How Kids Grow Up to be Dinosaur Hunters
They may study long-ago creatures some call “mythical,” but paleontologists today are anything but dinosaurs. Instead, at the Jurassic Mile excavation site in Wyoming, we met dynamic and multi-talented scientists searching for a deeper understanding of our planet and its history. The...
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Aw Shucks! Autumn Adventures In A Corn Maze
We think visiting a farm -- one with a huge corn maze the kids can puzzle on -- is a great autumn family getaway and, according to the directory at Corn Mazes America, there are approximately 800 to choose from in the U.S. this season. If you can also pick apples, sit on a hay bale, buy some local produce, and bring home a big pumpkin at half the price it sells for in your home town, it's a value getaway...
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Beat the Heat on the Slopes of New Zealand
This summer, while some families are lying on beach blankets, others are making snow angels at Southern Hemisphere resorts that are celebrating "winter" with crisp ski deals. For example, the Queen's Birthday long weekend in early June often marks the earliest resort opening for Coronet Peak, New Zealand. This mountain...
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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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Camping 101: How To Look Like An Experienced Camper To Your Kids
Take some advice from a frequent camper who's learned that overnighting in a local park is just as thrilling, and less cumbersome, than a long hike into the wilderness. I want my kids to have the same enriching experiences I had when I was a youth, but I know why my parents sent me camping under the care of others. Simply put, it's not easy, especially for weekend warriors who haven't polished their...
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Chill Out in Chile And Argentina
In the southern hemisphere, find snowsports in "summer" and specials for kids at Portillo, Valle Nevado and Bariloche -- top family ski resorts in Chile and Argentina. No matter how avid the skiers in your family, you might not plan on hitting the slopes in August if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Yet despite the summer heat above, winter skiers can find refuge on the flip side in the Southern...
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Top 10 National Parks For Family Vacations
Read "Where Families will Go in 2017" for other great family vacation ideas. Everyone agrees that the national parks are a treasury of great escapes from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Working with an annual budget over $3 billion and a crew of 22,000 to serve more than...
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Nikko, Authentic Japanese Immersion
If you’re considering a family trip to high-tech Tokyo, a side trip to traditional Nikko should be on your list. This beautiful city with a strong sense of place is far enough off the tourist track to feel like a discovery yet it’s only a 2-hour train ride north of Tokyo. An interactive dive into the Edo period Imagine a theme park where costumed re-enactors are dressed in kimonos...
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8 Days Wellington to Queenstown: New Zealand Our Way
My fiancé and I set off to explore the South Island of New Zealand on an eight-day road trip that coincided with the wedding of dear friends. Using online travel blogs and friends’ recommendations, we built our jam-packed, eight-day driving itinerary, trekking from Wellington (site of the wedding) to Queenstown. Air Qantas: NYC> LA > Sydney > Auckland > Wellington Getting...
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On Earth’s Edge In Tofino
If you’re looking for an adventurous family vacation immersed in nature, Tofino should be on your list. This small community on the West side of Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia, Canada, offers striking scenery, active adventures and a hip atmosphere that should delight even hard-to-please teenagers. It is not easy to reach
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