Families dream big about how to spend their precious vacation time; that's why we're giving away a family expedition to the legendary Galapagos Islands of South America.
TakingtheKids.com, TravelingMom.com and Family Travel Forum have teamed up to make your Big Dream vacation come true aboard the National Geographic Endeavour!
All it takes to win this Dream Big Galapagos Expedition Adventure is some imagination, participation in our online scavenger hunt, and a spirit of adventure! (Luck helps, but participation counts the most!)
Experience Galapagos with the Experts: Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
Family vacations are more than R&R. They’re about building memories to last a lifetime. Guarantee more of those indelible memories by sharing an amazing cruise adventure to the Galapagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, pioneers in exploring Galapagos.
Leave your luxury expedition ship by Zodiac to go ashore, and get up close to giant tortoises, marine iguanas, curious sea lions and blue-footed boobies during daily hikes. Kayak, swim and snorkel together as you explore a new island each day of the 9-night/10-day expedition, encountering wildlife that has never developed a fear of humans.
The Lindblad-National Geographic expeditions team knows how to make a family vacation magical. Activities geared specifically to children and teens include a unique expedition photography program with a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified Photo Instructor, a Crossing the Equator ceremony (yes, you cross the equator on this adventure), scavenger hunts; plus craft programs in which kids can make postcards and memory necklaces from recycled paper, learn knot-tying and enjoy a special pizza & movie night.
The A+ Expedition Leaders and Naturalists’ in-depth understanding of the islands guarantees days steeped in joy, wonder and engaging activities, whether you are 8 or 80.
Galapagos Family Adventure Cruise Specifics
The Families Dream Big Galapagos Expedition aboard the National Geographic Endeavour is a $20,000+ offer valid for two Category 1 cabins, each sleeping two. The giveaway is good for travel between February 1 and April 30, 2012, or September 1 and November 15, 2012, only. Airfare not included. Subject to availability by Lindblad Expeditions and excluding holiday blackouts. Confirmation is given 45 days prior to sailing. May not be combined with other offers; limitations and conditions apply. There is no age restriction, though such a trip may be better suited to children aged 8 and older.
How to Enter the Families Dream Big Contest
There are many ways to enter, by participating in our online scavenger hunt. or on our social media pages. Remember that no matter where or how your participate, you'll have to verify it by leaving a comment on this special TravelingMom.com page so it will be considered an entry.
1. The scavenger hunt
Take our scavenger hunt challenge in which you'll visit all three sites — Taking the Kids, TravelingMom and Family Travel Forum — to learn about the Galapagos Islands, interacting with animals, taking great photos, getting a passport in a hurry, saving money when you fly, South American cultures and more!
- Click on the questions below, which are each linked to a story on TravelingMom.com, TakingTheKids.com or Family Travel Forum. Read the post for each question, then go to the TravelingMom.com page to post your comment or answer. Remember, your comments will only count as an entry if you leave a link to them on TravelingMom.com
- One comment = one entry.
- Entries are limited to one comment or answer per question, but write as much as you'd like!
Scavenger hunt questions from Taking the Kids:
- Which of these tips will you use or have you used to get better family vacation photos?
- Which of these suggestions for getting kids out in nature have you tried or would you like to try?
- Which of the animals on this Lindblad North Pole expedition would you most like to see and why?:
Scavenger hunt questions from Family Travel Forum
- Which of the things in this diary would you like to experience and why?
- Which of the animals seen on this African safari would you most like to see and why?
- Which of these places would you most like to have a sleep over and why?
Scavenger hunt questions from TravelingMom
- What would you say to your spouse in this situation?
- Which of the free US city zoos would you most like to visit and why?
- Which of these tips for saving money when flying have you used? Do you have other great tips?
2. Join the Conversation on Facebook for More Chances to Win
Participate on our Facebook pages (optional) for more chances to win. Visit our Facebook pages and leave a comment there, then post the link to your comment on the TravelingMom.com page. Limited to four Facebook entries (one per FB page) per day.
- Like TravelingMom on Facebook, then come back here to tell us you did.
- Like Taking the Kids on Facebook, then come back here to tell us you did.
- Like Family Travel Forum on Facebook, then come back here to tell us you did.
- Like Lindblad Expeditions on Facebook, then come back here to tell us you did.
If you already like us, leave a comment here telling us that as your entry.
3. Help us promote the contest for More Chances to Win
Share the news with friends and family and earn more chances to win.
- Post a link to the contest on your Facebook page. Suggested post: Have you dreamed of going to the Galapagos? Enter this contest to win a family dream vacation from Lindblad. http://bit.ly/pbf5lK
- Tweet about the contest. Suggested tweet: Win a family vacation to the Galapagos! http://bit.ly/pbf5lK #TMOM #DREAMVACAY
- After posting, right click on the date stamp to get a link to your post or tweet, then come back to record your link in the Comment section.
Please note, this is limited to one FB post and one tweet entry per day so we don't spam any of our friends.
4. Join us on a Twitter Party! #TMOM #DREAMvacay
The #TMOM #DREAMVACAY party will take place from 9-10pm ET on October 17, 2011, when we talk about travel that allows you to Dream Big.
- If you tweet at least once on the party, come back here and post a link to that tweet for one additional entry.
Families Dream Big Contest Details
By entering the contest, you give us permission to share your email address with our sponsor Lindblad Expeditions. If we don't have your email address, please post it in the Comments Page so that this amazing adventure travel company can keep your family up to date on new trips.
- Contest closes at 12:01 am ET November 8, 2011.
- Winner will be chosen by random.org on Nov. 9 and notified via email
- Winner will have 48 hours to accept the prize. If the prize has not been accepted by the deadline, a new winner will be chosen.
- By accepting the prize, winner agrees to allow TravelingMom, Taking the Kids and Family Travel Forum to post publicly his or her name and agrees to supply photos taken during the trip to be posted on all three sites.
Please! Read the legal fine print here.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
Gr8 information. The beach resorts you suggested are awesome! I think Shangri-La Fijian Resort, Fiji is the best for the people having kids.
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You could win a trip for a family of 4 to San Antonio, by joining us on Twitter June 20, 8pm ET, for a group chat on planning family vactions sponsored by TravelingMom.com and The Complete Idiots Guide to the Best Family Destinations. Just follow the hastag #TMOM when you get to twitter and you'll be all set to post your thoughts.
More info on how to win this great prize here: https://myfamilytravels.com/content/47256-win-picture-perfect-san-antonio-family-vacation
We chose San Antonio as a partner in this Twitter Party and book promotion because it's really one of the Best Family Destinations in North America!
MFT Tip #1 – If you're going to a warm destination (like San Antonio) in the summer, make sure the kids can keep themselves hydrated. Personal water bottles come in all shapes and sizes, and many have cute shoulder straps or pouches so even your toddlers can carry their own.
We look forward to hearing your vacation planning tips — to San Antonio or anywhere else…
A New Place, A New World, A New Dream
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I agree 100% with everything in this article! I have had some experience with planning trips to Europe with my own family and compiled a website full of helpful advice. I particularily love your point #6 about packing lightly – each trip we do to Europe (generally about 3 weeks long) is done only with carry-on luggage. (You only need to try and lug giant suitcases full of things your don't need onto trains once!) It's amazing how little you actually need, and your last point is true too – don't expect to do too much. Sitting in an Italian park with gelato is pretty nice…
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That's a great creativity and fun living place for children. I think Henri Landwirth has done a real great job for children knowing the ancient time and with that enjoying the world village of fairy tales and lot more.
This is awesome, the place suits for the vacations with family. It gives more attachment and warmness with the introduction of new culture. I would love to go there with my family.
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The earliest settlements in the Hawaiian Islands were made by Polynesians who travelled to Hawaii using large double-hulled canoes.
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Around the beginning of August of 2011 my parents decided to take a cruise to Mexico. At first I didn't want to go because my classes that I had at high school were College level classes and I didn't want to fall behind in them. It was my senior year, and I wanted to be on top of things. I would think that I would want to go and miss days of school, but this time around I was more focused on my education than anything. I fought really hard to stay in Florida, where I originally lived, so that I could focus on my studies, sadly, I had no choice but to go with them.
Upon arrival on the cruise things were ok. Actually it was more than ok. It was something I never experienced before. It was a mixture of different emotions. When I arrived, we had to go through a metal detector for obvious reasons. I thought I was in the clear, but every time I walked through, it would beep and I would be told to go back. I was sent back at least 10 times until the people behind me started to get mad. After about the 12th time, I finally realized what prevented me from going through. It was my belt. I had to take it off, and I thought it would be no big deal, but the minute I took it off, my pants began to drop. I quickly grabbed it, but then the officers gave me back all of my items that were metal, and without thinking I let go my pants and grabbed for the items, and the expected happened. My pants dropped. Luckily I had on long boxer shorts, but what was on the boxer shorts were even more embarrassing. My boxers had Sponge bob on it. What made it worse was that the little girl behind me saw it and shouted in excitement "Sponge Bob" and ran up to me and hugged my boxers. An outburst of laughter changed the angry crowds mood. Boy, was that embarrassing. After the embarrassing moment, it relieved some tension that I had about not going on the cruise. Even I had to admit that it was pretty funny. Eventually we settled in, got comfortable and cruised right along to Mexico.
Now since I live in Florida, I thought Florida was Hot, I was wrong. The instant I stepped off the boat into the sun, I felt as if the sun it self was cooking my face. The only way to describe or even come close to explain how hot it was is to tell you how I felt. The sun was so bright that my eyes squinted so hard that eventually after the trip I got wrinkles on my forehead from squinting so hard. I never felt a heat wave so strong as to where it made me regret ever stepping off the boat. Try standing a hot sun all day with your head hurting, eyes, and forehead. Any shade that I found was heaven for me; cause walking around in the sun was hell. The sun seriously cooked my face in to look a certain way. When I came back to Florida, everyone said that I looked older and angry. I laughed because I knew exactly why it looked the way it did.
I am going to be purchasing some cayman islands real estate very soon. During this process I'm going to be staying with my daughter, who is 7. This article was very helpful for me. Now I know of things that I can do with her while we're staying there.
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Do you know that the name of the country Canada came from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, which means village.To know more facts of Canada you may log on to http://www.seapyramid.net.
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Nice piece of information! May I reference part of this on my blog if I post a back link to this web page? Thanks.
Glad you found Bethany's story on traveling in Rome helpful. You are welcome to quote from it on your blog, but we ask that you please give your readers the link back to the full story so they can get all the details. Then, please email us through the Contact Us form below so we can see your blog!
thanks Kyle
Wow amazing resort I really like it. I am planning a big family travelling, maybe it is a great help to me. I will bookmark your blog for future updates.
You're absolutely right, but for most families, these special occasion restaurants are a once in a lifetime occasion.
And foodie NY families also take advantage of the city's 2 annual Restaurant Weeks. They're usually for a month (I know it's called Week!) in Feb-Mar and in summer of 2011, it's from July 11-24. All lunches charge $24.07 and all dinners cost $35, and in the past, these 2 amazing restaurants and many others of their calibre have participated in Restaurant Week.
So, that's certainly a good time to get the kids dressed up and show them an amazing foodie night on the town. Check out : http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek for details. And bon appetit!
Per se and La Bernadin are two of the best restaurants in NYC, possibly the world. But dinner for 2 will cost several hundred dollars at each one. They're not within reach of most families.
Please note this 2011 update to hours and admission prices from The Eric Carle Museum:
Hours
10 am–4 pm Tuesday through Friday
10 am–5 pm Saturday
12 –5 pm Sundays
Closed on Mondays * and Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Day
* Open Mondays during July and August and MA school vacation weeks.
Admission Prices
Adult admission $9
Youth (under 18), Student, Teacher and Senior Admission $6
Family Admission (2 adults and 2 youth) $22.50
You are too funny! I actually wrote 6 guidebooks about Greece for the Frommer series, so yes, I know it pretty well. Changing fast though! Thanks for your comments. Kyle
Are there any East African cruises which combine with a Tanzania safari – http://www.ziarasafaris.com — or is the horn of Africa deemed to dangerous to pass through en-route for cruise ships?
It's like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. Top attractions and world-class tourist destinations in Greece visit this site http://www.bailerbin.com/bb/greece — greece — at http://www.bailerbin.com. Enjoy! Danica http://www.bailerbin.com
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I am appreciating your blog,but i want to tell you something that i know about this blog is that there are various agencies that organize tours in Madrid and excursions to attractions and sights both outside and within the limits of the city of Madrid.
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1 year ago we purchased a <a href="http://www.export-mall.com/electric-utility-vehicles_c24">electric utility vehicle</a> at export-mall.com for my grandson and we were totally pleased. It took a few days longer to receive and had small damage on the back. It was hard to reach them by phone, but the damage was so minor that we decided to just not complain. My grandson got great enjoyment from his pocket rocket for 2 years. Last year we sold it at our neighborhood community yard sale because he out-grew it. I have read lots of complaints but I can honestly say our experience with the company was a good one. We are going to make another purchase from the same company for this Christmas and I am hoping I'm able to post another good review of that purchase.
How does this impact the amount of national parks slated to be shut down?
http://globaltransportation.com – Has anyone heard about a company called Global Transportation? Their website is at http://www.globaltransportation.us – We are looking to do a church trip in Vegas and never heard of this company out of Colorado or specifically Denver.
We have 40 people that want to go on this trip and it looks like they have a tour that we would love to go on…
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Americans are in love with Yellowstone this year! Available space at in-the-park lodges is at a premium and hard to find. A great alternative is Far and Away's 2 nite basecamp (you won't believe the luxury) on a remote shore of Yellowstone Lake. If you want a park experience unlike any other (without the crowds) and one that still has good space availability – it's the ticket.
Thanks for all the great budget friendly tips. My wife and I love taking a bike ride or our dogs for a walk on the Monon Trail. Stop in at BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Shop) for a tasty treat! Also, we lived here for quite some time before we discovered Holiday Park – they have a great playground for kids.
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Thankyou for such a nice blog.Your article is very informative and useful .The park is also part sanctuary for injured or displaced animals
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Give Kids The World Village provides week-long vacations in handicap-accessible homes, with all meals, on-site actions and attraction tickets to families with children with serious illnesses.
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I am always recommending them…to my blog readers…in interviews…to my friends and family…and to pretty much anyone who is seeking a family vacation that keeps not only the children happy but also the parents! While most cruise lines do not accept children under the age. you want to know more information regarding its then you can visit here..
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