Taking the kids to the new FantasyLand at Disney World

Taking the kids to the new FantasyLand at Disney World

No worries if you can’t make it to the New Fantasyland for a while either. There’s more to come. Next year, Princess Fairytale Hall will open complete with chambers where you can meet Aurora, Cinderella, Tiana and Rapunzel.

A safe harbor after the storm in the Poconos

A safe harbor after the storm in the Poconos

Ten-year-old Charlie Baker writes: When Hurricane Sandy hit, we didn’t have any power in my New Jersey town. A lot of the families left and went to grandma’s house, but my grandma lives in Manhattan and we couldn’t get there because there was a lot of traffic and a giant crane was hanging nearby. So we had to figure out where else to go. My mom ended up surprising us with a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge.

Touring on a bike offers new insights and fun

Touring on a bike offers new insights and fun

it’s worth checking out a bike tour wherever you are visiting with the kids. You can bike along the new beach promenade in Clearwater, Fla., or sample Portland’s famous local eats on a Bites by Bike tour that claims it is the best in the country for cyclists, offering an extensive network of trails.

Snowshoeing – the quieter side of a winter vacation, day or weekend

Snowshoeing – the quieter side of a winter vacation, day or weekend

You don’t need a gourmet meal to enjoy snowshoeing. It’s fun to take a sandwich and hot cider with you in your backpack; it’s fun just to get out and enjoy the back-country landscape away from the hustle and bustle of a snow sports resort. I try to take a day off from skiing each trip just for the experience.

Remembering a memorable sailing trip and lobsters on Anegada

Remembering a memorable sailing trip and lobsters on Anegada

“People tell us this is the way the Caribbean used to be,” says Lawrence Wheatley, who with his sister Lorraine and their mom runs the 16-room Anegada Reef Hotel and its bustling restaurant where diners feast on the 2+ pound lobsters and fresh fish nightly.

So much to see and do on moms’ getaway to Scottsdale

So much to see and do on moms’ getaway to Scottsdale

No guilt allowed! We keep telling ourselves that all weekend. I’m in Scottsdale, AZ for a moms’ getaway weekend with an old friend I don’t see nearly enough. She lives on the West Coast; I live across the country.

To the Atacama Desert Region of Chile

To the Atacama Desert Region of Chile

We are in northern Chile in the famous Atacama desert region in the Valle de la Luna—Moon Valley—famous for its resemblance to the moon surface and salt and rock formations that look like dinosaur heads, angels and more.

Riding a bike in the Sonoran Desert — at night!

Riding a bike in the Sonoran Desert — at night!

Our Guide Kerry Echer is leading us on one of several unique adventures offered by the Golden Door Spa here. Earlier in the day, we’d noticed Echer teaching rock climbing on the giant boulders; there are also guided hikes and mountain biking.

Getting them outdoors and away from electronics this fall

Getting them outdoors and away from electronics this fall

They’re the one thing I always put in my backpack when heading outdoors with kids in the fall — whether they’re 4, 14 or 24. Those Ziploc bags of M&Ms have been known to inspire art creations, stop a meltdown and even spur healthy debate..