Places To Go

We would have never guessed it was spring in Lake Tahoe as we climbed out of the car on a May weekend. While the ski lifts were closed, plenty of winter snow lingered. Nevertheless, with attractions like the Olympic Village at Squaw Valley, boat rides on the lake and opportunities …

Heading to Disney World or Disneyland soon? Here are tips on how to avoid lines using Disney’s incredibly handy FastPass service. First-timers and Disney veterans will find this advice handy. It’s important for Disney veterans to know there have been big changes in how FastPass works. Here are the essentials. …

Hotel Review: *Nemacolin Woodlands ResortWhere: Farmington, PA The Vibe: *Nemacolin Woodlands, a luxury resort  in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, doesn’t have a single vibe. The type of vacation you have depends on where you stay—one of three hotels or on-property vacation homes—who you’re traveling with and what activities you’ve come for. …

In a bookstore in Portland, Oregon we spotted a book called This is Portland: The City You’ve Heard You Should Like. It pretty well summed up our experience in this Pacific Northwest city-of-the-moment. We didn’t dislike Portland. We found things to do with kids and teens, and good, inexpensive places …

We sailed on the Norwegian Getaway out of Miami for a winter break vacation. It’s the same class of ship as the Breakaway that we sailed on several years ago (read our review and check rates). We were curious how we would experience the ship differently with a tween than …

Prague has become one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. It’s high on the list of young single travelers, retirees and backpackers, but the Czech Republic’s capital city also has a lot to offer for a family vacation. It’s easy to navigate, and is relatively inexpensive. It offers a wealth …

We booked a cruise out of Miami over winter break. Since we’d never been to this famously colorful Florida beach city, we decided to spend 48 hours exploring. Planning our 2-night itinerary was a challenge. Miami doesn’t market itself as a family destination. There are plenty of fun and unique …

* As of June 2019, the U.S. president has once again severally limited travel to Cuba.  Read on for what you can expect when restrictions are lifted again. And read our additional post for  tour groups that are still managing legal visits.  My family recently visited Cuba for the first …

All hail the Girl Scouts! Tween Traveler headed off on a two-night camping adventure with her troop trip in early June, leaving Rich and I free to take our own 36-hour kid-free vacation. This year we chose Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Barely two hours from New York City (if you’re up …

Queensland should be on the top of every family’s list of things to do on a vacation to Australia. With its pristine beaches, the iconic Great Barrier Reef, exhilarating theme parks, tropical rainforests and plenty of opportunities for animal encounters this part of the country has a lot to offer, …

The Berkshires are one of those regions that looms in my mind as a summer vacation paradise.  The region stretches along the spine of Route 7 up the length of Western Massachusetts. And it offers a bounty of things for families to do on a weekend getaway or weeklong vacation. …

I love Canada for family vacations. It offers a taste of French, Scottish, Irish and British cultures without the long flight to Europe. It also offers beaches, two coasts of local seafood, beautiful national parks and adrenaline-pumping adventure activities—often for less money than a similar vacation in the U.S. Below, …

In our house we choose the Caribbean when we want an easy vacation. Beach, umbrella drinks, some sightseeing options in case we want a break from our lounge chairs and beach reading. Whether we choose a resort or rent a beach house even a simple vacation takes some planning. To …

My first cruise was on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas. I began the trip as a cruising skeptic and ended up a huge fan.  My love for cruising truly soared, though, once I started sailing with kids. (I’ve loved it so much, I eventually wrote a book about it.)  …

If your family prefers a quieter Caribbean vacation than some of the mega resorts offer, consider an escape to the village of West End on Grand Bahama Island, the Bahamas. West End village is an especially appealing destination for a winter or spring break vacation with tweens or teens, who …

I keep this photo of Tiny Traveler walking through a pasture in schwangau, Bavaria on my laptop’s desktop. The messy hair and girly sundress and the way she’s too caught up in her flower picking to care about the camera capture her personality and her age when it was taken.  But …

Chicago is a popular weekend destination for families, but the city has more than enough things to do to fill a four-to-six day trip. And most of the city’s most popular tourist activities are exceptionally kid-friendly and fun for families. Here is an itinerary of the most popular things to …

London is high on most families’ vacation bucket lists, and it’ss often the first place a family travels to in Europe.   It’s easy to see why, the people speak English, there’s a lot of familiar, kid-friendly food, and the city has attractions and activities you know you want to …

With its reliably warm weather and wide open spaces,  Australia is a prime spot for a family vacation with bicycles. In case you’re headed Down Under soon, here are five of the best routes and trails for a self-guided Australian Bicycling vacation. Some are easy, protected trails that are doable with …

Yes, a child changes your life in a big way, especially in the first few years. So getting a last chance to spend quality time as a couple is really important, whether it’s going to the movies a lot or taking a full-on babymoon getaway. If you have your own …

Hanoi is my pick for the best place to begin a visit to Vietnam with kids, especially smaller kids. The country’s capital and second largest city, Hanoi has plenty of fun things to see and do. And its size, traffic, noise and congestion are more manageable than Ho Chi Minh …

Where should I go on vacation? It’s the question people love to ask travel writers. And our answer is always, “Well, what do you like? Every family has its own ideas of what is a relaxing, exciting, interesting or fun vacation. Our ideal trip might leave your kids bored and …

My husband and I booked a trip on a Disney Cruise Ship for our honeymoon. It was a once in a lifetime chance to blow our money on this type of vacation without anyone judging us. It turns out they did judge us, but a short way into the cruise …

Living in Colorado, our family enjoys spending weekend ski vacations, but driving to the ski resorts can mean battling traffic, weather and pretty precarious winter roads at times. So I was excited to discover The *Winter Park Express ski train from Denver to Winter Park Resort. My husband and I …

In need of some fresh travel ideas for the coming year? Lots of cities and towns have festivals to attract people in their low season or feature some of their best local attributes. They can be great events to anchor a weekend getaway with (or without) the kids, or even …

Caribbean Islands that are close to the US, like Turks & Caicos or the Virgin Islands, get the most buzz for family winter getaways. But islands further south like  Grenada, Dominica and Barbados have neat opportunities to get off the beach and explore nature, local history and West Indian culture. They’re …

One of these days tween traveler is going to leave the nest. She’ll head off to college and Rich and I will once again be pair rather than part of a threesome.  Part of making sure that we enjoy being a couple twosome again when the time comes is taking …

My family has taken two different South Pacific cruises, and each time our favorite port of call was Champagne Bay, Vanuatu Island (part of Espiritu Santo). Here’s why we love getting to spend the day on this little patch of paradise. 3 Things To Do on a Cruise Stop at Champagne …

What will next year’s family vacation be for you? Another week at the beach? A first trip to Disney? Heading home to the family? How about something more exotic? Family vacations can–and should–be about experiencing new things with your kids and having adventures together. Even if you don’t have the …

Parents love Disney resort vacations because of the endless delights for their kids combined with service, dining and activities aimed at making sure they can relax and have fun, too. Many parents like cruise vacations for the same reasons. So what could be better than a Disney cruise? What To …