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.
Loews Hotel Le Concorde Review
Great Family Vacations||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Canada, City and Cultural Vacations, Cruises & Resorts, Destinations, Family, More Lodging, Trip IdeasJust before our taxi turns the corner to pull up to the Loews Le Concorde Hotel, we smile at the family whose kids, wearing N.Y. Yankees’ jerseys, toss a Frisbee to each other in National Battlefields Park across the street from the hotel. Later on, we realize that the Frisbee, as well as soccer balls, footballs and jump ropes, could have been borrowed from Loews.
That’s just one of Loews Concorde’s many family-friendly touches. Even though it’s a city property and not a resort, Loews Concorde wholeheartedly subscribes to the chain’s fantastic family programs: Loews Loves Kids, Very Important Teen (V. I. T.) and Very Important Pet (V. I. P).
For a welcome gift at check-in, babies receive a rattle, stuffed animal or other item, while kids ages 6 through 12 get a doodle pad or similar item. Teens, too “cool” to look like they want a present, probably do (don’t we all?). At Loews Le Concorde, the desk clerk hands them a music download gift card for free songs, plus information on sites and activities of interest to teens.
For those in-between sightseeing times, teens and kids are reminded that Loews lends CD’s, DVD players, Nintendos, Sony Play Stations, books and board games, which are delivered to families’ rooms. Just ask.
A final touch we appreciated during check-in: the list of on-call doctors and nearby hospitals, dentists and pharmacies that were provided — just in case.
All of this mitigates our initial impression of the property as a big, boxy and business-oriented place with a boring lobby in need of renovation. While some of that may be true, the property redeems itself with a family-friendly heart, good-sized rooms that were renovated in 2006, and a perfect location: next to the city’s signature park and off the Grand-Allee within an eight-minute walk of the Old City.
Quebec City Family Vacations
Great Family Vacations||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, Canada, City and Cultural Vacations, Family, Historic, Trip IdeasQuebec City charms families with its French flair, riverside location and historic district, which dates back to 1608. A UNESCO world heritage site, Old Quebec (Vieux-Quebec) with its towering walls, cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and plentiful street performers captures kids’ imaginations.
Founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, Quebec served as the base for early French explorers, traders and missionaries in North America.
In 1759 British troops defeated the French at what is now known as Battlefields National Park (Parc des Champs-de-Bataille). In 1763 Canada was ceded to Great Britain. Despite this, Quebec has maintained its French heritage. Because the French influence dominates in culture, cuisine and language — at least 95 percent of the population speaks French — Quebec exudes enough foreign panache to feel a bit “exotic” in predominantly English-speaking Canada. ‘Tweens and teens studying French have a wonderful opportunity to practice as they browse the boutiques; however, knowing the language really isn’t necessary. Unlike in Paris or other French cities, Quebecois are happy to talk to you in English.
Active families also like Quebec’s proximity to outdoor adventures. It’s easy to combine historic tours and museum visits with afternoon bicycling treks or strolls. Within an hour’s drive of the city, you can, in summer, scramble over rocks and glide on a zip line across a waterfall at the Canyon Sainte-Anne or splash in a mega-water park. In winter, cross-country ski in the city’s parks. Drive less than an hour, and you can sled down or climb up a frozen waterfall.
And if you haven’t been to Quebec in awhile, it’s time to come back. As a result of the city’s 400th anniversary celebration in 2008, Quebec is better than ever. Buildings have been beautified; a two-tiered water fountain, French of course, graces Parliament Hill; the Promenade de Samuel Champlain extends the bicycle/strolling paths well beyond Montmorency Falls and two, acclaimed, free shows — one by Cirque du Soleil — designed especially for the celebration still delight visitors in summer and will for the next several years.
And did we mention the maple pie and the crepes? All in all, Quebec City is a sweet destination for families.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Review
Great Family Vacations||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, Canada, Cruises & Resorts, Destinations, International Parks, Non-U.S., Lake Vacations, Lake, Mountain, and Ski Resorts, More Lodging, Trip IdeasThe location of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is extraordinary. Situated at 5,000-feet on the shore of an emerald green lake, facing the Victoria glacier and surrounded by the towering peaks of Canada’s Rockies, the 554-room hotel delivers a fairytale setting. The Chateau, like its sister property the Fairmont Banff Springs, lies in the 2,564-square mile Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park.
The Chateau’s “backyard,” part of a UNESCO World Heritage area, features some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in North America.
Snowcapped mountains, glaciers, river valleys and lakes define Banff National Park, in the province of Alberta. It was precisely because of this majestic landscape that the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), the developers, chose the hotel sites. The company’s philosophy: “If we can’t export the scenery, we will import the tourists.” Pretty shrewd for a 19th century railroad company hoping to sell train passage. The castle-like Banff Springs, offering upmarket accommodations, opened in 1888. For Lake Louise, Cornelius Van Horne, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, envisioned “a hotel for the outdoor adventurer and alpinist.” In 1890, a simple wooden structure debuted. As the Lake Louise location gained popularity, the company in the 1900s built a pair of Tudor style, half-timbered wings that increased capacity to 240 guests. In 1913, CPR added the concrete Painter wing and a grand dining room. After a 1924 fire destroyed the wooden structure, the company erected an eight-story brick wing, changed the hotel’s name to the Chateau Lake Louise and reopened in 1925.
The property operated as a summer only resort until 1982. In 1990 after $65 million in renovations, upgrades and a new wing, the Chateau turned into a year-round resort. In 2000, Canadian Pacific Hotels and Resorts acquired the Fairmont Hotels. In 2004, an additional wing geared to meetings debuted. The Chateau’s storied past, large scale and AAA Four Diamond rating reinforce its image as a grande dame resort. So do the public rooms. Couches and upholstered chairs fill the large lobby’s seating area, but our favorite spot is the Lakeview Lounge. The floor to ceiling Palladian windows overlook the green lake, the snow-capped mountains and the glacier. Sitting here is a joy, but the waiters really expect patrons to order something. With afternoon tea, served from noon until 4 p.m., you and your kids get pastries, chocolate and the great view. Another option is Sunday brunch.
Children do not receive any special welcome gift; arriving at the property is its own reward. It’s in that spirit that you should choose this hotel. The Chateau is the sort of place where you and your children explore the magical setting together by hiking, canoeing, fishing, skiing or simply strolling around the dazzling green lake.