Fairmont San Francisco Does Family Well
At the Fairmont Hotels & Resort's flagship property, the beautiful Fairmont San Francisco, my family was lucky enough to find out what the "Affordable Luxury for Families" concept was all about. The Fairmont, recipient of several historically accurate facelifts since its 1906 opening, boasts its original grandeur without sacrificing any of the modern conveniences one...
Read More 4 min read
Custom Itinerary: San Francisco And Yosemite on Tight Budget
Q. Cathy P. and family of St. Peters, Missouri are visiting San Francisco and Yosemite National Park and want budget hotel and sightseeing ideas along the way. A. Thank you for your note requesting itinerary planning advice for your upcoming trip to California. As we understand it,...
Read More 3 min read
5 Multigenerational Vacation Ideas For Winter Getaways
According to AAA, 103 million Americans traveled over the 2016 holiday season, a 1.5 percent increase over the previous year. Although 9 out of 10 vacationers took road trips, air travel was also up by 2.5 percent, largely due to lower fuel prices. If your family’s summer plans are as busy as most, consider planning a multigenerational getaway during the shoulder season between Thanksgiving and...
Read More 5 min read
Atlantic Morocco: Beach With Benefits
An Atlantic oceanfront view of north Africa's most intriguing country, Morocco, presents this family with a relaxing and rewarding vacation. We knew a few things from our first trip to Morocco: its ideal location in north Africa, its distinction as one of the most tolerant Muslim societies, the fact that French is universally spoken. We remembered the country's intense markets and devoted artisans,...
Read More 7 min read
St. Petersburg And Clearwater, Florida Attractions
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater area provides so much of what a vacation in Florida should have: some of the nation's finest beaches, facing the calm and shallow Gulf of Mexico, fun eco-adventures in the wild, plus many family-friendly attractions and resorts. This great spot is a 90-minute drive from Orlando's Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios, and just 30 minutes from Tampa's Busch...
Read More 4 min read
Santa Sightings Guaranteed to Bring Holiday Cheer
No matter how old you are or how skeptical you may be about Santa Claus and his role in the winter holidays, it seems that everyone enjoys seeing him on their holiday travels. Thanks to our colleagues in public relations, we can share some of his more exceptional appearances. They’re so much fun, in fact, that you may want to vacation alongside him. And for those who prefer a staycation,...
Read More 4 min read
Inca Threads, A Peru Immersion
Andean weavers are widely respected for their handiwork and, in the rural Peruvian highland villages we explored around Cusco, the woven textile tradition remains much as it has for centuries. Time seems to have stood still in most of the Inca heartland. We were astonished to find that many of the traditional ways of life, including the Quechua language and the mode of dress, are still intact. Immersive...
Read More 3 min read
Mystic – Connecticut’s Playground
Mystic, Connecticut has all the ingredients for a great family weekend: schooners and whalers, clippers and dinghies at Mystic Seaport; dancing dolphins and dashing sea lions at Mystic Aquarium; a children's museum in Niantic; hiking, biking fishing, and other activities galore plus a whole spectrum of kid-friendly places to stay and kid-favorite places to eat. Family...
Read More 5 min read
Manhattan Movie Madness: New York’s Film Locations
Walking around Manhattan on a cold and windy day in December is not how I wanted to spend a Friday morning with a friend from out of town. But, during her weekend visit from Toronto, Michelle (being the television and movie buff that she is) was very eager to finally see all of the buildings, restaurants and street corners that she's come to know and love from movies and TV shows. So we...
Read More 5 min read
A Branson Christmas for the Whole Family
If your hometown has been letting you down in the Christmas jollies department, a trip to Branson, Missouri can’t help but get you in the mood to make merry. Starting in November, the Branson Christmas shows (and there are 100 of them in 50 theaters) shift to Christmas-themed performances, and you’ll see big production numbers all dressed up in tinsel, stars, Santa hats and glittery...
Read More 4 min read
