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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...

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...

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...

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...

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!

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...

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...

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....

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...

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Family Travel Experts

Family Travel Stories and Ideas

A Close Encounter with Devil's Tower, WY
World TravelingMomA Close Encounter with Devil's Tower, WY

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  [ ... ]

Summer Fun: Vegetarian Travel to NYC
Vegetarian TravelingMomSummer Fun: Vegetarian Travel to NYC

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 [ ... ]

Experiencing the Everglades by Airboat
TravelingMom with TeensExperiencing the Everglades by Airboat

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.

Tips for Replacing a US Passport Abroad
Media TravelingMomTips for Replacing a US Passport Abroad

Your passport is gone and you are in another county. What are you going to do? Misplacing your passport is enough to strike terror in the hearts of any traveler but imagine you are 15, traveling with your aunt to Paris on your first-ever international trip, and you set down your airplane ticket and [ ... ]

Mac n’ Cheese Inspired by Travel
Kristen KucharMac n’ Cheese Inspired by Travel

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 [ ... ]

Las Vegas Summer Vacation Ideas
Las Vegas TravelingMomLas Vegas Summer Vacation Ideas

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 [ ... ]

Family Indulgence: Grand Hyatt New York
Vegetarian TravelingMomFamily Indulgence: Grand Hyatt New York

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 [ ... ]

Boyne Zipline Adventure Tour Provides Bird's Eye Views for Family Travelers

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IMG_2582Want to see northern Michigan from a new angle? The Zipline Adventure Tour offered at Boyne Mountain Resort offers guests a tree-top view of the area's hills and forests.

The Adventure Tour begins in the sports shop, where guides help groups of about 10 “riders” at a time to buckle and strap up into the proper protective gear for the adventure. My group consisted of several families, some multi-generational with school-age children, parents, and grandparents taking on the adventure tour together. There are no age requirements for the tour, but riders must be at least 60 lbs. and 3 feet tall.

Each group is accompanied by three guides – as we arrived at each zipline, two guides would zip across it, while the third stayed behind to clip each of us in and to see us off safely. When we reached the other end of the line, one of the guides would stop us with a wooden block on the line and the other helped us to land and uncliped us so that we could get to the next line. The guides were great at answering questions, providing interesting facts and tidbits about the area we were in, and cracking jokes with riders and the other guides to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. They also taught us how to do tricks on each of the ziplines, such as forward flips and how to zipline upside-down (a talent that not all of us were able to master – but appeared to be easiest for the youngest ones).

IMG_2639The zipline adventure began at the top of the hill overlooking the Mountain Grand Lodge, a stunning view of the property and grounds below. The ziplines carried us over wooded paths and through the trees – sometimes so close to the trees that it felt like I could almost reach out and touch the leaves. My group quickly fell into a routine during the tour – the youngest eagerly crossed the lines first, while the older riders stayed behind to make sure they set off safely. The entire tour lasted a little over two hours but the time went quickly. Before we knew it, we were at the final platform, where the last line spread across the pond and between the two water fountains and ended at the back of the Mountain Grand Lodge Resort. My husband and kids watched from our balcony as I crossed the line and waved, then landed safely and descended the stairs back to solid ground and their waiting arms. While the zipline tour was an adventure, it was a decidedly safe one, as the guides really knew their stuff and made sure we were safe the entire time. Thrill seekers and those more hesitant to soar over valleys on a line of wire would both enjoy the tour.

Disclosure: My admission to the Zipline Adventure was provided by Boyne.

Teresa J. Shaw covers Southeast Michigan for Traveling Mom. Visit her website at TeresaJShaw.com and follow her on Twitter at @TeresaShaw.
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Author Profile: Working TravelingMom  - Website

Teresa J. Shaw is a Michigan-based journalist, blogger and editor. Her work has been published on Hilton Homewood Suites' SuiteLiving blog, Prevention, Babies Online, and AnnArbor.com, among other sites. Travel, food and lifestyle writing are her specialties.

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Family Freebies

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