Plenty of options for lodging in Clearwater FL
Just before sunset at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater, kids are in the pool on the eighth floor while parents are nearby nursing a cocktail. The beach is spread out below us.
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Fun and education on the beach in Clearwater FL
We just have to decide what we want to do on the six-mile long Clearwater beach just before Sunset.
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Catch your fish and bring it to Nauti Nancy’s in Clearwater FL
At the popular Clearwater restaurant Nauti Nancy’s, families bring their catch–which the restaurant prepares blackened, lemon picata or beer battered—along with sides for $10.
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On a family vacation in Portugal
Since 2010, Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts in Lisbon, Portugal have been providing family-friendly luxury accommodations, gourmet meals, facilities and activities to provide memorable holidays to family groups of all sizes and ages.
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October is “Kids Free Month” in San Diego
No wonder families have been coming here for 100 years. San Diego, of course, is a great bet for families all year round — sunny weather, 70 miles of coastline (take your pick of 30-plus beaches), theme parks (SeaWorld and LEGOLAND) and plenty of history
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Fall is Family Time on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
Fall is family time along Mexico’s Pacific Coast whether you want to take a bike ride around town, practice your Spanish, head to a local festival or relax at an all-inclusive resort
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Getting slimed at Nick Punta Cana Resort
This upscale, all-inclusive 208-suite resort, a partnership of Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom International Media Networks, is the first all-inclusive to have been built as a themed resort from the ground up
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Spa or Slime or Both? Last Day at Nick Punta Cana
The beautiful Vassa Spa at the new Nickelodeon Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana has an 11-step “ritual hydrotherapy “program that comes with a spa treatment, complete with a “spa butler”
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Are Kids’ Clubs passe? At Nick Punta Cana Families Relish Time Together
The just-opened Nickelodeon Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana has a well-appointed kids’ club with cooking lessons, arts and crafts, a wide selection of toys, games (video and board games) and a slide that lands you in a pool of brightly colored plastic balls. But most of the families I’ve met have been keeping their kids with them.
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Families Flocking to New Nickelodeon Hotel and Resort in Dominican Republic
It was a no brainer for his family and three others —10 kids aged 3-9 and eight adults—to choose the brand new Nickelodeon Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana, a partnership of Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom International Media Networks.
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Saving on a family summer beach vacation
A trip to the beach is a perfect summer getaway — and a bargain too. As long as you opt for a destination that’s off-season in summer — like the Caribbean or Arizona — you can have your pick of deals.
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10 water-safety tips that can save a child’s life this summer
Who’s watching the kids in the pool? Someone should have eyes on them at all times — even if they know how to swim. According to new research more than 40 percent of children (5 to 17) who drowned in pools knew how to swim.
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Vacationing like a 1 percenter in a staffed villa in Jamaica
It’s easy to see why these vacations are so popular with multigenerational families. No one is doing all the chores that typically come with a house rental.
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Zika virus and spring break: how to keep safe
A lot of families are concerned about spring break plans as the Zika virus continues to spread through the Caribbean and Mexico — popular spring break destinations for families, as well as their college students.
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Meeting the locals in Jamaica: a great family experience
We were brought together by a volunteer program called Meet the People, which has been bringing tourists and locals together for more than 50 years over a shared interest — in our case, cooking and food. meeting the locals in Jamaica Did I mention the program is free? The volunteers will even come and pick you up.
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Bumpkins on a river cruise in Jamaica. Seriously
Seriously. We are at River Bumpkin Farm and have floated down about 1.5 miles of the 75-mile long river.
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Meeting the people through a unique program in Jamaica
We are visiting Doris Morgan, who has been welcoming tourists—more than 1000—since the mid-1980s, showing them a bit of Jamaican cuisine and culture through the little publicized Meet the People program. Did I mention she does this for free and that there is no charge to the tourists?
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Learning Jamaican heritage on a walking tour of Falmouth
In the early 19th Century, when grand balls were held at the famous courthouse in Falmouth, Jamaica’s oldest seaport, young women would sew fireflies into their gowns so they would literally sparkle.
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A private villa in Jamaica with a homey feel and lots of space
We are eating dinner on the terrace listening to the ocean, feasting on Caribbean lobster. No we aren’t at a tony restaurant in Jamaica. We are at Serenity on the Beach, one of the 100 private villas in Jamaica managed by Villas by Linda Smith.
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Setting standards for family vacation – Half Moon Resort Jamaica
John Bartels has no interest in going home. He, his two sisters, and his parents have been spending a vacation week at Half Moon, a Rock Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, that has been setting a high bar for resorts here for more than 50 years
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Time to celebrate Halloween everywhere all month
No, I’m not a little early, though Halloween is nearly a month away. That’s because everyone from hotels to theme park to attractions to campgrounds to museums now have special Halloween doings that typically go on all month long.
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Mexico in the fall – special insights into culture and heritage
Visit Mexico during an annual festival and you will have special insight into the country’s cultural traditions and heritage. Mexico, of course, is a lot more than the sum of its beaches, as wonderful as they are.
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Puerto Vallarta resort is more than an all-inclusive
If you think Mexico is only about all-inclusives, think again. The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta, with its contemporary décor and just 280 rooms, offers all-inclusive options, though many also like to explore Puerto Vallarta’s lively dining scene.
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Lake Tahoe On a Budget: The Beach Retreat & Lodge
Lake Tahoe is one of the largest alpine lakes in the world, with a full menu of recreational options to match its grand size. Combine the cobalt blue water with miles of pristine nature trails and you’ve got a perfect match for lovers of the great outdoors.
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A whirlwind trip to the parks and great memories
The whirlwind parks tour continues at Universal Studios Hollywood and Knott’s Berry Farm. Heading home with an armful of souvenirs, Hannah says: “I had such a great time with my dad and will always remember this trip with him.”
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A father-daughter trip to the parks and beaches of Southern California
Ten-year-old Hannah Sitzman is a serious and competitive gymnast who only gets one week off her training a year. So she and her Dad Mike made the most of every day on a whirlwind visit to the parks and beaches around Los Angeles recently.
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21 ways to show your Dad some love on summer vacation!
As Father’s Day coincides with the start of the summer vacation season, I figured there’s no better time to offer some suggestions to up dad’s fun quotient on vacation, which is a much better idea than yet another Father’s Day tie, or an IOU, accompanied by a charming kid’s drawing.
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Ten fabulous Caribbean summer deals for families
Looking for a summer beach bargain?
You know, somewhere with white sand beaches, clear blue water and plenty of activities to keep everyone happy — paddle-boarding, giant sand castle building, boogie-boarding and snorkeling. Let’s not forget kayaking.
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How families can benefit from getting off the tourist track in Mexico
Yes, there has been a recent State Department warning about travel to Mexico. But here in what is a tourist destination — albeit one less busy than Cancun or Puerto Vallarta, we certainly feel safe amid vacationing Mexican families.
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Why families love all-inclusives, even when they didn’t think they would
In Puerto Vallarta, all-inclusives account for 80 percent of the hotels and they are especially popular with families in Mexico and the Caribbean. They’re certainly upping their game to appeal to families.
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A memorable feast of mangrove-grilled Snapper
Giovanni Arredondo holds up two huge Pargos—a kind of snapper—that had just been caught this morning, more than enough to feed the 10 of us.
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A bird-watchers paradise on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
People come to San Blas in the Riviera Nayarit from all over the world to see birds—as well as to surf the famous breaks. We are in a boat, mangroves on either side in La Tovara National Park
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On the Riviera Nayarit along Mexico’s Pacific Coast
At the Iberostar Playa Mita in Riviera Nayarit on the Pacific Coast of Mexico they feel they’ve gotten as close to family vacation nirvana as they could possibly get. “We’ve never had free room service,” joked Troy Nathan.
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Dolphins and art galleries in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
There are dolphin discovery programs run by this company all over the Caribbean but this park is different because for the same price (a little over $100) there is a challenge course, water slides, a water play area for younger kids, even a zipline over the slides).
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Day Two – a tour around the all-inclusives of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta is known for its galleries and its food but it is probably known more as a cruise ship stop and for those visiting the all-inclusive resorts.
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Three days in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Day One taco tour!
We’re in Puerto Vallarta, which is increasingly known for its food and happens to have some 500 taco stands open into the early hours of the night—each one with a specialty that locals come to savor. Every ingredient comes from within a 20 mile radius.
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Two worlds for kids and adults in one resort on St. Lucia
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia offers Splash, a wing where the kids club is housed and visitors delight in being young and taking part in family-friendly activities and Harmony, Coconut Bay’s adults-only wing.
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To Jumby Bay, Antigua: A unique all-inclusive resort in the
Many families have a special vacation spot — a snow sports resort, a lake where the kids caught their first fish, a beach where they build giant sand castles. Jumby Bay is one of them.
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Not just any sandy beach, Jumby Ban is a private island family paradise
Karin Allyn is celebrating a birthday on a beautiful stretch of white sand beach under a thatched umbrella with her children and grandchildren. But not just any beach—she’s at Jumby Bay
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Fish fit for a king, or a snorkeler, at Jumby Bay, Antigua
We’re at Jumby Bay on its own island just off the coast of Antigua–an all inclusive where the food isn’t like any other all inclusive I’ve seen—of course this is one of the most exclusive resorts in the Caribbean.
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A friends getaway to Jumby Bay, Antigua; an upscale all-inclusive resort
Here on a pre-holiday annual getaway with my three oldest friends, I’m glad to be ensconced in this villa within the upscale all inclusive
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A Sunday brunch to die for at the famed Hotel del Coronado in San Diego
At the Hotel del Coronado’s famed Sunday Brunch there are over 100 items to choose from—freshly made ceviche and crab legs, calamari salad, fresh oysters and smoked salmon, trout, prime rib, ham and smoked turkey carved in front of us. That’s just to start!
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The beauty, charm and eco-friendliness of Nicaragua
The San Francisco family was inspired to come to Nicaragua by friends who had visited with their kids, they said, and didn’t want to spend all their time on the beach — as gorgeous as it is
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Take the Kids to San Diego in October — they’re free!
There’s no better time to visit San Diego than October when kids are free all over town — from the zoo to harbor cruises, LEGOLAND California in nearby Carlsbad, nearly 40 museums, restaurants and activities from surf lessons to speedboat rides to golf and even fishing.
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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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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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Families love meeting future baseball stars on Cape Cod
We’re sitting on the grass with several hundred parents and kids on a balmy summer night in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod watching the Falmouth Commodores play the Orleans Firebirds.
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Exploring historic and family-friendly Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Does a summer night get any better? Not on Martha’s Vineyard at the historic Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown that dates back 123 years. We loved sitting on the rocking chairs on the porch
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Old old-fashioned summer vacation on Cape Cod, MA
Cape Cod—more than 550 miles of spectacular coastline in Massachusetts with beaches (the Cape Cod National Seashore), historic light houses, clam shacks, bike trails and summer vacations like they used to be.
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More than beaches – Maine’s museums and zoos
Taking the Kids Correspondent Andrea Timpano chronicles three days in the beach towns of Maine. Day 3- Ogunquit and York
