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.
‘Downton Abbey’ tours and teas timed for series’ return
USA TODAY||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: City and Cultural Vacations, Historic, Trip IdeasIt’s not just the characters who develop when the fourth season of Downton Abbey debuts in the U.S. Jan. 5. The popular series has proved fertile ground for a growing cottage industry of getaways, tours and teas designed for fans of the fictional Crawley family and their real-life setting, Highclere Castle.
In the U.S. followers can:
• Get the gossip from former chauffeur Tom Branson, Sea Island resort, Georgia. Allen Leech, who plays Branson, stars in a Downton Abbey-inspired weekend at the upscale resort along with Jessica Fellowes, author of The World of Downton Abbey.
You can test your series’ knowledge at a quiz; listen to behind-the-scenes tales; and dress up as a Lord, Lady, cook or valet for a costume party, cocktail reception and dinner. On Sunday watch the latest episode with Leech and Fellowes who answer questions, then enjoy cigars and port as well as dancing.
Sea Island, Jan. 17-19, rooms from $395. The third night in January (also in February) costs $8, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the resort’s hosting of the G8 Summit. Most Downton events are complimentary; dinner fees apply.
• Watch episodes in a private screening room and take tea Downton-style, The Langham, Chicago. Invite 11 of your friends to the hotel’s Cinema Suite for marathon sessions of the drama with time out for Champagne afternoon tea. The hotel also hosts a series-inspired afternoon tea, featuring lobster and tarragon pudding tartlets, Charlotte Russe and other Edwardian delights served by white-gloved staff. Cinema Suite, $1299, includes one night’s lodging. Afternoon tea, $40. Both available in January. The Langham.
• Admire the period attire, Winterthur, Wilmington, Del. Aristocrats know how to dress. Costumes of Downton Abbey presents 40 historically inspired pieces from the series. Admire the beading on Lady Mary’s engagement dress, the delicate flow of Lady Sybil’s wedding gown and the barrier-busting swag of Lady Sybil’s harem pants. Winterthur, March 1, 2014-Jan. 4, 2015. $20, admission.
In England, followers can:
• Explore the real Highclere Castle and countryside.
• Extend your river cruise. Viking Cruises offers a three day/two night London and the English countryside land tour that covers Downton Abbey as well as Oxford and London. Available on the eight day Paris and the Heart of Normandy voyage and the 12-day Paris to Prague journey. Viking River Cruises.
• Visit on your own. Book well-in-advance for tickets. The Easter and May tour dates are sold out. Tickets for summer 2014 visits go on sale in February. Check Highclere Castle for details. About $33, admission to castle, exhibit, gardens.
• Join a tour. Many companies offer day tours from London to Highclere Castle and the Oxfordshire countryside. Arrive like the elite in a chauffeur-driven car or come by bus. Viatour private car, from $228; bus, from $180.
The best gifts for family travel
USA TODAY||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Babies to 2 Year-Olds, Family, Family Travel Tips, Grade-Schoolers Ages 6-9, Preschoolers Ages 3-5Families on the go have special needs. These products either cleverly engage kids, making travel time fly by, or the items offer simple solutions to big worries.
Banish Boredom: Kids’ Tablets
Polaroid Kids Tablet 2
For the product’s second generation, kid critics pointed Polaroid toward such improvements as increased speed, two cameras—front and rear facing—and more games. Bumpers add durability and the 1024 x 600 resolution for the 7-inch display makes the content look good. The tablet comes loaded with more than 70 books, apps, games and videos from the Cartoon Network, Marvel and Disney. Our kid testers, ages 6 and 8, especially liked the games and the art app, Drawing Pad, an award-winning app created by Darren Murtha Design. Ages 4-9. Polaroid, $150, sold exclusively through Toys R Us.
Nabi Jr.
At about 6.5 inches by 4 inches, the Nabi Jr. by Fuhu, fits into pre-schooler’s hands. The 5 inch display with 800 x 480 resolution, while not as crystal clear as other tablets, is fine for little ones. The home screen’s six squares represent six main options, making it easy for kids to choose. Along with a camera and a photo gallery, kids can pick sing-along ditties under Music, storybooks to read or hear aloud with MeeGenius, or complete basic math, reading and writing exercises with the Wings Challenge. Parents can add tasks to a chore list and reward kids with points. Tap the home screen’s row of dots to select from 30 simple games and apps. Kids can color, match animals, solve dinosaur-shaped puzzles and more. (We noticed some misspelled words in the Car, Ship & Rocket game). Despite that, the Nabi Jr. is a good basic tablet. More apps can be downloaded through Wi-Fi. Although Fuhu pitches Nabi Jr. for ages 3-6, the sweet spot is more likely ages 3-5. Fuhu, $100; $140 Nick Jr. version has games and videos with Nick Jr. characters.
Draw on Creativity
Sensu Portable Artist Brush & Stylus
This digital brush feels, looks and moves across a tablet or smartphone screen like something Monet might have used for his plein-air paintings. Fingers are often too fat for fine line creation and a regular stylus can create drag. The Sensu brush prevents these problems. Pair the easy- to-take-along tool with a kid-friendly artist’s app such as Drawing Carl, Finger Painter, or Fresh Paint and your children can create magical drawings to document your trip. The Sensu Solo has only a brush tip. The compact Sensu Portable Artist Brush & Stylus has a brush on one end and a stylus for sketching, writing and erasing on the other end. Both Sensu products, definitely not just for kids, will delight painters, drawers, doodlers and dabblers of all ages. Sensubrush, $25 Sensu Solo brush; $40 Sensu Portable Artist Brush & Stylus.
Shine a Light
Light My Way Nightlight
Tots unaccustomed to sleeping in hotel rooms or even in grandma’s big house might worry about monsters that lurk in dark corners. But not with the Munchkin nightlight standing watch. The owl-shaped light, 6.25 inches high from base to top, looks like a friend and uses batteries. So instead of being stationary in an electric outlet, the big-eyed critter functions like a lantern, complete with easy to grasp handle. Your child can place the Light My Way on a night stand or take the owl with her to the bathroom. A timer turns the nightlight off after 20 minutes, but kids—or parents—can switch it back on for more sessions. Munchkin.com, $16.99 at Toys R Us, Walmart, Target and other retailers.
Find a Lost Child
SafetyTat It’s every parent’s nightmare: your child too young to talk or to remember your phone number, goes missing at the amusement park, the airport, the museum or the shopping mall. Created by a mom, SafetyTats are temporary tattoos with your cell phone number that you can place on your tot’s arm. That way the kindly stranger who finds him will know whom to call. Online you can order the customized versions, applied with water, that come printed with your information (these last one to three days). The Quick Stick Write-on version, applied like a band-aid, comes with a marking pen, lasts longer and is available online and in stores. Safetytat, $6.99-$16.99.
The best gift for families? A trip together!
USA TODAY||by Candyce H. StapenCategories: Adventures, All-inclusives, Family, Family Travel Tips, Trip Ideas, Wildlife and Safari VacationsForget flat-screen TVs, robotic toys and even tablets. The trendy gift this season is a trip together, especially for families.
“Materialism is taking a backseat to experiences, ” says Darren Humphreys, owner Travel Sommelier, a safari and gastronomic travel company. “The giver — the grandparent or the baby boomer — realizes that what’s important is spending time in a special environment with people who are important to you.”
That’s why trips trump other gifts for families.
“Our busiest travel week is now Christmas week, “says Dan Austin, Austin Adventures president. “A big and increasing segment of our business is multigenerational travel. Our multigenerational travel over the holidays has doubled,” says Austin.
Austin credits the bump to several things. “We first started seeing an increase in gifts of multigenerational trips and grandparent/grandchild vacations in 2008-2009 when the economy was struggling. Adults were looking hard at what they were gifting. Giving time together is much more valuable than anything else. And we’ve seen double-digit growth for these trips every year since 2008/2009.”
Wilderness Safaris’ North American manager Craig Glatthaar notes that the company’s family travel business has increased 20%-25% in the last five years. “With the technological revolution, we’ve become more and more detached from nature,” says Glatthaar. “The older generation wants to give the younger ones an appreciation for nature. We see more and more families with young children age 6 and older as well as more multi-generational trips with grandparents, their children and grandchildren.”
After all, think about what’s remembered fondly at family gatherings. Last year’s big TV purchase may not even be mentioned. “You’re more likely to relive the adventure trip you took together,” says Austin, who sees Yellowstone as a stepping stone for a grandparent/ grandchild trip.
“Maybe the grandparents went there as kids and now want to show their grandchildren, “says Austin. “The next year that family is adding going further away so they might do the Canadian Rockies or Costa Rica and then the Galapagos or cycling trips in Europe.”
REI Adventures has also experienced a rise in holiday family trips. “A lot of times grandparents will take the whole family as a holiday gift, “says manager Cynthia Dunbar. ” The Galapagos and Costa Rica are popular over the holidays,” says Dunbar. “We launched our family trips seven years ago and the number of departures has increased an incredible amount.”
Not only does adventure add fun, but it encourages interaction. “Out of your home environment, out of your comfort zone, you converse, you interact, “says Humphreys. ” On a safari a family is in a vehicle a couple of yards away from a lion.”
That gets families talking to each other. Nancy Ozizmir, Greenwich, Conn., calls the South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe safari Travel Sommelier arranged last year for herself, her husband Dan, and children Daniel, 16, Annika, 13, and Charlotte, 9, “the best family vacation we have ever taken.”
Says Ozizmir, “On a ski trip, we ski at different levels so we’re apart a lot. A safari is very much about togetherness. We were together in the jeep with our guide. We were excited seeing the zebra, leopard, lions and rhinos. The kids learned so much.”
And not just about the animals. Humphreys arranged for the Ozizmirs to visit a small village in Zambia.
“The people were so happy to see us because they were curious and excited. We were too, ” says Ozizmir. “The villagers lived in mud or straw huts. There was one well for the whole village. Some kids didn’t have shoes, but the kids were smiling and laughing. My kids gave them piggyback rides. My kids were impressed by the villagers’ warmth. The people were lit from within. My kids realized that you do not need things to be happy.”
And that’s a timeless gift that can come from traveling together.