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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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?
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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Options when weather derails your trip
Flight cancellations still occur on a regular basis because of the weather, but these days there are more options for passengers, especially if they are proactive, starting with carefully monitoring weather, road and airport closures
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Celebrating women’s accomplishments on your next trip
There is another important cue we can take from Oprah Winfrey’s words when we travel — show our kids the ways women have contributed and made a difference in our history.
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Celebrating Martin Luther King Day
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday this month, and African American History Month in February, there’s probably no better time to start that conversation with the kids. They’re likely studying Martin Luther King’s accomplishments in school — 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of his assassination on April 4, 1968.
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Having fun in the snow during Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
Sometimes it’s a good idea to let the pros lead the way — especially with so many enticing deals during Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month
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Spending New Year’s with the whales in Antarctica
Everyone is busy getting ready for the black-tie New Year’s Eve bash. Here in Antarctica, it’s a giant penguin party, of course. Whales are invited too
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Gawking at giant gingerbread creations
Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, you are likely to discover ever bigger and elaborate gingerbread structures to inspire your home creations
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Holiday gifts for your favorite little traveler (and big ones, too)
Many think gift cards are the holiday-gift-of-last-resort, but when the card is chosen wisely, it just might turn out to be the most appreciated gift of the season
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To NYC and beyond Manhattan during the holiday season
Some 6 million visitors from around the world come to the Big Apple this time of year, more tourists than at any other time of year
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A special new style trip as a gift
The perfect gift: a trip together, but not just any trip, a custom adventure designed for your group, based on their ages and interests. And it doesn’t have to be as big a budget-buster as you might think.
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Making holiday lights a post-Thanksgiving tradition
There’s no better time to see who has the biggest and best holiday lights than as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are done. In some cases, before Thanksgiving if you are looking for ways to get everyone out of the house
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Debunking Thanksgiving myths
That first Thanksgiving in 1621, the Pilgrims and Native Americans from the Wampanoag tribe feasted on venison, shellfish, and while there might have been wild turkey, there were just as likely swans, ducks and geese.
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Supporting Sonoma County
No one wants to at all diminish the horrible impact of the fires. They just want people like you and me to realize that the best way to help is to visit
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Gathering the gang when budget isn’t a concern (and when it is!)
Those who are looking for the ultimate where-I-spent-the-holidays bragging rights (and have $40,000 to spare) can gather the gang Thanksgiving or Christmas (seven bedrooms in separate cabins) this holiday season for a three- or four-night experience
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Taking the Kids — away from the crowds to play in the snow
We discovered one week last winter that, despite the tumbles, it’s exhilarating for everyone in the family to have the chance to try a new snow activity like snowmobiling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or biking on “fat bikes,”
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Packing smart for your next family trip
If you are like me and want to pack more efficiently, especially these days when you don’t want to pay for bags for the entire family (wait at the airport for them or need a larger rental car to accommodate the bags), this column is for you.
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Taking the whole family on a cruise
There are ships to suit every budget and travel style, from adventure-minded families chartering a small ship from a company like AdventureSmith Explorations that accommodates as few as a dozen guests, to a river cruise in Europe to a megaship in the Caribbean
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To San Diego, where kids are free all month!
Welcome to San Diego, considered California’s birthplace, and one of the most kid-friendly cities in America
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Celebrating Halloween for an entire month
You’ll need that costume a lot sooner than Halloween since theme parks, zoos, haunted attractions, farms, even zip lines everywhere are touting Halloween festivities and scares all October long
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To the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History & Culture
Since the museum opened Sept. 24, 2016 on the National Mall, next to the Washington Monument, nearly 3 million people have visited the 12 inaugural exhibitions
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To Budapest and exploring a new city through food and drink
In Budapest, The Hungarian Flodni layer cake with plum jam, apple, poppy seed and walnuts lives up to its reputation. Yum! So do the “Baselon,” (translated as a “friend’s ear”) — dumplings fashioned from potato dough with plum jam and sprinkled with brown sugar.
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On a European river cruise with kids of all ages
The all-inclusive nature of these cruises also seems to de-stress the experience — just choose which shore excursion you like, borrow a bike, enjoy complimentary wine and beer and more on some ships.
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Taking the Kids — to a fall festival
There’s a lot to celebrate in fall — not the least of which is the kids getting back to school and out from underfoot. There are festivals galore
