I was thinking of the trips that went right and those that went wrong as I perused our Christmas Tree ornaments—the Eiffel Tower when I took my daughters to Europe right after 9/11 (we spent more time at the flea market than at museums); the moose-on-skis from Colorado (that was the trip when the kids officially declared me “too slow,” to ski with them)
If you were super-organized, you might have squirreled away “surprises” from your last family vacation — those souvenirs the kids wanted but you nixed — and can now present with appropriate fanfare. I wasn’t that organized this year and my kids wouldn’t let me buy even one more ornament for the tree. (“Enough already!” They said in Hawaii and Colorado.) But I’ve got a fall back plan: A photo book for each of them comprised of vacation shots taken over the years. (Hopefully, my picks won’t embarrass them too much.)
Today, you’ll find groups and women’s clinics like this at large and small resorts across the country. Each program is a little different. There are clinics for snowboarders and skiers, for beginners and experts, with a focus on technique, conquering fear or new equipment testing.
You’re missing a lot if you ignore easy-to-reach Puerto Rico in favor of more exotic islands. And you’re still in the United States here — Puerto Rico, of course, is a U.S. territory — yet you have the opportunity to explore a rich culture that dates back more than five centuries.
Thanks, Mr. Bean. If not for my pink flowered rubber boots from L.L. Bean (a far cry from the first hunting shoes Leon L. Bean sold in Maine in 1912), I would have had awfully wet feet the week in spent in Alaska last year. That got me thinking. Instead of rushing around trying to find the perfect gift for my favorite family travelers, I’m going to get them what I find most helpful to have with me when I’m traveling with my gang
Wherever you find yourself this holiday season, make time to visit a museum — even if you take in just one exhibit. Museums are a great way to get the gang out of grandma’s house for a couple of hours, especially when it’s too cold to hit the local playground. And if you are a member of your local art, science or children’s museum, you may find that membership gets you in for free.
There is so much history here in Old San Juan. We’re across the street from the historic Cathedra (dating to the 16th Century and the Western Hemisphere’s oldest), children’s museum and adjacent to the Plaza of the Nuns, the city’s second oldest park, as well as numerous restaurants and galleries.
Connor is on vacation at “El Con” as the gargantuan resort is known with his parents and younger sister from Syracuse, NY and his dad reports they haven’t even left the resort—not with four pools, (three more at Las Casitas villas where they are staying) the water park with its lazy river and water slides, and the resort’s private Palamino Island –100 acres a few miles off shore with snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, jet skiing, mini golf, beach volley ball and basketball
Face it. Hosting the family for the holidays is hard work. Being a holiday guest is no picnic either. It won’t be perfect. Not the food. Not the kids’ behavior. Not the adults’ behavior. We’re talking about family, after all
It is pitch black and we are kayaking through red mangroves, trying to dodge the roots, on our way to the Bioluminescent Bay Laguana Grande at Las Croabas, Fajardo in Puerto Rico—one of three on the island, I learn from our guide Joel from GSI Adventures. The bay is home to a large colony—more than a million—of dinoflagellates that light up and produce the glowing waters that make the water glow when we paddle. Crazy!