazz all evening.
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Kids become revolutionaries in Philadelphia this summer
The kids who visit the new Revolution Place, opening June 9, in the year-old Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia can do laundry in an army camp as well as get news just like from the “internet”
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Hitting the newest, fastest, scariest thrill rides this summer
Summer is when millions of us dare each other to ride the fastest, tallest, scariest coasters, and have since the 1920s. Here are eight of the thrill rides that are already creating a lot of buzz
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The road trip: snacks and drinks for survival — and fun!
“How much longer???” “Can we stop for a snack and something to drink?” Those questions are as inevitable on road trips as scattered potato chips and melted crayons in the back seat
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When you can’t let it rain on your parade
The thing about any adventure trip — any vacation that involves being outdoors in fact — is that you can’t let less-than-perfect weather stop you.
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How to be a Spy and Travel the World in a Day in NYC
There’s much to do in a city of eight million people with many attractions to visit, but Midtown Manhattan has a few charms like no other. Become a spy and travel the world in a day by visiting the SPYSCAPE and Gulliver’s Gate.
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Five Tips for Taking Your Kids Fishing
Modern families have lots of options when traveling with kids, but there’s one great option that has been popular for decades, yet often goes overlooked: fishing
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Making the most of visiting the Smithsonian with kids this spring
The Smithsonian Museums, particularly Air and Space, Natural History, American History, the African American Museum and the National Zoo are on every family’s must-see list when visiting Washington, D.C.
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Making the most out of a national park visit
The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation are hoping you will #FindYourPark — or at least start thinking about what park you next want to visit, including the less visited ones — during National Park Week, which runs April 21 through April 29.
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Seeing the Unseen Oceans at the American Museum of Natural History
It was a behind-the- scenes tour of their rapidly growing collections of marine and freshwater fishes, comprised of more than 2 million specimens
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
To Denver the Mile High City
Denver is a great bet for families, I discovered while writing my Kid’s Guide to Denver, Boulder and Colorado Ski Country. In fact, local families are perplexed that families visiting Colorado head straight to the mountains without first stopping in Denver
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On spring break, without busting the budget
It’s not too late to book a spring break, whether for a week or a long weekend. If you plan smart, you might snare a deal. The Taking the Kids 2018 Very Best Spring Break Ideas can help.
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Great eats in Denver, a new foodie paradise
Denver, famously “the Mile High” city because at the 13th step of the Colorado State Capitol you are exactly 5,280 feet above sea level, has become a true foodie destination for all ages, whether you want Mexican, Italian, burgers, micro brewery or food trucks.
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Disney’s New Toy Story Land in FL is sure to please all ages
No matter how many times you’ve been to the Disney parks, you can always count on the Mouse—and the talented Imagineers—to encourage us to visit again for something new and different
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For Big Family Fun in Atlanta, Think Small
When planning a family vacation in Atlanta, don’t make the mistake of thinking too big. Sure, Atlanta is sprawling, but when it comes to enjoying its many great attractions, thinking small lets you take in most of the top tourist spots.
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Two teens take on Philadelphia – home of the Super Bowl champs
We are talking with local kids around the country and the world to get their take on what they think visiting kids would like. This stop: Philadelphia!
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Celebrating women’s accomplishments on your next trip
There is another important cue we can take from Oprah Winfrey’s words when we travel — show our kids the ways women have contributed and made a difference in our history.
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Celebrating Martin Luther King Day
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday this month, and African American History Month in February, there’s probably no better time to start that conversation with the kids. They’re likely studying Martin Luther King’s accomplishments in school — 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of his assassination on April 4, 1968.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Travel Diaries
Visiting The Newly-Renovated Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
The Swan and Dolphin Resort just celebrated the completion of a major renovation. All 2,267 guest rooms have been refurbished along with the Dolphin lobby, grab-and-go restaurants, and more
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Having fun in the snow during Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
Sometimes it’s a good idea to let the pros lead the way — especially with so many enticing deals during Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
