In Orlando, taking your kids to a restaurant is easy
Taking young kids to a restaurant on vacation can seem like it is more trouble than it’s worth. The good news is that in Orlando, you can relax.
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A place where a private tour makes sense: The Louvre in Paris
The Louvre can be overwhelming for an adult, much less a child. That’s why I figure if you are going to splurge on a private tour, this is a good place to do it.
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Tinker til you drop at San Francisco’s Exploratorium
Step right into the Tinkering Studio at San Francisco’s Exploratorium where you can tinker until you make lights go on and buzzers sound, make music on a musical bench or create a toothpick sculpture, inspired by the giant toothpick sculpture “Rolling Through the Bay.”
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Boston’s Freedom Trail: Where families travel back in time
Welcome to Boston’s Freedom Trail, the 2.5-mile-long route over cobble-stoned streets that lets you travel back in time to when Boston was still a colony and people argued about what to do about the increasingly difficult demands from the king of England.
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San Francisco’s North Beach: a fun area for family touring
North Beach, of course, is not a beach but a famous San Francisco neighborhood first settled by Italian fisherman and laborers in the early years of the 20th century.
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Children’s Creativity Museum: A San Francisco family treat
The Children’s Creativity Museum in downtown San Francisco right at Yerba Buena Gardens, is unlike any children’s museum I’ve ever seen. For one thing, it appeals to all ages.
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At the Tonga Room in SF, fun dining for families
The Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar has been a San Francisco fixture since 1945, famous for its tropical drinks and band that floats up and down the water on a thatched-covered barge
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A new way with kids menus at San Francisco’s Exploratorium
At the SEAGLASS restaurant in San Francisco’s Exploratorium, families and kids step out of their comfort zone to eat healthier and what is in season.
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Five places for your kids to get up close and personal with dinosaurs
You don’t have to be in New York or at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., to get your dino fix, as wonderful as those museums’ exhibits are. Here are four others museums I’ve visited that are guaranteed to please.
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Mellow Monarch Gives Families a Place to Chill
Don’t worry about buying new ski gear. Just pull your old ski gear out of the box in your garage; you’ll feel right at home at laid-back Monarch Mountain.
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Chiles and yogurt: family dining in Albuquerque NM
New Mexican cuisine is as much a part of Albuquerque as the museums and heritage, and there is no shortage of delicious places for families to dine when visiting the area.
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10 family friendly things to do in Albuquerque, NM
Here are ten activities and destinations you will find in Albuquerque that are ideal for families traveling with children.
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The secret to vacation happiness — ask the kids to help planning!
The lesson: Take the kids’ opinions into account when planning a family getaway, whether it’s a big-ticket adventure, a trip to Orlando, a camping trip or a weekend exploring a city. Believe me, if the kids aren’t happy, you won’t be.
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Back to Bolton Valley with the ABC boys — many lessons learned
Why would three sane adult males drive five hours for a day-and-a-half of skiing and snowboarding with a group of five high school boys when there are bigger and fancier ski areas much closer to home? A guys weekend of course.
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Take your family to an art museum and explore it in new ways
At the Denver Art Museum you can borrow a backpack. These days you’ll find plenty of activities to engage kids and the adults who accompany them to art museums across the country
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Finding a New Shared Passion on the Slopes of Winter Park
We had a lot on the line for our first ski trip out west together. I wanted my fiancé, Jonathan to fall in love with skiing. I knew Winter Park would win him over.
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Futbol is life — at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Fútbol: The Beautiful Game is an art exhibition to examine soccer through issues such as nationalism and identity as well as share the human experience through different cultures, according to LACMA.
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Keeping your children safe around vacation pools and beaches
As many of us head off to warm climes and cruise ships on spring break, it’s especially important to be mindful of water safety, particularly if young kids are along for the trip.
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There’s plenty in Orlando for even the smallest park goers and their parents
There’s no need to wait until kids are in elementary school to bring them to Orlando—not when every park has plenty to wow the littlest park goers and their parents, including big, interactive play areas designed just for them.
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As spring breaks grow in popularity, how to plan one on the fly
Spring break these days is more for families than for college kids, as parents find it easier to grab a few days off in spring rather than summer when the kids have jobs, summer school, camp, sports practice and everyone at work is vying for the same vacation days.
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Why families love the quintessential ski town of Breckenridge, CO
Challenge is a good thing for all ages on vacation and Breckenridge offers it up in spades, whatever the kids’ ages and ability — from the Four O’clock run, which is 3.5 miles long, the terrain parks, the kids’ trails through the trees and kids’ terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.
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Ostracized snowboarder finds welcome at Snowbird and The Canyons
As the only snowboarder of the family, I constantly have to defend myself and my brethren that we’re not a bunch of sliding reckless criminals one strike from being locked up. I still have two strikes left, thank you.
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Something for every family in Park City, including snowboarder nephews
Until this year, I had never snowboarded in Utah. When I thought Utah, I thought tiny martinis and tabernacle choirs . When I thought Park City, I thought fancy film festivals. Turns out, Utah, and specifically the former silver-mining town of Park City, are pure gold.
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Mammoth Still Formidable in California Drought
With a trip to Mammoth planned back in October, it never occurred to me that in a few months I’d be hearing news about one of the worst droughts in California history. Sure, that’s bad news for the state’s water supply, bad news for agriculture, bad news for just about every facet of life. But most importantly — it’s bad news for ski trips. Call me an only child.
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The museums in Los Angeles have something for every family
Here are five Los Angeles museum bets that are guaranteed to please even the I-hate-museum crowd
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At Deer Valley, the consensus seems to be no snowboarders
The families I met here like Deer Valley—one of Park City’s three ski resorts— because of the groomed runs but more important, because there are no snowboarders allowed. Deer Valley, in fact, is one of only three resorts in the country that don’t allow snowboarders.
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When the snow is falling, the spa is a perfect backup plan
I admit it. When it comes to skiing when the wind is howling and I can’t see in front of me, I’ll pack it in, even at such a wonderful mountain as Snowbird.
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Outwitting the storm for once for a family ski reunion in Park City, Utah
When the forecast got worse by the hour for the latest storm primed to hit the East Coast, I figured our flight from New York to Salt Lake City would invariably be cancelled the next morning.
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Unleashing your family’s inner Olympian at the North American sites
This year, do a lot more than just watch the Olympians as the Winter Games get under way in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 6. Tap into the Olympic spirit right here at home.
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Preschoolers exploring the surface of Mars at Denver science museum
On a recent Tuesday, a group of pre schoolers were busy carving out what looked like pieces of water from the surface of Mars — at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
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Families love the time machines at History Colorado
Everyone visiting Denver—and Colorado should stop at this downtown museum that makes Colorado history relevant and gives those families visiting a way to connect with Coloradoans past and present.
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Families love the Denver Art Museum and its backpacks
It turns out that some 20 years ago, the Denver Art Museum was the first in the country to not only embrace families but to introduce backpacks-to-borrow as a way to engage kids.
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Families getting out of the comfort zone above the tree line
It’s dumping snow on Breckenridge Mountain and we’re above tree line at the new Peak 6 bowls. Some of the terrain is hike-to expert — some of the most extreme at the big resort — but all of the buzz here has been about the above tree line blue terrain.
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Family central at Breckenridge CO and its new Peak 6
The mountain—it’s huge, even larger with the newly opened Peak Six that has added 543 new acres of terrain, the biggest ski resort terrain expansion in over a decade. There are Kids’ jumps and small trails through the trees and kids terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.
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Carving snow and ice In Breckenridge CO — you can do this at home!
With much of the nation covered in snow this week, and temperatures well below freezing, this is a great family cabin-fever-reducing activity. But here in Breckenridge, snow carving is a huge event each winter.
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Families learning the culinary arts on vacation
We’re fans of including cooking classes in our travels, learning to make mole with our kids in Oaxaca, Mexico and pasta with other young travelers in Lucca, Italy. We learned to make crab cakes on a Windstar cruise ship, after following the chef to a local market in Croatia. Wherever we go, at the very least we make sure to visit local food markets.
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Day 3 in Turks and Caicos: bonefishing and a sunset cruise
Families come to Turks and Caicos to relax, but also to enjoy the fishing and water sports, like kite-boarding on South Beach.
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At the Beaches Turks and Caicos — kids everywhere, and that’s year-round
It’s not even a holiday week but the Beaches resort on Turks and Caicos is fully booked, including 841 kids running, jumping, splashing and sliding down the water slides at the water play area. “So worth the money,” said Greg Vogel, from Baltimore.
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Learning to ski and ride and doing it for FREE in Pennsylvania
Do you have kids that are in 4th or 5th Grade and are looking for a way to keep them busy this winter How about skiing or boarding for FREE in Pennsylvania?
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Following the kid — to Nicaragua, the new destination for eco-tourism
After years of Taking the Kids, on this trip we’ve followed our 22-year-old daughter Melanie here to Nicaragua, which many say is fast becoming the next eco tourist’s must-see destination, offering volcanoes, cloud forests, rain forests, pristine beaches and a growing number of eco resorts.
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A visit to Sayulita on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
An afternoon visit to laid-back Sayulita, a few minutes drive from the Iberostar Playa Mita on Mexico’s Pacific Cost. The crescent-shaped beach is fringed with tall palms. Fishermen sharing the beach with surfers and hippies.
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Three days at the new Iberostar Playa Mita in Mexico
If you think all-inclusive resorts are nothing but rowdy sun-seekers, conga lines, mediocre buffets and cheap liquor, meet the new Iberostar Playa Mita. A vacation here should do wonders to change any preconceived notions you may have about all-inclusive hotels.
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Learning a snow sport — more than just fun in the snow
Snow sports can be more than about fun in the snow. They’re about persistence and courage, trying something new (just ask the cold-hating Los Angeles boy who was with us) and empathy for those who may be struggling more than you might be.
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How families celebrate the New Year Bahamian Style
In the Bahamas, they start ringing in the New Year on Boxing Day with the annual Junkanoo Festivals, with cowbells, goatskin drums, conch horns and incredibly colorful costumes.
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Enjoying Christmas Traditions at Colonial Williamsburg
The holiday season is an excellent time to visit Colonial Williamsburg and see firsthand how 18th Century Virginians celebrated.
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Holiday Festivities at Busch Garden’s Christmas Town
If you arrive at night, you might not recognize Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. The millions of lights that cover 1,500 Christmas trees give the theme park a fantastical holiday makeover and transform it into Christmas Town.
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In New Hampshire for an old fashioned family holiday getaway
In New Hampshire for the holidays, we sleep and hike with the Appalachian Mountain Club, visit the historic Omni Mt. Washington Hotel, tour the treetops at Bretton Woods Ski Area and are pulled by a sled dog team that includes a pair of amazing canines.
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Last day at sea and a port of call in St. Thomas, USVI
Taking the Kids correspondent Allison Tibaldi and her teen-aged son Alec enjoy their last day on the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas with a port of call in St. Thomas, USVI, and ride on the Kon Tiki Sightseeing and Beach Cruise.
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Touring Paris, and other cities, with those who live there
In Paris with a “Paris Greeter,” one of 360 volunteers who offer some 3,000 free tours every year. There’s likely a Greeter organization in any big city near you and all over the world.
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Universal Orlando Resort, a teen’s POV
Taking the Kids contributor Alec Tibaldi, who joined his mother on a Royal Caribbean cruise and visit to Universal Orlando, describes his first visit to the theme park and provides an excellent video.
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Combining a Royal Caribbean Cruise and a visit to Universal Orlando
Taking the Kids contributor Allison Tibaldi reports on a two-for-one holiday with her son on a Royal Caribbean cruise along with a visit to Universal Orlando Resort.
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How inspiration is producing a badly needed new tourism industry
A vacation can inspire you to take a different path—or in some cases, inspire a new industry. That’s what happened when Clemente and Claire Poncon vacationed at Lapa Rios Ecolodge on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.
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Families discover benefits of ecotourism in Nicaragua
At Morgan’s Rock, one family visits a local school to donate supplies the day before Thanksgiving, while others visit the farm for a look at the cows, chickens and ducks and a breakfast feast of fresh eggs, gallo pinto and hand-made tortillas.
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At Morgan’s Rock in Nicaragua, far from your typical family beach resort
Morgan’s Rock in southwest Nicaragua is about as far from a typical beach resort as you can get, from waking up to the howler monkeys to activities that include jungle walks, horseback riding on the beach and zip lining nearby.
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At Jicaro Island Ecolodge, sustainability is a passion
At Jicaro Island Ecolodge almost everything is locally sourced and sustainable. The food is delicious. And the scraps from the kitchen feed the pigs on a nearby farm whose waste produces methane cooking gas for the local farmers.
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On Lake Nicaragua, a dream comes true at Jicaro Island Ecolodge
Karen Emanuel came to Nicaragua on vacation. She left with an island — and a new dream — Jicaro Island Ecolodge, a beautiful resort on the largest lake in Central America.
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Visiting Boston and the historic Boston Tea Party
There may be 21st-century LED holiday lights all over Boston, but we’ve time-traveled back to 1773 — Dec. 16, 1773 to be exact — the night that literally changed the course of American history.
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Six days in Nicaragua, the next family eco-travel destination?
We’ve followed our 22-year-old daughter Melanie here to Nicaragua, which many say is poised to become the next eco tourist’s must-see destination with volcanoes, cloud forests, pristine beaches and tiny eco resorts like Jicaro Island Ecolodge.
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Take the Kids Skating at The Rink at Bryant Park
this time of year also means winter fun and what better way to ring in the season than to go ice skating in Bryant Park in the heart of Manhattan.
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New ways to light up your holidays this season
Virtually every town and city in the country has holiday festivals and displays. You just have to make time to enjoy them. Skip the mall Santa (my kids always bawled) and take them someplace where you can all gawk at spectacular light displays
