Taking the Kids — away from the crowds to play in the snow

Taking the Kids — away from the crowds to play in the snow

We discovered one week last winter that, despite the tumbles, it’s exhilarating for everyone in the family to have the chance to try a new snow activity like snowmobiling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or biking on “fat bikes,”

Packing smart for your next family trip

Packing smart for your next family trip

If you are like me and want to pack more efficiently, especially these days when you don’t want to pay for bags for the entire family (wait at the airport for them or need a larger rental car to accommodate the bags), this column is for you.

Taking the whole family on a cruise

Taking the whole family on a cruise

There are ships to suit every budget and travel style, from adventure-minded families chartering a small ship from a company like AdventureSmith Explorations that accommodates as few as a dozen guests, to a river cruise in Europe to a megaship in the Caribbean

Celebrating Halloween for an entire month

Celebrating Halloween for an entire month

You’ll need that costume a lot sooner than Halloween since theme parks, zoos, haunted attractions, farms, even zip lines everywhere are touting Halloween festivities and scares all October long

To Budapest and exploring a new city through food and drink

To Budapest and exploring a new city through food and drink

In Budapest, The Hungarian Flodni layer cake with plum jam, apple, poppy seed and walnuts lives up to its reputation. Yum! So do the “Baselon,” (translated as a “friend’s ear”) — dumplings fashioned from potato dough with plum jam and sprinkled with brown sugar.

On a European river cruise with kids of all ages

On a European river cruise with kids of all ages

The all-inclusive nature of these cruises also seems to de-stress the experience — just choose which shore excursion you like, borrow a bike, enjoy complimentary wine and beer and more on some ships.

Taking the Kids — to a fall festival

Taking the Kids — to a fall festival

There’s a lot to celebrate in fall — not the least of which is the kids getting back to school and out from underfoot. There are festivals galore