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“’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....
This month we are hosting our first Traveling Moms Instagram meme and we would love to have you join in the fun!
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...
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...
Family travel when it might mean the demise of all is no figure of speech for two brothers and a sister who maneuvered their 57-foot boat through the Northwest Passage...
No family visit to Beijing, or China for that matter, is complete without a visit to the Great Wall. There are many options as to what part of the Great Wall you can visit, depending on whether you prefer rougher terrain, steeper climbs and more run down but quieter areas. However, if taking childre [ ... ]
Polished wood, burnished brass, a giant globe of the world and a gentleman Sea Captain in a navy blue blazer greet you as you enter the foyer of Disney Resort’s Yacht Club at Walt Disney World.ou’ve now entered Disney’s version of turn-of-the-century Nantucket complete with a lighthouse and [ ... ]
Parents of toddlers – stop limiting your vacations to staycations. This is coming from a mom who has raised a ddler into a traveler once, and is doing it all over again. If you have a toddler, you have anarchy on your hands … trust me, I know! But you don’t have to stick close to home if you [ ... ]
It may not be Daniel Day Lewis walking the streets of Springfield, Illinois, but there’s likely someone who looks a lot like him. OK, it will be someone who looks a lot like Daniel Day Lewis when he looks a lot like Abraham Lincoln.
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Looking for the perfect summer vacation? Dreaming of something tropical and exotic, yet Tahiti just isn’t in your budget? San Diego’s dise Point Resort feels like it’s a world away, yet there’s no passport required. Paradise Point sits on a 44-acre island on Mission Bay, just minutes fr [ ... ]
Great summer vacations start with planning. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to stay? For my kids one of their all time favorite trips was a road trip through South Dakota.
Our first trip to South Dakota was going to be a quick drive through on our way to somewhere else. Fortunately, we [ ... ]
It's always refreshing to see a new choice of hotel property near the San Francisco Airport -- and the options have gotten even better recently. Just a half mile from the airport, the hip and ultra modern new Aloft hotel is a great choice for a comfortable stay before or after flying or when vi [ ... ]
Are you waiting to learn to ski, or to teach your kids, until you go on the “big ski trip”? You don’t need Aspen to learn to ski. The bunny hills are the same no matter where you go. Except for Beaver Creek, they have a gondola for their beginner mountain; you wouldn’t want to get cold on the 30-second ride up.
A few tips for brand new skiers or ski moms:
1. Look for a local mountain. If you live in Florida I can’t help you with this one, but the rest of the advice applies. My fourth child learned to ski at the tiniest mountain in New York. There was a chain link fence and the vertical drop on the beginner slope couldn’t have been more than 2 feet. But it was perfect, it was close, cheap and he learned to ski.
2. Rent your equipment from the mountain. Why? Because if there’s a problem with your equipment they can fix it on the spot. This is especially important for beginners who aren’t used to the gear and may need a boot switch for comfort or shorter skis, etc.
3. Buy or borrow quality ski clothes. No one is going to love skiing if they are cold. If you’re not sure they’re going to stick with it and you don’t want to invest, borrow some good gear from a friend. Make sure they are wearing several wicking layers (you sweat a lot learning to ski). Real ski socks matter, and they are the ONLY things that go in the boot (don’t tuck in long johns, those sit on top of the boot). You only need one pair, the socks and the boots are designed to keep your feet warm, and two pairs will make you miserable. A helmet is a MUST. Most ski programs won’t let you participate without one. They can also be rented.
4. Don’t underestimate the power of a bribe. It’s just plain good parenting. Learning to ski can be scary, and hard, and cold. This clearly calls for hot cocoa or gummy bears, or both.
5. Don’t let them give up easily. I have four children who are all excellent skiers. Not one of them wanted to go to ski school when they were little. Not one loved it the first time they went. We are after all asking them to slide down a frozen hill with sticks attached to their feet. All of my children LOVE to ski now, but it was a combination of bribes, begging and bullying that got us there.
You can find more tips on learning to ski at Snowmamas.com where I also write about all things skiing.
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 [ ... ]
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 [ ... ]
When the PGA tour heads to Ponte Vedra Beach, in Northeast Florida this May for The Players Championship they will once again be hosting multiple events for military memb [ ... ]
