Adventure hiking in the Swiss Alps
This is the start of a two-week, self-guided hiking trip arranged by Alpenwild for my husband, me and our two daughters — a rare time together now that the girls are grown
-
-
Choosing the right gear for your next adventure
I just spent a few days at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, North America’s largest trade show in the outdoor industry, and perused all that’s new in outdoor gear
-
What’s new at museums for families
Whether you have an end-of-summer trip planned or just a few days before the school year gets into full swing, consider checking out a new museum exhibit or two
-
An outdoor adventure in Breckenridge
There has always been plenty to give families and their pets vacation bragging rights in Breckenridge, the historic mountain town and ski resort located about a 90-minute drive from Denver.
-
Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Weekly Column
DISNEYLAND: ALL ABOUT PIXAR- EVEN THE FOOD
At a time when travelers — kids as well as adults — consider what and where they eat a key part of their vacation experience, Disney Parks up their game.
-
Exploring Maine
Maine is as famous for its wild blueberries as its lobster. Thousands of acres of wild blueberries are harvested on and around Mount Desert Island where Bar Harbor is located. If you visit in summer
-
Getting fit at the world’s biggest children’s museum
Welcome to the new outdoor 7.5-acre Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the world’s largest children’s museum, which welcomes 1.5 million visitors annually
-
Get ready to play big!
Walk into Toy Story Land and you are suddenly toy-sized, surrounded by giant playthings — giant building blocks, yo-yos, board game pieces, Scrabble tiles
-
Seeing what’s new in the Big Apple this summer
New Yorkers once avoided Times Square, except on their way to dinner and a Broadway show. Years ago the area just wasn’t safe, though more recently it has become a Mecca for tourists
-
Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
To Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation
“Many children were swept up in the drama of the American Revolution,” explained Dr. Elizabeth Grant, the director of education at the immersive the Museum of the American Revolution
-
Summer fun and July 4 in the mountains
These days across ski country you’ll find not only plenty of old-fashioned celebrations for Independence Day but also a growing number of mountaintop and mountainside activities
-
To Vienna
After a morning bike ride on Danube Island where it seemed all of Vienna was out strolling and biking on this sunny weekend morning, we saw some of Vienna’s most notable sites
-
Let’s hear it for Dad
This year, as we celebrate dads and granddads, uncles and godfathers, let’s think about things that will make this summer’s vacation more fun — for him. You don’t need to spend a lot of money either.
-
Flying smart with the littlest passengers
Parents and grandparents wouldn’t consider driving with a young child if they aren’t properly restrained in a safety seat. Not only is it the law, but those seats save lives. So why is it different on a plane?
-
Hitting the newest, fastest, scariest thrill rides this summer
Summer is when millions of us dare each other to ride the fastest, tallest, scariest coasters, and have since the 1920s. Here are eight of the thrill rides that are already creating a lot of buzz
-
When you can’t let it rain on your parade
The thing about any adventure trip — any vacation that involves being outdoors in fact — is that you can’t let less-than-perfect weather stop you.
-
Following in the footsteps of royalty
There’s nothing stopping you and the kids from following in the royals’ footsteps in and around London this summer — a great time to visit with everyone so enthusiastic, first celebrating the birth of the new baby prince and now the wedding.
-
Useful gadgets and gizmos for the moms in your life
If you’re thinking expensive flowers for Mother’s Day, think again, as there are so many useful new affordable gadgets and gizmos, not to mention apps, which will be appreciated by the moms in your life every time they travel
-
Shopping on vacation
The next time you get caught in the rain on vacation, remind the kids how vacation missteps can actually be life-changing — in a good way. Think LL Bean
-
A different kind of trip to Alaska
Just one road leads into Denali National Park’s 6 million acres, and after mile 15 the road is restricted to park buses. You can’t get much more remote in Alaska.
-
Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Making the most of visiting the Smithsonian with kids this spring
The Smithsonian Museums, particularly Air and Space, Natural History, American History, the African American Museum and the National Zoo are on every family’s must-see list when visiting Washington, D.C.
-
Making the most out of a national park visit
The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation are hoping you will #FindYourPark — or at least start thinking about what park you next want to visit, including the less visited ones — during National Park Week, which runs April 21 through April 29.
-
Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
Snorkeling for our dinner
I wasn’t planning to swim while my husband fished for our supper, but I couldn’t resist the entreaties from Carlos Cordova, our 22-year-old guide, who urged us to join in on the conch and lobster hunt
-
Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
To Denver the Mile High City
Denver is a great bet for families, I discovered while writing my Kid’s Guide to Denver, Boulder and Colorado Ski Country. In fact, local families are perplexed that families visiting Colorado head straight to the mountains without first stopping in Denver
-
On spring break, without busting the budget
It’s not too late to book a spring break, whether for a week or a long weekend. If you plan smart, you might snare a deal. The Taking the Kids 2018 Very Best Spring Break Ideas can help.
-
Families & Groups | Best of Taking The Kids | Destinations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Taking the Kids — to Berlin
There’s no better place to see reconciliation at work that than in Berlin where the Berlin Wall, as of last month, has been down longer than it was up
-
Channeling your inner-Olympian
Why not take a trip to the snow where everyone can indulge their Olympic fantasies and dreams? If you have a spring break coming up or a long weekend, consider some fun in the snow
-
Families & Groups | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
On an adventure in Belize
Lucy and Mick Fleming, a young adventurous couple, spontaneously bought an overgrown 140-acre farm and citrus orchard on the Macal River in Belize after meeting the owner in a bar in Belize City, about a two-hour drive away
-
Families & Groups | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
The whole gang on a cruise, but not necessarily a big ship
Cruises are a great bet for extended families as everyone, if they’d like, can go in different directions and meet up for dinner.
-
Beach Vacations | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Weekly Column
To Antigua, spared from the 2017 hurricanes
Curtain Bluff welcomes kids with a breezy, open-air kids’ club and an adjacent playground tucked in the shade. The activities, says Ainsley Smith, a former teacher and daycare provider who oversees the kids’ program, are designed to teach kids about Antigua
