How to snare a bargain in New York City this winter
Until Feb. 12, you can take advantage of the NYC Winter Outing program with significant discounts on everything
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Choosing sides on the ‘Star Wars’ Galactic Starcruiser Halcyon
Starcruiser Halcyon allows guests to control their own travel destiny. We decide whether we want to help the good guys or the bad
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Weekly Column | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations
Plenty of winter ahead – light it up with a getaway
Go for a long weekend rather than a week. With lower gas prices, drive rather than fly. Much of the country can drive to a cruise port
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Shouting out hotels that go all out for families
Bravo to hotels that really go out of their way to welcome families. I particularly appreciate resorts that intuitively meet family needs.
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Resorts build most awesome gingerbread creations
Duct tape, sturdy cardboard, modeling chocolate, plenty of small festive candy pieces and lots of imagination. That’s how the pros do it
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Visiting and Remembering at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, with over 1.8 million visitors annually is the top tourist spot in Hawaii. It can be difficult for kids to appreciate
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Finding the best holiday gifts for your favorite travelers
There is something wonderful—even magical—watching someone you love opening a gift they love and will use again and again
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Taking the kids to see the best and brightest holiday lights
Post Pandemic, these displays in big cities, smaller towns, resorts, theme parks, zoos, botanic gardens are bigger and better than ever.
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How to get the best Black Friday-Travel Monday deal
It can mean taking a bucket list trip or a resort you couldn’t afford otherwise. It can mean a cruise with family that all can afford
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Be smart about vacation rentals for holidays
Rentals can also be a good bet to give everyone some breathing room rather than crowding into grandma’s for the holidays.
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Honoring our veterans: 10 places to visit
What are your kids studying this fall? Consider a visit to a museum or battlefield that can engage their interest outside the classroom
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Grabbing some last-minute spooky fun
Scary or not-so-scary? Kitschy or upscale? It’s not too late for some Halloween season fun at a theme park, zoo, aquarium, a haunted house
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To the literal end of the road on Kauai
This is as unspoiled as it gets, the only oceanfront resort to the Kalalau Trail at Ke’e Beach. Many come for the sunrise — and the rainbows
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How to create memories on less than exotic trips
A lot of travel memories come when you get out of your comfort zone with those you love and don’t have to be far from home
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Exploring local cuisine in a new way with the kids
The next time your family is bickering about where and what to eat on vacation, suggest a progressive dinner. And keep your walking shoes on.
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Traveling smart during hurricane season
As long as you are safe – and have travel insurance, as well as what you really need — don’t upset. kids will pick up on your anxiety.
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Halloween’s coming. Get your costumes ready — now!
There are over 1,200 haunted attractions in the country with some 300 amusement parks and fun centers offering Halloween events
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Family Travel Doesn’t Mean Always Taking the Kids
It might be Antarctica with grown kids; a river cruise in Italy with siblings in their 70s; afall trip to Cape Cod or to a Dude Ranch
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Weekly Column | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Parks & Outdoors
Taking the kids to a fall festival
Fall festivals are back big time across the country, offering the chance for an outdoor-oriented getaway from chores, soccer, swim meets
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MEOW WOLF Denver: an otherworldly experience
Meow Wolf Convergence Station in Denver is unlike a traditional museum; the art envelops you as you step into another world
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To Orlando in fall with young kids
If you think Orlando with toddlers and preschoolers is a nonstarter, think again. “The Magic outweighs the temper tantrums,” says one mom
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Plenty free (and a deal) in the Big Apple
Even in a city like New York there is a limit to how many great sites, performances and museums you and the kids can take.
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Families on a different kind of water adventure
If you are itching for a different late summer/fall getaway on the water, there are lots of options that won’t break your budget
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Weekly Column | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Getting There | Parks & Outdoors
Tips for traveling with babies and toddlers
Forget spontaneous romantic dinners. Ditto for any big adventures. When you’re traveling with babies and toddlers, expect the unexpected.
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Exploring the most kid-friendly art museums
If you could jump into a painting and walk around in it, what painting would you choose? It’s a good way to engage kids when visiting an art museum
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
Taking the kids to ski country in summer
Free outdoor concerts, bountiful farmer’s markets, movies under the stars, unique museums, guided hikes, golf, tennis, festivals and more
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10 ways to de-stress summer travel
You may need all the relaxation techniques out there to get through the hurdles that you must endure to travel this summer
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How to take the kids camping for the first time
Camping was the one segment of the travel industry that didn’t suffer during the pandemic. In fact, it enjoyed unprecedented growth.
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Celebrating with family on the Fourth of July
What was your best Fourth of July? A parade, a barbecue with your nearest and dearest, fireworks or perhaps an entirely new experience?
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The unique Caribbean culture of Curacao
Do you know your ABCs? We’re talking the ABC islands — Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles
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Eight great family vacation spots for summer
Whatever you’ve got on tap for summer vacation, plan to spend plenty of time outdoors. For kids, playing outside promotes curiosity, creativity and critical thinking, research shows.
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Gadgets, gizmos and more for the traveling Dad
This Father’s Day there are plenty of gadgets that will please your favorite travelers, and sustainably made duds to keep cool all summer.
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Weekly Column | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service
The bears and the raptors in Sitka, Alaska
Lucky little orphans. Actually, big orphans — bear cubs. They were rescued and now live happily at the Fortress of the Bear in Sitka, Alaska
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Weekly Column | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Disney | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Parks & Outdoors
Saving the Galaxy at Walt Disney World
Ready to save the galaxy? Disney World’s newest and much-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind adventure debuts at Epcot May 27
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So much to see in Washington D.C.
Welcome to America’s front yard! We’re talking, of course, about The National Mall in Washington, D.C. Consider that The National Mall typically gets more than…
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It’s easy to travel more sustainably
Who really needs clean towels and sheets every day on vacation? Ditto for super-long showers. It’s not hard to travel more sustainably.
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Best Gifts For Moms Traveling Again
What do traveling moms really want? They’ll tell you time together with their families. Grandmas, especially, are eager to make memories.
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Get out and smell the wildflowers this season
Wildflowers come in many colors. Whether you are hiking, biking, camping or visiting a city, the coming months are a great time to see them
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What The End Of Masks On Planes Means For Families
Families flying with small children are rightly confused over this week’s lifting of the federal transportation Covid-19 masking mandate.
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Understanding Autism and celebrating differences
Who hasn’t had a travel nightmare? The worst I’ve heard is angry passengers booing as you try to calm a child on the autism spectrum.
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Touring Athens like a local
As we begin to travel again, many of us want to travel differently — connecting more with locals like we did in Athens last year
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Where the kids can blast off without leaving Earth
Very few of us can afford to be space tourists. But we’ve got more opportunities than ever to explore from Earth and to see what’s ahead for future space tourists.
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Celebrating women when you travel this spring
As you plan your spring and summer trips, consider noting women’s contributions wherever and however you travel, especially with kids
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Planning a road trip as gas prices reach record highs
Just as we feel safe planning for spring and summer trips, gas prices reach record highs. And they may get higher despite crude oil prices dropping at the moment, AAA says
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Should you splurge on travel this spring and summer?
Especially during the pandemic, families have been seeking private enclaves, often within resort settings with resort amenities
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Eight reasons to visit Ireland this year
Ireland just announced that it will be extending the festivities for a four-day-long weekend this year, as part of a big “thank you” to frontline workers and everyone else for enduring the COVID-19 pandemic
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Weekly Column | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Snow Vacations
Slope Side Lodging for families, pooches too
Where would you go for an après ski treat? A snow beach or ice bar? S’mores made at a fire pit overlooking river ice floes. Perhaps a sleigh ride dinner.
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Taking the kids on spring break safely
Especially this year, consider getting outdoors for spring break. The more time you can spend outdoors, the safer you’ll be.
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How to explore the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad wasn’t underground nor was it a railroad. There were no tickets, guides or maps. It consisted of secret routes
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How to chase your own Olympic gold in the USA
Here’s where you can take the kids and try an Olympic sport at Olympic venues in the United States, perhaps even getting the chance to meet former Olympians
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Making time for romance on vacation
We step off our bungalow porch to the sand where beach chairs and hammocks await, we eat local dishes on an open terrace and enjoy nature-inspired spa treatments in a unique setting
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Yellowstone (and other national parks) in winter
Bison certainly won’t be the only animals you will see on a winter visit to Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park celebrating its 150th birthday
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Snow Vacations | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
How to have a safe and sane winter family vacation
Is a family vacation worth it this winter? For once, I’m not talking about how much it would cost or the hassle factor.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
Kid-friendly California wine country this winter
Kids living and visiting Sonoma, California, never knew Antonia and Frank Bartholomew, but they owe them a big thank you.
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Meeting locals the best way to explore
One visit to Athens won’t cut it. “You’ve got to come back for a second visit,” says Spyros Kagkas. I might say the same about experiencing New York, San Francisco, or Paris
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Want to cruise again? Vaccinations are the ticket
Even with the new Omicron variant wreaking havoc with international travel, cruise executives believe their ships couldn’t be doing more to protect their guests and crew
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Snow Vacations | Weekly Column
Wishing for snow? Pray to Ullr
Some “experts” even suggest that the Aurora Borealis in the northern hemisphere is the spray from Ullr’s skis
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Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Memories of South Africa Before Omicron
Since the news broke that the first cases of the Omicron variant had been found in South Africa, I’ve been thinking more about the people we met on that trip
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Sustainable gifts for your favorite travelers
This holiday season, show how you are paying attention. Yes, you can donate in their name to a favorite nonprofit
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Holiday lights everywhere!
Let’s see where we can celebrate, whether we return to an annual tradition or make it an outing with relatives and friends you’ve been with over Thanksgiving
