If you are at all interested in the animals native to Belize, this place will be a winner. It's small place, easy to see in 2 hours or less, and has personality (the handwritten signs that rhymed were a favorite). They only have animals native to Belize and the enclosures are basically fenced off portions of the surrounding jungle so it feels more like a safari than a Zoo. We loved it.
Read more10 Tips For Taking Kids To Tikal
Tikal is bucket list kind of destination and deservedly so. The Mayans built something truly impressive here. Just walking through the paths between the structures is an experience as well because of the diverse wildlife you can see and the dense foliage of the jungle. This summer marked my 3rd trip to Tikal and on each trip I have figured out how to do things a bit better. Many times that has been the hard way. Don't repeat my mistakes.
Read moreYes, You Can Hike The Narrows In Zion With Kids: Everything You Need to Know
The Narrows is one of the most iconic hiking trails in the world because of its spectacular scenery, easy access, and the uniqueness of hiking in a river. It has been on my bucket list for years and even though I crossed it off with the day trip section, I have now added the two-day hike to my to-do list. It was a fantastic hike that the kids thoroughly enjoyed and still talk about. It totally lived up to our expectations.
Read moreA Simply Awesome Day In North Cascades National Park Complex
If you drive just over 2 hours northeast of Seattle's airport, you will find my new favorite national park, the North Cascades. It has everything you could want from an outdoor adventure--hiking trails to breathtaking views, amazingly tall trees, pristine mountain lakes for kayaking, glaciers calling out for photography, and lots of uncrowded campgrounds.
Read more10 Reasons To Visit Iceland
Iceland may not be the obvious family vacation choice, but it should be. Known as the "land of fire and ice,” Iceland's breathtaking scenery is largely due to the fact that it is one of the most volcanically active areas on earth. You will see this activity first-hand as you drive along its southern coastline which showcases a constantly changing geography of flat farmlands, mountains, fields of moss-covered lava rocks, black sand beaches, and steaming geothermal pools.
Read moreA Paris Walk Everyone in the Family Will Love
One of the best ways to see and experience Paris is by walking its streets. That being said, walking for any distance with children can be a challenge. That’s why this Paris walk is the best stroll for the family.
Read moreCummins Falls State Park - A Not So Hidden Gem That Is Still Worth Discovering
Cummins Falls State Park is one of Tennessee's newest state parks (dedicated in 2013), but people have been trekking to the 75 foot high falls for generations.
It is not the easiest of swimming holes to get to, but the magnificent falls and swimming hole at the end are enough of a draw that 250,000 people visited the falls in 2015. I wouldn't go near this place on Labor Day weekend, but on a Monday morning in May, it was a gorgeous pit stop on a drive between Nashville and Knoxville on I-40.
Read moreWhy You Should Go To The Peloponnese On Your Next Family Vacation
Greece has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to vacation destinations. Should you go to an iconic island like Mykonos or maybe see the world famous, cliff top monasteries at Meteora? Or should you spend all your time in Athens, soaking up the history and museums? What if you could go to a place that has a little bit of everything that Greece has to offer- beaches, ancient ruins, scenic coastal beauty, delicious food, and picturesque towns. Sounds pretty perfect, right? Welcome to the stunning Peloponnese Peninsula.
Read moreScience And Fun? Yes Please. Both Can Be Found At The Tellus Science Museum In North Georgia
This is a great museum- with a wonderful planetarium, interesting exhibits, and a fun kids section. If you are looking for a enjoyable and easy day trip for you and your kids from Atlanta or Chattanooga, you should definitely check out the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia.
Read moreGreenville, SC- A Weekend Of Food And Outdoors
I have been reading about Greenville for awhile, its food scene and the 20 mile Swamp Rabbit Trail, a rails to trails project that goes right through town. After 3 days there, I can say all its recent buzz is well deserved. We hiked, we biked, and we ate our way through town, having a great time the whole way. If you are looking for a weekend getaway spot, Greenville should be at the top of your list.
Read moreLooking For Educational And Fun Things To Do In Atlanta With Kids? Visit The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park was an excellent adventure, full of interesting immersive experiences, thought-provoking displays, and beautiful grounds for the kids to run a little bit. I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Atlanta with kids of any age, as there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Read moreA Simply Awesome Day in Southwest Utah
Welcome to our series “A Simply Awesome Day in...” where we share a full day’s excerpt from one of our family vacation destinations. Today, we offer a fun day from our 7 day Southwest Utah Itinerary. Day 4 details a sunrise hike in Bryce Canyon, followed by a scenic drive and some more short, kid-friendly hikes.
Read moreNever Used Airbnb? It Will Change The Way You Travel
If you are new to the world of Airbnb, let me just say it will open your mind to what can happen with travel accommodations. No more tiny hotel rooms, tip- toeing around as soon as the kids go to bed. Cook full breakfasts in your own kitchen and do laundry mid-trip. So grab a glass of wine, a comfy spot on the couch, and follow these steps below to find your amazing Airbnb.
Read moreHow To Find the Perfect VRBO Property
Staying in a hotel can be great, especially for short stays. But for longer trips, I look for an apartment or house to rent. Finding the right property takes quite a bit of time, but it’s worth the effort. Here are some tips when searching VRBO.com for that perfect vacation rental.
Read more10 Helpful Planning Tips for Your Family's Next National Park Vacation
The holidays are over, and now it's time to start planning that summer family vacation to a national park. Get started now with these helpful tips. No, really, now, before everything is booked.
Read moreZion National Park Without the Crowds (and the Heat!)
Heading to Zion National Park in the summer is a family vacation to remember for sure but unfortunately, part of the memory will be waiting in line for shuttle buses and wilting in afternoon highs of 100℉. Because the canyon is so fantastic, the other memories easily outweigh these irritations but you can also skip them by detouring to Kolob Canyons, the unheralded northwest corner of the park. Here you can take scenic hikes, and drive through a beautiful canyon and actually stand a chance of finding some solitude on the trail. The higher elevation (700ft versus 4000ft) means that Kolob Canyons is great alternative when the heat is too much for hiking in the main canyon.
Read moreWhat Makes Our Itineraries Unique?
Where to stay, eat, and play. Find out with one click. You will have all the info you need to plan the perfect vacation. Destinations range from mountain getaways to national park explorations to international journeys, all delivered to your email as a PDF file for easy printing or viewing on any mobile device.
A pre-planned trip itinerary will save you hours of groundwork and provides great tips for your family, allowing you more time to enjoy the fun. Many itineraries are free, others are priced from $5- $15. Money-back guarantee. Get inspired for your next vacation!
Read more7 Gift Ideas for the Traveling Kid
I am forever on the lookout for gifts that are practical and needed but also fun. That's a hard combo to find. We travel a great deal and the kids always look forward to their next trip so I often focus my gifts on something they can use on their next adventure. Here are a few things that have worked out really well for us in the past.
Read moreKid's Fire Tablet or I-Pad? It's an easy answer.
In this day and age, it’s almost inevitable that you will buy an electronic device for your child. But what is the best option?
For my first daughter, now 11 years old but age 5 at the time, I splurged and bought her an iPad mini after growing tired of loaning her my own. I happily welcomed back my Ipad, now free of sticky finger prints and botched control settings, but I had misgivings about her now owning a device that could be easily broken and provided open access to its settings and the internet. In short, the iPad was parent intensive. Between loading appropriate content, monitoring screen time, and limiting what she could see and access, it required a lot of my time.
Read moreThinking About Visiting the Great Barrier Reef? Look at Staying on Hamilton Island.
If you are traveling to Australia, there is a good chance the Great Barrier Reef is on your list of things to see. If it is not on your list, then maybe you need to reconsider. If one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World doesn't do it for you, then consider that it may not be around much longer as it is under tremendous stress from warming ocean temperatures. That fact moved it from the "I would like to someday..." to the "Need to do this now..." list for me. (And yes, I get the irony of using huge amounts of fossil fuels to get somewhere to see something that is disappearing because of huge amounts of fossil fuel use.)
Once you decide that the Great Barrier Reef is on your to do list, there a few ways to see it. Most fly to the city of Cairns in northern Queensland as it is very close to the reef, has hundreds of hotels, and a huge tourist industry devoted to Great Barrier Reef excursions. We decided to try something different though and flew to Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Islands.
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