Peak Moments from Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
“I’m going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and plant trees with Jane Goodall!” “A bucket list trip?” people would ask. For the record I hate the word bucket list about as much as I despise the phrase 24/7. So pedestrian. No, my husband and I were invited by a guy who use to babysit our kids on Christmas Eve so we could go to church. Jeff Bonaldi grew up and told me he left Citi Bank...
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Unaccompanied Minors – Our Most Vulnerable Passengers
Smooth out the vacation planning hassles when kids fly solo as unaccompanied minors with these travel tips. Especially in summer, kids are off, on their own, to see the Wizard, to visit grandma, or to spend quality time with a divorced parent who's moved to a Caribbean isle to find himself... While each year there's at least one highly publicized mishap in the transport of minors (one year an...
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Swimming with Whale Sharks Makes the Hit List
Well it wasn't on my Life's Greatest Hits list but with a birthday coming up and a son graduating from college I couldn't resist the opportunity to swim with whale sharks on a recent press trip to Cancun. Really? "Swim with whale sharks" was what it said on the itinerary for the day following a "Swim with Dolphins" excursion. Sounded equally harmless. And PR people...
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Petit St. Vincent: A Luxurious Digital Detox
If your family is ripe for a digital detox, consider an escape to Petit St. Vincent, a vacation paradise so perfect you won’t miss checking your e-mail. In today’s high-tech world, elementary school kids have smart phones and savvy toddlers cruise the web with ease. Stepping away from the Internet, television and cell phones, even just for a few hours, seems impossible. But...
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Swept Away on an Authentic Blue Coast Cruise
Imagine being at sea, skimming along a forested rocky coast, sunning on gleaming golden beaches and snorkeling in aquamarine waters; your dream is a chartered Blue Coast cruise holiday. Families dreaming of exploring the ancient sites and hidden coves of the Turquoise Coast can live their fantasy aboard a traditional wooden yacht known as a gulet (pronounced goolet)....
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Paddling to Cozumel: Sacred Journey of the Maya
The spiritual traditions behind the Sacred Mayan Journey (Travesía Sagrada Maya), a canoe trip paddling to Cozumel in Mexico, have put this journey on many bucket lists. A Bit of Maya Background on the Sacred Journey The Sacred Mayan Journey is a pre-Hispanic (1250 to 1519 A.D.) ritual to honor and worship Ixchel, goddess of the moon, tides, fertility, birth and medicine....
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Aulani, A Disney Resort And Spa In Hawaii
"Disney Goes Hawaiian" is how this family sees Aulani, the company’s first and already successful venture running a themed beach vacation resort not related to an amusement park. “This is AWESOME!” I crane my neck over the swells to see my 12-year old son Will ride the rolling blue water. Then my husband Bob pops up on his board and holds that Hawaii Five-0 theme song pose,...
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Adventures By Disney AmaWaterways River Cruises
The Adventures by Disney tour company and AmaWaterways are bringing pixie dust to European river cruises. Family-oriented, luxury river cruises have Disney-trained Adventure Guides, engaging activities for a variety of ages, behind-the-scenes tours and after-hours cultural experiences at Europe's most popular ports. The trips are all-inclusive, too, so there are no surprises when it comes to...
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Your Family’s Villa Getaway in Baja California
A resort with an all-inclusive option and rooms sleeping up to 12, Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa at the Islands of Loreto is an ideal family-friendly destination in Baja California. The first sight of Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa includes the Giganta Mountains, Sea of Cortez and Danzante Bay in a staggering panorama of natural beauty. What sets this property apart from...
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Vera Bradley, Queen of Fort Wayne, Indiana Outlet Sales
It took me awhile to recognize the Vera Bradley label belongs on a dizzying array of quilted fabric accessories but, as soon as I did, I understood the appeal of the annual Vera Bradley Outlet Sale taking place this year April 10-14, 2019. Her Pucci-like bright-colored, floral and paisley-patterned fabric totes, purses, and laptop bags are ubiquitous, and expensive. The Cult of Vera Bradley Now...
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Traveling With Children On The Autism Spectrum
Parents with children on the autism spectrum know better than most that family vacations are, by their very nature, a break from routine. But what do you do when routine is what your child requires? This is the dilemma faced by families traveling with children with disorders on the autism spectrum, and is made all the more poignant when families have an older child with whom they...
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Gambling on a Good Time with the Kids
As summer approaches, one of the hottest destinations in America will be Las Vegas, a place where you don't have to gamble on a good time with the kids. Huh? If the idea of a Vegas ‘family vacation’ seems ludicrous, you’ll be surprised with how much the city caters to young vacationers. Games of Chance Galore Why? Start with the thrill rides and arcades at many casinos...
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