The emotional life of today’s teens is revealed in the thousands of compelling travel blogs submitted to the 3rd annual FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship.
(New York, November 13, 2009) – Family Travel Forum (FTF), the award-winning family vacation publisher, is proud to announce the winners of its 3rd annual Teen Travel Writing Scholarship competition. More than 8,500 student travel blogs – a 30% increase over 2008 – were submitted by Americans ages 13 to 18 hoping to win a merit scholarship.
Students wrote on an extraordinary range of topics — from family reunions with clueless relatives and making friends at the local bookstore to manning health clinics on tropical islands and searching for rare flowers in a rain forest. The 28 winners traveled near and far with their family, friends, or student travel groups, and shared stories about Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the United States.
The young travelers’ compassion was one remarkable aspect of this year’s travel blogs, as more than 10% wrote about their community service or mission trips. While most students found helping others fulfilling, many of the 2009 applicants reflected with despair and anger about the pervasive poverty in many of the destination countries – including their own. The travel experience revealed other common threads in the teen zeitgeist: Appreciation of the great outdoors; fear and respect for other cultures; love of family; relentless stress; and the joy of logging off their connected life back home.
2009 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Winners
Congratulations to the recipients of 2009 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarships, who will also enjoy a two-night stay at any of the 265 Homewood Suites Hotels in the US, Canada and Mexico.
1st Place ($1,000)
“African Field of Dreams” By Emily Mulder; Glen Ellyn, Illinois
2nd Place ($500)
“Beautiful Nepal” By Christine Anderson; San Ramon, California
3rd Place ($200)
“The Pennsylvania Hills ” By Kassandra Caudell; Cascade, Maryland
2009 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Honorable Mention Winners
The 2009 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Honorable Mentions will receive a Certificate of Commendation, two tickets to any of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums or aquariums worldwide and a “Rand McNally 2010 Atlas.”
“A French Connection” By Yining Lu; Solana Beach, California
“A Golden Pause – A Life-Changing 2 Weeks” By Samantha Falewee; Huntersville, North Carolina
“A Perfect Tiramisu” By Jenna Ewald; Aurora, Colorado
“A Trip to Germany: The Privilege of Duty” By Carmen Gott; Goddard, Kansas
“Bienvenue En Haiti ” By Alexandra Mutty; Whitinsville Massachusetts
“Campeneac, France” By Lily Martin; Titusville, New Jersey
“Edgeware” By Samantha Karas; Lincoln, Nebraska
“Haiti” By Lindsey Cagney; Byfield, Massachusetts
“Heart of Italy” By Ben Lilly; Los Altos, California
“Heat, Heart, Teeth and Tears” By Melissa Gibby; Scotsboro, Alabama
“Journey into the Unknown in a Mega City” By Hetali Jokhakar; Glen Oaks, New York
“Language Barrier in Thailand” By Caitlin Camfield; Seattle, Washington
“Living Boldly in Dobrovnik” By Katie Senf; Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
“Machu Picchu” By Nathan Radakovich; Pullman, Washington
“Moby Dick Mudslide” By Kimberly Wogahn; Eau Claire, Wisconsin
“My Motherland, My Home, My Story” By Stella Thomas; New Hyde, New York
“Nature Does it Best” By Sydney Brown; Fort Wayne, Indiana
“Prairie Memories“ By Michelle Stone; Santa Rosa, California
“Rafflesia” By Elliot Brown; Okanogan, Washington
“Seoul, Korea” By Nelson Auner; Madison, Wisconsin
“Shooting for the Stars” By Colleen Swingle; Virgina Beach, Virginia
“Teaching in Sichuan, China” By Alice Lu; Oakton, Virgina
“The Shortest Trip but the Longest Journey” By Jacara Gillard; Bronx, New York
“The von Tresspass Family” By Katie Furr; Baton Rouge, Louisiana
“Vacation to Home” By Junia Zhang; San Diego, California
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and Homewood Suites Hotels sponsored the top awards. Scholarship winners were selected by five professional travel journalists from SATW. Commented Kit Bernardi of the SATW Geography Education Committee, “These young writers achieved standards that define quality travel writing — whether their travel experiences took them across the globe, on a bus ride or to a family farm. Our judges were impressed by their essays that expressed a strong sense of place, touching human connections and a desire to explore the world.”
The work of the 2009 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship winners and thousands of other great student travel blogs can be seen at www.familytravelforum.com. The 2010 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship will begin accepting applications on June 15, 2010.
About FTF
Family Travel Forum Inc (FTF) has provided vacation planning resources to millions of families who “Have Kids, Still Travel”® since 1996. The independent media company’s publications, acknowledged “best of breed” by Condé Nast Traveler, Forbes and others, received Travel Weekly’s Magellan Award in the Online Guides category for 2009.
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Are you ready for a Road Trip? Explore these eleven incredible cross-country road trip routes across the U.S.!
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I love spending time in London. I think if you want to spend time out of the city, Brighton is also a great place to visit, especially as it’s close by. There are a number of family-friendly hotels, too, like The Brighton Hotel:
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It’s a steam excursion train, shorter ride, probably many kids on board. This would be better suited to younger children. Much better choice for the under-12 set.
Ralph
Originally created as a recreation area for employees of the Hershey Chocolate factory, today Hershey Park boasts plenty of chocolate paraphernalia, as well as roller coasters and a water park. Tickets include admission to the nearby ZOOAMERICA. Originally owned by the Knott’s jam producers, Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park is one of the older parks in the US, Knott’s Berry Farm is a classic for those looking for thrill rides, water rides and family fun.
Hi Ralph, thank you for your reply. I haven’t booked it yet as I had similar reservations that since it’s an 8-hr journey, it will not be wise to take the kids at this age but would love to take them on a shorter train tour, I’m currently looking at the Jacobite express (here in the UK).
Hello Zeb,
For children under 10, It would simply be too long a day in too confined a space for them, might get a little boring for them after the first 20 minutes; it’s an eight-hour journey.
If they are active, there isn’t a lot of room to run around on the train, which is smaller than the ones we are used to here in the U.S.
If you have already booked a space, and will have toddlers or young children, suggest you bring lots of things to keep the little ones entertained.
Ralph
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Have been to Switzerland but missed the Glacier Express, I’ve heard it really one of the best train journeys in the World with amazing mountain/alps view. Is it good to travel with kids 7 and 4 years old) too, since it’s 8 hours long?
Sunlight, particularly in late summer and fall, sets off the production of anthocyanin. Cloudy weather dampens production and leads to less colorful displays. Many scientists argue that warming temperatures do not have much to do with the intensity of color, only with its timing: when it appears and how long it lasts. But Howard Neufeld, a professor of biology at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, said climate change could eventually affect the complex processes in leaf senescence and lower anthocyanin production, dulling the autumn reds.
Gladiator School – My new favorite thing to do in Rome. We did this on our last trip to Rome and both kids and adults absolutely loved it. Instructors are great. Highly recommended. Book far in advance. (Pictured above.) Walking Tour: Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill – Excellent guided tour of Ancient Rome. Skip the line to enter all three sites. Very kid-friendly.
Deer Valley caters to families with kid-friendly skiing, child care programs and a limited child-to-instructor ratio. Because Deer Valley sells a limited number of daily lift tickets, tiny tots and pint-sized groms have plenty of room to work on their pizza wedge and French fries. Other amenities include a Children s Center, Adventure Camp and furry mascots on the Adventure Trails. I grew up skiing here and learned to love the mountains and snow at this resort. The amenities are top notch and the food is amazing. As a young kid, when the skiing got tough, I would always head inside and get delicious food and hot cocoa. See more Deer Valley reviews here .
Fall is very busy in the mountainous regions with the influx of leaf peepers from the New England area, around the United States and the world. In these extremely popular areas, you ll want to make lodging reservations at least several weeks ahead, especially on weekends. Columbus Day weekend (Oct 7-9, 2017) is another time in which advanced booking is advised throughout the region.
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Traveling to other cities with your kiddos? Don’t miss Curbed’s maps of the best family activities
Good to know : West Valley is open daily from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Apples are $0.85 a pound. Follow their Facebook page for updates on U-pick apples. And be sure to bring containers for their popular juice pressed right on site!
Minneapolis, Minnesota is a great pick for outdoor-loving families thanks to kid-friendly (and free) favorites like the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, home to more than 40 outdoor works of art
You can’t go wrong with a safari and I would recommend booking with a company like Timbuktu Travel. Have a look at their safari travel tips – .
The K Bar S Lodge, built in 2006, is located a short distance from Mount Rushmore. It is quietly secluded on 31 forested acres and away from busy streets. Battle Creek winds its way throughout the property and the large meadow in front of the Lodge is often a playground for deer and turkeys. As a single traveler it was so fun to be with this group. It s much nicer to be with others when you share a great experience or see something wonderful. And, it s safer than traveling alone. I m hooked on Road Scholar.
Rockefeller State Park offers seasonal activities including hiking, running, bird-watching, fishing ( New York state fishing license required), picnicking, horseback-riding, carriage-driving, photography, painting, and geocaching (park permit required). Sleepy Hollow and neighboring Tarrytown have a deep immigrant history resulting in a rich mix of cuisines: Italian, Greek, Mexican, Indian, French, Portuguese, Irish, Japanese, Dominican, Chinese, Ecuadorian, Thai, Moroccan, and Chilean. Foodies should not miss the Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow farmers market at Patriots Park where you ll find fresh Hudson Valley produce, meat, bread, and wine.
Speaking of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, don t miss out on seeing the Rockettes show-stopping leg kick precision chorus during the holidays at Radio City Music Hall.
Jimmy Buffet s restaurant is a short walk from the Comfort Suites Paradise Island Hotel and Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. What could be better than eating a literal Cheeseburger in Paradise? Pairing it with a yummy margarita, of course.
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Make sure you check out the new sustainable Christmas Market in Berlin!! Its located by Hacksnshiremarkt!
What s more exhilarating than seeing the city from 108 floors above the world-famous Las Vegas Strip? Jumping off it. Strap in and face your fear as you jump off the side of SkyPod at The STRAT.
Have you ever dreamed of creating your own ice sculpture? The Quebec Winter Carnival has just what you’re looking for! Bring your group to our Ice Sculpture Workshops under the guidance of a team led by none other than Marc Lepire, chief sculptor of Bonhomme’s Ice Palace! During this one-hour event, you will learn the workflow of master sculptors and enjoy the unique experience of carving your own solid ice block with your group of 2 to 4 people. Free all-you-can-drink hot chocolate will keep you warm throughout the frosty fun.
When you’re travelling with your kids, indoor-fun options are a must no matter what the season. Montreal saves the day with all kinds of activities, from adventurous physical feats to skill-testing games and educational entertainment.
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Great Read! Travelling with your family is one of the most exciting way to spend your holidays. If you are wondering where to travel next, here are some of the best vacation spots in the world.
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We have traveled through several airports in Germany but never Munich. We will keep Munich on our list for the next trip through Europe since it sounds like the best place to have a stop over with kids. Thanks for the review and the information for kids to do in Munich Airport.
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