Visiting Two Happy Midwestern Cities Competing in the World Series
Whoever wins the World Series, visit Chicago or Cleveland this fall or holiday season and get a dose of happy along with great eats, world-class museums and holiday festivals.
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Backyard Vacations | Best of Taking The Kids | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
At Vista Verde Ranch in Colorado – on a different kind of snow vacation
I wondered when I planned this trip if my gang of grown kids, who love nothing more than tearing down those steep slopes, would like a more laid-back holiday — at least for a few days on a week-long winter trip to Colorado. I needn’t have worried.
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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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On a fall cruise when family doesn’t necessarily mean kids
even without a lot of kids, the ship was still packed with families — mothers and daughters, aunts and cousins, brothers and sisters-in-law, grandparents and young grandchildren, even four lifelong friends celebrating their 70th birthdays
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A spa treatment with a Balinese Guru
I am a fan of spas—especially on vacation—as a way for moms (and dads) to decompress and get some much needed “me time.”
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Taking full advantage of Halloween season
You don’t need to wait till Halloween to put on costumes, not when theme parks, resorts and haunted attractions have already kicked off special Halloween events
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A Multi-Generational Getaway to Charleston, SC
I am always on the lookout for destinations with multi-generational vacation potential. Charleston SC met our expectations
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At the Gilded Age mansions in Newport RI
This is our last day aboard the Norwegian Gem—we return to New York City tomorrow and Newport, famous for its sailing and coastal location as well as these spectacular mansions, is a good way to end the trip
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The Few kids on this cruise have a blast
During school vacation weeks, the Norwegian Gem can have up to 800 kids aboard. But this week sailing from New York to Canada and back there are only 15. But they are having a blast.
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Bar Harbor ME, Acadia National Park and St. John
Our cruise on the Norwegian Gem takes us to Bar Harbor ME, the beautiful Acadia National Park as well as St. John in New Brunswick, CA
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Do Kids Clubs have a future at resorts and on cruises?
Almost every major resort and cruise line catering to the family market offers extensive children’s programming, but many Millennial families are opting out. What’s the future
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Halifax, Nova Scotia – History and Heroism Combine
Everyone knows about the Titanic, but few have heard about the Halifax Explosion of 1917 that killed 2000 people. Here in Nova Scotia history, tragedy and a beautiful city combine for some incredible stories.
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Families on the Norwegian Gem – NYC to Canada
On this week-long cruise from New York to Canada, families of all sizes are aboard the Norwegian Gem – grown kids, grandparents, cousins, girlfriends on getaways
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Like sailing from home — from NYC to Canada
This is almost like sailing from our back yard — from New York up to Halifax in Nova Scotia, the Bay of Fundy in Canada, back to Bar Harbor, ME, and Newport RI on Norwegian’s Gem
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
10 fall festivals for families
There are literally hundreds of Octoberfests around the country this fall — some kid-friendly — but there are also plenty of apple, pumpkin and harvest festivals from which to choose
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Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Taking the Kids Blogs
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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Antarctica is at the top of the list for adventure travel
An astounding 64 percent of Millennial families took an international vacation in the last year — and Antarctica is at the top of most wish lists
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Travel Agents Find Comeback in Millennial Family Travel
As millennial families head to exotic locales, seeking more adventurous and immersive experiences, travel agents — now called travel advisers — are seeing a significant uptick in business.
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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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Airlines under pressure to seat families together
Anyone who has flown with young kids in recent years knows it’s not uncommon to find that your preschooler has been assigned a seat half a plane away. All too often, parents are told it is up to them to ask someone to switch seats.
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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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Grapevine TX – not just a place near the airport but family central
Grapevine, TX, 10 minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and in between the two North Texas cities, hosts some 20 million visitors a year, more than half from out of state.
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When your grown-up kids take you for a hike in the mountains
I always suggest parents and grandparents let the kids lead some of the time on vacation, even when they are in grade school. They will take you in unexpected directions
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Take me back to Chicago – for a father-son weekend and the Cubs!
Taking the Kids goes back to where it all began — Chicago — and a father-son weekend with the Cubs playing the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
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Salzburg Austria Is Not Just for Sound of Music Fans
I think this picturesque city would be a good place to base yourself for several days or a week, though it can get crowded as the city of 150,000 welcomes more than 1.5 million tourists a year
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Aspen/Snowmass in the summer and fall – Affordable for Families
The scenery is beautiful. There are plenty of activities. And you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for lift tickets to have fun in the summer or fall in Aspen/Snowmass CO.
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Yurts Give Families a Modern Alternative to Camping at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch
By staying in a yurt at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch, you can enjoy the outdoors without the annoyances of lurking bears, determined bugs and cumbersome sleeping bags.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
Exploring history and viewing the modern at Disneyland
Walt Disney was tapped out. The construction of Disneyland was taking nearly every penny he had. A kid-friendly, upscale hotel next to a theme park seems like a slam-dunk, but not in the early ’50s
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Food and wine and an angry potato make a grownup family weekend in Aspen/Snowmass
When you’re traveling with grown kids, as we are this weekend, artisanal cocktails can play a key role.
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Snowmass in Summer – cool air and lots of family activities
After an arduous 16 mile hike yesterday, I’m at The Spa at Viceroy Snowmass while an experienced massage therapist ministers to my aching legs and shoulders.
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Hiking Crested Butte to Aspen – again – the good, the bad and the better
If I’ve learned one thing from travel—especially with kids—is that you have to take the bad with the good. That’s a good lesson for the kids to learn, along the way, of course. And perhaps there is no better time to remind you of that adage than on an outdoor adventure. We certainly were reminded on the hiking trail.
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Summer in Crested Butte CO – a family vacation haven
Crested Butte bills itself as the Wildflower Capital of Colorado and there is a Wildflower Festival going on with everything from art classes, guided wildflower hikes, photography classes and more.
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Touring the Vatican with kids – hidden gems to explore
Welcome to The Vatican, the world’s smallest sovereign state, established in 1929. It’s the modern version of the papal fiefdom that ruled Rome and much of central Italy before Italy was unified in the mid-19th century
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A Family Culinary Adventure in Merida, Mexico
On a recent trip to Merida, Mexico, Alison Tibaldi booked a hands-on cooking class. It was an immersive experience that offered a window into the local culture in a highly sensorial way.
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The Greatest Show On Earth Is Out of This World
There are only a few of classic outings that will never get old: going to the beach, a picnic at the park, heading to the carnival and going to the circus!
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One-of-a-Kind Slide Experience at OUE Skyspace LA
OUE Skyspace LA is a new attraction at the heart of Downtown Los Angeles built in the U.S. Bank building–currently the tallest building west of the Mississippi River–and the buzz is booming after its grand opening in June.
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
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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A Family Getaway To Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is loaded with New England charm. The pedestrian-friendly streets are brimming with retro sweet shops, folksy art galleries and authentic lobster shacks.
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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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Wizarding World Comes to Life at Universal Hollywood
On a recent visit to “The Entertainment Capital of L.A.,” WWoHP was packed with wizards, witches, muggles and humans alike.
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Arthur Tauck and the family tourism industry
The next time your kids get in trouble in school, tell them Arthur Tauck’s story.
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Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Travel Diaries
Tauck’s latest European river boat — extra space for families
I’ve never seen a nicer bathroom onboard a river ship. It’s so spacious! It has a rain shower. And as the MS Joy boasts more suites and fewer guests than other similarly sized vessels, it is a good bet for families.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Celebrating July 4 with the kids
There are plenty of ways to celebrate, starting with your local parade. When my kids were small and we lived in Evanston, Illinois, that parade was a highlight of the summer
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An Austrian monastery underappreciated by the Hapsburgs
Today, the Benedictine Abbey “Gottweig” may be the most famous symbol of this region—a huge complex at the top of the mountain that houses, besides the gorgeous church, a youth center, inn and one building that was built for the Hapsburgs to stay though they never did and boasting the largest staircase in all of Austria.
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Rained out in Austria? No chance
We’re about an hour northwest of Vienna—a great place for a respite after city touring, The entire area is famous for its abbeys, churches, castles, picturesque villages and hiking and cycling. The best part—It’s not at all crowded!
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Aboard Carnival’s newest ship, the Vista
What’s first the new, super-fast waterslide, IMAX movie or SkyRide attraction? If you pick SkyRide, you get bragging rights for being among the first to ride a bike on an 800-foot track suspended 150 feet above the oceanWelcome aboard Carnival’s newest, biggest ship VISTA, with nearly 5,000 guests and 1,450 crew members.
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Ten Father’s Day gifts for the traveling dad
No matter how memorable, travel can be stressful for Dads. This Father’s Day make sure to give the significant men in your life a big hug and a sincere “thank you” for all the wonderful adventures and memories.
