Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain

The easternmost point on the continental US is West Quoddy Head, near the town of Lubec, Maine. If a person wanted the unique designation of seeing the sun rise in the United States before anyone else, that is where he or she would need to travel. While West Quoddy is a beautiful destination, has a lovely historic light house, and offers incredible views across the ocean, there is another spot in Maine that is actually more popular for sunrise enthusiasts. Read More »

Leaving our mark on Disneyland.

At the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, there is a large square of open area between the gates of the original Disneyland park and Disney’s California Adventure.  The square is filled with families waiting for loved ones and teenagers trying to look cool in mouse ears and all of the randomness that one might associate with the downtime of a Disney vacation. Read More »

I happen to be a huge fan of Canada. HUGE. I have never had a Canadian experience that was less than completely positive. I love Canada so much that next summer I’m planning on hitting at least one of several points along the northern border of the U.S. that are great jumping-off points to get to Canada by car.

#1 Canadian Jumping Off Point – Boston, MA. Boston is one of my favorite places, and it’s right handy to Montreal (5 hours 20 minutes) and Quebec City (6 hours 30 minutes). My vision of a really great vacation is to start in Boston, stay a couple of nights and hit some of the sights (like Beacon Hill, or the Freedom Trail, or nearby Cape Cod), then drive up to Montreal for a couple of days, making sure to see the Pôle des Rapides. From Montreal the drive to Quebec City is two hours and 45 minutes, where I would recommend staying at the Hôtel Manoir de l’Esplanade and checking out the various boat tours along the St. Lawrence River.

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The 2009 Harley Street Glide that we rented, with the Grand Tetons in the background.

If you have yet to visit the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, I suggest that you hasten forthwith and plan a trip as soon as possible.  For it is within this park that you can witness a story like the following unfold before your very eyes.

My husband and I stayed for several days at Teton Village, which is just south of the boundary into the Grand Teton National Park. We rented a motorcycle for two of those days, and had an incredible experience exploring all corners of the park. At the end of one particularly long day of riding, we were heading back toward our hotel via Rt. 26/89/191, along the east side of the park, north of Jackson Hole. All of a sudden, my husband’s helmet-muffled, “Hey!” and pointing finger turned my attention to the right side of the road, where we saw this:

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Summer is winding down and school is – or soon will be – back in session for kids across America.  And so ends the season of summer vacations.

But there’s no reason that your family’s travel experiences have to stop with the start of the school year.  Sure, you may find less time for week long excursions.  Trips to far away lands are difficult to squeeze in between Fridays and Mondays.  But exposing your kids to new sights and cultures is a way of life that can and should be encouraged year round.

How can you keep vacationing during the school year (and long after you’ve exhausted your paid vacation days)?  Embrace the weekend trip!

5 Weekend Vacations To Take With Your Kids This Fall:

1.  Go fishing - You don’t have to be in a swimsuit to enjoy the water.  Grab your jeans, sweatshirts and a tackle box and head for your nearest river or lake.  Teach your kids how to bait a hook, respect the environment, and throw back the little ones.

2. Go camping – Even if you’re not fishing, there’s plenty of ways to enjoy the great outdoors without the oppressive summer heat.  Fall and spring are great times to camp, because you won’t spend your weekend longing for air conditioning.

3.  Visit a new zoo – There may not be a zoo in your neighborhood, so get in the car and take a weekend trip to the closest metropolis with an awesome zoo.  Take the time to let the kids wander around, have lunch in a nearby park, and spend the night at a cheap hotel nearby.

4.  See the big city – Cities provide excellent learning opportunities for children who spend most of their time in suburbs.  It lets them get comfortable in – and learn the safety rules of – big crowds.  Are you a few hours drive from a city you don’t visit nearly enough?  Spend a weekend seeing the sights and the lights with your kids in tow.

5.  Find the colored leaves – Every part of the United States offers its own unique signs of autumn.  It may be changing leaves, apple orchards or regional harvest festivals.  Think about how your part of the country marks the fall season and spend a weekend observing and celebrating.

The end of summer brings with it the return of busy schedules and hectic routines.  Remember to take the time to take a break and show your kids a new piece of the world around them.

Photos: Tuppus on Flickr, daveelmore on Flickr, flasporty on Flickr, Peter Kaminski on Flickr, *Micky on Flickr

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello at Charlottesville, VA

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is located just outside of Charlottesville, VA.  More specifically, it is just over the halfway point from our house in Ohio to Cape Hatteras, NC at the southern tip of the island chain known as The Outer Banks.  Why is this important?  And why would I bother telling you so?

Because when you are traveling from Ohio to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, more specifically, when you are traveling from Ohio to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with five small children, you’re going to want to break that up.  Trust me!  My kids are stellar traveling companions and I’d take them anywhere without hesitation, but experience has taught me Read More »

Where do you go to drop almost $100 bucks just for a few hours of family fun and maybe a drop or two of learning?  A children’s museum, of course.  We are visiting family in Connecticut, and so we took the late morning of a sunny Friday and headed to Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk.  Right off I-95 and set back from the road in Mathews Park, Stepping Stones is remarkable from the outside with its unusual roof that you can actually see from the highway.  Inside is a wonderland of hands-on activity for young children.

Stepping Stones Museum For Children

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The Sun is Setting on Summer---My Mind is Still at the Beach

My summer is rapidly coming to a close and preparations are being made to ready my little ones for getting back to school.  But those of us fortunate enough to have taken a vacation this summer continue to long for the beach, the park, the open road, the relaxation that is, well—not work.  I have found that August, busy though it may be, is a perfect time to continue in a vacation mindset and nothing helps that better than a carefree Day-cation.

For our family, the perfect day-cation destination tends to be Read More »