An Orlando Village Gives Kids The World
Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) is an 84-acre, nonprofit resort in Florida that provides a special vacation home for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides 168 fully-furnished villas at its resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations and...
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Which One’s Right for You? Industry Experts Rank the Ski Resorts
The ski season has just begun and we already have a few surveys from industry experts to help families customize the choice of best ski resort. According to the Liftopia 2017-18 Best in Snow Awards issued Dec. 18, 2017, which used proprietary algorithms to crunch survey responses and the largest dataset in the industry, ski...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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Innocents Abroad: Students Traveling Alone
For teens and college students, the freedom of their first trip or study abroad program without parents can be a rush. Empower them to stay safe by sharing this advice. Parents often think of traveling with children only in the context of family vacations or similar trips. However, despite the valuable experience that this gives children, it is not the same as when they travel for...
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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...
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Car Rentals: Child Safety Not Included
One would think that at any car rental agency, child seats would be available without much fuss. Think again; our report just may convince you that the only safe thing to do is bring your own. According to Consumer Reports, a number of the major agencies won’t unconditionally guarantee child seat availability. Rates also change depending on location. While they typically...
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Safari West And Save Yourself A Flight To Africa
Those unexpectedly upside down moments in life, like seeing the Golden Arches among the pagodas of Beijing, can be fun and very reassuring, especially when traveling with kids. But when it's the reverse -- finding the exotic in the familiar -- it can be unsettling. So when we first heard there was an African safari camp outside Santa Rosa, California, we were skeptical... and a bit suspicious. A...
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How To Volunteer On Vacation
It's no secret that volunteer vacations have rapidly entered mainstream travel trends, and families are taking notice. It's an opportunity to see the world, enrich lives, serve others and, for students, even give their college resumes a boost. Here are some tips to help families select an appropriate volunteer vacation, then make the most of it once all ages are on board. What...
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