Family Vacation Travel

If your family is a crew of animal lovers than for your next family vacation travel adventure bring it to life with an animal encounter. I mean the expected kind…not the type from “When Animals Attack.” The opportunities out there can take an ordinary trip and turn it into something to remember for life!

Swimming with Manatees

Also known as the “sea cow” these gentle giants are in danger of becoming extinct. There are only a little over 3,000 of them left in Florida. Manatee Safari in Crystal River, Florida allows you to swim with them in their own environment. Unfortunately, the opportunity to see these extraordinary manatees may be diminishing since 25% of the deaths of these each year are due to boating accidents. Check out www.manateeinfo.com for a truly unique expedition to see these sweet, mammoth creatures.

Big Cat Rescue

Located in Tampa Florida is the world’s largest exotic big cat sanctuary, home of the only two white servals in the world. There are 140 cats including lions, tigers, leopards, panthers and many others. www.bigcatrescue.org 

You’ll get to see the cats up close! Adult Day Tours ($25 per person) for ages 10 and older are offered Monday through Friday at 9am or 3pm, and on Saturdays at 9:30, 11:30 and 1:30, and last about an hour and a half. A Family Tour ($15 per child under 10 years and $25 per person over 10 years) is offered on Saturdays at 9am, and is the only tour permitted for children under age 10 along with their family. It is about an hour long, and is geared towards children’s interest.

 

Pet an adult tiger?

If that is not up close enough for you, travel to Santa Clarita, CA to “spend an afternoon walking a tiger, bottle feeding leopard, or have a grizzly bear present a gift…” These and many other animals are trained for Hollywood movies. Although pricey, $495.00/per person, you the experience of touching and interacting with these animals will make for a memorable day you will never forget! Totally amazing photo opportunity for your Christmas card too. Check out www.hollywoodanimals.com. They also have a “trainer for a day” where you learn what it takes to be an animal trainer and interact with tiger, bear and leopard actors. It is a one-on-one experience and you must be 16+ to do this training program.

Safari USA

If being in a vehicle makes you feel a little more secure, visit the Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain, GA. Visitors can see, touch and feed hundreds of exotic animals. The drive through safari allows giraffes, ostrich and bison to come up to your car. The walk-about tour, which the animals are penned include ligers (half lions/half tiger), black bears, alligators etc. You may rent a zebra van, tour bus or drive your own car (they also have rhinos, just a note for decision-making purposes) Adults:$16.95 Children(3-12) $13.95 and 2 & under Free. Zebra van (7 passenger) is $11.00. Zebra bus (15 passenger) is $15.00. You can get more details at www.animalsafari.com

Butterflies and Birds of Prey

Since you are only a few miles down the road, you should visit Callaway Gardens. If you are doing both stay at the Callaway Gardens Resort. The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center is home of 1,000 butterflies. We walked through and were amazed at the 50+ different types all around us. Note of caution: make sure to let your three year old know ahead of time not to swat at or try to catch them, major no-no! Callaway is also home of the Birds of Prey Show. We were taken by the free flighted show where raptors swoop down to take their place on the outdoor stage. This is one of few locations that has a live raptor show. If you are one of those people who have a tiny dog you carry in your purse, I would leave them at home that day. Visit www.callawaygardens.com. There is much more to the resort than the animal encounters, but that will be for another article.

Polar Bears & Beluga Whales

The Polar Bear Capital of the World! For an encounter with these big lovable-looking teddy bears you must venture to Churchill Manitoba in late October to mid-November. There bears emerge from hibernation and famished. They make their way out onto the ice for seal. At this time of year, you will probably see 250-300 of them. They are so in abundance, they have to have a Halloween Patrol so the children of Churchill can trick or treat without encounter. They have helicopters circling and the town ringed by emergency vehicles, all with engines on and spotlights on streets to keep polar bears from getting too close to costumed children. Go see the bears, it is a sight worth seeing. However, if you are going in the summer, there is an encounter of a different sort. Same location, different time of year, is where you can see Beluga Whales. Best time to do this is June-August when thousands are migrating.

Swimming with Humpback Whales

If you are more adventurous and would like to dip your toe in, check out the Silver Bank located between the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the largest population of Humpback Whales in the North Atlantic. Here you will be able to swim with them! Go to www.wildquest.com/adventures to see about the expedition. You will stay on board to later plunge in for a journey into their world.

Sea Lions

Sea Lions @ Pier 39 in San Francisco, CA Since 1990 droves of sea lions hang out at the pier barking and kabitzing with tourists. The numbers can get to as many as 900 in the wintertime. If you are in San Francisco go to Fisherman’s Warf.

Swimming with Dolphins

Last by certainly not least lovable, dolphins. There are many places you can swim with dolphins and have a great encounter with these playful fellows. If your travels take you to Hawaii, Florida, Mexico, Carribean than you can go to www.dolphinworld.org and they have a listing of what outfits offer the excursions based on location.

Volunteer to feed baby foxes, raccoons and squirrels?

Urban Wildlife Rescue in Denver, Colorado has usually about 300 animals to care for and is in need of volunteers. There are many possibilities for a working vacation all over if you contact a animal rescue facility that has your interest. An animal encounter of the compassionate nature.

When planning your next family vacation travel experience maybe including an animal encounter with it could be just what you need to make this year’s family vacation unforgettable! I’d love to hear some of your ideas for unique animal encounter trips!

 

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Traveling with pets isn’t always easy. But fortunately you don’t have to sacrifice staying in a nice resort for the sake of your dog anymore.

A growing number of high end boutique hotels and chains are now catering to the canine traveler, complete with special menus, plush beds and dog walking services.

In California, people treat their pets like children, so it’s not unusual to find plenty of places where your pet will be spoiled.

Veronica Hill of California Travel Tips checks out the state’s best pet friendly hotels.

Whether you rent a cottage, stay in an RV, or pitch a tent, Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort aims to please people and their pets. It has a nice dog run, lots of grassy play areas and complimentary Mutt Mitts for picking up after your pup. Newport Dunes (800) 765-7661.

In the San Bernardino Mountains, head up to the luxurious Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa. They have a special pet menu, some nice waterfront walking paths and — if you’re in the mood to splurge — a Three Dog Bakery right down the road. Lake Arrowhead Resort, 909-336-1511.

Along the central coast in Pismo Beach, the elegant Cliffs Resort will welcome your pooch with a plush bed, bowl and souvenir dog tag. For a fee, they’ll even take your dog for a walk along the seaside trail, with gorgeous views of the Pacific.
Cliffs Resort, 800-826-7827.

Looking for something different? Put Fifi in her crate and board the Catalina Express for an island getaway 22 miles off the coast. You’ll want to stay at the Edgewater — a pet friendly hotel that’s right on the beach. Though Avalon doesn’t officially allow pets along the boardwalk, we saw dozens of them during a recent trip. Edgewater Beachfront Hotel (310) 510-0347.

Finally, if your visit brings you to Napa Valley, don’t miss the posh Vintage Inn in Yountville. It’s near several dog-friendly restaurants, including Bouchon, Hurley’s and Pacific Blues Cafe. Thomas Keller’s famous Bouchon Bakery serves up foie gras dog biscuits that are sure to please even the most discriminating pup. Dog sitters are available upon request. Vintage Inn (707) 944-1112.

Some hotels just tolerate pets, while others welcome them whole-heartedly. Check Web sites like PetsWelcome.com, PetTravel.com and DogFriendly.com to see just where you stand.

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Those that like to make the most of the teachable moments with your children realize that family vacation travel lends itself to a wonderful opportunity to broaden your children’s horizons. The children are already a captive audience since there is no distractions from home and their wonder is heightened by the new surroundings. There are several ways that you can utilize your vacation to teach your kids something without having to create a lesson plan. In actuality, if you’d like an lesson plan on a specific subject related to your trip there are thousands of free ones online. Here are some suggestions for you to use in a low key manner to get some educational value.

Peaking your child’s interest before the trip gets you off to a great start. Write to the resort or tourism bureau of where you are headed and request a packet on the area. When it arrives, spread it out so you and your children can look through all the brochures.

Lesson plans- Many zoos, museums, etc have lesson plans on their websites. Visit the websites ahead of time so they can anticipate where they will be going. Download the lesson plans. Some have things to learn before you come, find while you are there and other leave you with things to reinforce what they have learned.

Talk to a librarian in the children’s section of your library to suggest children’s books set in the area you are going. For example, a few Robert McCloskey’s books are set in New England. Wherever you are visiting, you may find books set in that locale.

Factory tours. Many cities around the USA have factory tours, most are free. For instance, in Illinois, The Great American Popcorn Company. In Hershey, PA of course, Hershey’s Chocolate World. Also in Pennsylvania is the Harley Davidson tour.

Books . If you are traveling to another climate or region get some library books about it. We checked out books on ocean life before heading to Florida and it made it much more interesting for them when they saw sea creatures that they had learned something about. It brought their reading to life. Yes, it is great to see a dolphin but even better when they had just read and learned about them, it’s fascinating

History. Learn a little about the history of where you are going. Whether it is the city, state or region there could be some historical value to learn about. Then if they see a monument or statue and they have heard about it, there is a lasting impression.

Wildlife. Search for facts on wildlife, plants or food that is common to the area that is different from your area.

Journal. Give each child a journal to write in while on the trip, like at night before bed, they can write about their day. It will also give them a place to keep trinkets they find or brochures or photos you take. Later, when they have forgotten all the little details it will bring back the good memories.

Most of all have fun. Don’t worry about what they learned and what they didn’t the key is to find something that they found interesting and let them delve deeper and deeper. The idea is to give them a love of learning and a curious spirit. A genuine interest will help them connect to the people they meet there and the new things they experience. They will learn a whole lot since what they read will come to life. They will have hands on encounter with the learning process during their family vacation travel experience.

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Family Vacation Travel -VEGAS

We just returned from a week in Las Vegas. There is nothing like Vegas! It is one of those places in our great country that nothing compares. Is it a family friendly trip? You decide. I will say, my children did not come along, it was a birthday getaway for just my husband and I. However, I will always have my “parent” glasses on since I am a family vacation travel writer. There were many times I wish my children were with us, flying in seeing all the spectacular lights, the amazing hotels, and the impossible that Vegas makes possible!

Warning! For those who have never walked the strip before, there will be people everywhere trying to hand you cards with porn on them. Even if ignore them, your children will see the sidewalk littered, no covered, with the photos. I watched a mother walking with her four and six-year-old children nervously trying to get them to look up at the sky, to no avail. As a heads up, night or day this will happen, so if you want to avoid it take the monorail or double decked bus from hotel to hotel.

Of course it is not the only place you will see provocative situations but clearly the hardest to veer away from if you are using that route. Remember, you are in an adult playground. Having said that, if you keep your wits about you there are many things your family can enjoy. Please note, the hotels may look close together, but when you walk the strip you will have a new understanding of what “huge hotels” are. For instance, to walk around the perimeter of the MGM is one mile. Several times we found ourselves walking and after several minutes they didn’t seem any closer. Wear comfortable shoes or take my advice above. Especially with children, this another reason to take transportation.

We stayed at the MGM with a top floor suite with a panoramic view of the mountains, the planes landing and the strip! Just a word of warning: the window washers in Vegas are quiet as mimes, so be aware, I was caught off guard! I am sure they have many stories to tell…MGM has the lion habitat that is sure a treat (and free!) Your children will love them. Nothing like seeing someone petting and playing with these huge cats like they were your average house feline.

Since we like free, here are things you can do with the family that have no cost:

Bellagio has a symphony of fountains that are beautiful right out in front of the hotel. Inside they have the conservatory as well.

Mirage Hotel has the erupting volcano in front of its entrance.

Freemont Street Experience has a free show , bright lights, big city, worth seeing.

Circus Circus has a show under the big top with trapeze artists, aerialists and other circus performers.

M&M World

The Sirens of Treasure Island is best bang for your free buck. A show of a battle between beautiful women (sirens) and pirates. Song, dance and theatrical war is nightly. Major Note: No Strollers.

The Aquarium at Silverton Hotel

Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo

Attractions with cost associated:

Las Vegas Sports Park

Secret Garden @ The Mirage (exotic animals and dolphin habitat)

Shark Reef @ Mandalay Bay

Lied Discovery Children’s museum

XScream thrill ride on a roller coaster track at the Stratosphere Hotel (best way to view the strip)

If you would rather venture off the strip for some family fun try:

Floyd Lamb State Park its about 20 miles from the strip.

Grand Canyon is about 300 miles, obviously worth the drive.

Lake Mead is about 30 miles away for some lake recreation.

Las Vegas Natural History Museum is about 7 miles away.

Mount Charleston can reach at its highest point 12,000 in elevation. (wildlife and waterfalls show a much different side than the strip) it is about 35 miles away.

Zoological -Botanical Park is about 6 miles from the strip.

Money Saving Tips

When landing, if you are staying at the strip and taking a cab to your hotel, tell the cab driver not to take the tunnel. Most won’t, but many tourists have been overcharged by cabbies who take the long way.

There is a Vegas Power Pass that can possibly save you money and avoid lines @ http://www.visiticket.com/LasVegas/las-vegas-power-pass.aspx

Family vacation travel recommendation:

Vegas is a great getaway for mother and daughters to reunite or sisters. Get all the adult girls in the family and jet off to the strip. The spas are abundant, most have their own exclusive treatments. The shows are spectacular and many to choose from! Many hotels have several pools to choose from. Everything in Vegas is over the top, the food, entertainment and pampering. Makes for a fabulous girls weekend for the adult girls in your family.

Adult couples in the family is also another idea. Depending the stage of life your extended family is in, this would be a nice opportunity for parents with their adult children and spouses to have some fun. It has so much to offer in one destination.

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Family Vacation Travel- Tybee Island

By Jewel Hennessy, Contributor

Call your husband or wife and tell them to start packing! I discovered a relaxing beach front paradise nestled off the Coast of Savannah GA. Tybee Island is one of the most care free places for family vacation travel or just a group of girlfriends. The sapphire skies and breath taking sun sets will make you never want to leave the Island. There is something there for everyone in your family. As a mother of four small children whose ages range from six years old to six months, I know the need to please everyone. I found everything I was looking for in a family vacation travel adventure.

My family and I arrived on a Monday and from the moment our feet hit the ground we were going. We scheduled a tour of Tybee Island for a few hours after we got there. I loved it. We where able to see most of what they had to offer, and we decided what we wanted to do from there. Let me tell you, if you could fit it in, we did! If you are looking for a beautiful sun rise, they have what the locals call the “back river”. There you will find an amazing sun rise surrounded by marshland. If the sun set is more along your lines, then the Tybee Island pier is where you will enjoy a peaceful view. That night we came back to our fully furnished townhouse. I normally would not note too much about where we stay but this townhouse had a large Kholer tub for soaking! That made it hard to ever leave. The condo was beautiful and nicely furnished. Not to mention a few walking steps from the beach! We made all of our arrangement though Tybee Vacation Rentals. When I told them the ages of my children, the representative informed me about a baby equipment rental place there on the island that would deliver everything I needed. So the townhouse really was our home away from home.

So much to do, so little time! We started the morning at Fort Pulaski. My older three loved running around and looking out over the island from the fort. We left there to go catch a late breakfast at the Breakfast Club. I do not recommend this restaurant if you have children. It was not a child friendly place. However, if it is just you and your significant other, this place is for you. My husband and I will be back but the children will be staying with our nanny. After our breakfast, we went for a tour at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Everyone should go! We toured the beach with our tour guide Lisa. She was great. I brought my stroller right out there on the beach! We looked at all the stuff that the tide had washed up. After that, we went inside the center to finish the tour. Everyone enjoyed this.

By then, it was time to eat again. We ate at Fannie’s on the Beach, and it was really on the beach. After lunch, we head out to Captain Mike’s Dolphin Adventure. Then, we rapped up the evening at the Crab Shack. What a great family friendly place! After we ate, we took the children back out to the beach for a little evening play time. The next morning we had to leave but before we could call it a trip, we stopped by the lighthouse. I walked all those steps with all those children. That is not something I want to do again, however, my children loved it and have not stopped talking about how high they were. So I do recommend it, if you don’t mind climbing steps. Your children will love it and I do have to say, that the view from up there was worth the climb.

Tybee Island is a place for multi-generational traveling. I am planning a trip back for my whole family. We are going to be having a family reunion there the summer of 2009. For my family, I will need a rental house that has a room on the ground floor to accommodate my grandparents. I have also requested handicapped accessibility to the beach for them and I got it!! They are hard to find but not for Tybee Island. I love the people at Tybee Vacation Rentals.

I also must note that they are building a dog park so my closest thing to a niece will have a place to play while we are there. I am looking forward to our trip back. Don’t forget to have a fun and a safe skitdaddle until next time!

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Part of the fun of the trip is in the planning. Some experts say that people spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning their future! That’s probably not good, however, preparation for your trip can help you avoid inconvenience, unanticipated expenses and missing a must-see attraction while there.

Involving the children in the family travel planning process provides some valuable teaching and here are some suggestions:

Order a Visitors Guide from the tourism bureau of that area, addressed to your children.

They can anticipate the trip by pouring over photos and suggestions of what there is to do.

Prepare a budget for the trip.

They learn the value of how much it costs vs. entertainment value

Compromise if they can’t afford it all.

Prioritize their money and time for what the family really wants to do.

Consider all others involved.

Mapping out the trip

Learn why it takes so long (hopefully can end “are we there yet?”)

Planning where to stop for breaks and food.

How often would they need to stop for gasoline (good math problem)

Meal Planning

What items are good to pack (non-perishable and less messy).

Eating packed food vs. eating out goes back to a budgeting too.

Packing

Only so much will fit in the car and whatever you pack you must carry, unpack and repack.

What emergency items do we need to have on hand?

Scheduling

Planning the schedule can teach time management. For instance, we may spend too much time at one attraction and run out of time to get to the beach.

So when it comes to family travel planning, allow the kids to get involved. They will get more out of the trip and no complaints, since they were responsible for some of the decision-making. Happy travels and when they ask “are we almost there?” you can ask “I don’t know, are we?”

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Soon after my first child was born, my husband and I realized it was no longer as easy as throwing a duffle bag in the trunk for a weekend getaway. For such a small baby, she sure needed a boat load of stuff!

It took us a few trips of disaster before we came to the conclusion of what was a necessity and what was extra baggage. When baby #2, #3 and #4 came along we became seasoned family vacation travel professionals. Each stage brought its new challenges. Our passion for travel outweighed the aggravation, so we decided to get good at this.

Looking back on childhood road trips, laying in the back of the station wagon where mom made a large bed out of the trunk. I soon realized I couldn’t draw much from that experience. Things sure have changed and thankfully there are many resources at our fingertips. We suffered without DVDs, Gameboys, and even Mapquest! Father’s haven’t changed much, they still won’t stop for directions, but thank God for GPS!

Some practical tips for a hassle-free family vacation travel experience on the road:

• I am always full of surprises! Hide things to do so when they are bored you have the novelty to run off of for a while. For instance, new coloring books, crafts or books. Even new DVDs rented or bought, let it be a surprise.
• If you can get photos from the trip printed before you head home, let them make a scrapbook on the way home of the trip. Who cares what it looks like or whether you have three or four copies, if you have peace. (For a cheap alternative, have them mount photos with a glue stick to a pad of construction paper.)
• Give them highlighters (or a yellow crayon is less messy in the car) and a copy of the map to route along the way.
• Letterboxing is a very fun adventure to break up the trip. For those not familiar, it is “an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming ‘treasure hunt’ style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages,” quoted from www.letterboxing.org It is free, and if you travel a good bit make a family book to collect your stampings.
• If you are a mom or dad traveling alone with a children of the opposite sex, a good safety tip is to stop at a Starbucks to use restrooms since they have single use bathrooms and you can wait outside knowing there is no one else in there with your kid. Target also has family bathrooms.
• Depending on ages I packed a potty seat in the van. Yes, I am aware of how disgusting that sounds. However, when the baby finally falls asleep and your 3-year-old says, ” I need to go to the bathroom” you will be glad for the advice. Especially at night, you won’t have to light up the car to open the door. Baby stays asleep, business taken care of, off you go!
• If you are traveling at night bring pajamas and bedtime items with you so you can do their normal routine as you are getting them ready for bedtime so they will have an easier time falling asleep.

Have fun and don’t over plan every minute, just being in a new environment is exciting for them. Make the most of letting them discover what is different and unusual.

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