Trip Ideas By Activity
There are so many ways to vacation with your children.
City explorations, museum sleepovers, condo-style rentals, road trips, mountain and lake cabins, beaches, cruises, and all-inclusive vacations stretch budgets. Resorts run the gamut from moderate to pricey. Staying midweek or during shoulder season saves money.
Dream trips—African safaris, Galapagos treks, polar bear watches—deliver the thrill of wildlife encounters but at a hefty price. Farmstays, state and national parks, and hikes through Costa Rican rain forests let you enjoy animal encounters at a fraction of the cost.
Time travel fascinates kids. At living history parks, march with the militia and meet pioneers. In Europe, tour centuries-old castles, climb atop medieval walls, and stroll streets laced with 18th-century buildings. Go back millions of years to the dinosaur era. Satisfy your kids’ curiosity by going on a dinosaur dig, walking in dinosaur footprints, and ogling fossils of these fierce critters in museums.
Build sandcastles at the beach, canoe and fish at a lake, get tossed, twirled, and dropped on rollercoasters at an amusement, ski downhill, or snowshoe through snowy woods.
Stay overnight, for a few days, or a week. Plan carefully, allow for spontaneity, know that things will go awry, and maintain your sense of humor. Have fun.
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Candyce H. Stapen2025-08-03 17:06:132025-09-09 08:48:09Delightful Woodland Getaway at Mountain Lake Lodge, Virginia
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Candyce H. Stapen2025-06-28 14:35:002025-07-18 12:29:46Take the Kids Horseback Riding at Salamander MiddleburgActivities
Trip Ideas Sorted By Activity
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Family Adventures: A Winter Wildlife Safari
Creators Syndicate | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, Central & South America Destinations, Destinations, Family, Featured News, Lake, Mountain, and Ski Resorts, National and State Parks in the US, Nature Vacations, Seasonal & Holiday Activities, Southern United States Destinations, United States Destinations, Western United States Destinations, Wildlife and Safari VacationsIt 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 you prefer temperate or cold weather, camping or staying in a hotel, these wildlife experiences add fun to your family trip.
For decades, Pacific gray whales have made the 5,000-mile winter journey from Alaska to Baja California, where the protected lagoons provide safe havens for birthing and nursing. Within seconds of spotting the whale’s heart-shaped spray less than 30 feet from our panga, we saw the 40-foot-long behemoth break the surface, then disappear.
Soon she crested the water, her barnacled head within a few feet of us. While we marveled at the mother, her curious calf rolled so close to the bow of our boat that we heard the rhythmic whistle of its inhale. Then both cow and calf gracefully dove under our boat, only to circle back to our port side.
During prime whale season, February through mid-March, some 13,000 whales inhabit the region. Many come to San Ignacio Lagoon and Magdalena Bay. Humpbacks, fins and blue whales can also be seen in the Sea of Cortez. On our camping whale trip, when my daughter and I weren’t yelling “Thar she blows!” we swam, sea-kayaked through a mangrove estuary and admired the night’s starry, starry skies.
Another great winter wildlife adventure is paddling through Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. In these headwaters of the Suwannee River, cypress trees rise in thickets that float almost magically on dense beds of peat, called “houses.” Walk on them and the land “quivers,” a phenomenon that led the Indigenous peoples to call this place “Okefenokee,” or “the land of the trembling earth.” The largest national wildlife refuge in the eastern United States, the Okefenokee occupies about 400,000 acres.
To explore the refuge, my daughter and I shared a canoe. She operated the rudder while I paddled. As we glided past gnarled tree branches draped with Spanish moss in Billy’s Lake, we suddenly saw two half-submerged snouts that seemed to be covered in bark and four bulging eyes peering at us from the reeds. The alligators intrigued us. Several bony ones perched on logs, basking in the sun.
In Minnie’s Lake, as we paddled through dense stands of cypress, we caught sight of river otters “fishing” and slider turtles splashing from logs into the water. You can join a refuge boat trip, bring your own kayak or canoe, or go on a guided tour with Okefenokee Adventures. Winter bonus: daytime temperatures in the low 60s and fewer insects than in the hot summer.
It’s no wonder that eagles appear on the U.S. national emblem. The sight of a few of these majestic birds native to North America effortlessly gliding on thermals, their wings spread 72 to 90 inches, elicits admiration. The spectacle of more than 100 of them soaring, then dive-bombing into Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to catch salmon was awe-inspiring.
From November through February the eagles arrive to feast on the sockeye salmon that spawn and die on the lake’s shores. Some 200 to 400 eagles have been counted in a season with peak sightings often in late December and January. For prime views, walk the 3.3-mile Mineral Ridge Scenic Area and National Recreation Trail, particularly along Wolf Lodge Bay, or board Lake Coeur d‘Alene Cruises’ two-hour boat trip to Wolf Lodge Bay. The lakeside Coeur d’Alene Resort offers upmarket accommodations and dining.
A horse-drawn sleigh ride on the National Elk Refuge near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, enriched our ski trip. From mid-December through March, 5,000 to 7,000 elk migrate from Grand Teton National Park and surrounding forests to the lower-elevation 25,000-acre refuge. Two mighty Percherons pulled our red sleigh into the snow-covered valley edged by the majestic Teton Mountains. Herds of elk grazed in the distance as well as nearby. Bulls, impressive with their large, branched antlers, as well as cows eyed us calmly. We felt as if we had been dropped into a classic holiday card.
When You Go
OARS: oars.com/adventures/baja-sea-kayaking-whale-watching
Oceanic Society: oceanicsociety.org/expedition/baja-san-ignacio-lagoon-and-sea-of-cortez
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge: fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee/visit-us
Okefenokee Adventures, okeswamp.org/okefenokee-adventures
Bureau of Land Management Mineral Ridge Scenic Area and National Recreation Trail: blm.gov/visit/mineral-ridge-scenic-area-and-national-recreation-trail
Lake Coeur d’Alene Eagle Watch: blm.gov/programs/fish-and-wildlife/wildlife/about/idaho/lake-coeurdalene-eagle-watch
Lake Coeur D’Alene Cruises: cdacruises.com/eagle-watching
Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort: cdaresort.com
National Elk Refuge: fws.gov/refuge/national-elk/visit-us
National Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides: nersleighrides.com
Travel Insurance Can Save the Day
Creators Syndicate | ArcaMax | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Family Travel TipsIt 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 as Hurricane Erin barreled toward the coast. After I spent 11 days in an Amsterdam hospital one spring, my policy helped reimburse me for the $28,000 I owed the facility, and the insurance covered a medical evacuation cost of nearly $50,000.
Travel insurance can seem like an unwanted extra, but trust me, life happens. Protection can save aggravation, money and even your life. Coverage did that for me, and I am truly thankful. What follows is not an advertisement for insurance but instead a heartfelt reminder.
Because plans and policies differ, I use Squaremouth.com, an online marketplace that makes it easy to compare more than 100 policies from some 20 major companies. That saves me time and prevents my eyes from glazing over when I try to decipher insurers’ often verbose definitions of terms.
Two weeks before our planned Turks and Caicos trip, my daughter underwent emergency ACL surgery. Her policy’s trip cancellation inclusion and a doctor’s note covered her lodging. That eliminated her family, cutting our trip to six people. When the baby became ill and only my husband and I could travel, we gave up and cancelled too. My son’s policy covered our lodgings.
Policies often grant reimbursement to travelers who cancel a journey if a close relative — parents, children, siblings, spouse, grandparents, in-laws, step-family — not on the trip becomes seriously ill, is hospitalized or dies. Since cousins, alas, don’t make the list, I purchased “cancel for any reason” insurance when my dear cousin was seriously ill. CFAR repays just 75% of trip costs and can increase premiums by up to 40% but shields you from things that might happen between deposit and departure — a broken engagement that nixes your honeymoon in Tahiti or your new job that comes with no accrued vacation time.
Consider that many “regular” insurance contracts address major concerns, such as health and hurricanes. We received money for lost days in Duck because the area’s hurricane was named and the roads verged on impassable. But three days of sitting in a rental property looking at a slashing rainstorm won’t put money back in your pocket unless you signed up for CFAR.
Timelines matter, too. Insurers often cover preexisting conditions if you purchase the policy within a window of 10-21 days after booking the trip. (Policies differ and conditions apply.) Buying insurance early doesn’t cost more and gives me peace of mind.
Of course I purchased travel insurance for my trip to Amsterdam, but to save a few hundred dollars I bought secondary medical coverage. After all, the airfare and the hotel during peak tulip season were expensive enough. Then a bizarre thing happened. One of my heart’s mitral valves prolapsed, causing severe double pneumonia. Because of the ICU’s excellent care, I survived.
Upon discharge 11 days later, the hospital presented me with a $28,000 invoice, which I had to pay. I hoped that my primary U.S. insurance would cover me. Luckily, the hospital allowed me to use a credit card. Months later, my U.S. insurance reimbursed me for $21,000 and my travel insurance covered $7,000.
Getting back to Washington, D.C., required nearly $50,000 more. I didn’t undergo surgery in Amsterdam. The doctors only stabilized me enough to fly on a nonstop flight with a nurse and an oxygen concentrator. It was high season in Amsterdam. Flights were full. Through broker connections, the travel insurance company booked two one-way seats on a non-stop flight for my nurse and me at about $11,000 each. The insurance also covered part of my husband’s flight home. The total cost hovered close to my medical evacuation coverage cap of $50,000.
Medical transport can cost much more, depending on the distance flown and the care required. Some credit cards provide emergency medical advice and connect you with transporters, but most credit cards don’t pay the fees required.
I am happy to be alive and well, and I am still an exuberant traveler, just a wiser one.
When You Go
I worked with Squaremouth Travel Insurance (squaremouth.com). Various outlets such as U.S. News & World Report and Money.com also publish articles comparing the travel policies of different insurance companies.
Discover Dazzling Displays at a Dark Sky Park
Creators Syndicate | The Epoch Times||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, By Activity, College Age & Adult, Featured News, Grade-Schoolers Ages 6-9, Midwest United States Destinations, Multigenerational, National and State Parks in the US, Nature Vacations, Relaxing Getaways, Teens Ages 13-17, Trip Ideas, Tweens Ages 10-12, United States Destinations, Western United States DestinationsTreat yourself and your family to a dazzling night sky ablaze with stars, planets, and nebulae, a sight most people now see only on their computer screens. Instead of being one of the estimated 80 percent of Americans who cannot view the Milky Way from their homes, time-travel back to an era of star-studded heavens that beguiled ancient civilizations.
DarkSky International has certified more than 200 dark sky parks, preserves, and communities worldwide, places that limit light pollution through various measures. As a result, their skies glow with an awe-inspiring brilliance. Simply gaze up to gather the wonder.
To best enjoy the mythic night skies, choose a moonless night with few clouds, use a flashlight equipped with a red filter that doesn’t hamper astrological viewing, and bring binoculars to spot fainter formations. The best time to view heavenly displays is often—but not always—winter, with its longer nights and lower humidity, which reduces haze. On cold evenings, wear layers to stay warm and be patient, as it can take 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust. For an added bonus, time your visit to coincide with a park’s stargazing special events.
In northern Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park, an International Dark Sky Park, sweeps across 218,000 acres of lakes, streams, and forests. In summer, canoeists paddle and portage through the waters. Winter brings ice-fishing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and great visibility for displays of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), a vivid spectacle of green and purple bands of light dancing across the night sky.
In Voyageurs, summer rates as the best time to see the Milky Way, but the park rewards stargazing year-round. Pick an open field, a clearing, or a dock that affords an expanse of sky. During Minnesota’s Boreal Stargazing Week, slated for Feb. 12-27, 2026, view the heavens through the park’s telescopes.
The morning sun turns the Grand Canyon’s rock walls orange and red, and in the evening, as the light wanes, they morph to deep blues and purples. At night in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, an International Dark Sky Park, the constellations pop and glow. The clear air and 7,000-foot elevation of the South Rim make for excellent stargazing conditions. Walk beyond the reach of the lodges’ lights or head to Yavapai, Lipan, and Mather points. Throughout the year, rangers offer astronomy talks and other events. Grand Canyon, an authorized park concessioner, offers stargazing packages.
Adjacent to Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah, is known for its cliffs, canyons, snaking river, and starry night skies. The International Dark Sky Park’s location on a high mountain plateau affords wide vistas of sparkling skies. At select times the park offers evening walks, telescope viewing, and talks. Movie buffs may want to visit “Thelma and Louise Point,” the unofficial name of the overlook where the two main characters in the movie “Thelma and Louise” drove their car over a cliff.
Great Basin National Park, an International Dark Sky Park in east-central Nevada, encompasses more than 77,000 acres that include caves, stands of 4,000-year-old bristlecone pine trees, and night skies that are among the darkest in the contiguous 48 states. The reason is mountains that block light pollution from the outlying large cities. In summer, a popular time to visit, look for the shimmering Milky Way, glowing planets, artificial satellites, and even the Andromeda Galaxy.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the park hosts astronomy programs at its Astronomy Amphitheater. In addition, consider boarding the Nevada Northern Railway’s Great Basin Star Train, an especially convenient option for families with young children. From mid-May through mid-September the train chugs through nearby territory outside the park. Rangers who come along on the round-trip journey from Ely, Nevada, explain the heavenly show. The train pauses at Star Flats, a remote desert location, allowing riders to gaze through telescopes at the dazzling dark skies.
Don’t miss an International Dark Sky Park adventure. The experience delivers magical, awe-inspiring delight.
When You Go
DarkSky International: DarkSky.org.
Voyageurs Conservancy: Voyageurs.org.
Voyageurs National Park: NPS.gov/voya/index.htm
Grand Canyon National Park: NPS.gov/grca/index.htm
Grand Canyon: VisitGrandCanyon.com
Dead Horse Point State Park: StateParks.utah.gov/parks/dead-horse
Great Basin National Park: NPS.gov/grba/index.htm
Nevada Northern Railway Co.: NNRY.com/train-rides