The Ferris Wheel at Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach.

The Amtrak Downeaster Rail begins in Portland, Maine and ends in Boston, Massachusetts. In between there are stops in Old Orchard Beach ME, Saco ME, Wells ME, Dover NH, Durham NH, Exeter NH, Haverhill MA, and Woburn MA. For this series of articles I will expound upon the merits of each stop along the Downeaster Amtrak tour.

Old Orchard Beach is a fantastic destination for vacationing families. Indeed, it’s one of the top tourist destinations in the state and hosts a regular influx of Canadian visitors every summer. OOB, as the natives call it, is one of those places that becomes a traditional, yearly destination for visitors and locals alike.

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They've got friends in each other.

If you’ve got kids and plans for summer travel there is a good chance that you might find yourself in an amusement park. The trick is to stay amused. It’s hot. It’s crowded. The lines are ridiculous. Sometimes you just need a hug to get through the day.

Words of advice about visiting theme parks with children: drink TONS of water, wear plenty of sunscreen, stop and rest often — including a nap, even if it means driving back to the hotel. Also, if anyone from Toy Story 3 stops by, tell them I said hello.

For more family-friendly travel photos visit DeliciousBaby’s Photo Fridays.

Photo taken at Disneyland by Whit Honea

Yes, I know this is at the Disneyland Hotel and not at WDW, but it's the only picture I have of my kid and Chef Goofy. Deal with it.

Before I get into the “free” part, a quick word…

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Disney Dining Plan at Walt Disney World and you’ve thought that it sounded like a great idea, but also a little complicated.  That’s fair. You’ve thought sillier stuff and we both know it.  The fact is, the Disney Dining Plan is actually simple and it will save you about 30% per adult. That’s a boatload of money (actual boats may vary).

Disney Dining Plans are only available to guests of Walt Disney World Resorts using Magic Your Way Vacation Packages.  That part is important. When a plan is purchased you are allotted X amount of meals and/or snacks during your stay at over 100 participating eateries on Walt Disney World Resort property.  The meals are broken down by type, meaning you get a certain number (varies by plan) of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks over the duration of your Disney vacation. Here’s some information from Disney:  Read More »

Flags for Memorial Day

This weekend we, as in the United States, will be observing Memorial Day. Many of us will be spending the day with family, friends and our body weight in beer and barbecue, and may not even stop to think why it is that we have the day off to begin with. Here is a brief and partial history of the Memorial Day holiday according to USMemorialDay.org: Read More »