Generations gather at the ballfields in Cooperstown all summer long
With the families and generations at Cooperstown Dreams Park, which draws 104 Little League baseball teams each week to its 22 pristine fields spread out over 150 acres.
A rich archive of weekly “Taking the Kids Columns” in newspaper syndication since 1992
 
			With the families and generations at Cooperstown Dreams Park, which draws 104 Little League baseball teams each week to its 22 pristine fields spread out over 150 acres.
 
			No we’re not at Disneyland or Disney World. We’re actually in Norway exploring the famous West Norwegian Fjords with Adventures by Disney and I’ve counted at least 18 waterfalls
 
			Maybe you will march in a local parade or watch the kids march, host a barbecue or gather the gang to see the fireworks. Here are six unique ways to celebrate July 4.
 
			Many consider summer in the Caribbean family season because rates are significantly lower and there are so many value-added amenities.
 
			Ski country in summer, especially Colorado: you won’t run out of things to do. Many who live in ski towns say they originally came for the snow but stayed because they love the summer
 
			This month marks the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant Act, which set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove as the first protected wild land in the country — the first time scenic, wilderness lands were set aside specifically for preservation and public use by the federal government.
 
			June 6 marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and many families, even if they can’t visit, will be thinking about grandfathers and great-grandfathers, sons, uncles and cousins who fought and died here.
 
			Is grandma packed? There’s a good chance she and grandpa are going along on your summer vacation whether it’s to a week at the beach, to Yellowstone or Orlando, and there’s also a good chance they’re leading the way — and paying for, or for much of, the trip.
 
			Even the glitteriest magic wand won’t cut it at Walt Disney World these days. But wave a MagicBand and see what happens.
 
			Zoos — besides being fun places to visit and see amazing creatures like pandas — are also ideal places to teach kids what they can do to help the environment
 
			Really, any day can be Mother’s Day — like on your next family vacation. All you have to do is declare: “This day is for you, Mom!”
 
			The Louvre can be overwhelming for an adult, much less a child. That’s why I figure if you are going to splurge on a private tour, this is a good place to do it.
 
			Step right into the Tinkering Studio at San Francisco’s Exploratorium where you can tinker until you make lights go on and buzzers sound, make music on a musical bench or create a toothpick sculpture, inspired by the giant toothpick sculpture “Rolling Through the Bay.”
 
			Welcome to Boston’s Freedom Trail, the 2.5-mile-long route over cobble-stoned streets that lets you travel back in time to when Boston was still a colony and people argued about what to do about the increasingly difficult demands from the king of England.
 
			You don’t have to be in New York or at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., to get your dino fix, as wonderful as those museums’ exhibits are. Here are four others museums I’ve visited that are guaranteed to please.
 
			The lesson: Take the kids’ opinions into account when planning a family getaway, whether it’s a big-ticket adventure, a trip to Orlando, a camping trip or a weekend exploring a city. Believe me, if the kids aren’t happy, you won’t be.
 
			At the Denver Art Museum you can borrow a backpack. These days you’ll find plenty of activities to engage kids and the adults who accompany them to art museums across the country
 
			As many of us head off to warm climes and cruise ships on spring break, it’s especially important to be mindful of water safety, particularly if young kids are along for the trip.
 
			Spring break these days is more for families than for college kids, as parents find it easier to grab a few days off in spring rather than summer when the kids have jobs, summer school, camp, sports practice and everyone at work is vying for the same vacation days.
 
			Challenge is a good thing for all ages on vacation and Breckenridge offers it up in spades, whatever the kids’ ages and ability — from the Four O’clock run, which is 3.5 miles long, the terrain parks, the kids’ trails through the trees and kids’ terrain features with names like Rip’s Ravine and Dragon Trail.