To the theater — in NYC and elsewhere
Despite the economy — or maybe because of it — there’s no better time for families to check out The Great White Way
-
-
Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Travel Diaries
An up-close look at the Azul Sensatori near Cancun
This might be the best kids’ club I’ve seen. Certainly one of the best-thanks to partnerships with My Gym and Fisher Price at the Karisma Azul Sensatori resort just south of Cancun (www.karismahotels.com). There is a big play room complete with trampoline and balls to jump in.
-
In Mexico, the future of family travel?
I think I’ve seen the future of family travel. It’s called Azul Fives and it’s about a half hour south of we’re staying just outside of Playa del Carmen. Originally, we were supposed to stay here — I liked the location (plenty of action in town for the young adults, Mayan ruins a short drive away, good diving and snorkeling right from the resort).
-
Dance lessons, Spanish lessons or yoga?
I walk down the beach. A toddler is snoozing in the spacious covered “beach bed;” a grandfather is playing cards with his granddaughter; a dad is tossing a football along the beach with his sons. There is a beach volleyball game going on at one end of the beach and a kids’ soccer game at the other.
-
A vacation on the Mexican Riviera
My mission: seeing if a vacation with teens and young adults can be successful at an all-inclusive resort. When they were younger, I liked all-inclusives for the organized kids’ activities that gave parents a break and the fact that I didn’t have to pay $4 every time they wanted a soft drink.
-
Planning a family reunion in tough times
I’ve met families who have gathered in Orlando and in the Galapagos Islands… celebrating 75th birthdays and 50th anniversaries, graduations, survival from serious illness and simple family togetherness
-
IT’S ABOUT THE MEMORIES!
Remember that the next time you’re tempted to scold your impossible, uncooperative preschooler in the middle of Walt Disney World, peck away on your BlackBerry poolside, instead of jumping in and playing Marco Polo with the kids, or disown your teen who refuses to leave her hotel room, yet complains of being bored.
-
A Visit to the San Francisco Museums
For those of you who have to touch – just have to – San Francisco’s Exploratorium is a must-experience educational hot spot. Upon entering the cavernous space reminiscent of a large train terminal, one is greeted with hundreds of learning stations and interactive exhibits cleverly organized by topic: electricity, sound, and many, many more that we lacked the time to see (we recommend committing at least half the day, or making two or more visits to the Exploratorium in order to take in the full experience).
-
Finding an affordable last minute holiday getaway
Finally, some good news for traveling families. If you thought the ever-worsening economy meant you should forgo a holiday or post-holiday getaway with the kids, think again. The reality is that this may be the year to travel.
-
At Mohonk, the spa gathers its own witch hazel
It must be the witch hazel. My daughter Mel and I had the best facials we’d ever had at Mohonk Mountain House (www.mohonk.com). The Mohonk-…
-
A castle is a great place to time-travel
After 9/11, families who didn’t want to venture far from home discovered Mohonk—just 90 miles from NYC. The owners hope in this economy that will happen again but I think they will need to rethink their price structure for families with young kids — just as I think all resorts should right now.
-
A trip to a castle — Mohonk Mountain House
I love castles. I’ve stayed at a centuries-old castle turned bed and breakfast in Wales and visited castles wherever I go — France, England, Austria…
-
Surviving the holiday travel crush while you are watching every penny
Another Thanksgiving weekend, we got back to Chicago with our crew after visiting the relatives to discover that the battery to our minivan was dead — in the airport parking lot. We waited a long time that cold night for AAA. Isn’t holiday travel with the kids fun?
-
Debunking Thanksgiving myths at Plimouth Plantation
There’s no better place than Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth Massachusetts on a sunny fall day to debunk the myths of that first Thanksgiving and learn more about the adults and kids who lived here then. Just in November, some 70,000 people from around the world visit, some staying to dine with the Pilgrims. (Book early. The dinners, especially the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast, often sell out far in advance.)
-
A BFF weekend at Turnberry Isle
I’m not a golfer — I never have golfed, in fact, though my two friends, Sue Tober and Elise Carlton, do. Christina Trammell, the resort’s director of golf is very patient. I’m pleased I can even hit the ball! One person in the clinic has just finished up two full days of lessons with Christina.
-
TO ORLANDO ON THE CHEAP
It’s bad enough to say no to the kids all the time at home, much less on vacation. (No, you can’t have that $40 sweatshirt. No you can’t order that $20 steak…) Vacation, after all, is when we all want to indulge the kids and ourselves. But with the economy the way it is, I think we’re all going to be saying no more often, until we figure out better ways to stretch those vacation bucks.
-
Despite the hassles, don’t give up on your vacation
I know when times get tough, vacations are the first thing to go. My husband already is grumbling about the Christmas trip I’ve tentatively planned for us.
-
Family adventures on the river
Welcome to the vacation world of family river rafting. You can go for a day, three days or longer on the Green River in Utah, which is mild enough for a 5-year-old or on others where outfitters suggest kids should be at least 12, in order to handle the rapids. Lewis, Kerr and Dr. Jacobsen give rave reviews to the trips down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River
-
Hitting the slopes without busting the budget
Eleven-year-old Nate Gourd, an avid snowboarder from Manchester, Vt., couldn’t agree more. “You feel like you’re flying when you come down the mountain,” he says, adding that kids “definitely should wear helmets.” Meet Vermont’s vice presidents of fun. Bridget — who says she’s always waiting at the bottom of the mountain for her “slowpoke” family
-
Belize offers a host of family friendly destinations
By Eileen Ogintz Tribune Media Services The big green moray eel stares at me, coming out of his hideaway in the reef, as if to…
-
Take them for some spooky fun and games this Halloween season
My best friend JoAnne and I fashioned ghost costumes out of old white sheets, corralled my little sister Amy to join us and –presto — we were The Ghost Family. We happily went off trick or treating in our suburban Long Island, N.Y., neighborhood. No parents tagged along, of course, no one had expensive costumes or headed to a theme park fright fest.
-
TO SAN FRANCISCO’S UNIQUE MUSEUMS
Adults and kids are hunched over mounds of multicolored clay, fashioning little clay people and assorted creatures that will star in kid-produced animated shorts. “This isn’t your typical museum,” says Mike Shomo, from Denver, who’s visiting with his wife and three kids, as he creates a sea lion.
-
On a fall getaway when they’re too little for school
Sure you have to drag a diaper bag (not to mention stroller, car seat and a generous supply of Goldfish) everywhere you go, you haven’t had a full night’s sleep in you can’t remember when and the dire economic news makes you wonder how you’ll ever pay for preschool, much less college, but then there’s the bright side — travel-wise, anyway. While everyone else is up to their ears in carpools, homework and soccer games, you’re free to get out of town.
-
WATCHING SEA TURTLES NEST
By Eileen Ogintz Tribune Media Services The beach is pitch black, except for the light from the stars dancing across the sky. The ocean waves…
-
Understanding where the food comes from
Ever seen a cranberry bean? I’ve never seen so much luscious produce in one place — heirloom tomatoes, white peaches, plums, big and tiny grapes, almonds and walnuts, various varieties of chili peppers…eggplants, potatoes…welcome to The Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market .
-
A visit to SF’s Zeum
Here’s one place where no one is afraid to get their hands dirty. They’re bent over tables diligently making multi colored clay figures from wire frames and assorted other creatures — dogs, sea lions, cats.
-
Five Days in San Francisco
DAY ONE — As long as I was flying cross country to San Francisco, I thought I’d try Virgin America (www.virginamerica.com) . I always liked…
-
TO AMSTERDAM
By Eileen Ogintz Tribune Media Services I’ve found vacation nirvana for teenagers and it’s a place parents will like just as much as teens do….
-
A new-style adventure by Disney — no mouse ears
We sniff the strong perfume that even kids used, since they bathed so infrequently (servants just once a year) and learn that even though royal children had servants to do everything for them (even brush their teeth), they didn’t have a lot of time to play because they were expected at court (sitting quietly for hours). Still, our gang decided they’d rather be royals instead of servants.
-
Heading home from Europe — is duty free a bargain?
A word about duty-free shopping. It’s tempting but I’ve never found any real bargains, except maybe on liquor or cigars. I buy something we can’t find at home for my husband and son just before we board our flight home and resist the temptation to stock up on cosmetics and perfume that I don’t need and that likely cost the same or more than at home.
-
Funky, fun, historical and sobering — Amsterdam!
We head to a nearby street where we can’t believe our food choices — Italian, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, French… After a week of heavy Austrian and Czech food, we opt for Indonesian at Sahid Jaya
-
A trip to Costa Rica designed for teens and tweens (and one little sister)
After a morning of white-water rafting (and plenty of water fights) on Costa Rica’s Sarapiqui River, and a first-rate burrito lunch made by our raft guides at the river’s edge, we stop in the small town of Horquetas, about 10 minutes from where we are staying to visit an elementary school. Some 270 kids attend the ill-equipped school, which is so overcrowded that children must attend split sessions. The students mug for our cameras and giggle.
-
In Prague — the Paris of the East
Another day, another church. We’re all excited to explore Prague, which many now call The Paris of the East. It’s crowded with tourists on this brilliant summer day. Prague, of course, is the capital of the Czech Republic and has been an intersection of continental merchant routes for centuries.
-
Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
The Disney guides make all the difference
No matter how interesting the places, how scenic the terrain, touring is exhausting — especially with kids. That’s why the parents in our group so appreciate our Adventures by Disney guides who are always there to offer a bottle of water, a snack, even an activity or movie on the bus to keep the kids amused.
-
Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries | Volunteer & Service
The trip is alive with the sound of music as we approach Salzburg
Lunch will be on a cruise down the Danube that will take us about 35 miles, from Durnstein to Melk. The villages are postcard-pretty, especially on a sunny day. The parents are pleased that the guides invite them to enjoy the views on the top deck while they entertain the kids elsewhere.
-
In Vienna with “Adventures by Disney”
We meet 23-year-old Trevor Enderby, one of our two guides for the week, who whisks us to our waiting car and to the hotel where our other guide, Alex Kemper is waiting to greet us at the Marriott Vienna.
-
Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
TO AUSTIN, TEXAS
All around Lost Pines were other families determined not to miss one second of vacation fun — floating in the lazy river, watching the kids on the water slide or in the baby pool, saddling up for horseback rides or bike rides around the extensive property (405 acres and an adjoining 1,100-acre nature park!), playing “golf” with preschoolers on the lawn and watching them on the playground nearby.
-
SURVIVING A ROAD TRIP
What the kids don’t get is that driving for hours with a couple of antsy children (not to mention sullen tweens and teens) is no fun for parents either — especially not when we’re paying record prices for gas. Still, millions of us — 20.4 million just over the July 4th weekend, AAA reports — are hitting the road with the kids this summer.
-
Off to see the monkeys
A monkey in the treetops takes his time watching us before performing (click image to enlarge)DAY 5 — Our guide, Gaston Trujillo, says he thinks Costa Rica remains a jumping off point for many venturing into eco tourism for the first time. There are so many different species and habitats to see here, he explains, without great distances.
-
Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries | Volunteer & Service
An amazing journey to see the sea turtles lay their eggs
Tortuguero is all about the turtles. The Caribbean Conservation Corporation (www.ccturtle.org) is the oldest sea turtle conservation anywhere and the program here — more than 30 years old — has documented an over 400 per cent increase in green turtle nesting here. For a $25 donation to the Conservation Corporation, I adopt a turtle tag # 105549.
-
Mixing two cultures at a local school
We parents of course notice what their schools are missing-computers, air conditioning, enough room for the children to go to school full days. Sarah Kate Garrett, at nine the youngest in our group, immediately makes friends with nine-year-old Maria.
-
Into the Costa Rican rainforests
No bored seen-that done-that teens in this crowd. At breakfast, we’ve met the rest of our group from Thomson Family Adventures. We are four families with eight girls aged eight to 16. There are two other moms traveling solo with kids and a family with three girls from Los Altos, CA. The dad, Jeff Purnell jokes that he’s used to being outnumbered by women.
-
TO VERMONT — IN SUMMER
The steep climb up the slick rocks — 770 vertical feet — doesn’t phase them, nor scrambling without footholds or squeezing between two boulders. “Hard but fun,” a trio of 9-year-old boys declare, as they race ahead. “Definitely worth it,” their older sisters add, as they trail close behind them.
-
A trip to Costa Rica with two teenagers
JFK was typically a crowded mess at Delta. No one was quite sure which line was which — baggage drop, check in, security? For some reason, the automated kiosk wouldn’t let us check in so we got on a long line only to discover that was the line for the folks who had already checked in but needed to drop their bags
-
Having a destination wedding when kids are part of the equation
Not only are destination weddings — from Orlando (Disney does 1,500 a year) to the Caribbean to Hawaii to cruise ships — more popular, they account for 16 percent of weddings every year, up 400 percent in the last decade — but kids increasingly are part of the equation says Milli Martini Bratten, longtime editor-in-chief of Brides Magazine.
-
Vacations never go as planned
It’s over 100 degrees but the kids playing in and around the pool at Barton Creek Resort don’t seem to care. Ten-year-old Ryan Libby is slurping a frozen drink and eating chicken fingers poolside.
-
Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Fun in the Texas Lost Pines Country
DAY TWO — It’s barely 9 a.m. and kids are in full vacation mode, playing water basketball, floating in the lazy river, zipping down the…
-
A Trip Down Memory Lane in Austin, TX
DAY ONE — It’s a trip down memory lane — literally, for my husband at least. We’ve flown down to Austin, TX where he was…
-
To a national park this summer-one of the most budget
We screeched to a halt along the side of the road in Grand Teton National Park. Reggie, 8, was equally mesmerized but 3-year-old Melanie couldn’t quite grasp that we were in the moose’s house — and it wasn’t a zoo. I still smile years later when I think about the kids’ excitement. Forget the Kodak moments. The chance to share something new together — something you’d never see or do at home — is what makes those indelible family vacation memories that last forever.
-
Getting free gas, free golf, free s’mores and more this summer
Free gas anyone? Not quite. But the higher gas prices go — and the more we rethink summer vacation plans as a result — the more hotels, resorts, cities and towns across the country are rolling out the welcome mat with rebates and credits all designed to help fill your gas tank and ease the sticker shock that comes with it, as the price of gas climbs to $4.07 a gallon on average. That is $1.09 a gallon more than a year ago, according to AAA.
