Cleveland has rock and roll and so much more to entertain your teens on a weekend getaway. A simmering cauldron of energy on Lake Erie, #CLE as it’s known, has an incredible music museum, marina, sports venues and clubs within walking distance of well-priced hotels. That energy is powered by the city’s youth, a population so proud to be Clevelanders that it’s infectious.
Cleveland’s a Capital of Music & Entertainment – Rock Hall
The city that spawned D.J. Alan Freed, hosted Elvis’ first concert appearance in the North (at Brooklyn High School), originated the syndicated “Upbeat” rock TV show and gave us countless musical luminaries was chosen by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum for its museum site. The dramatic glass and steel pyramid space designed by I.M. Pei cantilevers high above Lake Erie. Dance in to the music of the Rolling Stones, Coldplay or Tupac and you’re immediately taken with the coolness of the place.
Make time for every video; the music parents listened to growing up is just as popular today with youngsters. Visitors over 30 will recall most of the Hall of Famers (artists are not eligible for the Hall of Fame until 25 years after their first recording) especially after seeing the entertaining review of past induction ceremonies. Entertain your teens at the clever multi-media exhibits designed to explain rock’s rebellious spirit to today’s audience.
Catch a live music event, DJ’s spinning in the Beer Garden and clips that range from gospel, blues and folk to pure Joplin profanity. Once you’ve gotten the kids to listen to all your favorites, let them loose with big change in the superior gift and memorabilia shop operated by FYE.
Cleveland Family Fun for Kids & Tweens
One of our favorite science institutions, Great Lakes Science Center is almost next door on the shore of Lake Erie. Luckily, it has dozens of fun and informative hands-on exhibits because the weather can be crummy for a lot of the year here. We love the cool NASA section with moon rocks and the MC2 STEM High School for scientifically minded students. (Expect to see a lot of teens at work in their special classrooms as well as around the center.) In warmer weather, climb aboard a 1925 Great Lakes freighter, the Steamship William G. Mather. Moreover, you can learn how geography played a role in transforming Northeast Ohio into an industrial center as you explore from bow to stern.
Another Cleveland star is the International Women’s Air & Space Museum, a small, no-frills museum in the tiny local Burke Lakefront Airport with displays about the astonishing range of women’s achievements in flight. These great role models could pilot jets as well as parent several kids, cook, sew and do more of that ‘girl’ stuff. Take the kids and learn more about Amelia Earhart, the Flying Fraulein, Lady Lindy and Sally Ride among many others.
More CLE Indoors
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is another worthwhile attraction that will engage teens. Be sure to head to the lower level where researchers give kids a look into what a career in the sciences really entails. It is also where the Snead Discovery Center is housed, an intergenerational, hands-on learning center. A current exhibit is Finding Lucy: Our First Steps in Discovery. Visitors get to meet the famous Lucy specimen of Australopithecus afarensis —- the oldest pre-human-ancestor fossil to show evidence of upright walking at the time of her discovery.
The Cleveland Botanical Garden has a special feature — the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse. This 18,000-square-foot conservatory immerses you in the flora and fauna of two distinct lands: the Costa Rican Rainforest, complete with colorful butterflies fluttering around and the spiny desert of Madagascar. They installed new lighting technology so it changes color in different preprogrammed themes to set the mood for various shows. The inside environment is tropical, making it an ideal place to be when the weather outside is bad. The Outdoor gardens include a peaceful Japanese Garden and the Hershey’s Children’s Garden.
If you’re traveling with little ones who want their own treat, visit the sophisticated Children’s Museum of Cleveland in a converted Cleveland mansion. Parlors hold water play areas, climbing gyms, display cases of historic toys and much more; there’s even a limited sensory room available for kids on the spectrum who are having trouble adjusting to the main play areas.
Cleveland is home to the country’s largest performing arts center outside off New York City, PlayhouseSquare. More than 1,000 shows are on the menu each year, with an emphasis on family-friendly, affordable programming. If you visit in May, you might catch the annual International Children’s Festival with performers from around the world that do live theater. The ticket prices for the unique live shows are affordable, too.
Getting Wild (and wet) in Cleveland
Nicknamed the “Emerald Necklace” because of the way they encircle the city, Cleveland’s Metroparks offer a variety of outdoor activities on over 28,000 acres of public recreational space. Here you will find an assortment of multi-purpose trails, fishing areas, and even seven public golf courses the locals flock to in summer.
At Metroparks Zoo, Asian Highlands is home to snow leopards, Amur leopards, red pandas, takins adn the Rising Waters overnight Zoo adventure with its Asian flair. This $25-million five-acre exhibit showcases the zoo’s commitment to the care and conservation of elephants, providing them with a spacious, stimulating, natural environment. Visitors can get up-close and personal with Moshi, Martika and other adorable elephants, watching them interact and socialize.
Families who crave speed should consider hitting the water with jet skis from Great Lakes Watersports on the Cuyahoga River. During our hour-long session, we rode through the Port of Cleveland for priceless views of the Rock Hall, Browns Stadium, and Cleveland skyline. For 2019, rentals are $110/hour and they are closed on Tuesdays. In addition, Great Lakes offers boat and kayak rentals.
Sports are BIG in this town
Finding ourselves with teens in Cleveland during baseball season (schedule here), we had to cheer on the Indians at Progressive Field. Even though the Tribe lost, the scent of hot dogs and peanuts that filled the summer air was enough to keep us smiling under the lights of one of America’s most beautiful baseball cathedrals.
If you are visiting during basketball season be sure to head over to Quicken Loans Arena for a Cavaliers basketball game. Some say the Cleveland Browns football team contributes to Clevelander’s high blood pressure. For football nuts coming to Cleveland in the off-season, consider taking a FirstEnergy Stadium behind-the-scenes tour, where you’ll get exclusive access to team locker rooms, media boxes and even the playing field. Tours are available from April through December.
This is a sports-crazy town and without a chief’s hat or brown jersey you may feel pretty out of place. That is until you visit one of the city’s party houses, a.k.a. breweries. We love the Great Lakes Brewing Company, where every dish is created around a local brew. Their eco-friendly beer garden is next door. It features a canvas retractable roof, a radiant-heat floor and fireplace, and a straw bale wall. The actual beer selection can vary, so please call ahead to confirm if there’s a beer you prefer.
The Flats district spans both banks of the Cuyahoga River, and the East side has the landmark Flat Iron Cafe, an Irish pub that offers live music and great deals on drinks. When the beloved Cleveland Indians are playing in town, they offer a free and fast shuttle to-and-from the stadium, so you can avoid the cost and hassle of the crowded parking lot. A bonus with grown kids is the Happy Hour – Monday through Friday 3-6pm.
Ohio City and More Dining Options
Cleveland’s historic, Victorian-era Warehouse District has become a major culinary and nightlife center; start your tour on West 6th Street. There are lots of options, true. But not far away is Ohio City Galley, an outlet for one of the city’s many incubator kitchens. Cleveland supports chefs of all stripes preparing a huge variety of cuisines — once they have perfected their menus in fully-stocked, free test kitchens, they are given a chance to serve the public (rent free) in this attractive food court a.k.a. restaurant accelerator. Give it a try and support the next generation of chefs.
If you are traveling with a budding foodie in tow, you will not want to miss the historic West Side Market also in the Ohio City neighborhood, built in 1912. Following the tradition of when ice was delivered nearly a century ago, the market is only open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Local delights include pierogi and grilled bratwurst, but with hundreds of booths, including dozens of ultra-fresh produce stands, no one will leave hungry.
A hot contender for the city’s favorite burger is Heck’s Café Ohio City housed in a 19th-century brick townhouse.
Cleveland Heights has many family-friendly dining choices and is a fun place to explore, thanks to its welcoming granola-vibe. A meal at inexpensive Tommy’s is sure to please the entire family. Soon after they opened as a small soda fountain in 1972, Rolling Stone magazine declared they serve the “Best Milkshake East of the Mississippi.” The menu has a large section of vegan, veggie and gluten-free options, combined with all-American favorites like burgers and fries.
After dinner, head to Sweeties Big Fun a toy and candy store. You can sit down at an old-fashioned counter and enjoy delicious soft serve ice cream or take out delicious freshly popped flavored popcorn.
Cleveland & Regional Family-Friendly Hotels
You’ll have to plan ahead to stay within walking distance of Cleveland’s major downtown attractions, because hotels near the stadiums are booked way in advance by Ohio families coming to party. However, there are other places nearby where partying is not a priority.
Towering above the waterfront is the bluish glass Hilton Cleveland Downtown which has great views, especially from its rooftop Bar 32 where kids will like the yummy snack food and outdoor deck. The whole family will enjoy the bright, contemporary guest rooms, on-site amenities like the beautiful indoor pool and easy access on foot to many restaurants and waterfront sites.
During one visit, we stayed at the renovated DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cleveland-Independence with large rooms, an indoor-outdoor pool and Shula’s 2 steakhouse. They offer a children’s menu, cribs and value family packages in summer. In addition, the renovated Doubletree Hilton Cleveland Downtown-Lakeside is a stone’s throw from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is walking-distance from many other attractions.
A stunning member of the hotel scene is the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade with 293 rooms that encircle a fully-restored, 1890 Italian-style shopping arcade. It is steps from the vibrant East 4th Street Entertainment District and a 10-minute walk from all major sporting and entertainment venues. Another option in the area is the Sheraton Cleveland Airport Hotel with its Hemispheres at the Hotel restaurant serving international cuisine prepared with farm-to-table ingredients.
Sandusky, Ohio may be a good bet for a family base during summer because it’s outside the urban center but near downtown Cleveland. According to Trip Advisor, one of the best family-friendly hotels in Sandusky is Best Western Plus Sandusky Hotel & Suites where you can spread out and even cook. In addition, you can find lots of family-appropriate activities here in this suburb, including the Cedar Point Amusement Park, the Roller Coaster Capital of the World.
Enjoy #CLE and surf over to Destination Cleveland or Ohio Tourism for more assistance and travel ideas.
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We vacationed at a dude ranch in Colorado called the Drowsy Water Ranch. We have two kids (9,4) who along with us had the best vacation we have ever had. The ranch offered lots of activities and excellent kids programs and riding instruction.
Our favorite parts of the trip was the evening activities, great staff and ranch owners, learning to ride like cowboys and cowgirls, rafting and most of all watching our kids enjoy their vacation.
We would highly recommend Drowsy Water Ranch to anyone looking for a dude ranch vacation. We are planning on returning to the ranch again this coming summer!
I've heard that this housing development project has made Amsterdam city living more affordable for young families. What a wonderful way to keep a very old urban center alive.
Jessica,
I love your essay. Very descriptive and well written. Thanks for sharing it!
Mrs. Toombs
I love your incorporation of the “Disney” portrayal of Paris. I was also a little disappointed when I actually saw the Moulin Rouge, it was definitely not as romantic as Nicole and Ewan made it seem.
This is really good!
your job sounds so interesting, sort of like a war correspondent with less of the war and more of the correspondence. I look forward to week 2.
Wow… really interesting to hear about Iraq from this non-news oriented perspective. Thanks for sharing and can’t wait for more.
Good luck and be safe!
I’d like to thank the judges, who gave my essay the time of day and even went as far as to award it third place. This event has been really awesome.
There’s an area in Berlin with segments of the Wall still standing, and these are covered with graffiti and really interesting to see. I never heard of this, will definitely check it out next time I’m in Praha. Thanks for sharing.
gee Brandon,
that’s a really heavy thought but a very interesting one. i loved cancun when we went; it’s full of life and very sophisticated. yes, we could see the difference between the glitzy lifestyles of the locals around the tourist hotels, versus the people who lived in the countryside, but they all seemed pretty happy to me.
The Holland America ships sailing on a 7-day itinerary only have time for a day in port at Quebec City. However, they have a few 13 day itineraries that spend 2 days in this fun port of call. Mid September-October is a great time to go.
I was able to get the docs, cancel the request. If all else fails, read the directions, right? Thanks
For a unique, exhilerating and unforgettable experience in Wales, try an “adventure weekend” at Preseli Venture. My weekend there included learning how to surf and hiking for 7 miles along the gorgeous coast. Other activities were kayacking and, my personal favorite, coasteering – a combination of swimming, rock climbing and cliff jumping that will leave you sore, tired and smiling. The rest of our time there was spent hanging out around a bonfire, eating delicious food and having drinks with friends. Your body will be challenged and your soul will be rejuvinated after a weekend here!
Norway is an absolutely magical country where you can see tiny grass-roof houses occasionally dotting the countryside and some of the bluest waters you can imagine. My family has an incredible trip to Norway a few years ago. All of us would definitely recommend that you try the strawberries at the open-air market in Bergen. They were the best we’ve ever had. However, don’t be tempted to try the chain pizza restaurant, Pippin’s. Their idea of pizza is not quite what most Americans are used to and its very expensive. After a disastrous experience with Norwegian pizza, we ventured toward the less touristy eateries and discovered that tiny restaurants that sell delicious rotisserie chicken platters were everywhere and quite affordable. We were so proud of ourselves for making this little discovery that I though I’d share it with anyone considering a trip to this amazing place!
Big Sur, the National Park along Highway 1, just south of Monterey is also worth a visit. I spent many summers there as a child and it’s always a pleasure to go back. You’ll be camping(but there are cabins and hotels available) among the giant redwoods, with the beach right beside the forest. Some of the scenery just driving through the park are the best, in my opinion of the entire Highway 1 experience and definitely worth at least a day trip while in the area.
The Bellagio has an amazing nightly water show. The fountains make the water seem to dance to classical music. The show only lasts about 5-10 minutes, but it runs every half hour during the week and every 15 minutes on the weekends. You can tell when the show is about to start as soon as the area around the Bellagio’s entrance gets packed, so be sure to beat the rush and get a comfortable viewing area.
I’ve made two requests for permission travel letters and have not received an email. I have a mac…is that a problem?
The Lake George region is one my favorites to vacation in upstate New York. The town is beautiful and an evening walk along the water after a nice meal makes for an enjoyable evening.
When I vacationed with my family a few years ago we stayed at the Lake George Escape Camp Ground. My family is not one for roughing it, so even though there were families on the grounds living out their tents and RVs, we were able to rent one of the log cabins, with all the modern “luxuries” that I deem necessary (shower, bed, kitchen). The huge grounds has a baseball field, an outdoor pool and a rec room with a tons of games for the kids to play. There is nightly entertainment and the atmosphere is very friendly with families grilling on their own BBQs and offering hotdogs to other guests walking by.
While in town, we found the time to explore the area and two of the things I highly recommend are Six Flags Great Escape Park and just a half-mile down the road from that is the Glen Falls Drive-In movie theater. The theme park has a bobsled rollercoaster and the drive-in has double features (for the price of one) every night during the summer!
Our teen son has been to the New Orleans Jazz Festival twice and he just loves it. There is something magical about listening to music out of doors that keeps kids involved. If we put on some of the music he loved at NoLa at home, he would scoff at it! But there, sitting on the lawn, his musical horizons were much broader. This festival sounds just great.
Hello Steve~ I’m hoping your still active on this site and my post reaches you soon. It was a wonderful sight for me to stumble upon this site and find your name and some photos. Please try to contact me so that we can catch up. You may email me erinmbrice on yahoo.
Everyone should go to the Cliffs of Moher, one of the most amazing things I did in Ireland!
During Christmas of 2006, I went down to the Caribbean for the first time with my family. It was me, my younger brother and sister (who were in their mid to late teenage years at the time) and our parents.
I was a little apprehensive since I have never been on vacation during the holidays before, but like Kristen, we stayed at the Barcelo Capella and it was a GREAT TIME. There was a huge tree in the middle of the resort decorated with lights and they even had parties for all the guests on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The staff is comical, welcoming and entertaining. My favorite part of each night was after dinner when the performers took a break from their music and dancing and put on what the resort calls, “Ice Breakers.” Basically, they pull out random guests and members of the audience to come on stage and participate in embarrassing, but incredibly funny activities. You may have to dance the tango with a stranger, pop balloons with your butt, or make animals noises. It keeps the crowd pleased and certainly does break the ice.
I went down with my family, but left the resort with a ton of friends. The Barcelo Capella definitely enhances the typical family vacation. PLUS- It is ALL INCLUSIVE and beach front. You really cannot go wrong here.
Oahu can be congested sometimes, but it’s too beautiful to pass up. Another great thing to do is visit The Contemporary Museum on Makiki Heights Drive. It’s small and intimate and full of interesting exhibits. It’s a great place to beat the heat and get away from crowds.
Absolutely beautiful, in summer and winter. Lake Louise holds a special place in my heart! Although I would suggest during winter bundle up. Seriously, I spent the winter holidays skiing here and it was -40 degrees, hand warmers are a must!
I loved going to Lugu Lake. It took a six hour bus ride to get there from Lijiang, which is a short flight away from Kunming. The trip was definitely worth it though, the lake is gorgeous! If you have time, get tickets for the Mosuo performance. The Mosuo people are a matriarchal society who lives near Lugu Lake and the show teaches you all about their customs through singing and dancing.
I go back to Grand Targhee every winter with my dad for so many reasons. I love it! The lift lines are never long, the food is cheap and with my college I.D I was able to ski for $35 over spring break 2008. I was even able to go skiing with my friends who had never skied before.
If you’re looking to visit pandas without leaving the city, just head over to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The research base is just a short taxi ride away from the heart of the city and a perfect day trip. I spent three hours there before my evening flight, just enough time to visit everything from the Baby Panda Nursery to Giant Panda Kindergarten. The pandas are adorable and although they didn’t do much (mostly sleeping and eating), none of the visitors, including me, could take their eyes off the slow-moving animals. For 400 RMB (about 53 US dollars), visitors can stand next to and take a picture with a baby panda, but if you want to hold one, be prepared for sticker shock. It costs 1000 RMB, or about 133 US dollars!
I also recommend stopping and watching the video about the giant panda and the center’s breeding efforts. Visit the less popular red pandas as well. They’re much more energetic than their large black and white counterparts and the kids were excited to see them leaping around and wrestling with one another. Like most other tourist destinations, the breeding center has a souvenir shop near the exit. Stop by and take a look at the cuddly stuffed pandas and t-shirts, but you may want to buy the items at the stands across the street from the breeding center where you can bargain. Be careful when getting on one of the taxis waiting outside. They know that most of the visitors are tourists and will try to rip you off so make sure they start the meter once you get on.
While in Chengdu, I stayed at Universal House Golden Hotel, a four star hotel not far from the city center. It was inexpensive (I paid around 60 US dollars per night) and the service was wonderful. The front desk was eager to help and recommended two wonderful restaurants, including Huang Cheng Lao Ma which specializes in Sichuan-style hotpot.
The Giant’s Causeway is definitely worth the trip from Belfast, which by bus tour took a couple hours for us. There is a particular rock out near the water that is rumored to be magical and is considered Finn’s chair. Supposedly anyone who sits on that particular step stone can wish for any one thing and Finn will grant that wish.
I also highly recommend the Crown’s Liquor Saloon. The Farmer’s Chicken was excellent and keeping with the wonderful pub atmosphere. Now that there is a smoking ban in Northern Ireland, I bet it’s even more pleasant without the cloud of smoke.
A couple other things that to think about doing is visiting Queen’s University, just to see how like good wine, universities are better with age and a stroll through the Botanical Gardens is nice when weather permits, but if showers occur, seek shelter in the Palm House, a glass greenhouse with a huge variety of tropical flowers and plants. Admission is free to both.
Another way to travel through Belfast is with the Black Cab tours, which offers private tours in those classic cab cars that look old fashioned compared to the sedan Yellow Taxis of New York City. These personalized tours allow up to four people to pick and choose which sites ranging from within Belfast City to as far as Antrim to the Giant’s Causeway. They also have tours to the Shankill Murals and Falls Murals, which are always viewed better with a local guide to explain what these paintings represent, along with the history.
Edinburgh has a great haunted tour. A lot of it is more about the ‘gore’ of hanging days, but they take you down into their underground vaults, which was voted as one of the most haunted places on earth. It’s not all that scary, but definitely for older kids (and grown-ups) who love to be spooked.
I love Portland! Try out the Rose Gardens, it’s a nice place for the kids to run around while the parents enjoy the flowers.
I stayed at the Embassy Hotel while there and we ended up with a suite, very spacious, clean, great staff.
Little Italy is a great spot for gelato and family-style Italian food. And the suburb of Westlake (about 15 minutes from Cleveland) has a huge pedestrian area and shopping village called Crocker Park with tons of shops, eateries, and kid-friendly stops.
I stayed at the Hix House, designed by environmentalist architect John Hix. We absolutely loved it, though it is very rustic and run on solar power, no TV, AC, etc. They require children be 16 and older, so this is only a good option for older kids who love the outdoors and want to explore unique environmental lodging options.
I like free kayaking in Hudson Park through Downtown Boat House. They provide free kayaks to venture out solo or tandem for about 20-minutes along the Hudson. Kids under the age of 16 have to go tandem with a guardian. While 16-18 year olds can go solo, but their guardian has to sign a waiver and be present the whole time. Makes for a fun and inexpensive family activity.
Hudson Park also has a summer trapeze school, batting cages, bike rentals, rock climbing, play areas, and free movie programs during summer.
St. Thomas isn’t the island for me. Personally, the last thing I want to see when entering a Caribbean port is an oversized Rolex store, a local market overflowing with cheap goods from China, and a misplaced McDonald’s.
The Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort is well-kept, but has some of the worst service I’ve ever experienced. If you’re not there on an all-inclusive, they’ll nickel and dime you to death with $20 to $50 to check your email, or even more to get online from your room. My room’s internet connection did not work and when alerted to the problem, the cranky staff did nothing beyond making false promises and passing the buck and I left having never been able to connect.
The beach is rocky and uninviting and so far from the rooms as to almost make it not worth the visit. Snorkeling gear is free to guests, but they make you pay $5 for life vest’s for your little ones. I had to leave my credit card as a deposit when they wouldn’t take my room number instead.
I don’t recommend the Wyndham…
Hi
Stay in what Hans Christian Andersen called “Denmarks Garden” at this magnificent Manor House, http://www.skrobelevgods.dk
Huge and bright suites with en-suite bathrooms, winecellar, lounces with open fireplaces etc.
Hi
Another fantastic French castle is Hattonchatel Chateau in Lorraine – the view is fabulous and the listed knights hall “la Salle de Burgraves” is one of the few wonders of this world.
Mention the night skiing at Squaw Valley. It has one of the longest night-lit runs I’ve ever skied — 3.2 miles from top to bottom. Plus the terrain park is lit at night and that includes a half-pipe. Really fun.
Susan F.
Northstar at Taoe is a great place for teens because all of the housing on the resort site is served by a bus. That means they can sleep in and get themselves to the slopes. It also has really fun terrain park features for both skiers and snowboarders. It would be nice to see daycare for infants, though.
– Laura S.
Wow, you sound like a disgruntled Yankee Fan!
Having personally vacationed at Point Sebago with my family for a week at least 7 years so we speak from first hand experience. Most years we never leave the resort and check-out feeling we participated in a small fraction of the resorts multitude of offerings. You make no mention of the family camaraderie we find so refreshing around the campfire each evening. Did you ever start a camp fire? Probably not as it sounds like you spent very little time at the resort (5 days vacation and 5 Maine excursions).
Obviously your teens do not enjoy tennis, canoeing, kayaking, golf, driving range, miniature golf, sailing, volleyball, shuffleboard, hanging out on the beach, or going on a teen cruise or teen dance.
You make the “Park Homes” sound small. And, when compared to a house – this point can not be argued. However many families vacation and share a single motel/hotel room with 2 double beds. Compared to that, our 2-bedroom Park Home every year feels quite spacious.
You also mention the 10 minute walk from your unit to the water. You do not mention the dozens of homes directly on the water (given the resort popularity, we do reserve months in advance to get a waterfront Park Home).
Point Sebago Resort has over a 80 percent repeat guest and referral rate. Families who love Point Sebago are loyal, return year after year (some for generations) and tell their friends. We have refered dozens of families and all have loved it! Thousands find this to be a real “Maine woods” experience.
But when you visit a resort with so much to offer and the 6 highlights of your visit are 5 off-sight visits (you were only there for 5 days) and the sixth highlight was teaching your son to drive. Well, as you say, clearly your family “did not click with it” – but did you even try?
Does not sound like you will, but if you were to visit again, try actually participating in some of the resorts activities and events. They are numerous, they are fun! You make new friends and you reconnect as friends with your family – surprisingly this happens over mini golf or s’mores. We find this is what really makes the true Point Sebago experience!
-Greg Burke
This author is amazing! This article was very informative and makes me want to go to Seefeld right now!!!Keep up the good work!!!
Our family visited Columbus in July one year and attended the Ohio State Fair. What a great time we had – our 2 year old loved petting the animals in the 4H tent where many older kids were gathered with the younger “siblings” of the cows, sheep and goats who were in competition. The Ohioans are so friendly too, that made it extra fun. Highly recommended, especially with little ones.
I was at this ski resort in March one year and it was awesome. There’s an outdoor cafe halfway up the mountain, near the open air skating rink built for the Olympics — both are a great place to hang out in the noon day sun. really neat.
This sounds like such a fun trip, but do you think it would be hard to drive a minivan full of kids for us, since it’s on the “wrong” side of the street in Ireland?
I wonder how much traffic there is and how stressful this would be, with parking, filling up the gas tank, etc.
Don’t miss “Gum Alley” in downtown San Luis Obispo, where visitors have left their artistic mark in gum. You’ll see gum initials, gum hearts, gum peace symbols, and thousands and thousands of pieces of ABC (already been chewed) gum. Found objects such as old 45 rpm records and charms are often stuck onto the wall and there’s always room for more. The wall is located off Higuera between Chorro and Broad Streets.
I haven’t, but I found a nice site at http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/- It’s AutoEurope, the car rental company, and they have lots of fly-drive offers for families interested in visiting the Christmas markets in Munich, Dresden, Nuremberg, Salzburg, Vienna, Zurich and Strasbourg. maybe it will have some good ideas for your next Christmas market adventure.
A few things to do iin Moscow include the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier’s changing of the guard ceremony, a Kremlin tour, Lenin’s Mausoleum, Armory and Diamond Fund Tours.
You can explore central Moscow on foot. Kids may like the shopping mall with the food court under Red Square.
Other possiblities include the Izmalova flea market, the KGB Museum and Park Pobedy (Victory Park).
The Bolshoi ballet is a treat and you’ll need to book tickets quite a ways in advance.
You should have plenty of excellent ideas for St. Petersburg in this article!
I am interested in a family trip in July for my two children and myself to include at least Moscow and St Petersburg. I am a member. Help! Christi Bourne
I just didn’t want FamilyTravelForum.com to be hit by nasty emails from parents with young kids curious to know just what Bomba and the women are doing in all those photos and why.
The Bomba Shack is a tourist attraction — trap may be more like it. It’s a really gross place.
Candyce Stapen
Anyone who has ever been to Tortola knows that this is just an absurd landmark… a taste of local color… that people actually ask to stop at. It is definitely just a place to take a photo as they have the strangest things hanging there. We saw lots and lots of license plates, etc… and did not take note of bras and panties, etc. We did not recommend that anyone “hang out” there.
Nonetheless, we feel that if anyone is offended… then this item definitely has to be eliminated from our article about the island.
Mel and Ronnie Greenberg, authors
You really should delete the reference to “Bamba Shack.” First of all, it’s the “Bomba Shack” and secondly, it appeals to drunken college students and twenthysomethings. It’s not family-friendly.
Women’s panties and naked, explicit — very explicit photos — of Bomba feeling up and doing all kinds of X-rated activities with visiting women are on the walls and hang from the rafters.
I wouldn’t even want my daughter going there when she was in college, let alone when she was younger.
Candyce Stapen
[Editor’s Note: Travel expert Candyce H. Stapen is a contributing editor and columnist for Family Fun, Vacations, the Washington Times, and National Geographic Traveler. She is also the author of the four “Great Family Vacations” guides (Prima Publishing): Northeast, South, Midwest & Rocky Mountain Region, and West, as well as “Cruise Vacations With Kids” and “Fun With the Family in Virginia” (Globe Pequot Press). Stapen has two children and lives in Washington, DC.]