Two days in Provincetown MA and some whale watching
Had this been the 18th Century, we would have been hunting whales from Provincetown, MA, especially after the whales’ oil and bone
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Day Two at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
”The wand learns from the wizard and the wizard from the wand,” the Wandkeeper tells us, standing behind the counter in the small room that is lined floor to ceiling with shelves packed with wands in all kinds of boxes.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Two days at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The much anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter has just opened and even the most avid fans who planned their trip to Orlando around the new attractions seem unprepared for the crowds. But that doesn’t stop the fun.
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Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors
To the Caribbean in Summer
Finally, a Caribbean beach that’s everything a Caribbean beach should be – quaint, with hammocks strung from palm trees, crystal-clear water perfect for snorkeling, white sand, a first-rate beach bar and enough water toys to keep the kids happy (banana boat ride anybody?)
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Lots of great food on Nantucket Island
Yum! We’re at American Seasons run by husband and wife team Michael LaScola and Orela Murphy-LaScola, who juggle the restaurant with being parents to their toddler.
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Nantucket, once the world’s whaling capital
There is a lot of history we learn on this small island. In fact, the entire island is a historic district designated as a National Historic Landmark and has more buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places than anywhere in Massachusetts, including Boston.
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A getaway to Nantucket Island
It’s that perfect beach day… blue skies, warm but not too hot. Colored umbrellas dot the Nantucket beach. Kids play on boogie boards while smaller ones build sand forts until… the two pups discover each other.
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To Lake Placid, an Old-Fashioned Vacation Destination
No one cares that the water is cold. The kids splash at the lake’s edge, play on the small sand beach as older, daring ones splash in the water and peddle kayaks, rowboats and paddleboats. Our pup eyes them all curiously
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
To California Wine Country
If you think Wine Country — especially Sonoma County — is just for grown-ups (at least those over 21) think again. There are plenty of places to bike, hike and kayak on the Russian River.
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Lots of choices for lodging in Lake Placid
DAY 3 — There is every variety of place to stay in Lake Placid from B&Bs, motels, condos and houses, and even luxe resorts.
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Backyard Vacations | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
Taking the Kids – To Clean Beaches and Avoiding the Oil
As vacation season gets into high gear — with officials yet to figure out how to stem the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the worst oil spill in U.S history — families who planned to head to the Gulf Coast are worried too about clean beach waters — as are those who count on their business.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Travel Diaries | Volunteer & Service
Learn Winter Olympic history at Lake Placid
You can learn a little, or a lot, of Olympic history in Lake Placid at the Olympic Center.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
A weekend in dog-friendly Lake Placid, NY
The water is cold in Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, NY but that’s not keeping the kids—or hardy parents out. The little ones are splashing at the water’s edge while older ones are out in kayaks , rowboats and paddle boats. Our pup is eyeing them all curiously. “It’s got everything you want with little kids,” said Jim Carroll, vacationing here with his wife and two daughters
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To the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
We’re at Hall of Human Origins, the newest exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, now celebrating its centennial year. (It’s the most visited of the 19 Smithsonian museums with 7.4 million visitors last year!) It’s the most visited museum in the country and has the most visited science museum in the world. It’s easy to see why. Even kids who profess to “hate science” can’t help but love this 21st-century museum.
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Taking the Kids To Cooking School
I am standing in a Mexican kitchen on a picturesque Ranch outside of Oaxaca city kneading dough that will become mini tortillas. I’ve already grilled the cactus that will be a part of the topping for these mini tortillas called Memelas
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See you in Times Square
I’m in a darkened Broadway theater watching the new Tony-nominated musical “Memphis” (nominated for eight awards!), which tells the story of what happens in the segregated South when a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun, played by Chad Kimball, falls for “Negro” music and a terrifically talented black singer named Felicia Farrell, played by Montego Glover
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Putting on the Ritz in Orlando
As Orlando gears up for the much-anticipated opening in June of Universal’s “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” — 20 acres within Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventures — keep in mind there are plenty of options to stay — some 115,000 hotel rooms, including more than two-dozen new hotels, including the brand-new Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orlando.
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Giving Mom the Best Mother’s Day Present She’s Ever Had
We moms all know the dirty little secret of family vacations. No, I’m not talking about the piles of laundry when we get home, though that’s certainly no fun. I’m talking about how moms whisper on the beach, around the pool and on line at theme parks that family vacations are really no vacations at all for them, especially when young kids are part of the equation..
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What Parents Say About Family Vacations
You need a vacation now more than ever, and you shouldn’t feel the least bit guilty. In fact, you’ve got lots of company, according to a new family-travel poll for which I partnered with Travelocity.com.
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Celebrate Earth Day with little things that make a difference
It is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the travel industry’s websites are falling all over each other to tell you what they are doing to be green and how we can all travel greener. But really, it is little things — like carrying reusable water bottles or hanging up towels after you use them that can help make difference
