To San Francisco to commemorate the “summer of love”
Take the kids and grandkids to San Francisco where the city is marking the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love with a year’s worth of special events, exhibits, concerts and more.
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A Portland, Maine Family Vacation at the Inn by the Sea
The Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. A private boardwalk leads through a wildlife sanctuary to an idyllic sandy beach, where you’ll see lobster boats and sunsets straight out of an Edward Hopper painting.
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Dubai: biggest building, biggest mall, mixing pot
The woman is busy taking selfies at the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest skyscraper in the world – 2,716.5 feet and more than 160 stories.
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A Trip to Cubs Spring Training with my Dad
I convinced my dad to join me this spring in Arizona for spring training. As coincidence would have it, two of his very best friends from his college years at The University of Texas were also planning a trip.
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A mixture of Bedouin tradition and modern: Dubai
Dubai is such a mixture of the old from the Bedouin tradition and the new—the tallest building in the world–The Burj Khalifa–and the biggest indoor theme park
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Off the rails and trails in Arizona for Cubs Spring training
A quick father-son trip to spring training in the Cactus League to see the World Champion Chicago Cubs (yes that’s still sinking in). Air travel misadventure our first day followed by adventure in the Sonoran Dessert on day 2.
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A Quick Spring Getaway to Aspen
Hank and I went on short spring getaway to Aspen. Although only 12 miles as the bird-flies from where we live in Crested Butte, in the winter it takes about 4 hours to drive around the mountains.
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Montreal Celebrates 375th Anniversary
In 2017, the city of Montreal is celebrating its 375th anniversary, and the festivities run all year long! With activities ranging from festivals, shows and more, there is always something new to explore
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On the Russian River in Sonoma County CA
We’re kayaking in the mouth of the Russian River in Jenner, CA as one harbor seal after another pops up his head. We see Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Ospreys with fish in their mouths, going to their nests presumably.
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Sonoma County CA: a foodie paradise
There are about 500 restaurants in Sonoma County—places to get fresh crab and sandwiches on just-baked bread, freshly made soup and all varieties of cheese.
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Three days in Sonoma County – a birthday treat at a special spa
I’m soaking in a natural thermal pool that’s heated to more than 90 degrees. Even better, the setting couldn’t be more bucolic—flowering shrubs all around. We’re at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn Willow Stream Spa,
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New Punta Cana Bahia Principe Resort Takes Family Vacations To An Entertaining Level
Punta Cana does not lack all-inclusive resorts. This Dominican Republic beach town is crammed with hotels that cater to vacationers seeking sand, sun and surf.
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Finding the value at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico
The family had chosen Azul Beach Resort the Fives, a Karisma Gourmet Inclusive Experience, just outside of Playa del Carmen, for their getaway, because it seemed to offer all they needed.
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Snow Shoeing, Back Country skiing and horseback – Vista Verde Guest Ranch
Vacation days don’t often get better than this. After a hearty breakfast at Vista Verde Guest Ranch——think fluffy buttermilk pancakes, sausage, oatmeal and eggs all varieties—we head out together snowshoeing
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Far from the ski crowds: Vista Verde Guest Ranch in Colorado
Vista Verde Ranch, about 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs, is about as opposite a downhill mountain resort as possible. Set on 540 acres in the middle of Colorado’s Routt National Forest, this is the place to come to explore the wilderness on cross-country skis, horseback, fat bikes or snowshoes away from the crowds.
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Skiing conditions not optimal? Try a spa treatment, like at Beaver Creek
It has been dumping snow it seems since we arrived in Colorado. So time for a treat off the slopes. Fantastic is how I feel during the sports fusion massage at the Beaver Creek Park Hyatt two-story Allegria Spa
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Breckenridge CO: Plenty for families on and off the slopes
What I love about Breck, as locals call it, is there is plenty to do even if you aren’t a skier or rider. There are more than 200 restaurants, bars and shops
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Why Colorado’s Keystone Resort is such a hit with families
On the first day of his first trip with his grandchildren to the slopes — at Keystone Resort just 90 minutes from Denver — he couldn’t help getting emotional as the family dropped off the two grandkids, 4 and 8, at ski school.
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In Leadville CO — the highest town in the USA!
Just an after dinner stroll. In 10,000-plus feet altitude. In the snow. What could be more fun after a delicious dinner in a Yurt cookhouse?
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Woodstock VT: A Winter Weekend of Outdoor Activities
Vermont is loaded with quaint villages and covered bridges, but Woodstock stands tall even in state that’s chockfull of adorable.
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Families have most everything at the Azul Beach Resort on Rivieria Maya
Welcome to Azul Beach Resort Riviera Maya by Karisma, just 20 minutes from Cancun Airport and just 148 recently renovated rooms with everything, including SpongeBob SquarePants
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Azul The Fives – An all-inclusive with practically everything
The smiling woman is making them with fresh corn tortillas in the heart of the plaza. But we’re not in Playa del Carmen’s famous pedestrian Fifth Avenue. We’re just outside Playa del Carmen at Azul Beach Resort The Fives Plaza
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On the Riviera Maya – Suites for big family groups at Generations by Karisma
Welcome to the 144-suite Generations, a Karisma resort about 40 minutes from Cancun. Did I mention grandparents can get a one bedroom unit free this year with a two-bedroom unit for their family? Nice too!
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Terranea, A Southern California Resort Respite
Perched on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Terranea is a rambling resort on 102 acres of land, pristine and brimming with flora and fauna
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How about a quick pre-holiday getaway?
Make it an overnight when you head to see that favorite holiday light display or museum exhibit. Go see Santa somewhere else besides the mall.
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A Mother-Daughter Yoga Retreat To Kripalu in the Berkshires
Kripalu, a wellness retreat in the beautiful Berkshires, offers guests a flexible program with the opportunity to practice as much or as little yoga as desired.
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Finding the Elixir of Life on Amelia Island FL
At the TMS Family Travel conference held on Amelia Island Nov. 10-12, I experienced how one man’s passion for the culinary arts can convey an aura of wellness over an entire resort
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Plenty of options for lodging in Clearwater FL
Just before sunset at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater, kids are in the pool on the eighth floor while parents are nearby nursing a cocktail. The beach is spread out below us.
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Inspired by “Frozen,” families flock to Norway
Not only have spunky Princess Anna and ethereal Queen Elsa stolen the hearts of little girls everywhere, but they’ve significantly contributed to the increasing number of tourists visiting Norway
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Taking the Kids on a once in a lifetime adventure
Millennial families, according to the new 2016 MMGY Portrait of American Travelers, are more likely than millennial couples or singles, to travel internationally
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To Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country with nearly 10 million visitors a year — twice what the Grand Canyon gets.
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10 Family Pleasing activities in Edinburgh, Scotland
Check out Daigon Alley! Not at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando or Hollywood, but in Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, where J.K. Rowling famously wrote the first Harry Potter book while seated in a local coffee shop.
