The Harry Potter Bachelorette Party
Writer, with girlfriends in tow, heads to Universal Orlando to explore the latest addition to the theme park: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.It wasn’t a typical Bachelorette Party with...
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Scenic Highway 120 thru Groveland to Yosemite
Almost any trip from the San Francisco Bay Area to Yosemite National Park will take you along scenic Highway 120 through the gold rush era town of Groveland and on into the park itself. Almost every...
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Custom Itinerary – Driving Toddlers Around Texas
Q. Nate C. of Longview, Texas asks for fresh vacation ideas for a 4-day Texas getaway over Christmas for his wife, baby and toddler.
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Resort Life: Spreading Out With The Comforts Of Home
Frugal travelers looking for a homey touch have evolved from house swaps with strangers to booking furnished homes, condos and timeshares for their vacations. Families are the original group...
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FAQs: European Train Travel
This rail rider answers the most frequently asked questions about train travel in Europe for families, and reminds travelers of what else they need to know. No statistics are readily available,...
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Massachusetts Learning Getaways Warm Up Winter
Reading a good book by a fireplace with a child in your lap is one of the best winter vacations we know, but you can make it even better by bringing that book to life. We love the winter holiday...
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Free Travel Fun In San Francisco
San Francisco, the beautiful City by the Bay, may demand top dollar at hotels and restaurants but lots of free fun activities can make your vacation a bargain. California is a dream destination...
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Surviving The Trip: 10 Tough Love Tips For Calming Cranky Kids
Preparation and clear boundaries make a road trip with your babies, toddlers and school-age kids easier to handle and much more fun for everyone. If you dread the idea of piling your kids...
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Iconic Roadtrips With A Sense Of Humor
Lonely Planet publishes a detailed guide to the best US road trips for those who like to travel with a plan.Aside from the first few pages that are filled with color photographs, "USA’s Best...
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Route 66 Quick Reference Encyclopedia
If Route 66 is part of your family road trip itinerary, it helps to stock up the knowledge bank with this fun little guidebook about the famous byway. Planning to "get your kicks on Route...
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What We’ve Been Waiting For: Stand Up Airline Seats
You better sit down for this news. A standup seat has been introduced at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas 2010 underway in Long Beach, California. Yes, they've done it.
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My experience of studying in China, homestay in Shanghai
I came to Shanghai about three weeks ago to study the Chinese language in a local university. First thing I did when I arrived was to look for a place to live. As it was my first time coming...
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British Families Pawning Heirlooms to Pay for Vacation
According to a recent report from the loan company Borro.com, families in Great Britain have been pawning their personal possessions in order to raise enough money to pay for a summer vacation. According...
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No-Cost Fun in Boston, Massachusetts
Step back in time on the Freedom Trail, see a movie at Boston Harbor, and make a work of art at the Children's Museum -- all for free!Step back in time on the Freedom Trail, see a movie at Boston Harbor,...
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Free Travel Fun In Kauai, Hawaii
Like most everything in life, the best things to enjoy about Kaua'i -- its natural beauty and Hawai'ian culture -- are free or, at least, pretty affordable.Like most everything in life, the best...
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Paris Flea Markets For A Treasure Trove Of Fun
If your family craves a genuinely French experience and more authentic souvenirs than you would typically find, check out the historic flea markets of Paris, France. Flea markets or les...
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Illinois, Looking For The Land Of Lincoln
From the world's first drive-up diner to the old Capitol building where Abraham Lincoln served the people, the attractions of Springfield and central Illinois will delight families.Springfield,...
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US Mint Celebrates National Parks on Quarters – Kids Get Commemorative $.25 Coins
In economic times like these, it takes imagination and ingenuity to come up with fresh and affordable family vacation ideas. If you, like many last-minute family planners, are looking for a great vacation...
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Normandie Beach Club, Family Fun On Lake Champlain
A low-cost resort getaway catering to the whole family can be found on the shores of beautiful Lake Champlain in New York's Adirondacks state park.A low-cost resort getaway catering to the whole family...
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Free Orlando!
After spending all or most of your money at the local theme parks, what do you do with the rest of your vacation? Families and others who find that being a tourist here is synonymous with thin wallets...
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Midwest Weekend Getaway With A Tropical Vibe At KeyLime Cove
This resort's huge indoor waterpark offers an affordable family weekend getaway for all ages -- all year round -- plus coaster rides at the Six Flags nearby.If you’re searching for fun...
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South Texas Welcomes Families
Travel throughout the Corpus Christi, Rio Grande, and South Padre Island regions of the Lone Star State. As children, we all can remember the excitement surrounding the annual family vacation....
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Summer Fun Savings And Budget Getaways
Families on a budget can look to zoos and local museums for great fun and overnight programs, plus yard sales, and other local learning adventures. Family vacations and saving money may seem contradictory,...
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Glasgow, Scotland For Family Short Breaks
Here are some must-see sights and festivals if you're planning to be in Scotland over the summer, whether you consider it a staycation or an exotic European getawayThe summer is a great time...
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Country Inns and Suites: Homey Rooms for Families
If you're looking for a hotel brand that provides the comforts of home for traveling families, look no further than Country Inns and Suites, with locations worldwide.Hotel design seems to be trending...
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Kids Can Travel The World By Snail Mail
There are lots of fun and inexpensive ways for kids to learn about different countries and cultures by launching their own explorers and getting back reports. Kids who dream of traveling around...
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Touring Texas On A Family Road Trip
To conquer Texas -- the largest state in the Lower 48 and one of its most colorful -- a Texas road trip vacation needs forethought, planning and stamina.America's immense highway system, built...
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Akumal: The Yucatan’s Playground
Join the Crespi/Sparks clan on their first vacation abroad as they experience the natural and historical wonders of Mexico's Yucatan coastline in the beach village of Akumal.The...
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In Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania What’s Old Is News
History buffs will love exploring the coal-mining and steam train heritage of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, a fascinating and top value weekend getaway. In scenic Lackawanna County, PA, not...
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Beachside Serenity in San Simeon, California
There is a place on earth which one is sure must only exist in fairy tales. Complete with a castle and many fabled stories of what happened behind its gates, it is truly a remarkable location. ...
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Summer Fun, Vermont Style
Want to enjoy budget summer fun in Vermont? FTF gives you the inside scoop on where to stay and what to do in the snow-free Mt. Snow Valley. It's not sleek or chic like Woodstock, but...
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Mom, 3 Kids, 5 Days – Los Angeles To Vancouver Family Road Trip
Follow my advice on how to avoid a bumpy ride -- or should we say mom's worst nightmare ever? -- on a roadtrip from Los Angeles through Oregon, Washington state and Vancouver.
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Following Lewis And Clark Through Washington
Washington State looked different to us than its wilderness did to Lewis and Clark so many years ago, so we became our own Corps of Discovery. When Lewis and Clark blazed a trail...
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Washington DC, The National Cathedral
This is an architecturally dramatic monument to Christianity, past presidents and current events, as well as an engaging center for Medieval crafts and ways. In a city better known for museums...
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International Visitors Spending $1.8 Billion Less a Month in 2009 – No Kidding
Here's the headline from the U.S. Commerce Department; Travel and Tourism-Related Exports Decline for Thirteenth Straight Month And here's their analysis: The...
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Families Go Local For Great Staycations
If money is tight, vacation locally at a nearby mall or indoor themepark like New Roc City, where New York families go to play. Just as the economy tanked in 2008 and 2009, and families’...
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Meet Four-Legged Friends In St. Louis
For warm and fuzzy low-cost fun, there's nowhere like Missouri, where animals make animal-lovers of all visitors.If you’ve traveled around the Midwest lately, you’ve heard a lot...
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A Home Of Your Own In Italy
Your complete guide to renting a holiday apartment or villa for your family in the Italian countryside, whether Florence, Chianti, Livorno, Umbria or Sicily. Agriturismo, a recent tourism trend...
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Bus Bazaar Lee: Pennsylvania to New York
Taking the bus has never been so exotic. Why travel by bus? Planes are faster, trains are bigger and cars more personalized – yet, I chose bus over all other means to take the hours-long...
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London, England For Less
Visit England's biggest city on a little budget and shave off those Pounds (Sterling) with savings suggestions for airport, sightseeing and local transportation. With the Great British Pound...
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Custom Itinerary – Driving the Pacific Coast Highway and Visiting Yosemite National Park
Q. Amelia M. of Van Nuys, California writes: My family of four, including myself, my 73-year-old mother and two sons (ages 11 and 22) want to drive the PCH from Southern California, and visit Yosemite....
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Top Cheap American Hotel Chain: Candlewood Suites
Candlewood Suites in the United States is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For Family Travelers 2008 award. Looking for a budget hotel can be a daunting task. Granted, while en...
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Top Cheap Reunion Getaway: Asilomar Conference Grounds, California
The Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For Family Travelers 2008 award.The Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California...
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Top Cheap Ski Getaway: White Mountains, New Hampshire
The White Mountains of New Hampshire is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For Family Travelers 2008 award. Ski vacations can be expensive and difficult to plan if you don’t know where...
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Top Cheap Reunion Getaway: Crystal Coast, North Carolina
The Crystal Coast of North Carolina is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For Family Travelers 2008 award.The Crystal Coast of North Carolina is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For...
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Top Cheap Cruise Getaway: Carnival Freedom
Carnival Cruise Lines' Freedom is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For Family Travelers 2008 award. Hitting the open seas may sound a little too luxurious for the budget-minded family. ...
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Top Cheap All-Inclusive Getaway: Tamarijn Aruba
Divi Caribbean Resorts' Tamarijn Aruba is a winner of FTF's Top 10 (Cheap) Getaways For Family Travelers 2008 award. One of the best ways to save money on your next vacation: make one payment...
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Paris Family Hotels For Under US$200
FTF's reporter has found sweet places to dream with the kids tucked in nearby, so you can sleep in the City of Lights without breaking the bank. Here's where to go.Paris, France was ranked...
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Let’s Make A Deal – 10 Ways To Save On All-Inclusive Vacations
Read FTF's money-saving tips for choosing the right resort, planning your vacation, and booking your next all-inclusive getaway.Read FTF's money-saving tips for choosing the right resort, planning...
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