Flat Stanley is an adventurous traveler. The hero of several children’s books, writing a Flat Stanley letter is an activity often done in first or second grade at elementary schools across America. Flat Stanley Letter I had a chance to become reacquainted with Flat Stanley recently when I received a Flat Stanley letter from a…
There are a few places in the USA that every child should see, if possible, before they turn eighteen. Williamsburg, Boston’s Freedom Trail, Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, and of course, Plymouth top the list. In Plymouth, MA, they’ll see the legendary Plymouth Rock, climb aboard a Mayflower ship, and travel back a few hundred years at Plimoth…
You never know when you might find a doubloon or two along a sandy shore or deep within a vine-covered cave in the Virgin Islands. The real-life Pirates of the Caribbean once made their home on these tropical islands, and who knows where you might unearth leftover loot. St. Thomas, one of a group of…
Dreaming of a getaway to a Caribbean island? Make it happen with a US Virgin Islands family vacation. These islands are just a short flight from the East Coast, and because they are US territories, no passports are required. Here are recent publications of my best tips and recommendations: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands: The…
What if there was a way to guarantee that your children would love to learn? Ensuring top grades in school and higher income prospects after graduation? And what if all this could be yours along with a happier, stronger family? Studies now show that the secret to all these wonderful outcomes lies in the family…
Earning entry into the Adirondack High Peaks Forty-Sixers club has long been on my bucket list, and considering the proximity of the 46 mountain peaks, there was no good reason not to give a go. Last weekend, I finally embarked on what will likely be a very long term quest when I took on Cascade Mountain,…
My sister refused to join us at Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, California. Her husband, an Orange County native, warned that it was going to be a “zoo,” and didn’t think it would be a good environment for their young children. But even he didn’t expect to wake up to headlines about…
I’ve been thinking a lot about why family vacations seem to bring us closer. Developing shared interests and just having time to spend together are big factors, but I think the main reason is that we bond over outdoor adventures with kids. Seven Reasons for Outdoor Adventures with Kids When I first read Extreme Kids: How to…
For three blistering hot and bloody days in 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, the Civil War could have gone either way. Could General Meade hold the line, or would General Robert E. Lee prevail in bringing the war to the North? It was the Union Army’s dramatic repulsion of the Confederate’s Pickett’s…
The promise of a sweet reward can motivate even the most reluctant young sightseers; and luckily, there are many tempting New York City treats. I asked Larissa Horn, the Teen Concierge at the Omni Berkshire Place on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, to recommend the most popular New York City desserts. She gave me a number of great suggestions…