Planning a family summer vacation – let the kids help figure it out
I’m sure the kids have lots of ideas, and they may not all involve theme parks. It’s a good idea to talk to the kids about what you’re thinking for a summer trip
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To Dubai – Theme Parks, Deserts, Beaches and Culture
We’re in the middle of the Arabian Desert at a nearly 140-square-mile Desert Conservation Reserve about an hour southeast of Dubai riding in a four-wheel drive SUV up and down 6,200-foot-high sand dunes.
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Learning about mummies at the American Museum of Natural History
The new exhibition Mummies at the American Museum of Natural History gives us a rare glimpse into lives and cultures of the past, thanks to 21st-century tools and technologies
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Mom’s Day gifts for the traveling moms in your life
With Mother’s Day approaching, think about some little things that will make the moms in your life smile on their next trip. You don’t have to spend a fortune either!
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To San Francisco to commemorate the “summer of love”
Take the kids and grandkids to San Francisco where the city is marking the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love with a year’s worth of special events, exhibits, concerts and more.
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Families & Groups | Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Free attractions in Washington DC this spring
It doesn’t cost anything to visit the Lincoln Memorial at night, to play pilot in a mock cockpit at “America by Air,” a permanent exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum, attend a family event or one for young children at the Museum of African American History and Culture or visit the giant pandas at the National Zoo.
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Celebrating Harry Potter in Britain on his 20th anniversary
It’s no surprise that Britain is planning a lot of celebrations in Harry’s name. The good news for all of the fans on this side of the pond: It’s an excellent time to visit London and beyond
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Keeping kids water safe on cruise ships over spring break
It’s easy — far too easy — to lose track of kids in a crowded pool, especially on a big cruise ship. Drownings happen silently in a matter of seconds. How to keep them safe.
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Tips and pleasures for late season snow fun on and off the slopes
Wherever you opt to ski this spring break, expect plenty of sunshine, great deals and packages, even at the poshest resorts.
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March is spring break month – some last-minute ideas
Who says spring break is just for college kids? Certainly not the families impatiently waiting in line at Orlando theme parks, but at least it’s not as hot as in midsummer!
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Finding hidden gems in snow country
There are other hidden gems like Ski Cooper elsewhere in Colorado and around the country for snow-loving families, suited especially for those with young kids and families just learning. Here are five good bets:
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Finding the value at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico
The family had chosen Azul Beach Resort the Fives, a Karisma Gourmet Inclusive Experience, just outside of Playa del Carmen, for their getaway, because it seemed to offer all they needed.
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To Antarctica, South Georgia and Falklands – a trip of a lifetime even for kids
We walked amid thousands of penguins (we saw five species) not bothered by our presence and fur seals who were. The huge elephant seals ignored us, as did the humpback whales we watched from zodiacs.
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Historic sites and museums to visit during Black History Month
February is the ideal time to visit a historic site or explore a museum exhibit celebrating African American History Month, which is also celebrated in Britain and Canada.
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Taking the Kids on a lengthy travel ‘sabbatical’
For five years, David and Shari Jacobson saved as much as they could, but they weren’t saving for a dream house or college for their two sons. They were putting money aside for a dream family trip many thought would never happen.
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On a cruise for spring or summer break
Welcome to the world of cruising. The best part: You can easily stay within budget and bring the grandparents along without any trouble.
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Why families need travel insurance
. I know most families don’t think they need travel insurance, but it really can save the day — and lots of money as costs can run into six figures when someone must be evacuated in a medical emergency. And, as travel insurers note, that is as likely to happen at a Mexican resort as on a cruise ship in some exotic locale.
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Five ways to make food a fun part of your 2017 vacation
You can teach the kids a lot about the culture of a place through its food. Besides, it’s fun. Two-thirds of those polled for the 2016 Portrait of American Travelers say fine-dining is important on vacation.
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Remembering five great family adventures in 2016
Ask anyone what they want from vacation and, besides a good time, they’ll likely answer that they’re after lasting memories for their family
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It’s time again for families to have some fun in the snow
Peanut M&Ms are good, too. The Aspen, Colorado, middle-schoolers I interviewed for my “Kid’s Guide to Denver and Colorado Ski Country” opine that it’s always smart to have “power candy,” in your pocket
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Six LA museums guaranteed to wow families and kids
But this wasn’t a big holiday sale. People were waiting for the chance to get free tickets to The Broad, Los Angeles’ newest contemporary art museum.
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Gift suggestions for your favorite travelers during the holidays
There’s always that one thing you wished you had brought for the trip, but didn’t. Why not give your favorite travelers something that will genuinely make them happier and more comfortable on their 2017 travels? The best news: They’ll think of you, and your thoughtful gift, every time they travel.
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Backyard Vacations | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
How about a quick pre-holiday getaway?
Make it an overnight when you head to see that favorite holiday light display or museum exhibit. Go see Santa somewhere else besides the mall.
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Ushering in the holidays with cool light displays
For a lot of us, heading to holiday light displays has become as big a Thanksgiving weekend tradition as football and pumpkin pie.
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Taking the stress out of holiday family gatherings
Why domillions of us drive hundreds of miles or fly thousands over the busiest travel days of the year to eat too much and sleep on a futon or lumpy sofa bed? Family. That’s why we do it
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Inspired by “Frozen,” families flock to Norway
Not only have spunky Princess Anna and ethereal Queen Elsa stolen the hearts of little girls everywhere, but they’ve significantly contributed to the increasing number of tourists visiting Norway
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Visiting Two Happy Midwestern Cities Competing in the World Series
Whoever wins the World Series, visit Chicago or Cleveland this fall or holiday season and get a dose of happy along with great eats, world-class museums and holiday festivals.
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Backyard Vacations | Best of Taking The Kids | Destinations | Families & Groups | Food and Dining | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Weekly Column
At Vista Verde Ranch in Colorado – on a different kind of snow vacation
I wondered when I planned this trip if my gang of grown kids, who love nothing more than tearing down those steep slopes, would like a more laid-back holiday — at least for a few days on a week-long winter trip to Colorado. I needn’t have worried.
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October is “Kids Free Month” in San Diego
No wonder families have been coming here for 100 years. San Diego, of course, is a great bet for families all year round — sunny weather, 70 miles of coastline (take your pick of 30-plus beaches), theme parks (SeaWorld and LEGOLAND) and plenty of history
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On a fall cruise when family doesn’t necessarily mean kids
even without a lot of kids, the ship was still packed with families — mothers and daughters, aunts and cousins, brothers and sisters-in-law, grandparents and young grandchildren, even four lifelong friends celebrating their 70th birthdays
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Taking full advantage of Halloween season
You don’t need to wait till Halloween to put on costumes, not when theme parks, resorts and haunted attractions have already kicked off special Halloween events
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Do Kids Clubs have a future at resorts and on cruises?
Almost every major resort and cruise line catering to the family market offers extensive children’s programming, but many Millennial families are opting out. What’s the future
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10 fall festivals for families
There are literally hundreds of Octoberfests around the country this fall — some kid-friendly — but there are also plenty of apple, pumpkin and harvest festivals from which to choose
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Travel Agents Find Comeback in Millennial Family Travel
As millennial families head to exotic locales, seeking more adventurous and immersive experiences, travel agents — now called travel advisers — are seeing a significant uptick in business.
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Getting slimed at Nick Punta Cana Resort
This upscale, all-inclusive 208-suite resort, a partnership of Karisma Hotels & Resorts and Viacom International Media Networks, is the first all-inclusive to have been built as a themed resort from the ground up
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Airlines under pressure to seat families together
Anyone who has flown with young kids in recent years knows it’s not uncommon to find that your preschooler has been assigned a seat half a plane away. All too often, parents are told it is up to them to ask someone to switch seats.
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When your grown-up kids take you for a hike in the mountains
I always suggest parents and grandparents let the kids lead some of the time on vacation, even when they are in grade school. They will take you in unexpected directions
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Salzburg Austria Is Not Just for Sound of Music Fans
I think this picturesque city would be a good place to base yourself for several days or a week, though it can get crowded as the city of 150,000 welcomes more than 1.5 million tourists a year
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Aspen/Snowmass in the summer and fall – Affordable for Families
The scenery is beautiful. There are plenty of activities. And you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars for lift tickets to have fun in the summer or fall in Aspen/Snowmass CO.
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Exploring history and viewing the modern at Disneyland
Walt Disney was tapped out. The construction of Disneyland was taking nearly every penny he had. A kid-friendly, upscale hotel next to a theme park seems like a slam-dunk, but not in the early ’50s
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Touring the Vatican with kids – hidden gems to explore
Welcome to The Vatican, the world’s smallest sovereign state, established in 1929. It’s the modern version of the papal fiefdom that ruled Rome and much of central Italy before Italy was unified in the mid-19th century
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The Greatest Show On Earth Is Out of This World
There are only a few of classic outings that will never get old: going to the beach, a picnic at the park, heading to the carnival and going to the circus!
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Saving on a family summer beach vacation
A trip to the beach is a perfect summer getaway — and a bargain too. As long as you opt for a destination that’s off-season in summer — like the Caribbean or Arizona — you can have your pick of deals.
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10 water-safety tips that can save a child’s life this summer
Who’s watching the kids in the pool? Someone should have eyes on them at all times — even if they know how to swim. According to new research more than 40 percent of children (5 to 17) who drowned in pools knew how to swim.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Celebrating July 4 with the kids
There are plenty of ways to celebrate, starting with your local parade. When my kids were small and we lived in Evanston, Illinois, that parade was a highlight of the summer
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Aboard Carnival’s newest ship, the Vista
What’s first the new, super-fast waterslide, IMAX movie or SkyRide attraction? If you pick SkyRide, you get bragging rights for being among the first to ride a bike on an 800-foot track suspended 150 feet above the oceanWelcome aboard Carnival’s newest, biggest ship VISTA, with nearly 5,000 guests and 1,450 crew members.
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Ten Father’s Day gifts for the traveling dad
No matter how memorable, travel can be stressful for Dads. This Father’s Day make sure to give the significant men in your life a big hug and a sincere “thank you” for all the wonderful adventures and memories.
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Traveling abroad in an age of terrorism
I didn’t meet anyone onboard during our trip who was nervous about traveling with their kids in Europe this summer, even though we were in Crete, less than 200 miles from where the Egyptair plane went down
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To the new, enhanced Disney Springs in Orlando
Book a $125 vintage Amphicar ride for the gang at the new Boathouse Restaurant at the newly imagined Disney Springs, which used to be Downtown Disney before its multi-year transformation.
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
Learning about our presidents from visiting their homes
All around us on a recent sunny Sunday, families were picnicking outdoors, gaping at all of the wild game heads inside and walking on the nature trail at Teddy Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill home.
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Taking the Kids on a once in a lifetime adventure
Millennial families, according to the new 2016 MMGY Portrait of American Travelers, are more likely than millennial couples or singles, to travel internationally
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Backyard Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Lodging | Parks & Outdoors | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
To Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country with nearly 10 million visitors a year — twice what the Grand Canyon gets.
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Best of Taking The Kids | Cruises & All-Inclusive | Destinations | Families & Groups | Volunteer & Service | Weekly Column
TO CUBA ON THE FIRST AMERICAN SHIP TO SAIL HERE IN NEARLY 60 YEARS
I’ve learned first hand that encouraging kids to be global citizens, to be comfortable outside their own comfort zones, helps them navigate unfamiliar and difficult turf in their lives as they grow up.
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Mother’s Day gifts: what she needs in her travel tote
Mom’s tote bag is so important. (Are you listening dads and kids?) You don’t want to end up like I did on my way out of the country with a bag that broke at the airport.
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On an adventure closer to home this summer
Will we be safe? Everywhere I go people have the same question about travel this spring and summer. So what’s a travel-loving family to do this summer?
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10 Family Pleasing activities in Edinburgh, Scotland
Check out Daigon Alley! Not at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando or Hollywood, but in Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, where J.K. Rowling famously wrote the first Harry Potter book while seated in a local coffee shop.
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National Parks Week is the time to introduce your kids to the outdoors
Throughout National Parks Week, many parks will also host Every Kid in a Park events, which encourages fourth-grade students to visit national parks and other public lands by offering a free annual pass.
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Learning the consequences of war at five great war museums
Stand on the “bridge” of the USS Enterprise, the aircraft carrier that was so critical to the Allied efforts in the Pacific. Walk through “Green Hell” in Guadalcanal,
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When someone in the family has special challenges
Adaptive sports programs are about much more than the activities themselves, Disabled Sports USA, has some 124 chapters across 42 states, including 75 at ski resorts
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Five favorite urban parks for families to visit this spring
Urban parks have lots to offer visiting families — not the least of which is the chance to meet local families, or the chance to learn more about the city at a local museum.
