Travel reports and advice for families for the best outdoor experiences, including national and state park visits, camping or glamping
Only the huge stone fireplace is left of the Nanny’s Cabin and Camp Vigil is the kid-friendly Ranch at Emerald Valley, part of the historic Broadmoor Resort
Who cares if you get dirty? Who cares if you wear the same T-shirt for three days? No wonder most kids love to go camping!
Cedar Bend cabin at the Whispering Oaks Ranch that has six bedrooms, six baths, two half baths, a pool table, poker table, outdoor decks and spectacular views
I’ve always thought misadventures make the best vacation stories. Our morning raft trip in the cold rain made another one
As we begin to travel again (safely), many of us are paying more attention to the environment. Can you afford to go to Antarctica before more ice melts?
When I began to plan a spring get together with family, I had no idea everyone would be vaccinated.
When we updated our Virtual Family Adventure Guide, created early in the pandemic, we discovered there has never been so much opportunity for virtual travel.
When I last visited Walt Disney World — when I last flew — a year ago this month, no one I met was much concerned about COVID-19. They were too busy enjoying all that the Theme Park Capital of the World had to offer.
By Eileen Ogintz ALTA, Utah — All it took was one Sports Illustrated cover to start a family tradition that has lasted more than 50…
So you’ve got a kid, and you think it would be pretty swell if that kid was a mountain biker. Awesome!
In some cases, the Covid-19 restrictions have enhanced the sking experience this year, said Nick Besch, skiing with his family at Copper
Now for the first time, dinosaur lovers can meet SUE outside of Chicago; Denver’s Museum of Nature & Science is the first stop
This pandemic winter, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History kicks off Black History Month 2021 with its first virtual festival, dedicated this year to “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”
Choosing a vacation destination this winter or spring is a lot more complicated this Pandemic year than just deciding where to go. Think Dude Ranch!
A growing number of families believe they can head outdoors in the snow safely — and not just to head to the downhill slopes
The good news is there are ways to get away safely this winter, as long as you continue to mask up and practice social distancing.
Falcon Guides is proud to announce the release of THE KID’S GUIDE TO CAMPING (978-1-4930-57887, May 2021, paperback) By Eileen Ogintz
Likely because we are stuck at home, I’ve been thinking about once-in-a-lifetime outdoor meals we’ve enjoyed on vacation.
While big-ship cruises are a lot of fun, there is also growing interest for small-ship adventures that in some cases don’t cost much more than a big ship.
There are plenty of socially distanced options at zoos, botanic gardens and museums across the country, though you need to make reservations and purchase tickets in advance
By Eileen Ogintz COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — We are at over 8,000 feet up a steep gravel road from Colorado Springs in the Pike National…
Today, all that is left of the Nanny’s cabin is the foundation and a huge stone fireplace after a fire many years ago. Camp Vigil is now The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley.
Whenever you head out to unfamiliar climes, you need to be prepared for the unexpected — a tumble on the trail, a rainstorm, a road so bumpy it leaves the back seat passengers queasy
Unlike most rental condos, The Antlers at Vail come equipped with aluminum foil, plastic wrap and containers, a fully equipped kitchen and more. The location also can’t be beat—at the Lionshead base area a short walk on a pedestrian path from Vail Village.
We’re looking at the famous tall, red and pink hued Hoodoo rock formations in Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah
We’ve been sailing around the BVI on a chartered catamaran. We sail to Anegada for the lobsters as well as the beautiful empty, wind-swept beaches
With cruises and many trips canceled, national parks have been jammed, but not on the Colorado River deep in the Grand Canyon.
This fall, with remote work and school, many families are taking the opportunity for a fall getaway focused on the outdoors where we feel safest. The right gear will help keep you comfortable — and confident — on your adventures.
Everyone is glad to have been unplugged from the news for a week, didn’t mind the mitigations that are the result of the Pandemic and are genuinely glad to be here
The first waterfall on the agenda is Elves Chasm, requiring a difficult, steep hike and scrambling over rocks and boulders. “But definitely worth it when we got there”
We navigate more than two dozen rapids including “the big three,” starting the day with Hance Rapid, which drops 30 feet over its length; Hermit with its 10 consecutive “haystick” waves, and Crystal rated a 10
The hot hike is soon forgotten. We all consider how privileged we are to be playing in a place few Grand Canyon visitors ever see – the Little Colorado River
I sit up in my sleeping bag and look around. We are steps from the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The light on the multi-hued rock—pink, orange, brown is spectacular as the sun comes up
We are diverse group of 32 (not including four guides) on this seven-day rafting adventure in the Grand Canyon, from across the country and generations.
Because of COVID, plus the desire to get outside safely with your own bathroom and kitchen, many Americans are turning to RVing
This fall, with many schools, starting with remote learning and parents working from home, there is an unprecedented opportunity for a family road trip
After a five-mile hike, we’re sitting on a rock taking in the panoramic view from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Hoodoos actually have eroded out of cliffs, forming thin walls of rock called fins.Isn’t nature amazing?! Here at Bryce Canyon we are at the top of what is famously called “The Grand Staircase”
I last rafted the Grand Canyon 40 years ago on a trip where we paddled, following the guide’s shouted directions. I was glad for the opportunity to go again, confident that we could raft safely and stay healthy with Western River’s comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation plan
If your wanderlust is stronger than ever and you have some flexibility in your schedule, there may be no better time for a Grand Canyon rafting adventure than now.
Everyone who visits Aspen — summer, fall or winter — should make time for an ACES activity, whether guided hike (there are free guided walks), winter snowshoe tours, storytelling, free junior naturalist activity books and the chance to visit the resident rescued Golden Eagle, Red Tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl that can no longer live in the wild
For the uninitiated, glamping means experiencing the outdoors without the work or challenges (except maybe weather!) that camping typically requires
As well as keeping our distance and wearing masks to avoid contracting COVID-19, it’s imperative as we flock to national parks to consider what else we must do to keep ourselves and our families safe
We experienced the mask issue firsthand on our 2,850-mile road trip from Colorado to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, social distancing as much as possible
We headed up eight miles to the Maroon Bells, one of Colorado’s most iconic rides along Maroon Creek Road from Aspen Highlands to Maroon Lake
The Gant Aspen not only is Aspen’s only condominium hotel that offers food and beverage right here, but the new artisanal take out pizzas from Boulder’s popular Boss Lady Pizza has proved a huge hit on weekends.
This Pandemic summer, Elk Avenue has been made one way to allow for more outdoor socially-distanced seating and masks are required for those strolling on Elk Avenue.
A visit to Flathead Lake Lodge, just south of Glacier NP, this pandemic summer is about a lot more than learning a new sport or upping your skill, visiting kids say, especially after being stuck at home for months.
The big difference this pandemic summer: Families wearing masks when they are near other people or inside shops. Clerks and restaurant servers are wearing masks too.
Certainly, there is a lot to feel anxious about this summer whether you are at home or traveling with spikes in COVID-19 cases in many states. Locals in Wyoming, like elsewhere, say they are nervous seeing so many out of state license plates
We’re spending a couple of days in a cabin at River Dance Lodge in Idaho, part of the Row Adventures portfolio, known for their rafting and sea kayaking trips.
Suha Jhaveri opted for a mom-son road trip to the Resort at Paws Up, where they stayed in a huge safari-like tent
When it rains, you just soldier on as we did horseback riding and riding ATV vehicles
At least we are cozy and dry in our tent. That’s right—our tent. electricity, an in-suite bathroom, and heated floor.
So far this summer, the east side of the park remains closed due to heavy winter snows—we could only go as far as Avalanche, where we went hiking to Avalanche Lake, about a two miles each way with a gradual gain of about 500 feet in elevation.
Glacier National Park is only partially open this Covid summer. No park lodging. Eastern side closed completely. So be prepared for scarce lodging, food, even hiking options
After months sheltering at home, “This place encourages you to make new friends,”
The good news: If you can work remotely with kids’ camps and summer school canceled, you can opt for a longer break. Perhaps this is the year to take that big road trip out West or get a longer rental in a mountain or beach town.
“The breakfast ride is my favorite thing at the ranch. Breakfast tastes so much better,” says Sydney Byrne, 17, a guest at Flathead Lake Lodge in NW Montana
Flathead Lake Lodge is much more than a lodge – it’s a ranch, farm and acre upon acre of wilderness and lakefront.