My Family Travels | Latest Articles
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Xi’an, China – The Land Of Kings And Flowers

This family explores China's ancient capital of Xi'an, home of the famed life-size terra cotta warriors excavated at an imperial tomb.I may be writing about Xi'an, China as an ideal destination...

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Outdoor Fun in Kunming, China

The capital of south China's Yunnan province offers a mildly active, yet satisfying, outdoors getaway for Asian families all year round.Yunnan Province, long traversed by backpackers foreign...

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Chengdu, China’s Culture and Cuisine

Exploring Sichuan culture, cuisine and the arts during a long weekend break in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.Our time in Chengdu, China began at the gilded

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Student Article
Here Be Dragons: Filling in My Map

I had never ventured abroad before. Arizona had been at the edge of my travel map; beyond that, 'here be dragons'. I knew nothing about flying, passports, baggage checks, or customs.And...

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Student Article
How to Get to Puerto Rico Without Really Trying

            In 10 seconds, I went from relaxing at home with an open schedule to frantically packing to fly to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico for an entire week...

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Student Article
What’s Left When the Frappe is Gone

In a tiny village called Istiaia on the island of Evvia in Greece, I came to accept the reality of me. My mother spent the first eighteen years of her life trapped in that village, forever under the watchful...

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Student Article
What the Kids Taught Me

I have recently returned from an amazing journey to Peru. This trip was through my high school and was centered on volunteer work and cultural experience. The first week we spent in the city of Chaclacayo...

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Buenos Aires, Argentina Family Values

When family vacation planners think of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the image that arises could be the tango, which was threatened with being banned in the early part of the 20th century. Or the image may...

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Student Article
New York City: Getting Lost and Finding Myself

Traveling to (and around) New York City is a daunting task. Writing about it is even harder.What’s there to say about New York that hasn’t already been said? From the Jazz Age to modern day,...

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Student Article
Through the Mountains of Allure

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the natural world? Solitude? Treachery? Grandiosity? The one word that comes to my mind is beauty....

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Student Article
From Upscale and Glam to Poor and Rundown

            I was raised thinking the world is a great place. I do not disagree with that statement but the world has its dark side. New York is a place I fell in love...

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Martinique Family Attractions

Martinique family vacations certainly include sun 'n' sand and a splash of French culture, but there are also plenty of other activities, especially for preschoolers. Martinique really is the perfect...

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Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Hotels And Resorts

Family-friendly resorts are among the  best and most affordable places on Grand Cayman, the main island in one of Caribbean's hottest holiday destinations. Yet, friendly smiles and warm sun await...

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Sint Maarten and Saint Martin Share A Caribbean Island

Saint Martin is the smallest island in the world to have been partitioned between two different nations, the Netherlands and France, but each side offers a surprising variety of quiet attractions. ...

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Villas in Assisi Available for Guests and Special Events

As of April 2014, Zenaide Giunta, descendent of Emperor Napoleon, opened two of her castles in the countryside of Assisi, Italy -- one serving as a villa for guests, and the other as a venue for special...

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Student Article
My Camino

Colombia has beautiful colinas: green clouds that go on forever and make you feel as though you can jump from one to the other in a leap. My abuelo has a farm with hills like these and dirt paths that...

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Student Article
Sweet Home Alabama

      It all started four years ago. My entire world flipped upside down in the blink of an eye in June of 2010. This was the end of one book and the beginning of another as I trekked...

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Student Article
A Not So Podunk Town

Texas is full of Podunk towns. On the hundred-mile plus stretches between more bustling cities, little towns dot the rural landscape, many equipped with not more than a questionable three pump gas station...

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My Favorite U.S. Virgin Islands Haunts

Long considered the playground of the tan, the fit and the wealthy, and host to too many toga parties and limbo contests, the U.S. Virgin Islands are saying good bye to hedonism -- and they're welcoming...

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Student Article
The Little Things

Sometimes it takes traveling 600 plus miles away from home to be closer with the ones that you live with there. That is exactly what happened when my family decided to take a weeks vacation...

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Student Article
Spine of the Earth: A Hike Through The Great Smokey Mountains

Sweat dripping down my back and feet crunching the dry earth, I pushed past tree boughs drooping in my path as I walked along the ridge of the Great Smokey Mountains on what has been referred to as...

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North Dakota Attractions

There are Badlands in both Dakotas, but the north can boast about its forbidding landscape, Pioneer Days celebrations and Theodore Roosevelt memorabilia.Find out what's the best in the West in...

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Student Article
Percussion Ensemble trip to Austin, TX

The trip to Austin was exciting, funny, loud, emotional, and hot. After working our way to the top in Area, our Percussion Ensemble received the gold medal and the green light to advance to State....

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Portland, Heart of Oregon

Portland, Oregon -- the Pacific Northwest's hippest city -- is also its greenest, most friendly, and a fun place for a weekend away with the family. The show Portlandia also helped put...

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Student Article
Pandas and Places You Only See in China!

 When my sister was living overseas in Hong Kong, I jumped at the opportunity to visit her and get a glimpse of what my culture was like.  As a fifth generation Chinese-American, I...

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New-York Historical Society Sets Sail with Circle Line

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, New York City’s iconic sightseeing company (more than 60 million passengers since 1945), recently unveiled a new joint program with New-York Historical...

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Ghost Towns of the American West

Up for a bit of a scare blended with historical haunts on your next vacation; discover the ghost towns of the Southwest in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, California, and Utah. Learn about the history...

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Baby Proof Travel Essentials

Multigenerational travel comprises 27% of all leisure travel according to the 2014 TMS Family Travel Summit, and 81% of these travelers say safety is their top priority. Given that so many grandparents...

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A Volunteer Reading Road Trip at Beaches Turks and Caicos

Once upon a time, the questions my children asked during our family travels were easy.  Are we there yet? How long are we staying? Will there be other kids to play with? These questions were sometimes...

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Six Easy Safety Tips For Theme Parks

Keep your family safe during your next theme park adventure with these six easy tips.Trips to the theme park are usually on the top of every child's wish list.  But when kids make a beeline...

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Paris – France Family Shopping Sans Budget

Whenever she visits Paris, the designer toddler clothes, haute couture for dolls, and toys for les jeunes make this shopper cry, "Vive la France!"Last year, a friend called me in a panic. It...

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Article
Visit Victoria, Queen Of British Columbia

With the mildest climate in Canada, half the rainfall of neighboring Seattle and Vancouver, and a stunning setting on the edge of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a great year-round destination full of...

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Student Article
A Final, Perfect Memory

“This is the best part!” says Hannah as we watch cheese buyers and sellers haggle. We are at the cheese...

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Article
Biggest Yard Sale Ever: The Route 127 Corridor

An adorable vacation: Roadtrip it from OH to AL to see the 1,000s of objects for sale in America's longest yard sale.From nearby festivals to outside family barbecues, the summer season offers...

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Student Travel And Semesters Abroad

FTF offers guidance on how to prepare students for study abroad programs, so parents can maintain the maximum peace of mind.Although strict new regulations from America's INS Department have...

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Article
Along The African Diaspora Heritage Trail In St. Louis

Show me St. Louis! Missouri's 'Gateway to the West' reveals its black heritage trail and celebrates a long tradition of African American culture. From the Gateway Arch to the Old Courthouse, thriving...

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Among The Relaxed On Pine Island

I was cursing the high-season traffic along Florida’s Gulf Coast until we made a right turn off grid-locked Cape Coral onto Pine Island.  Then I remembered the travel truism:  The best...

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Branson, Missouri With The Grandchildren

Branson is one of our favorite destinations. People go back year after year to enjoy all the shows and my husband and I have been there four times. To see how it's grown is amazing. Branson started...

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Safer Driving Tips And Tire Savvy

I was recently invited to learn how to be a safer driver at the Cooper Tire Vehicle and Test Center, located outside of San Antonio, Texas. 

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Top 10 Family Camps For Family Together Vacations

Family Travel Forum's picks have been compiled from more than a decade of "Top 10 Getaway Winners" to help your family begin their lifelong love of nature. The following options combine...

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A Perfect Philadelphia Getaway For Every Age And Stage Of Life

Philadelphia, Greek for “city of brotherly love,” really is perfect for a city-focused family getaway with kids of any age. Running the gamut from stirring American history sites, to arts and culture...

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Student Article
Always Expect the Unexpected

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Article
Top 3 Northeast Family Resorts

Mohonk Mountain House, the Tyler Place Family Resort and Smugglers Notch are among the top family getaways in the Northeast, and all three will fulfill your...

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Tunisia’s Beaches = Africa’s Vacation Playground

This is a friendly Mediterranean country where Arab culture meets European sunbathing at the very popular Hammamet and Sousse resorts.In a North African country known for its 60 million olive...

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Google Glass Eyes Travelers

In the course of covering travel I am often asked to review innovative products that, while well designed and possibly useful, don’t enhance the travel experience enough to justify their cost,...

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My Family Biked From Alaska To Argentina

17,300 miles is the distance from Los Angeles, California to New York, New York -- seven times. It is about 5,000 miles less than the entire circumference of the Earth. It is a number I had only seen on...

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The Dream Road Trip of a Lifetime in the USA

A traveler from the UK shares his dream road trip: Driving the American West, visiting film locations in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.  Here's his journal.Hollywood's location managers...

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San Antonio, Texas Hotels

Here are reviews of favorite family-friendly hotels near the top sightseeing and cultural attractions in sunny San Antonio, Texas. Keep in mind that San Antonio is known as 'Fiesta City,' and there's...

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Student Article
“This Time For Africa”

Ever since I can remember, my family, especially my dad, has been obsessed with soccer. So when he told us he bought tickets for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, it was a dream come true.  The...

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Student Article
Adventures In Japanese

Just a few weeks ago my friend had nudged me slightly as we walked through the hallways of our school. He was staring at his feet with a solemn expression as his silly dinosaur sunglasses bounced atop...

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