A day at a theme park like Elitch Gardens is about more than having fun, we discover. It’s about facing disappointment when we lose at an arcade game and it rains when we want sun. It’s about riding that first thrill ride and recognizing when it may be too much thrill for a little girl (or a grown up).
In the past year, a growing number of hotel chains have revamped their kids’ menus to make them healthier with less fat and sugar as well as prepared with locally sourced foods. It’s terrific to see a travel industry contest that actually focuses on something families care about—healthier and better children’s menus–rather than giving them another toy or backpack they don’t need or want.
This small island — just 14 miles East to West and 3.5 miles north to south — is so pretty with its weathered gray shingle houses, roses climbing white picket fences and cobblestone streets in Nantucket town. There are more than 800 pre-Civil War houses on the island, which shares the name with a county and a town — the only place in the country that all three have the same name.
Wow! Even the most jaded teen or tween can’t help but be impressed gazing up at The Statue of Liberty, reopening July 4 for the first time since Liberty Island was seriously damaged and closed last fall in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Detroit has plenty of kid-friendly activities too! If you or your kids are history buffs, the Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are perfect destinations. The Ford Museum has an impressive collection of artifacts, including the first Mustang ever made, the car in which JFK was assassinated, the chair Lincoln was seated in when he was shot, and the bus that Rosa Parks rode.
Ann Arbor is full of wonderful and unique food. The day opened at Zola, originally started as a small Turkish gem, which still sticks to its roots. Usually, I love sticking to my roots, treating myself to blintz and crepes for breakfast, but the waiter convinced me to try an artichoke omelet with plenty of veggies and hearty flavor.
Wherever you go this summer, all of us want the same thing: The chance to relax and make happy memories, Vacation memories, families say, not only last a lifetime but are among the most important they have, helping them to get through the tough times. Just thinking about the vacation ahead can put the fun back in everyday life, Disney Consumer Insight Team’s Amy Foster told the attendees at the First TMS Family Travel Summit in Orlando. “Fun is not frivolous,” she said. “Fun is precious.”
This was supposed to be our day to hang at the pool. In fact, we chose the Hyatt Grand Cypress in Orlando because it’s got a new water play area—big new water slide and 1500 acres with put-put golf, tennis, sandy beach with paddle boats, smores pit…the list goes on and on. But Tropical Storm Andrea put a wrench in our plan.
At Give Kids the World Village near the Orlando theme parks, visiting kids can have ice cream every day for breakfast if they choose. They can celebrate Halloween in June and Christmas in July, complete with presents. But these families belong to a club no parent wants to join.
If you think all Orlando food is turkey legs, burgers and churros, think again. Sure you can get all that but you have plenty more choices—and healthier options—for the kids as well as the adults
TakingTheKids