Making memories by embracing imperfection this Thanksgiving

Making memories by embracing imperfection this Thanksgiving

Inevitably, we’ll reminisce about less-than-perfect Thanksgiving gatherings, like the time we arrived back home at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to discover our car battery was dead, or the time in Connecticut our dog devoured the homemade pate a cousin brought to Thanksgiving dinner before anyone had a bite.

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.

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.

Time-traveling back in history at Conner Prairie IN

Time-traveling back in history at Conner Prairie IN

Here at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, the terrific living history museum outside Indianapolis, a Smithsonian affiliate that focuses on 19th-century Indiana, the journey takes us 90 minutes, starting with our escape from an owner who plans to sell us “back South.”

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..

Visiting the nation’s capital is cool in the fall

Visiting the nation’s capital is cool in the fall

Fall is a great time to visit Washington, D.C. Hotel rates are down as much as half, and the summer humidity has disappeared, along with the crowds. No wonder it’s Travelzoo’s featured destination right now.