Candyce H. Stapen is an award-winning travel journalist and author. As travel editor/producer at USA TODAY, Stapen launched the company’s digital travel sites. Her work appears in many outlets, including the Washington Post and Frommers.com. Candyce has written thousands of articles and 29 books about family travel, including two for National Geographic. She founded non-profit Henny’s Kids to bring solar-powered laptops and computer training to rural elementary schools in Africa.
Candyce raised her family in Washington, D.C., and currently resides there with her husband and Lily, a Newfoundland.
This summer we punctuated our weeklong three-generation beach stay in Duck, North Carolina, with some of the region’s top nature adventures — viewing wild horses, crabbing and shrimping. Fun for adults and kids, the activities engaged us with Outer Banks’ culture and history. And with its restaurants, shops and private beaches, Duck serves as the… Read More
Planning a multigenerational family vacation can feel as challenging as correctly aligning all the squares in a Rubik’s Cube. Although we agreed on the Caribbean, the puzzle was how to satisfy everyone’s wishes. At Carlisle Bay, Antigua, we found our solution — a resort with an all-inclusive meal option for my son-in-law, a room big… Read More
River walks, lowing cows and mineral soaks in a centuries-old bathhouse anchored our restorative getaway in the Allegheny Mountains of Bath County, Virginia. My husband and I wanted a quiet nature retreat within a four-hour drive of the noisy politics and population of Washington, D.C. We chose Fort Lewis Lodge and Farm in Millboro. Situated… Read More
From St. Croix to St. John and St. Thomas, explore standout beaches and snorkeling spots across the U.S. Virgin Islands. Read the full article at afar.com
Come to the U.S. Virgin Islands for its palm-tree-lined sands, stay to explore beyond the beach. Read the full article at afar.com
From conch fritters to Carnival, discover how history and culture come alive across St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. Read the full article at afar.com
Just the thin green lines of mangrove islands separated the vast expanse of glistening turquoise waters from the blue sky. Our boat ride from Islamorada, Florida, gifted us with this colorful perspective and gave us a sense of the area’s expansiveness. Just 81 miles southwest of Miami, laid-back Islamorada measures 20 miles long and in… Read More
Getting sprayed, splashed and soaked at a water park is an exciting rite of spring and summer for families. These mega fantasies of all ways to get wet provide multiple opportunities to scream happily with — not at — your children. Think of racing down slippery slides, getting doused by bucket dumps and splashing in… Read More
Washington, D.C., is not just any city. It’s the nation’s capital—and that makes all the difference. No other place will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary quite like it will be celebrated here. Many of the District of Columbia’s world-class museums, including 17 Smithsonian facilities, renowned art galleries and the National Mall, are blooming with exciting exhibits… Read More
Nothing compares with a perfect ski day — cold and sunny with blue skies and the slopes covered with a blanket of early morning fresh powder. Skiers call these perfect conditions a “bluebird day.” We had almost canceled our multigenerational ski trip to Massanutten Resort in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains because the forecast predicted and… Read More
It is thrilling to see a 40-foot whale surface inches from your boat; scores of alligators sunning on logs; hundreds of eagles, wings outstretched, diving for salmon; and thousands of elk roaming in a snowy valley. Take advantage of the winter months to go on a wildlife safari to Mexico, Georgia, Idaho, or Wyoming. Whether… Read More
It happened again. The night before a long-planned family trip for 10 people to Turks and Caicos to celebrate my milestone birthday, we had to cancel the vacation. My 11-month-old granddaughter came down with a virus and a 103 F fever. Months earlier we had evacuated Duck, North Carolina, four days into a weeklong holiday… Read More
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