To California Wine Country

To California Wine Country

Jun 6, 2010

If you think Wine Country — especially Sonoma County — is just for grown-ups (at least those over 21) think again. There are plenty of places to bike, hike and kayak on the Russian River.

Taking the Kids – To Clean Beaches and Avoiding the Oil

Taking the Kids – To Clean Beaches and Avoiding the Oil

Jun 3, 2010

As vacation season gets into high gear — with officials yet to figure out how to stem the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the worst oil spill in U.S history — families who planned to head to the Gulf Coast are worried too about clean beach waters — as are those who count on their business.

To the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

To the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

May 27, 2010

We’re at Hall of Human Origins, the newest exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, now celebrating its centennial year. (It’s the most visited of the 19 Smithsonian museums with 7.4 million visitors last year!) It’s the most visited museum in the country and has the most visited science museum in the world. It’s easy to see why. Even kids who profess to “hate science” can’t help but love this 21st-century museum.

Taking the Kids To Cooking School

Taking the Kids To Cooking School

May 23, 2010

I am standing in a Mexican kitchen on a picturesque Ranch outside of Oaxaca city kneading dough that will become mini tortillas. I’ve already grilled the cactus that will be a part of the topping for these mini tortillas called Memelas

See you in Times Square

See you in Times Square

May 16, 2010

I’m in a darkened Broadway theater watching the new Tony-nominated musical “Memphis” (nominated for eight awards!), which tells the story of what happens in the segregated South when a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun, played by Chad Kimball, falls for “Negro” music and a terrifically talented black singer named Felicia Farrell, played by Montego Glover

Putting on the Ritz in Orlando

Putting on the Ritz in Orlando

May 9, 2010

As Orlando gears up for the much-anticipated opening in June of Universal’s “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” — 20 acres within Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventures — keep in mind there are plenty of options to stay — some 115,000 hotel rooms, including more than two-dozen new hotels, including the brand-new Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orlando.

Giving Mom the Best Mother’s Day Present She’s Ever Had

Giving Mom the Best Mother’s Day Present She’s Ever Had

May 2, 2010

We moms all know the dirty little secret of family vacations. No, I’m not talking about the piles of laundry when we get home, though that’s certainly no fun. I’m talking about how moms whisper on the beach, around the pool and on line at theme parks that family vacations are really no vacations at all for them, especially when young kids are part of the equation..

What Parents Say About Family Vacations

What Parents Say About Family Vacations

Apr 25, 2010

You need a vacation now more than ever, and you shouldn’t feel the least bit guilty. In fact, you’ve got lots of company, according to a new family-travel poll for which I partnered with Travelocity.com.

Touring Rome When All Doesn’t Go as Planned

Touring Rome When All Doesn’t Go as Planned

Apr 18, 2010

The alarm doesn’t go off.Forget about our plan to leisurely stroll through Rome’s famous Borghese Gardens to get to the Borghese Gallery in time for our reservation to see the fabulous collections of paintings, sculptures, mosaics and bas-reliefs from the 15th to 18th centuries. Reservations typically are needed at this small gem of a museum.