Touring the Sites of Rememberance of the Holocaust in Berlin
“There were many unsung heroes,” said Nadav Jakobovitch, our Tours by Locals guide on our second day in Berlin. He comes from a family of Holocaust survivors by way of Israel
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Walking the Berlin Wall – Reconciliation Matters
We had just walked between what had once been called “the death strip,” the area between West Berlin and East Berlin, between the wall and safety of the West
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Learning a little history on July 4th
if you play your cards right, you’ll all have fun celebrating the nation’s birthday — and learning something about American history at the same time.
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Learning about mummies at the American Museum of Natural History
The new exhibition Mummies at the American Museum of Natural History gives us a rare glimpse into lives and cultures of the past, thanks to 21st-century tools and technologies
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Free attractions in Washington DC this spring
It doesn’t cost anything to visit the Lincoln Memorial at night, to play pilot in a mock cockpit at “America by Air,” a permanent exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum, attend a family event or one for young children at the Museum of African American History and Culture or visit the giant pandas at the National Zoo.
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Keeping kids water safe on cruise ships over spring break
It’s easy — far too easy — to lose track of kids in a crowded pool, especially on a big cruise ship. Drownings happen silently in a matter of seconds. How to keep them safe.
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Historic sites and museums to visit during Black History Month
February is the ideal time to visit a historic site or explore a museum exhibit celebrating African American History Month, which is also celebrated in Britain and Canada.
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South Georgia Island: home of the Oakum Boys
they’re juvenile King Penguins, also known as “Oakum Boys,” who still have a fluffy coat of downy brown feathers and they’re pecking at their moms to feed them
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Who Knew? A Trip to the Fire Station in the Falkland Islands
The fire trucks pull up to our ship Le Boreal in the Falkland Islands, sirens blazing and lights flashing. But there was no emergency.
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Six LA museums guaranteed to wow families and kids
But this wasn’t a big holiday sale. People were waiting for the chance to get free tickets to The Broad, Los Angeles’ newest contemporary art museum.
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Let’s Get Every Teen on a Train
A prominent member of the European Union Parliament is proposing that every 18-year-old receive a free trans-Europe train pass so they can get to know Europe better. We should do the same
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Yes politics is ugly. But kids need to learn about elections – here’s how
There still is a lot to be learned about the electoral process, of course, and museums around the country have mounted interesting, interactive exhibits that can answer kids’ questions and serve as a positive teaching tool—but only in the coming weeks.
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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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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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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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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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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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Visit to a Sea Turtle Hospital in Palm Beach County, Florida
More than just a place to observe, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a working hospital with the goal of rehabilitating its animal patients. In fact, it’s the preeminent sea turtle hospital in the United States and animals in need of treatment are carefully transported here from around the country.
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Learning about our presidents from visiting their homes
All around us on a recent sunny Sunday, families were picnicking outdoors, gaping at all of the wild game heads inside and walking on the nature trail at Teddy Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill home.
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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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Last Cuba port call – historic Santiago de Cuba and pirates of the Caribbean
Historic Santiago de Cuba is home to revolutions, gave birth to Cuban leaders Jose Marti and Fidel Castro and was the scene of Teddy Roosevelt’s famous charge up San Juan Hill.
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TO CUBA ON THE FIRST AMERICAN SHIP TO SAIL HERE IN NEARLY 60 YEARS
I’ve learned first hand that encouraging kids to be global citizens, to be comfortable outside their own comfort zones, helps them navigate unfamiliar and difficult turf in their lives as they grow up.
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In Havana, meeting people who are starting private businesses
Gilberto Valladares Reina has always been a barber—and a dreamer. That’s not always been easy in Cuba, where the government controlled so many aspects of your life.
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Into Havana on a “people-to-people” tour from the first American cruise ship in 58 years
Cubans lined the Havana shoreline, cheering loudly as the ship sailed in. Those on board lined the decks cheering, waving Cuban and American flags as Adonia, became the first American ship to enter Havana Harbor in 58 years
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How kids like making history on first American cruise to Cuba
The Russell kids had spent the last two weeks in the Dominican Republic where they joined in volunteer activities that ranged from wrapping chocolate bars at a women’s collective to helping to lay cement floors for several families.
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On the first American sea voyage to Cuba since the Revolution
Eleven kids are making history, though they may not realize it. The kids are among the 700 passengers aboard Fathom’s Adonia, the first American ship to win approval to sail into Cuba from American shores in more than 50 years. (Fathom is the newest cruise brand of Carnival Corp).
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Learning the consequences of war at five great war museums
Stand on the “bridge” of the USS Enterprise, the aircraft carrier that was so critical to the Allied efforts in the Pacific. Walk through “Green Hell” in Guadalcanal,
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When someone in the family has special challenges
Adaptive sports programs are about much more than the activities themselves, Disabled Sports USA, has some 124 chapters across 42 states, including 75 at ski resorts
