Halloween in New York City for Free And Cheap Fun
Starting in early September, carved pumpkins, spooky ghosts, and candy treats permeate every corner for Halloween in New York City and spreads the spirit of autumn across the five boroughs, from early October through All Hallows' Eve. Whether it's watching the world-famous Village Halloween Parade or taking the family to discounted Broadway shows, there is no shortage of Halloween...
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The Real Oktoberfest
Cologne is known for Carnival, Berlin has its Film Festival, and Munich -- where they adopted the beer purity law in 1516 -- may be the epicenter of Oktoberfest. Surely, though, those three cities aren’t the only worthy hosts of internationally celebrated events. Of all of Germany's festivities, my particular interest is Oktoberfest and Nuremberg is a great place...
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California Haunted Houses and Halloween Happiness
If ghosts, haunted houses, goblins, and Halloween costumes are on everyone’s mind, there’s now something ghoulishly fun for all fear tolerances including California haunted houses, theme parks, and other Halloween fun. Since the fright industry has grown so quickly, both mild and terrifying fun are available throughout the fall. We’ve found some great events (many of them free) in San...
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Fabulous Fall Vacations and Getaways
Harvest season. Kid-friendly festivals. Halloween. Let the fall fun begin! There’s no better time than autumn to get outdoors and get away whether you have a day, a weekend or a week for fall vacations. The climate is ideal; there is the right ratio of visitors to locals, and grandparents can savor their preschoolers without the crowds. In many places, shoulder season prices make a fall getaway...
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Road Trip USA: Leaf Peeking in New England
New England's beautiful display of nature, charming towns and friendly faces make Vermont and New Hampshire perfect choices for a family road trip, especially in autumn. Vermont’s small size and little traveled roads make it super for a family driving trip, and October brings leaf peepers to view nature’s annual display of autumn colors. The northern part of Vermont is remote enough to never...
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Apple Picking And Pick Your Own Pumpkins
Whether you're hungry or looking for a cheap staycation, u-pick apple farms and pumpkin picking at a local orchard or farm are among Fall's best family getaways. Read along as the apple-a-day FTF staff divulges the best places across America to pick your own fruit. Whether you're hungry or looking for a cheap staycation, u-pick apple orchards...
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Orlando Haunted Houses and Spooky Thrills in Orlando
Say the word Orlando and "vacation" may come to mind, along with theme park rides, thrills, and characters. But come Halloween, some people prefer the spooks and chills of the hauntingly horrifying holiday complete with Orlando haunted houses. Others, especially those with younger children, may seek a more light-hearted approach to the autumn occasion. We’ve found a few fun Halloween...
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Autumn Interludes and Fall Family Vacation Ideas
If a uniquely American and slightly eccentric fall festival in North Carolina,Texas, Wisconsin, Maine or Vermont is your idea of a fun fall getaway, read on. Autumn is the time to harvest some of the many free activities and discounted hotel rooms offered in small towns across America. Whether you combine a stay deal with
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11 Tips For Traveling and Coping with Food Allergies
For the millions of people with food allergies (and their families), traveling can be a source of tremendous anxiety. Dining in unfamiliar cities and restaurants -- which may or may not be able to accommodate special dietary requirements -- can be extremely stressful. Worrying about a possible allergic reaction compounds the problem. I've traveled extensively with my own children...
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Leaf Peeker’s Guide To America’s Fall Foliage
Fall foliage tours and affordable leaf peeping road trips are easy to plan if you use this How-To, Where-To guide to Leaf Peeper Hotlines plus tips on the best places to see leaf colors changing en route. You’ll probably find a fall festival at your destination to make it a fun day’s outing or enough harvest events...
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It’s All Family Fun and Games in Quebec Canada
Québec is an outdoor playground for families looking to get back to nature and be adventurous. The second largest region in Canada, Québec features more than 30 national parks and over 14,000 square miles of protected wilderness area to explore. For your next family vacation, head north of Montréal to Laval and the Lanaudière region. These two lesser known gems are perfect for your next...
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High Times at Fall Festivals
Fall for a fun festival or free outdoor activity this season, when there are so many options for adult getaways, whether you’re BFFs or couples. For example, on Sept, 14- 15, Altamont, New York celebrates the harvest season with the Capital Region Apple & Wine Festival where they make local specialty beverages....
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Washington Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
The late summer and early fall is apple picking time at the u-pick apple orchards and farms and pumpkin patches surrounding the city of Seattle. Did you know that Washington State is the country's Apple Capital? It's true, in 2006, a survey found that 56% of all apples consumed in the U.S. were grown in Washington. The state is also well known for...
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Fire on the Road: An Alaska Trip to Remember
It was before dawn on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula’s only highway when an official flagged down our rental car. “There is fire on both sides of the road,” she said. “It’s smoky. Be careful. And don’t stop to take pictures.” We didn’t. And it was scary. We were in the middle of a two-week trip to Alaska, on our way to go fishing on the iconic Kenai River, having left...
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Our Favorite Vacation Deals and Booking Sites
We are often asked how to save money planning a vacation, so we are sharing our favorite sites for discount travel booking. We really do use them all. You can click on any of these site ads, search for your needs and pay for your bookings through them, knowing they are trustworthy. Through our affiliate relationship with them, we will get a small commission payment. Our commission doesn't...
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Las Vegas, Nevada Attractions
We'll roll the dice on this and guarantee fun on your next Nevada vacation -- if you pack our age-appropriate rundown of the best attractions for kids, teens and families in adult-oriented Las Vegas. Great Fun for the Kids (Toddler to Age 8) Circus Circus Adventuredome 2880 Las...
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Maui Family Travel for the Eco-Conscious
Green travel has gone from a niche industry to a global standard, with 87% of international travelers claiming they want to vacation sustainably. It’s no wonder. Eco-conscious traveling is, in the end, a moral imperative, allowing sightseers to explore the world while giving back to the lands they visit and the Earth-friendly businesses they patron. Consider yourself not just part of the 87% ...
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Massachusetts Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
Have you considered a bargain staycation near a u-pick fruit farm or apple orchard in New England? If so, Massachusetts family farms -- some even wind-powered -- are your destination. Farm stays are a great way to introduce kids to healthy eating and the wonders of nature, and experiencing a pick-your-own fruit farm will reinforce the message. If school has started, plan...
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California Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
The late summer and early fall is apple picking time for San Francisco and Bay Area families. Review our list of apple orchards and pumpkin farms of Mendocino, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties for a fun weekend away or even a day's outing with the kids. Whether you are looking to pick fruit, go on a hayride, or buy fresh baked goods in northern California,...
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Cleveland, Ohio Rocks The Weekend
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...
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Illinois Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
Stick with us while we drive to countryside U-Pick apple farms in Rockford, Caledonia, Winnebago and other regions near Chicago, Illinois then head southwest across the state to Alton to check out the orchards near the Mississippi River and St. Louis, Missouri. In our family, a day...
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Haunted Houses, Halloween Ideas and Weekend Breaks
Halloween is an estimated $9 billion holiday -- with more than $300 million of that spent to dress up family pets -- so it's no wonder that kids have ghost stories and candy on their minds from the beginning of the school year. When the chill winds blow, a family Halloween weekend away at any of America's haunted houses for kids, an outing to a creepy place, or just a costume shopping spree may restore...
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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, An Epic Adventure
Give in to the gravitational pull of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World because there’s just no resisting it. Whether or not you’re a Star Wars fan, whether you side with the Resistance or the First Order, these duplicate 14-acre "lands" – the largest in Disney’s history – are so immersive that being there is just, well, irresistible. Bright...
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Autumn Adventures In A Corn Maze
We think visiting a farm -- one with a huge corn maze the kids can puzzle on -- is a great autumn family getaway and, according to the directory at Corn Mazes America, there are approximately 800 to choose from in the U.S. this season. If you can also pick apples, sit on a hay bale, buy some local produce, and bring home a big pumpkin at half the price it sells for in your home town, it's a value getaway...
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Oregon Apple Farms – U Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
Follow us to the countryside during the autumn months for some leaf-peeking, then head to the U-pick farms and apple orchards outside Portland, Oregon where you can pick your own from the season's bounty. With hours worth of family-fun apple and pumpkin picking, you can enjoy a staycation or long weekend road trip and save money on your food bills for weeks to...
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New York Metro Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
The late summer and early fall is pick your own apples time, and a day at a New York Metro U-Pick farm is the perfect staycation or basis for a cheap weekend getaway for many area families. Follow my family to the countryside in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut for the best P-Y-O apple and pumpkin picking farms in the tristate metropolitan area. If...
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Best Family Plantations Along Louisiana’s Great River Road
The glamorous life of old on display in New Orleans’ Garden District is far surpassed by the many riverfront antebellum mansions and plantations lining the Great River Road. Be sure to allow half a day to tour one, show the family the agricultural heart of the state, and discover how the lives of plantation owners differed from that of their slaves. Preparing for your Plantation Visit If...
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9 Questions About the Global Nomad Life You Are Too Shy to Ask
We recently corresponded with Sarah and Gavin Steiner of @AwaywiththeSteiners to learn more about traveling the world full time with kids. Sarah describes their clan as a typical Kiwi family, having taken a year out from a busy lifestyle in New Zealand to travel fulltime with two boys, now 4 and 6. Their passion is for travel that gets them off the beaten track and out adventuring, experiencing...
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Lighthouses For The Night
August 7th is National Lighthouse Day and if you've never thought about staying in one, this is your chance. In 1789, the United States passed an Act in support of all lighthouses, beacons, and public piers. Now 230 years later, several historic beacons offer affordable, family-friendly lodging along the East and West coasts of North America. When compared to hotels, lighthouses...
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Pennsylvania Apple Farms – U-Pick ‘Em And Enjoy
September and October are our favorite months to tour the Pennsylvania U-Pick farms for apple and pumpkin picking. Even a day in the fields can make a long weekend in the great family-friendly city of Philadelphia seem like a full vacation. If you're a history buff and are touring the great battlefield of Gettysburg, we have a few pick-your-own farms in that region...
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It’s Not Just a Mountain
“There it is guys!” I turned and looked out the window to see it. It was even more breathtaking than I had imagined. I had visited many mountains during my family’s yearly trips to national parks, but no peak possessed the beauty and grace of this one, standing tall and alone in the landscape. No mountain was as gorgeous as Mount Rainier. The first day, we hiked it, but not in its entirety...
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An Escape From The Concrete Jungle
They say that riding a bike is something that you remember how to do your whole life, and once you learn, you’ll never forget. This felt quite untrue as I pedaled my bike through the lush forests of Whistler, Canada, struggling to keep up with my brothers and father as they rode quickly past fellow tourists hiking and biking the trail. With every twist and turn I could feel my body lean, and thought...
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Yellow Mountain: From a Picture to Real Life
The first time I heard about Yellow Mountain (“Huangshan”) was when my dad showed me an old black-and-white photo in which he, a then-7-year-old boy, stood in front of a gray mountain and grinned widely. He pointed at the mountain in the background, which was more like a blurry outline in the dusk, telling me it was the most beautiful mountain in China and was located right in the south of his...
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Returning Home
It had only been a few hours since I’d lugged my overstuffed suitcase off the plane, through customs, and out the double doors of the airport. But now, far from the newly remodeled, sleek corridors of Heathrow, I stared up at the ancient, towering clock whose chime resonated throughout the city. From a young age, I had romanticized what it would be like to roam London’s cobbled streets. Like many...
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Dying to Go Home
It was July 11, 2018 when I stepped into the small hair salon with my new friends and tour guide. As I relaxed into the black leather chair and stared at myself in the mirror, I tried to catch a glimpse of the lower half of my hair, which was soaked in red hair dye. It’s too late to turn back now. I would have been lying if I told you I was not nervous. I had not asked my parents for permission to...
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New York City’s Charm
People rushed around me hurriedly in all directions. Everyone seemed to have something vastly important to do. A smartly dressed woman, briefcase in hand and phone pressed to her ear, marched firmly, unbothered by the city’s mayhem. Each person walked with a definite purpose, their gait calculated, controlled, and steadfast in their pursuits. I could not imagine anyone living here to sit idly by,...
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First Time Going International…try seven countries.
I come from two undocumented parents from Mexico who are not able to travel internationally because of their migratory status. This status kept my family from exploring the massively diverse cultures of the world that my mother so desperately dreamed of. To this day my parents have not been able to visit the places I have been to but I am eternally grateful that they are happy to see me go off and...
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Reconnecting with Isolation; An Appalachian Expedition
Reconnecting with Isolation; An Appalachian Expedition Spring break isn’t often thought of as a time of spiritual exploration, and rarely yields a ‘break’ from the hustle and bustle of the commercialized world we live in. Because of this preconceived idea of cruises and beach parties that typically resonate with ‘Spring break’, I wasn’t especially ecstatic about leaving my friends and...
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A Special Night in the Dominican Republic
The pink and orange hues melted together into the sky overlooking the verdant hills as the sun finally descended to end its glorious day. On the other side of the barbed wire, cows settled into the vastness of nature, moving only once in a while that it felt as if you were stuck in a painting, the beautiful sunset paused for eternity. We simply stared on at the magnificence of the panorama in this...
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The Sinister Site of Sachsenhausen
As I walked through the old iron gate, a chill ran down my spine. This was a doorway to hell. A sign on the gate displayed an old Nazi Slogan: Arbiet Macht Frei- Work Sets You Free. My family visited Germany last Spring Break, and stayed in an apartment in Berlin. Only 20 miles away was Sachsenhausen, a Labor Camp built by Nazi Germany in 1936, near the town of Oranienburg. Between 1936 and 1945,...
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“Fourth” World Travels; Bringing Hope to Haiti
As I stepped off the plane, I could immediately feel the dryness in the air. Haiti had not experienced a decent rain in seven months before our travel there in April 2019. The airport was tiny, but we got our bags loaded onto the church bus and headed to Fort Liberte. The smell of burning trash was throughout all of Cap Haitien and did not fade until we exited the city. There were no traffic laws,...
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Get Lost
As a high school sophomore, I was confident I could take over the world. My goal was always to achieve fluency in Spanish, and traveling to a Spanish-speaking country would be the ultimate way to test myself. When I told my peers I was planning to study abroad over the summer, they threw lots of words around. Maturity. Confidence. Preparation. The word I never heard? Directions. The first time I...
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Humbling History Lesson-A Visit to Anne Frank’s House
Last summer I had the privilege of travelling to Germany and the Netherlands with my family to visit relatives for a few weeks. We had several fun filled days planned such as visiting the Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, perusing museums in Berlin, and shopping in Munich. On our last day in Amsterdam, we booked a tour of Anne Frank’s house. I expected it to be mildly interesting and educational,...
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Connected by Coloring
I felt ashamed for feeling uncomfortable when I was around those in poverty. It took courage to venture out of my familiar bubble of suburban Arvada, Colorado into the low-income areas of Houston, Texas. This was my first mission trip. Once we said our goodbyes, it was a long 15 hours in a cramped van with ten other sleep-deprived people. When we exited the air-conditioned van into the humidity...
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Student of the World
During the summer before my junior year of high school, I traveled to Spain with the world language department at my school. I did well in my Spanish class and could speak enough Spanish to order food, and ask where the bathroom is. When I signed up for the trip, I only expected to have fun being in a new environment. Of course, that happened, but I also learned new things that I will carry with me...
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Grand Canyon Rim2Rim: A Test of Fortitude
My eyes traced the trail ahead of me until it was reduced to the size of a thread as my dad and I approached the South Rim trailhead. We woke up early, ambitious and ready to embark on our hike. Both of us knew the challenge that lay ahead, but we were excited to take it on and we needed to take a break from our daily routines in order to immerse ourselves in nature, away from the influence of the...
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The Tales of a Commuter
I had come to Chicago from Atlanta for a summer internship for high school students at Loyola University. Yet, I had not once ventured out of the four walls of my dorm to experience the bustling city life. My professor was amazed at this and cooked up a plan. He invited me for breakfast and instead of dropping me at dorm he dropped me at CTA with a specific instruction: “Don’t be a nerd, Vishnu....
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Angel Island’s Mysteries
Angel Island was lush, green and beautiful. A typical vacation spot, obscured by forests which resembled the Amazon Jungle. The Golden Gate Bridge overlooked the tiny speck of paradise. However, it had a complicated history. Along with being a modern fairytale island, Angel Island was the immigration point for Asian immigrants. An “Ellis Island of the West.” But unlike Ellis Island, which allowed...
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As White as Snow
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Pure white sand, going on for miles and miles. As we drove down the winding road, my family and I admired the mounds of sand. We watched the sun’s rays reflect off the shining sand, amazed at how white the color was, just like snow. We were driving into White Sands National Monument, a beautiful gift of nature that had been formed over the course of millions of years....
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My Mom and I
This is a picture of my mother and I, standing atop the famed botanical garden in Eze, France. It was the summer after my sophomore year, and my mom and I were travelling through southwest Europe after leaving Skopje, Macedonia. My mom firmly believes in the value of travelling and learning from different cultures, and this is what brought us to the small rocky village of Eze that summer. You might...
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Welcome to the Rock
“We drove 2,400 miles, 35 painstaking hours in the car to see a jail, much less one that’s abandoned?” I rest my arms on the boat railing and glanced over at my exhausted family. After a long journey from Michigan to California, a boat ride to an island is the last thing any of us wanted. My dad seems thrilled, making me wonder why adults are so fascinated with touring boring, dilapidated...
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Her name was Xochitl
Christmas had arrived. Through the colored picturesque streets of San Miguel de Allende I walked, taking in the smell of warm churros and the fruity scent of ponche. Christmas lights hung above the streets attached to the tops of buildings, ribbons decorated doorways, and a recreation of the birth of Jesus was homed in the heart of the town, la Plaza Principal. I was in a city where a big divide existed...
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The Discovery of a New Language in Haiti
As the sweat dripped from my forehead I couldn’t help but wonder - was it from the intense heat, or was it from the butterflies currently inhabiting my stomach? I had just landed in Cap Haitian, Haiti, for my first ever mission trip. Traveling 1,742 miles from home was a daunting task. Add in the fact that I was in a group in which I knew no one, in a place extremely unfamiliar, and in a country...
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Finding Home
After an eighteen-hour flight from Los Angeles, I finally arrived in New Delhi. It had been five years since I last visited and I don’t remember much from my past experiences, but I do remember my unwillingness to go every summer. I distinctly recall the humid and sticky weather you feel as you step out of the airport and into the chaotic streets. With these few experiences in mind, I dreaded my...
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Making Memories in the Mediterranean
My family and I eagerly dipped our toes into the golden sand of Costa Brava and admired the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea after over an hour of scenic driving through the suburbs in Spain. The crisp air and mesmerizing blue waters ensured a promising day of kayaking through the rocky alcoves only a few miles from the beach. Enthusiastic to begin our adventure, my sister and I hopped into our designated...
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Vancouver! On a Budget!
"Little one! Little one! Would you like a fresh baked cookie Little one?" My 4 foot 6, 11-year-old sister (who HATES being called short) whipped her head around in anger only to see a friendly, elderly German woman in the baking section of the grocery store holding out the world's most ginormous chocolate chip cookie. As her expression morphed from rage to joy, it was clear that she realized what I...
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Bitter Teas, Sweet Views
In June, the Tea Club from my school took a week-long trip to Japan. Japan has an incredibly rich culture revolving around the growth, presence, and consumption of tea, so we thought it would be an amazing experience for a club that focuses on the same principles. The flight from Southern California to Tokyo was not as painstakingly terrible as I had heard from relatives who had previously ventured...
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Land of the Royal Bengal Tiger
“Who are you?” The question that appeared on my last summer English assignment kept lingering on in my head as I flew back to my home country, Bangladesh, for the first time since I came to America. On the 26 hour flight, I kept pondering this. At first, I complained endlessly since I saw no reason to go back to a country I do not even remember. A country prone to monsoons, has an authoritarian...
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To Hell and Back
This was the summer of our epic father/son journey out West. My dad and I set out on a six-week adventure full of camping, hiking, mountain biking, rafting and fly fishing. We mountain biked the Deadman’s Ridge trail of Moab, Utah, the biking capital of the world. We hiked the Devil’s Stairs trail in Grand Teton National Park. We fly-fished and swam in the Snake River, but none of that prepared...
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India: A Tale of Two Worlds
As the plane descended, I peered out my window toward Chennai and witnessed a stark contrast. Surrounding gleaming skyscrapers and glimmering hotels were slums that stretched out from the city center. This was my second time in India, but I was still awestruck at the contrast in living conditions. After touchdown, my family and I were whisked away by our anxious and accommodating relatives to see...
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