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Rekindle the Flame With a Romantic Vacation

Romantic travel, honeymoon, and wedding destinations have become very popular in the travel industry. Whether you’re taking a trip with your partner for the first time or renewing your vows, take romance to a higher level and book a romantic vacation. These travel ideas will help you light the flame.

California and Las Vegas are wonderful destinations for your getaway. You and your partner can dine out in California or spend your nights dancing and partying in Las Vegas. San Francisco has one of the best Chinatown’s in the world and excellent walking tours.

If you want to spend your romantic vacation on the beach, plan a weekend in the Bahamas or Florida. There will be plenty of things to do when you’re there. Relax with your partner on the beach before you dine out alongside the waterfront.
For a secluded getaway, book a vacation to St. Lucia or Fiji. Private beaches and bungalows abound at these wonderful beach destinations. It may take you a while to get there, but the experience is worth it.

New Orleans is also a great place for romantic getaways. Few things are sexier than taking a midnight stroll through the French Quarter or the music pumping from smoke-filled nightclubs and upscale bars.

New York is the city that never sleeps and it’s a great place for lovers. Check out the Broadway shows in New York City or cuddle up on the upper west side of Manhattan. Book a New York hotel and spend your evenings exploring Manhattan. Have dinner at a fine restaurant or take a walk through Central Park. Finish your night with a few glasses of champagne at a nightclub, bar, or famous New York hotel bar. These romantic travel ideas are fun and spicy, and they will reignite your love flame.

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Sand, Sun…and a Screaming Toddler?

A day at the beach can be, well, a real day at the beach. But when children are involved, its best to take a few simple steps to make sure everyone enjoys the trip.

  • Water Safety

Before the trip, consider each child’s comfort in the water AND your comfort with their swimming skills. Set the rules and remind everyone about them before each day’s swim.

  • Plan for rainy days

Inclement weather is disappointing for everyone. Be prepared by bringing along cards, board games or other activities that you can do as a family. Stage an impromptu talent contest or sing along. You may be surprised at how pleasant this unexpected time together can be.

  • Change of scenery

While everyone loves being at the beach, plan on some non-beach activities. Go see some local sites. Take a walking tour and learn a little bit of the local history. Simply taking the children to a nearby park can give everyone a needed break from the sun and sand.

  • Stay on schedule

As tempting as it is to put your children on “vacation time,” it is best to keep them on schedule. You may choose to shift bedtimes a little but be mindful about keeping nap and meal schedules. Tired and hungry kids equal frustrated parents.

  • Plenty of Sunscreen

May seem obvious, but don’t forget the sunscreen. Get a high SPF and reapply frequently. No need for a bad burn.

  • Know when to take a break

Even when you’ve decided to stay on the beach for the full day, it is best to take periodic breaks. Adults and children alike may need a little time away from the wind and the waves.

Remembering these simple rules will keep the kids happy…and that keeps Mom and Dad happy. That really is a day at the beach!

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Back by Popular Demand: the Staycation

You may have read a number of travel blogs that are all about where to find cheap flights, what motels offer affordable rates, what attractions you can see for under $50, where you can get meals for a family of four without breaking the bank, and more. Yet, you may be scratching your head and having a hard time imagining where you might come up with the money for any of those things, let alone all of them. In that case, you can still have a Staycation. Popularized at the beginning of the economic downturn, a staycation happens when you go on a vacation…in your own home. Through careful planning, your staycation can be as satisfying as a trip to Bali. Here are some tips on how to plan a successful staycation:

  • Act like you are going away:request time off from work, ask the neighbors to take in your mail, put your phone and computer to the side. This is a vacation, and you need to cast off all the things that you would normally do at home as to preserve the idea that you are Going Away.
  • Plan a few activities around your interests: Do you love the theater? Rent a stack of movies of classics that you might otherwise see on the stage, like Les Miserables. Are you a gastronome? Plan an elaborate meal made of items you never used before. Would you like a tropical island vacation? Find some ocean-sound CDs at your public library, make some mai tais, and set up your towel in a sunny spot in your home. Don’t forget to slather on the sunscreen and lay around on the ‘beach’ as long as it takes to relax.
  • Choose your company: Do you want a romantic getaway with your spouse? Ask your in-laws to take care of the kids during your staycation, or plan activities to include everyone.

Have a wonderful time on your vacation!

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An Educational Trip Around the World

While very few people have the time and financial resources to travel around the world, it does not mean you and your family cannot have a taste of different countries and cultures without going bankrupt.

Consider a food and educational “tour” of the world. Simply choose a country each week or each month, whatever works best for your schedule.

For each country you have chosen, do a little research on popular foods and decide which ones interest you and your family. Since it is your own tour of the world, you have the option of making recipes yourself and/or attending local restaurants featuring foods from the region you are studying.

You may be surprised to find a specialty store in your area that you were unaware of. It may be an Asian market , featuring foods from numerous Asian and nearby countries, or a Slavic store with homemade food from those born in Central or Eastern Europe.

Food is a wonderful way to learn about another culture, but working with your family to learn more about the country and its people has great benefits as well. Be sure to use reliable sources like books and almanacs to determine interesting facts to share with your family. It may be as simple as the predominant language spoken in the country or something more specific like its world rank in terms of being environmentally friendly.

The perfect complement to the worldly education is to have the opportunity to speak to someone familiar with the culture you are researching. Not only will you benefit from their personal life experience, but also you may learn something unique less likely to be found in any research material.

Your family will truly become more global without ever leaving your local area or spending a fortune.

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The Goody Bag: Key to road-trip survival

If you’re packing the family into the car for an extended drive, don’t leave the kids’ entertainment up to video games or iPods. One way to get your little ones to actually look forward to family road trips is to make a tradition out of presenting them with a goody bag at the start of the trip.

Find a small, inexpensive nylon backpack and make a trip to the dollar store for small age-appropriate toys and activities.

  • Tactile games such as Rubik’s Cubes and 15-16 puzzles (those little squares with plastic tiles that you have to slide around to solve a picture or pattern) provide hours of quiet focus and stimulate young brains.
  • A blank sketch pad and small box of crayons invites kids to draw pictures of the scenery outside their car window, visualize their destination or write love notes to their grandparents.
  • Mad Libs or joke and puzzle books are great for school-age kids and help develop reading and language skills. Plus, everyone needs a repertoire of knock-knock jokes.
  • A couple of packages of cookies or crackers are a treat – but don’t go overboard with sugary sweets. Having some small snacks at their disposal also helps kids feel more in control of their excursion if they don’t have to beg you for food.
  • Make sure to include at least one familiar doll, action figure or stuffed animal from your child’s room. You might be surprised to see him taking on the role of “tour guide,” showing Binky the sights on his trip.

Pack the goody bag in secret and then present it to your child once he’s securely buckled into his seat and meeting your expectations for his behavior. To make the contents last longer and increase their surprise quotient, make it a rule that the goody bag can only be opened at a specific point on the trip, such as 10 miles from home.

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Fossils for Fun Family Vacations

Finding a subject that the whole family can enjoy exploring can be a challenge while traveling. There can be conflict between the sports fan, the nature lover, and the culture vulture, all of whom want to take their own direction. One subject that has near-universal appeal is paleontology. Who can resist the imaginative power of the fossil? There are lots of great places across North America to take your family to enjoy learning about fossils, some of which might be in your own back yard. National Parks are a great resource, and are economically priced as well. Here are just a few public parks that specialize in fossils:

  • John Day Fossil Beds National Monument- located near the town of Kimberly, in eastern Oregon. The famed fossil beds hold treasures that are as old as 54 million years, and are mostly botanical in nature. There are active paleontologists working in this park. There is a museum and lab on site where the scientists catalog their collections. There are great opportunities for hiking, fishing, and rafting here. Best of all, the entrance fee is free.
  • Fossil Butte National Monument-located in western Wyoming, south of the Grand Tetons. This park has a wide variety of different fossils, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. There is a visitor’s center with lots of information about the fossils, and some hiking trails. Summer is the best time to visit, and admission is free. Donations are accepted.
  • Badlands National Park-located in South Dakota, and with a rich collection of mammalian fossils. Some fossils include saber-toothed tigers and camels. It is hard to imagine what life was like in the ancient past, but the resources at the Badlands can help you to begin. This area is famed for its beautiful colors and great hiking. A seven-day fee is only $15.

Be sure to visit the National Park Service’s website to learn more about these and other fossil resouces.

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Games for road trips: Monster

When you’ve exhausted all the coloring books and the PSP batteries have run out, it’s time for some good old healthy family interaction. Here’s a game that’s great for long car rides – it inspires creativity, promotes cooperation, does away with competition and might even produce some memorable artwork.

Monster – For 2 to 5 players, preschool to adult. Player 1 starts at the top of a sheet of blank paper. Covering the paper so no one else can see, he draws the head of a monster, with two lines extending downward for the neck. The drawing can be scary or silly, creepy or cute – just don’t let anyone else see it! He then folds the top of the paper over his drawing, leaving the ends of the neck lines visible.

Player 2 then takes over, and without looking at Player 1′s work, draws the chest and arms of the monster, connecting to the neck lines left by Player 1. She extends two lines for the belly and folds the paper down over her drawing so just the ends of the belly lines show.

Player 3 draws the belly and the beginning of the legs, so that he leaves four lines showing – two for each leg. Player 4 draws the legs and leaves lines for the feet; Player 5 finishes with feet and toes. He folds the paper completely over and passes it back to Player 1.

All hold their breath as Player 1 slowly unfolds the paper and body part by body part, the monster is revealed – usually to howls of laughter.

You can adapt Monster for fewer players by taking turns or combining body sections (head, torso, legs/feet). Use a No. 2 pencil for quick games, colored pencils or crayons for more artistic results. Don’t use markers; they show through the paper and ruin the surprise.

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Games for road trips: Alphabet Signs

Ah, the family road trip. Everybody’s got memories of packing the car with suitcases and travel bags, snacks and activities, and hitting the highway for an extended drive to somewhere special.

As adults, we’ve got plenty of things to occupy our time, like navigating or keeping the driver alert. But the back seat might as well be a seatbelted and padded cell of boredom for the younger set.

If your vehicle doesn’t have a built-in DVD player, or if your kids are too young to be entertained solely by iPods, try introducing some old-fashioned travel games to your little tykes. The ability to entertain themselves is a skill that will benefit them hugely throughout their lives.

Alphabet Signs – For preschoolers through adults. The object is to “collect” all the letters of the alphabet, in order, when you see them on highway signs, billboards, storefronts, etc. Set ground rules first: Do the signs have to be fixed, or can you use letters off moving vehicles? Can you get more than one letter from the same sign? Will players race each other to be the first to find all 26 letters, or will the group look for each letter until someone spots it? Hint: The younger the players, the looser the rules should be.

This game is best played in well-populated areas with lots of signage. Don’t try it on those barren strips of Midwest highway – your players will soon lose interest.

A handy aid, and an educational one for those still learning their alphabet, is to have each player make a “scorecard” before the game starts. Write the alphabet in large block letters on a piece of paper. Then cross off each one as it is spotted. This helps all the players remember which letter is in play. Happy traveling!

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Treasure of American History

While it is always debatable, Massachusetts might be the most important travel location for enthusiasts of American history. Just consider the important events that occurred within the borders of Massachusetts: the first Thanksgiving, the Boston Tea Party, the “shot heard around the world and the Battle of Bunker Hill. These are only a small sampling of the events and destinations to explore in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts has been fertile ground for radical ideas and political ideologies that have been admired and regularly transferred to other sections of the world. Massachusetts has often been the leader of American thought. During the American Revolution it was one of the first places to opening challenge British rule. It is difficult if not impossible to imagine the American Revolution with the contributions of Massachusetts. People from Massachusetts led the way to independence. Later, during the second American Revolution, which has become known as the Civil War, Massachusetts became the antislavery capitol of the world and an enthusiastic supporter of the cause of the Union.

The English Pilgrims on the Mayflower sought out a religious community that would be a model for others around the world. The Bible told them about a “city on a hill” that would serve as an example. The word Massachusetts is Native America for “at the great hill”. While it means different things to different people, Massachusetts is never boring or meaningless. The state serves as an example of a destination that provides tourists with evidence that the mythological story of the first Thanksgiving or the founding of the United Stated actually occurred.

Massachusetts is the home to a rich history of progress and trendsetting that defines the state as something more than just the center of New England. It is also the heart of the American Republic and a travel destination that Americans should visit to understand the past.

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