Anyone who has ever toured colleges with a high school student — and I was on my third round that Boston weekend — knows that’s no small feat. I’ve driven four hours to have my son refuse to get out of the car because he didn’t like the look of the campus
Halloween is no longer just about trick or treating in the neighborhood. That’s old school — apparently. Instead, you can take your pick of zoos, museums, theme parks, campgrounds, big cities, small ones — all of which have Halloween doings guaranteed to scare the teens and plenty of benign “spooky” fun for the littlest ghosts and goblins.
The Atacama region (less than two hours flight from Santiago) is one of the most visited in Chile and it is easy to see why — the spectacular desert landscape, the chance to hike to an ancient village, taste a llama kebob (you’ll see them everywhere here), hike to the top of a volcano at 18,000 feet or to the highest geyser field in the world — El Tatio Geisers at 14,190 feet — and visit unique nature reserves like this.
Fall is an ideal time for some “me” and “us” time. “Prices are generally less expensive than the summer months,” says Travelocity.com’s Genevieve Brown. “And since most families are wrapped up with school activities, you’re not likely to encounter a lot of kids at your destination.”
“You do something and the next day you want to do It again because it was so fun,” says Zach. With other friends, they made a human pyramid while moms played tennis, headed out in kayaks and to water-ski, hunt for frogs, and watch a movie while their parents linger guilt-free over dinner. “We eat and then run off,” Zach says.
We moms all know the dirty little secret of family vacations. No, I’m not talking about the piles of laundry when we get home, though that’s certainly no fun. I’m talking about how moms whisper on the beach, on line at theme parks and at ski resort lifts that family vacations are really no vacations at all for them, especially when young kids are part of the equation.
I didn’t have to shop, cook or do the dishes or even crack the lobsters. Welcome to Migis Lodge. In a local Native American language Migis means “Place to Steal Away and Rest,” says Tim Porta, who is the second generation to run the place—his 29-year-old son Jed the third generation.
The resort—built on 700 acres—includes 77 cabins that were built before the 1940s. The same families have been coming for generations for the same illusive qualities that first brought families here more than a century ago—the lake front, the chance to be together whether reading a book, playing croquet on the lawn or going out in a sail boat or kayak
DAY THREE — Our first day at sea and there is so much to do! We can go to a lecture about Malta where we will be tomorrow, play Bingo or go to a cooking demonstration, learn napkin folding or Origami.
Disney gets it. They’ve just announced the creation of a special website where you can share your Disney memories and view those of other vacationers (maybe you’ll laugh, maybe you’ll pick up a park-going tip).
TakingTheKids