Lesser Known / Equally Grand
New York's "Grand Canyon" (Photo via Flickr)
MiniTime has a great write-up on the quartet of alternate grand canyons - take a read through, and see if one might inspire this year's family trip!
MiniTime has a great write-up on the quartet of alternate grand canyons - take a read through, and see if one might inspire this year's family trip!
Where Will You Go In 2014?
Endless rolling hills in Scotland. Photo via NYT.
Whether you're actively searching for a 2014 travel destination or simply need a reminder of the vastness and beauty of the world, this is a truly inspirational piece. Make yourself a cup of tea and get dreaming (and let me know in the comments what's topping your list!).
Kid-Friendly World Heritage Sites
This year marks the 40th anniversary of UNESCO's World Heritage List, and National Geographic had the brilliant idea of sifting through the full list to highlight 10 destinations of particular interest to children. (This was no small undertaking: the list boasts 936 treasures from around globe.)
I love the idea of opening our children's eyes to the very best our planet has to offer, and now I'm dreaming of whisking my family off to a playground forged 60 million years ago by volcanoes along Northern Ireland's coast, to the Roman Empire's largest amphitheater (you think the Super Bowl is impressive? think again), or to view the mind-blowing animal migration across Serengeti National Park.
Take a scroll through the full list - it lists basic info for each entry, as well as what makes them so kid-friendly. Then, get dreaming: it's January, the time for making big, crazy plans!
Expert Tips For Hitting The Slopes
New year, new adventure: the family ski trip. Worth it? Oh, you bet! There's nothing like that crisp blue sky, glittering blanket of snow, and ear-to-ear grins after a successful run down the slopes. Rosy cheeks over mugs of hot chocolate after a full afternoon of skiing? Bring it on.
That being said, not all family ski trips are created equal, and parents who have been there, done that are valuable resources on how to avoid a weekend getaway wipe-out.
Pint Size Pilot posted a must-read list of tips for a successful first (or fifth) ski trip with toddlers and kids. From the planning stages (don't be too easily seduced by "kids ski free" deals - kids under six are often free anyway) to picking out gear (here's some new vocabulary: taped seams, grow cuffs, and powder guards) to packing (bring extra gloves and plenty of handwarmers) to actually hitting the slopes ("pizza" and "french fries" apply), they've covered all the bases, with plenty of new-even-to-me advice.
Check out their post, and I wish you fresh powder and short lines at the lifts!
Happy 2014!
Photo via Pinterest
Wishing you and your family a shiny new year full of adventures down unfamiliar roads, across unexplored states, and over uncharted waters. Happy Trails, and Happy New Year!
Lanai: A quick trip from Maui
On Thanksgiving morning, our friends flew home. We were sad to say goodbye. I was feeling a little anxious about spending the holiday without family and friends and was in search of an adventure to distract us.
We'd spent the week looking out over the Pacific at Lanai. The tiny little island that's actually the smallest and least visited in the Hawaiian archipelago intrigued me. With sheer volcanic cliffs and lush tropical vegetation, it looked like the sort of place Gilligan and his crew might be stranded. I'd heard there were few roads, no traffic lights, no malls, only a tiny town of 3,000 and families of wild turkey and deer. the smallest of the Hawaiian islands. Why don't we visit for a day?
Taking a day trip to Lanai from Maui is actually quite easy. You catch the Expeditions ferry in Lahaina. Boats leave five times a day and it's a 45-minute ride. It's $60 round-trip for adults and $40 for kids; not a bargain but the trip is more than just a ferry ride. You can spot silvery fish flying in the boat's sprays, and, if you're lucky, whales and dolphins. We saw one whale spout shoot high into the air, followed by a tail flopping down onto the water.
When you arrive in Lanai, you can hop on a shuttle (about $10 a person) and head into town with a handful of restaurants, art galleries and shops, or you can adventure out on foot.
We opted to walk 10 minutes to the Four Seasons Manele Bay for a late lunch. On the pool-side patio overlooking the Pacific we enjoyed plates of fresh fish tacos and glasses of lemonade and sangria. A man wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt played upbeat tunes on a ukulele. We were all delighted by our Thanksgiving feast.
After our leisurely meal, we walked about five minutes to Hulopoe Beach, a crescent shaped stretch of sugary sand. The kids and I swam in the gentle surf while my husband dozed with our baby on the beach. We peered into the tiny living worlds at some nearby tide pools. I grabbed hold of a sea cucumber and the kids shouted out "gross."
By dusk, we'd made friends with a group of local guys barbecuing a Thanksgiving feast on the beach. They offered us samples of their steak teriyaki and gave my husband a beer. One of the guys was flying a drone off over the sea and he let me 9-year-old son fly it.
"I want one of these for Christmas," my son said.
After the sun dipped into the ocean, turning the sky and shimmering waters orange and red, we walked back to the ferry. This time we weren't looked out into the ocean, but up into the sky filled with stars. The perfect ending to a perfect day.
State Parks Host January 1st Hikes
Nothing like a family outing in the fresh air to start out the year on the very best (hiking boot-clad) foot! Many of the parks even offer guided hikes of varying difficulty levels - check out this article from Skift for more details, including links to each of the fifty State Parks' websites.
Family holiday travel tip: Bring gifts for fellow passengers
Merry, Bright, and Stress-Free
Look at that face! Photo via USA Today.
This USA Today article has some great tips on keeping the stress to a minimum as you set out on your travels this coming week. From what not to forget (hand sanitizer - no colds, please!) to what to ask when you get there (is Aunt Sally ok with snacks in the living room?), it's the little things that keep the adventure rolling smoothly. The most important tip in the whole piece, in my opinion? Maintain your sense of humor!
Click through to check out the rest of their suggestions - and may your holiday travels be merry, bright, and stress-free!
When Wintry Weather Hinders Travel
Photo via Daily Mail UK.
Winter travel can mean a welcome change of scenery, an escape to sun and warmth, and a chance to recharge in the middle of a long, cold season - but, unfortunately, it can also bring unwelcome travel glitches. Hindered business travel plans are bad enough, but when wintry weather gets in the way of a long-planned family vacation, frustration and disappointment levels are even higher.
This post over at Traveling Moms should be required reading before you pack your final snack bag and head out the door; hopefully you won't need 'em, but it's chock full of tips on what to do if you hit a bad weather travel snag, from placing blame (or not) to making the most of the time you do have. Read on!
This post over at Traveling Moms should be required reading before you pack your final snack bag and head out the door; hopefully you won't need 'em, but it's chock full of tips on what to do if you hit a bad weather travel snag, from placing blame (or not) to making the most of the time you do have. Read on!
11 Family Travel Dream Spots
What dreams are made of: The Great Elephant in Nantes
Have you been to any of these locations? Anything you would add to the list?
Ice skating in London's Trafalger Square.
Life-Sized Gingerbread Houses Across the Country
No witch in sight! The Fairmont Hotel's gingerbread house is just sugar and spice and everything nice.
From Kidventurous, here's a list of locations across the country. (And, psst, if you're here in San Francisco, you have a few options.)
"Walk This World"
No surprise here, but one thing Thanksgiving has me feeling especially grateful for is travel and our big, beautiful world. It also has me feeling like that gift-giving time of year is just around the corner! Here's one for the list, then: this richly detailed, just-published children's book celebrating the marvels to be found in every little corner of the globe. Walk This World, from Finnish illustrator and graphic designer Lotta Nieminen, follows a wide-eyed explorer across the pages and around the world, from New York through Europe, Africa, and onward. Limited text lets the colorful illustrations shine, and the best part? Over 80 hidden flaps can be folded down to reveal surprises behind.
Bookmarked as a gift to give! What's on your list for travel-themed holiday gifts?
Print Yourself Some Thanksgiving Road Trip Sanity
Thanksgiving is a week off, and whether we're driving two towns away to the cousins', an hour upstate to the airport, or over the river and through the woods (and around the rotary and left onto the highway and 45 exits to the turn you always miss) to grandmother's house...most of us will be spending at least a bit of family time packed into the car.
What's one thing you can be thankful for? Free road trip activity printables! Road trips, no matter the length, are a great time to get the family doing a shared activity, and who has time to squabble when there are license plates to hunt down?! (Ok, ok, in a perfect world...) They may be the oldest tricks in the road trip book, but classics like roadside bingo, hangman, word searches, and license plate checklists are still some of my favorite ways to pass miles on the road. MiniTime has a great library of games, all free for the printing; stick a stack in the glovebox, and pull one out as soon as the first round of snacks is done.
One more thing: have an extra slice of pumpkin pie for me! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Read More
One more thing: have an extra slice of pumpkin pie for me! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Thrifty Travel Fun: Tacoma, WA
Ranked one of the most walkable AND most liveable cities in the country, Tacoma, WA, is also a great destination for a family vacation. Read on for three thrifty family fun tips in this Puget Sound port city.
Pure, vibrant magic at the Chihuly Bridge of Glass
1. Wright Park encompasses 27 beautifully maintained acres just begging to be explored. Home to a rich collection of more than 100 native and exotic species of trees, it's the ideal place to pass an afternoon. Be sure to stop by the playground (and the sprayground too, if you have warm weather), and leave time for a walk through the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, a gorgeous glass-paned greenhouse housing up to 500 blooming plants at any time.
2. Sometimes all it takes is the basics: kids will love taking a ride on the Tacoma Link Light Rail, which runs from the Tacoma Dome Station to the Theater District. And how much is it? It's free, it's free!
3. The Chuhuly Bridge of Glass, a one-of-a-kind gift to the city of Tacoma, is not to be missed. This covered pedestrian bridge connects the Museum of Glass to the downtown area, and is decorated with works by the world-renowned (and Tacoma-born) glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. Prepare to be drawn into a magical, whimsical world of cherubs, sea creatures, swirls and whirls, all blown from candy-hued glass.
Accommodation Tip: After a busy day of sight-seeing, lay your head down at the Best Western Plus Tacoma Dome Hotel; you'll be close to the action for Day Two (just don't forget to fuel up on a delicious, complimentary breakfast first).
The Best U.S. Aquariums By Region
A beautiful underwater world at the Georgia Aquarium
8 Tips For Healthy Eating On The Road
Staying on top of healthy eating is hard enough in your own kitchen, but when the whole family's on the road, keeping the kids (and you, too) on a healthy diet becomes much more challenging. In my opinion, though, it's well worth the effort: healthy, nutritious snacks and meals make for more energetic, less meltdown-prone little travelers, and they need the fuel for all the extra walking, learning, and processing that traveling to new places asks of them.
Judy Robbins, a Colorado-based family travel expert, wrote up a great list of 8 Tips for Healthy Eating for Travel Mamas (a fantastic resource itself). While I already had some of her tips and tricks in my repertoire, many of them made me say "Why didn't I think of that?". For example: start your good-health campaign before you set out; sneak immune-boosting foods into your family's meals to help them stay healthy once you hit the road. And if you're flying, don't limit the healthy snacks to what you can fit in your carry-on: pack an extra stash of nutritious snacks you know the kiddos like in your checked luggage, and they'll be snack-happy the whole trip.
Check out the rest of the Healthy Eating Tips here, and if you have any tricks of your own, leave them in the comments!
One Year After Hurricane Sandy, NYC Best Western Thrives
A year after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, one extra-spectacular New York City business provides us with the opportunity both to remember the loss and struggle following the Super Storm, and also to celebrate the hard work residents of the area have exhibited in the past year. The Best Western Plus Seaport Inn suffered severe flooding and damage from high tides following the hurricane, but through the exceptional hard work of the Seaport Inn crew, they were able to reopen their doors to guests in a little over a month, thus playing an important role in the repair and revitalization of the neighborhood.
For their efforts and commitment to doing what they do best (that's providing a place to rest your head, top-notch customer service, and yummy DIY waffles, of course), the Best Western Plus Seaport Inn was awarded with a whopping three prestigious awards at the Best Western International Convention: the M.K. Guertin Award, the Champion Customer Care Award and the Best Western Green Award.
The next time you're looking for a place to stay in the Big Apple, check for rooms at the Best Western Plus Seaport Inn; when my family stayed with them a few years ago we fully enjoyed our visit, and what a hard-working, resilient place!
Fantastic Tips for Bringing Kids to an Art Museum
Museums rank high on most vacationers' itineraries, but it's no secret that many museums, especially of the art variety, don't mesh well with kids. Room after room of old paintings, lots of things you can't touch, high ceilings and marble floors perfectly designed to amplify the "I'm booooreds"...who can blame families for skipping art museums altogether? But what a shame! Art museums have so much to teach, and each one is unique - how sad to miss out when you're in the neighborhood.
I was thrilled, therefore, to come across this handy list of Tips For Taking Kids To An Art Museum. The parents behind the travel blog Gone With The Family clearly know a thing or two about successful family visits to the art museum, and I can't wait to try out their suggestions on my family's next vacation.
A sampling of the great tips:
Prepare for the Visit:
The most important step for a successful museum visit will probably take place before you ever leave home. There are a number of great books and other resources that can be used to introduce kids to art and get them excited about what they are going to see...[And] consulting the kids to find out what they are most interested in seeing at a museum will improve your chances of having a successful visit.
Limit Time:
Don't plan on spending a full day in a museum or the entire family is likely to end up exhausted and grumpy. An hour or too will be more than enough with younger kids and even older kids and many adults start to lose interest beyond half a day.
And of course...
Wear Comfortable Walking Shoes!
This is truly a wonderful list - click through to take advantage of the full thing. And happy museum-ing!
Thrifty Travel Fun: Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, TX
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is bursting with fun, affordable, family-friendly activities; read on for some ideas!
All aboard the Forest Park Miniature Railroad!
1. Who says you can only get your art fix inside a museum? The Public ArtWalk Dallas resulted from a completely awesome initiative to get people moving and enjoying art out in the fresh air. This free, 3.3 mile route highlights thirty pieces of art and architecture in downtown Dallas - what a great way to get a feel for the city! Check it all out here.
2. It's the little engine that could, and has, since 1959. The Forest Park Miniature Railroad is a dream come true for train lovers big and small; the five-mile, 45-minute ride departs from Forest Park Depot and takes passengers on a scenic loop. You'll see the Dick Pond in Trinity Park and pass over six bridges, and might even catch sight of the Grapevine Vintage Railway if you're lucky. Adults ride for $4 and kids for $3.50.
3. Saturday mornings at 10, the Artisan Center Theater transforms into Artie's Playhouse: Artie happens to be a monkey, and it's all about the kids! Bring the family over to take in some fun, interactive theater performances by local children and youth. Programs typically run about an hour, and are appropriate for all ages. Check for performance schedules and ticket prices here (sometimes non-Saturday performances are added).
Accommodation Tip: The Best Western PLUS Hotel and Conference Center puts you right in the center of it all - but when the kids need some free time, there's a biiiig outdoor pool for plenty of splashing around.
Ten Ways to Save While Visiting California
Hey, that's my city! Photo via Gadling.
Some of my favorite tips:
Check out areas around the state's big cities
It can be very expensive to stay in some of the major cities in California ... Check out nearby cities where you'll easily find accommodations while still using the city's public transit. San Francisco has one of the countries best public transit systems, so chances are you won't even need a car. Great cities not far from San Francisco include Berkeley, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and San Jose. There are great things to do in these cities as well, and they offer a convenient and cheaper alternative to a money-gouging big city hotel.
Visit California's top-notch farmers' markets for inexpensive meals
California is already famous for its bountiful harvests of fruits and vegetables. Why not take advantage of all that deliciousness and save some money while you're at it? All throughout California you'll find some of the country's best farmers' markets ... These markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables, and most offer inexpensive food stands with delicious local treats.
Check out the full list here, and if you have other thrifty tips for a California vacation, leave them below in the comments.
Bring Back the Retro Family Road Trip
Once upon a time, long before iPads and iPods, and even before Discmen, too (remember them?), road trips had different feel. Sure, there might have been more backseat bickering, more "are we therrrrre yet?", a little less peace and quiet for you in the front seat...but they were pretty darn fun all the same! There's a great ode to the Retro Roadtrip up on the Best Western Travel Blog - one essential ingredient being, of course, Where's Waldo.
Click through to see what else has gone by the wayside - and consider going retro the next time your family hits the road.
A Best Western For Dino-Lovers
Warm your bones by the fire at the dino-themed Best Wester Denver Southwest
Attention dinosaur fans young and old, near and far! You have a friend in Denver, Colorado - a whole hotel full of 'em, in fact.
The enterprising couple at the helm of the Best Western Denver Southwest recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation, transforming from a "perfectly nice hotel" into a veritable natural history museum. Drawing inspiration from the nearby geological and paleontological goldmine at the junction of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, they transformed their lodgings into a hotspot for dino-lovers. From the exhibits of fossils and casts throughout the hotel to the "dig site" sandboxes for up-and-coming paleontologists to the heated pool featuring a mosaic of the Cretaceous Sea (take a dip with a Tylosaurus, anyone?), this BW is chock-full of dinotastic touches.
Is a visit on my list? Absolutely! How about you?
P.S.
Looking for some additional family fun in Denver? Check out my Thrifty Travel Fun post on the area!
Books for Little Voyagers Taking Their First Flight
Thanksgiving travel is on the horizon - will it be the first time you take a plane ride with your little ones? Reading travel-related books is a delightful way to prepare them for a brand new experience; whether they're excited, nervous, or merely have 563 questions about the whole affair, story books will tell them what to expect in the airport, on the runway, and in the sky.
I found a great list of ten books for kids taking their first flight over on the blog Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas; it's a guest post from The Measured Mom, and she's put together a wonderful, varied group of titles. Take a look at the full list here, and see if you can pick up a few at the library or bookstore before the big day!
Mary Poppins, Your In-Cabin Nanny
Forget a miniature bag of pretzels and paper-thin blanket: the latest luxury in airline travel is Mary Poppins herself. Etihad Airways has teamed up with a prestigious nanny school to train cabin crew in assisting families in the air. So far 300 orange apron-clad cabin-nannies have taken to the sky, keeping flying kiddos busy with snacks, crafts, and more. Read more about the new service here.
Although I would imagine this service comes with a hefty price tag (the article doesn't mention it), I'd love to see it available to all. (A mom can dream, right?) Knowing a friendly, trained professional will be onboard to help keep the kids busy and happy would take a big chunk of stress out of flying with the family, and I imagine other, non-family passengers would agree!
What do you think? If an in-flight nanny service were available for a reasonable fee, would you do it?
