Leaving Alaska with salmon and great memories
Juneau, the state capitol and only accessible by plane or boat, gets over 950,000 tourists annually, the vast number on big cruise ships. They are missing a lot, spending just a few hours here.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Eating healthier at the theme parks
Of the more than 12 million kids meals served last year at Disney Parks and Resorts in the U.S., parents stuck with the healthier options six out of 10 times. Now Disney will enhance these efforts by further reducing sodium in kids’ meals and introducing new well-balanced kids’ breakfast meals.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Weekly Column
Visiting Orlando’s parks like the One Percent
No waiting for buses, navigating crowded parking lots or walking more than you or your kids can take. Hall whisks you around Walt Disney World in a private car that he parks exactly where you want to be.
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Bushwhacking through the Willows in Denali National Park
What people also don’t realize is that hiking here is far different than hiking in Yosemite or Yellowstone or most other places. There are no defined trails, and no trail signs. You either need to be experienced in the backcountry and know how to use a compass and map or be fortunate enough to be hiking with someone like Brian McCormick who has been guiding visitors for years.
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Camp Denali: fascinating tales from three generations
Wood showed us a film after dinner of the building of “Camp” as they call it—hauling logs with a World War II surplus jeep, sawing huge trees with hand saws, giving climbers who successfully summited the largest mountain in North America (20,320 feet!) a free spaghetti dinner.
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Finding new ways and places to celebrate July 4
Maybe this July 4th you’ll be home marching or watching a local parade. Maybe you’ll be visiting the relatives and cheering on nieces and nephews as they march. Maybe you’ll be celebrating some place new, joining in special and unique celebrations.
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A “moderate/strenuous” hike on the Denali permafrost
They said the views from the ridge at the top of the Tiga Trail are spectacular. We ask can we do a “moderate-slash-strenuous” hike (translation: slower). Everyone laughs and the six of us in our family—three nursing bad knees—head off with the naturalists
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Two weeks in Alaska: Day One on the road to Camp Denali
We’ve already seen a huge Grizzly munching on a ground squirrel, four Dall sheep, Caribou, a moose and two recently born calves, a red fox …and we’d only been in Denali National Park a few hours.
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Remembering a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tahiti
That trip was three summers ago and since Mel left for college, we’ve shared adventures but she’s gone off much more often on her own—as it should be. I’m glad we made it to paradise when we did.
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Coasters are great, but never force a child to ride
If the kids balk when you get to the front of the line, walk away. Tell your child there’s always next year.
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First stop on a family trip to NYC — Central Park
In my new book The Kid’s Guide to New York City, I do my best to make sightseeing in the Big Apple fun for kids as well as parents, with plenty of tips from local (play soccer in the park!) and visiting kids (try roasted nuts from a vendor! )
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Lots to do in the mountains and farms of Vermont in summer
The kids have already petted a chicken (and learned they’ll eat cantaloupe, as well as worms) met the baby calves Fiona and Danika and the draft horses Joe and Jim. Certain days of the summer, kids, ages 10 to 15, can become a farm vet for a day…
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Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Weekly Column
To the Caribbean and savings in summer
Come here in summer and you may be able to afford to vacation like the 1 percenters. Like everywhere in the Caribbean, you can save significant bucks on airfare, as well as lodging.
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In Virginia, a Tattoo is not what you might think
Traditionally a tattoo is a ceremonial military performance. The Virginia Arts Festival’s International Tattoo is a huge tribute to this tradition.
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Half million more of us will vacation this summer
Memorial Day official kicks off summer vacation season and AAA says 34.8 million of us will be traveling—up 500,000 from last year. We’re not letting gas prices keep us home and most of us—almost nine out of 10 holiday travelers—will drive.
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Healthy food is part of the kids’ adventure at some hotels
Finally, it appears, the hotel industry is paying attention to what traveling families have long been saying: Make kids’ menus healthier; give kids more choices!
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The Wild Side of Puerto Rico: Extreme Sports f
‘Snuba’ is not a typo, it’s one of the fastest growing aquatic activities that combines the best of snorkeling and scuba diving and allows you to explore coral reefs in the depths of the tropical seas without getting scuba diving certified.
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Orlando treats you like a VIP
Who doesn’t want to be treated like a VIP on vacation? We all do, of course, cutting lines, getting pampered, seeing what most tourists don’t. Orlando offers plenty of VIP options for the entire family—assuming you’re willing to pay extra for the privilege, of course.
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Interacting with the Turtles at SeaWorld Orlando
TurtleTrek is home to adult and juvenile sea turtles, including hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, loggerhead and green sea turtles — all of whom, like Grandma, have been deemed nonreleasable by the Florida government.
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Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Taking the Kids Blogs
Remembering a friends getaway to Puerto Rico
I’m here with two old friends for a girlfriends’ getaway too and we decide Puerto Rico is a good bet—easy to reach, no passports required and plenty to do (even a big outlet mall, if you are so inclined.)
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Verbolten bolts you at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Orlando isn’t the only place with new attractions this summer. Get ready to climb aboard Verbolten, an all-new multi-launch, indoor/outdoor roller coaster opening at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
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Discovering the beauty of the California Coastal region
During our five-mile hike, we see plump yellow banana slugs, the tiny Calypso orchid and blooming trillium, a member of the lily family. But the best part is the conversations with my daughter, Reg, who lives across the country from us in San Francisco. I’d forgotten how conducive hiking is to catching up!
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Backyard Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Travel Diaries
Farm to table at the historic Ocean House in Rhode Island
Jane Dane, the mom of three, is a modern day Forager. That means it is her full time job to act as the liaison between local farmers and the chefs at the luxe 49-room Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI which is a designated Relais & Chateau property with a focus on farm to table cuisine.
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Eating your way through a destination city
A prominent food magazine editor wrote recently about traveling to a far flung destination just for a great meal. I guess that’s a more common practice among foodies than you might think. I can relate.
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Lots of places to rediscover your inner Titantic
The real point here is to encourage youngsters and their parents to “journey to new depths of discovery.” That includes a 4-D theater where SpongeBob SquarePants takes you and your kids on an undersea adventure, complete with mist and bubbles
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Getting out of the bubble while on vacation
Tourists need to get the message that it is safe to venture out of their manicured hotels. “You will really feel the love,” he promises, and here the crime rate is very low. He introduces me to Jahealo Calvin Clunie who shows off his paintings and carvings.
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Prepping for a Family Road Trip
If you’re looking for family vacation ideas, consider taking a road trip. Driving to your family vacation destination is often more affordable than buying plane tickets for the whole family
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A Spring Skiing Adventure at Heavenly and Kirkwood ski resorts
Heavenly Ski Resort. We both agreed that this ski area had been aptly named. We looked out over the giant span of beautiful Lake Tahoe from the top of the mountain.
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Time to plan your visit to our National Parks
My youngest daughter, Mel, says those national parks trips when she was little (and complained her legs were “broken” from all the hiking) spurred her interest in environmental science — her college major
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An Easter brunch to remember — Day Five
We are at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay’s Sunday Brunch that is so popular in the Bay area that people drive an hour or more to indulge.
