There are a lot of tempting vacation destinations many thousands of feet above sea level: the Alps, the Himalayas, the Bugaboo Mountains, Kilimanjaro, and Machu Picchu, to name just a few. High altitude vacations often mean bright, clear days, challenging hikes, and (depending on...
When dreaming about a family trip to Europe, most people don’t seriously consider Iceland. Maybe Iceland has an image problem? In 900 AD, a Scandinavian settler came up with the chilly moniker after spending a winter on the island. Had he...
When it comes to traveling, kids go through a handful of distinct stages. As babies, they’re in the purse stage, because they’re so darned portable. When they hit the toddler years, they enter the Sherpa stage (so named for the staggering amount of...
A small backpack can be a comfortable, hands-free way to carry personal items while traveling. Unfortunately, it can be an easy target for thieves, too. Despite what I tell my children, I don’t really have eyes in the back of my head. Besides...
Whoever said, "Give children the gift of boredom," obviously never took a road trip with my kids. Sometimes the bickering starts before we're even out of the driveway. While they can be placated for a few hours with movies and handheld video games, they...
Ready for some irony? I’m a travel writer who’s afraid to fly. A few years ago, it got so bad that I decided to take a fear of flying course. While I’m still not overjoyed to travel 600 mph...
Last summer I took what was, for me at least, an unplugged vacation: I brought my iPad and left my laptop at home. With its small size and amazing battery life, the iPad has always been a great entertainment device. Add a few...
A few summers ago, my husband and I took our kids to Andalucía. I’d wanted to go for years, but knew it wouldn’t be an easy family trip. Not only is it incredibly hot there in the summer, but most of the...
J.R.R. Tolkien famously wrote that not all those who wander are lost, but we were. I had planned a daytrip from North Lake Tahoe, to Virginia City, to Grover Hot Springs, and back. After an enjoyable few hours touring Virginia City, I punched...
If you travel enough, sooner or later you’ll wind up taking an overnight flight. The dreaded red eye. When you’re an adult traveling alone, it’s no big deal. When you’re a parent traveling with kids, it can be nightmarish. ...