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2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: More Space, Luxury, and Better Gas Mileage, Too

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...

May 27 Twitter Party: Summer Travel Planning

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...

5 Summer Vacation Ideas for Teens

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...

Stress-Free Travel is Right Under Your Nose

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...

Summer Fun at Midwest Lake Resorts

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...

Summer Vacation at the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia

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...

A Jersey Girl’s Ode to the Jersey Shore

“’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...

Best Advice for Planning Your Summer Vacation

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....

Join In Our Instagram #TMOMphoto Meme

This month we are hosting our first Traveling Moms Instagram meme and we would love to have you join in the fun!

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Family Travel Experts

Family Travel Stories and Ideas

5 Fun Runs to Try This Summer
Marathon TravelingMom5 Fun Runs to Try This Summer

Playing in the mud, getting splashed with paint, lighting up the night or getting chased by zombies all add a little excitement to the typical 5K race. Fun runs are all the rage and a great way to get newbies involved in running; or to give veteran runners a change of pace. Most fun runs remove the  [ ... ]

Summer At Universal Studios Hollywood, What’s New?
GoodnCrazy TravelingMomSummer At Universal Studios Hollywood, What’s New?

Head over to Universal Studios Hollywood for 2 new rides and an expanded Studio Tour! It’s a perfect mmer Vacation Idea. PLUS! Right now when you “y a Day you get the rest of 2013 FREE”! Prepare for Battle! ansformers™: The Ride-3D NOW OPEN!

King Kong 360 | 3-D, created by Peter Ja [ ... ]

Boston Roadtrip with the Ford C-Max Hybrid
Vegetarian TravelingMomBoston Roadtrip with the Ford C-Max Hybrid

As a runner, I wanted to pay my respects to the Boston Marathoners; as an environmentalist, I didn’t want to use a lot of gas to go to ston.

We had no choice but to drive to Boston to pick my daughter up at college; the self-same daughter who refuses to eat industrialized food or buy clothing pr [ ... ]

Going to Thailand With Kids- By Kids
Middle East TravelingMomGoing to Thailand With Kids- By Kids

We, the Year 3 class of Ajman Academy in the United Arab Emirates, wrote this article in order to help parents know what to expect in Thailand when travelling with kids. Since we are 7-9 years old, we researched what to do in Thailand from a kid’s perspective. We had to do a lot of thinking and re [ ... ]

Teaching Children a Lesson on Travel
Middle East TravelingMomTeaching Children a Lesson on Travel

Recently, I had the opportunity to teach my Year 3 students of Ajman Academy all about planning and taking a trip.

In our school, we follow the PYP model of education, where we break our year up into six blocks, each one focusing on a transdisciplinary theme and central idea. Within each idea, there [ ... ]

Dell Rapids, South Dakota: A Great Plains Step Back in Time
Pets and Service Dog TravelingmomDell Rapids, South Dakota: A Great Plains Step Back in Time

Dell Rapids is a beautiful and quaint piece of Americana history with its Pink Rose Quartz buildings from the local quarry. Along the banks of the picturesque Big Sioux River since 1871, this small community of 3,650 is located approximately 15 minutes north of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This l [ ... ]

Luxury Family Stay at the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv
Autism TravelingMomLuxury Family Stay at the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv

Opened in 1953, Dan Hotel Tel Aviv was the first luxury hotel in Israel and has maintained its status as the “Grande Dame” of Tel Aviv hotels ever since. Part of a 14 hotel chain operating in Israel, the Dan Tel Aviv hotel is in a category of its own in service and opulence in the Israeli hospit [ ... ]

Up to Harlem

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dollAlthough I am a life-long New Yorker, I can count on one hand the times I have been to Harlem. Once for a party, and a couple of times biking through. But even, then I didn't even stop. But Harlem is home to a must-see on the list of any doll-obsessed child (and parent) - the Alexander Doll Company, makers of Madame Alexander dolls.

Madame  Alexander offers tours where you can see the showroom, how dolls are put put together, and how they are repaired in a doll hospital. You learn about different types of doll hair, including glued on wigs and sewn-in rooted hair. You also see the inner workings of dolls, from the rubber bands that hold arms, legs and heads in place, to the gizmos that allow eyes to open and close.

Throughout the tour, you see versions of the dolls, inlcuding collector's items like Cirque du Soleil dolls, but the real show-stopper is the Heritage Gallery, with dolls through the years. This large room is filled with hundreds of dolls, from Alice in Wonderland to Eloise dolls. Be sure to put on headphones to hear the company's founder, Beatrice Alexander Behrman, talk about the dolls.

Also on the tour, we watched designers stitch outfits on old-fashioned sewing machines, felt different fabrics used for the dolls, and examined the straight and curly hair used for the dolls. If the hat maker is in the day of your visit, you may get to see him make a few hats.

Although most visitors are girls with their parents, boys will also enjoy the tour, particulary the  wall of baby heads. And the might like seeing the contraption that fuses the doll heads together.

You can add a mini creat-a-doll workshop onto your tour (tours are $8 for adults, $4 for those 16 and under; the workshop is $25, with the tour included). At the workshop, you choose a doll, hair and outfit. A designer glues the hair onto the doll, and you dress the doll. The most magical part, for kids and adults, is when you take a flat piece of cardboard, tie the doll into place, and fold the board into a box. You put the box in plastic and you have a professional looking present, for yourself or another doll lover.

The Alexander Doll Company is part of the Gray Line New York Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Double Decker Bus Tour Uptown Loop. You can see the Heritage Gallery free and shop at the Company Store, daily, from 9am to 5pm.  

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Author Profile: Vegetarian TravelingMom

Judy Antell lives in Brooklyn and her vegetarian family loves to visit the farmer’s market for local, organic produce. They have bicycled in Europe, skied downhill and cross country, and hit the beaches seeking vegetarian food - and chocolate!

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Family Freebies

Free in May: LEGOLAND Florida!
Free in May: LEGOLAND Florida!

Police, Fire and EMS Appreciation Days return in May. Police officers, fire fighters and EMS employees can receive a free single day admission to LEGOLAND Florida, along with  [ ... ]

Summer in Rhode Island: FREE Family Fun
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