So much to see and do on moms’ getaway to Scottsdale

So much to see and do on moms’ getaway to Scottsdale

No guilt allowed! We keep telling ourselves that all weekend. I’m in Scottsdale, AZ for a moms’ getaway weekend with an old friend I don’t see nearly enough. She lives on the West Coast; I live across the country.

Time-traveling back in history at Conner Prairie IN

Time-traveling back in history at Conner Prairie IN

Here at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, the terrific living history museum outside Indianapolis, a Smithsonian affiliate that focuses on 19th-century Indiana, the journey takes us 90 minutes, starting with our escape from an owner who plans to sell us “back South.”

Getting them outdoors and away from electronics this fall

Getting them outdoors and away from electronics this fall

They’re the one thing I always put in my backpack when heading outdoors with kids in the fall — whether they’re 4, 14 or 24. Those Ziploc bags of M&Ms have been known to inspire art creations, stop a meltdown and even spur healthy debate..

Visiting the nation’s capital is cool in the fall

Visiting the nation’s capital is cool in the fall

Fall is a great time to visit Washington, D.C. Hotel rates are down as much as half, and the summer humidity has disappeared, along with the crowds. No wonder it’s Travelzoo’s featured destination right now.

This fall, explore America off the beaten path

This fall, explore America off the beaten path

Take a fall weekend to explore a smaller city or region near your home and you’ll be amazed at what you find; especially if you let the kids lead the way. Honestly, before I got there, I wondered what Sioux Falls S.D. would have to offer a traveling family.

Deals abound for your Princeses at the Disney Parks

Deals abound for your Princeses at the Disney Parks

When I visited Disneyland earlier this summer, moms and dads were busy filming the princess transformation on their iPads and smartphones. “It never gets old for them” said manager Joanna Pisanski

Next time consider a villa on your family vacation

Next time consider a villa on your family vacation

A villa or condo makes vacationing with kids — no matter what their ages — so much easier. Remember that the kitchen is always open and in some cases you have a staff all to yourself. And you don’t have to share the pool with strangers.

Exploring Colorado in the summer

Exploring Colorado in the summer

The skies are blue, the air is clear and there is no evidence of fire where tourists would go. “Some people watching TV thought the whole city burned up,” one local told me. “Some people thought the entire state burned,” said another in Crested Butte. Fortunately, Colorado’s fire-impacted areas represent less than 1 percent of the state’s 23 million acres of public land.

On a different kind of cruise in Alaska

On a different kind of cruise in Alaska

“We plan the itinerary so that we can stop like this,” says our captain, Dano Quinn, who has been piloting vessels in Alaska for the last 16 years. “The best of Alaska is the wilderness,” he adds. “Not in the towns and we provide the opportunities for that.”