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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
One of the best ways to experience new places is to eat the local favorite. Each country, state, region and even city has a dish that allows you to have a unique culinary experience while visiting. It tells me about the destination and the people who call it home.
Unfortunately, I can’t travel all [ ... ]
Heading to Las Vegas with the family this summer? Not to worry, here's a quick list of my Top 5 picks to keep all ages satisfied: Wet-N-Wild Las Vegas is the place to be this summer. Nevada's premier water park will offer over 25 slides and attractions. Several of the attractions are named after fa [ ... ]
Train travel is often associated with romance and air travel (at least nowadays) with hassle. Similarly, hotel airports have a seedy reputation, while a hotel in a train station sounds elegant.
My kids and I have stayed at the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station, with rooms in an actual [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
Head over to Universal Studios Hollywood for two new rides and an expanded Studio Tour! It’s a perfect Summer Vacation Idea. Plus, right now when you “a day you get the rest of 2013 free."
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
As a comic, I’ve been performing in Doylestown, Pa at the Comedy Cabaret for over 24 years. On my trek there I would always pass this large non-descript 52,000 square foot concrete building. For over two decades I though this was some outlet clothing store. And since I personally hate shopping, I didn’t even think to stop inside. Then recently my friend Dale said, “Hey Fran did you know there is a world record exhibit near Doylestown? I hadn’t a clue.
Being a five-time world record holder, I am fascinated with anybody who puts their passion into a hobby and makes it not only into a world record, but a livelihood as well… and that’s exactly what Bruce Williams Zaccagnino, the owner and creator of the 16 acre Northlandz has done.
Now Zaccagnino was not just some retired guy tinkering with a hobby. He was also a concert musician, successful entrepreneur, and multi-award winning computer software game developer and publisher of Perfect General and Solitaire’s Journey.
He first began building this as a hobby back in 1972 in his basement. When his hobby outgrew his basement, he simply added on another room, then another…finally he decided to transfer his little village into a display building. This passion went on for 20 hours a day, for almost 4 and half years! Talk about dedication. (Good thing his wife Jean loved him and the trains.)
Northlandz is located on 495 US highway 202 north in Flemington, New Jersey.
It is the home of the Worlds Largest Model Railroad exhibit. It features over 100 trains that travel more than 8 miles of tiny track. It’s got bridges
, cities, villages, about 500,000 miniature trees, foot bridges, canyons, and funny and informative plaques that lead you through this self guided exhibit. The exhibit is a combination of kit buildings (3,000) and about 1,200 buildings that he made from scratch. (I could tell the kit buildings like the tiny movie theaters because they were all playing, “African Queen.”
Anyway, this exhibit has been featured on international TV shows, magazines and newspapers around the world. Besides it’s Guinness World Record it also received the “Maan Patra”, which is the highest honor given by the Hindu faith.
But the display is not just trains. It also features several huge pipe organs, a 90 room “Le Peep” dollhouse (don’t worry nothing pornographic…just a cute name) and several art collections. All this from a dream that now can be shared by all. Zaccagnino lives life the way I feel it should be lived, working at what you love to do.
If you are ever in this area and need to spend a few hours entertaining the kids or even just for the kid in you, check it Northlandz. Oh and few tips, go to the bathroom before you walk through, bring a stroller for little ones, and bring a set of binoculars, since it’s really cool to see the details up close.
For more information go to www.northlandz.com
Rhode Island may be a small state, but it celebrates summer in a huge, family-friendly way.
One of the best known free warm weather events is the annual Waterfire celebration, [ ... ]
Milwaukee, Wisconsin has big city attractions and a friendly Midwestern vibe. Families can take in a Brewers game, or tour a brewery (with soft drinks for the kids). There are [ ... ]
One glimpse of Skagway and it’s easy to see why this quaint Alaskan town is a popular port for cruise ships sailing along Alaska’s Inside Passage. Skagway offers beautiful [ ... ]
