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Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....
Teens sometimes get a bad rap. People think they’re hard to please and harder to travel with. But the key to traveling with teens—and keeping the whole family happy—is to...
Midwest winters can seem endless. The payoff? Perfect summer temperatures! Each year I vow to savor every minute of the warm weather. Although I can’t put everything on hold, I...
Summertime's almost here – time to start planning your summer travels! We've taken the guesswork out of your planning by seeking out advice from top family travel writers from across...
Air travel can be stressful nowadays with long lines, flight delays and cramped seating. Add luggage, children, strollers and even pets to the mix and you have a veritable powder...
Thomas Jefferson advised the we should have a revolution every 20 years. He meant government, but the idea applies to anything: If we don’t continually rethink how we do what...
Summer vacations for some families mean active adventures, while for others the summer is a perfect time to start exploring college campuses. Imagine being able to do both in one...
This month we are hosting our first Traveling Moms Instagram meme and we would love to have you join in the fun!
“’Cause down the shore everything’s all right.” ---Tom Waits, JERSEY GIRL Some see the Jersey Shore as a travel destination, a place to take the family for a couple of...
There’s a reason “Follow the Honey,” in Cambridge, Massachusetts is not just a simple honey store. For founder and owner, anning, traveling the world on her personal journey led her to open a shop filled with honey stories to tell, and products with a conscience.
In Search of Healing an [ ... ]
Must we trade brunch dates and Bloody Mary’s for barely edible pancakes and sippy cups once we have kids? Hardly. Chicago restaurateurs, many of whom now claim the title of parents themselves, know how to host a good brunch which welcomes us and our progeny. Unlike some downtown areas which only [ ... ]
For those living in the middle of Missouri, there are only a few options for hitting the "big city" -- St. Louis, Mo., or Memphis, Tenn. Last spring, my gal pal Jessie and I chose to visit Memphis for the first time.
Our trip to Memphis might be one of the most unorganized trips I've ever take [ ... ]
I’m a sucker for an old-fashioned candy shop. I just love the candy-filled bins, the drugstore-feel complete with a bar and soda jerk…it makes everyone feel like a kid. With unique treats like Elvis Bark and chocolate-covered bacon, the Big Top Candy Shop in Austin, Texas is a fun treat for any [ ... ]
When planning out your summer road trip don't overlook Devil's Tower, Wyoming. It is one of my favorite side trips and possibly one of the most overlooked National Parks.
The first time I drove through Wyoming was in the summer of 1981 on a road trip with my my Mom. Somehow, in a pre-Internet [ ... ]
Vegetarian travel gets easier in the summer, when farmers markets and their bounteous produce draw tourists and local chefs.
Summer is also know for outdoor eating, and New York City has one of the best (I’m slightly biased) eating extravagnzas, orgasburg. Actually, make that two. Smorgasburg ha [ ... ]
You could visit South Florida without paying homage to the Everglades, but why would you want to? And paying proper homage to the Florida Everglades requires an airboat ride.
My husband and I love to go on long bike rides, and we always try to include our kids. Last weekend, our friends in Breezy Point, at the tip of the Rockaways in Queens, invited us to their house.
We don’t have a car, and pubic transportation there is virtually non-existent, so I went on Google maps and discovered that bike routes are now an option. Biking there was about 15 and a half miles (each way).
Reader, we went for it.
It helped that it was 75 degrees, fantastic for an early Spring day, and my 12 year old is in pretty decent shape. Plus, new bike lanes around New York City (props to Transportation Alternatives) meant some of the less safe roads had new, bright green bicycle lanes. We were set.
Our old stand-by, the bike lane along Ocean Parkway, failed us, though. We were cruising along when suddenly chain link fencing appeared, along with a sign “Construction, bike lane closed.”
We turned to head to another bike lane, parallel to this one, but unfortunately we were on a rather commercial street, through a heavily Orthodox area, on the afternoon before a major Jewish holiday. Traffic was a nightmare.
But we quickly got the other bike lane and headed toward the water. All was fine until another fence confronted us. The bike line had been washed out due to ‘storm damage.’ We had to ride through sand before biking up the bike lane again.
Then everything was smooth sailing (cycling). Over the Marine Park Bridge into the Rockaways and a few more flat miles to our friend’s house.
Coming home was even better. Our friends took us through the Gateway National Recreation Area, adding a few miles to the journey, but a level of serenity rarely achieved when biking in New York City. I could scarcely believe I was in New York; it felt like the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
We rode along the bike, on wide, flat, paved paths. We saw rabbits, coastal grasses, dunes and a few common terns.
The amazing thing is, although Breezy Point has a reputation as being a gated community, it is public land. There is no parking, but you can park at Fort Tilden and hike or bike along a mostly secluded beach.
As the price to fly continues to rise, and the inconveniences rise, more and more people, and especially families, are turning back to the good, old-fashioned road trip.
My pa [ ... ]
There is nothing like casting your line in and fishing away your worries….okay, I seriously can’t say that, because I am not much of a fisherman. Yes, I go fishing, but mo [ ... ]
Get a jump on your summer vacation with free activities all weekend in Vermont June 8 and 9. The Green Mountain State serves up a bevy of free family fun.
Free at parks
All we [ ... ]
