Six reasons to love Great Wolf Lodge (plus Great Wolf Lodge tips!)

Our family thinks the Great Wolf Lodge offers the perfect antidote to dreary winter and spring days, making it an ideal location for an easy family getaway! If you're on the fence, we have six reasons to love this family-friendly resort chain, plus Great Wolf Lodge tips you need right now! Read our full review of our experiences at the Grand Mound, WA Great Wolf Lodge location. 1. Great Wolf … [Read more...]

Disney done right: Making the most of your Disney vacation

At Pit Stops for Kids, we're big fans of Disney, but we know planning (and enjoying) a Disney vacation with kids can be overwhelming! In our upcoming series of articles, Disney Done Right, we offer our (kid and parent tested) tips for making the most of your time in the happiest place on earth! 1. Plan an extended visit. If possible, book at least one week at Disney World or three days (This is … [Read more...]

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Five things to do from our front door

As you know, we loved our HomeAway vacation rental in South Tahoe. Not only is this house idyllic, comfortable, and convenient, but it sits right in the midst of Eldorado National Forest, providing acres of wilderness to explore right from the front door. It's not in a neighborhood of multi-million dollar mansions lining Lake Tahoe, for which we couldn't have been happier. Instead, it's located … [Read more...]

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Dreaming of a White Christmas

As mentioned in past installments of our Home (Away) for the Holidays series, Pit Stops for Kids is excited to team up with #1 vacation home rental company HomeAway to learn just how easy and affordable the vacation rental process can be. To this end, we'll be spending the week of Christmas enjoying a HomeAway rental near beautiful South Tahoe, CA. According to our rental's homeowner, we're in for … [Read more...]

Keeping kids safe this holiday season: SafetyTat review

Are your kids prone to wandering off while on a family vacation, at a theme park, or just out for the day? Mine can be. (I like to call it 'being inquisitive', not disobedient!) One memorable summer day at SeaWorld San Diego, I actually lost sight of then-three-year-old Calvin for a full five minutes (and as any parent knows, that's a long time!). As I looked for him urgently, I knew the chances … [Read more...]

Home (Away) for the Holidays: Introducing an Alternative to Hotels

Halloween is over, and for me and my family, that means one thing: the holiday travel season is upon us! Instead of staying home for the holidays, the Pit Stops family is excited to be reviewing >this beautiful HomeAway property near Lake Tahoe, CA during the week of Christmas, and can't wait to share the experience with Pit Stops for Kids readers! Does your family travel for the holidays? If … [Read more...]

Travel Tip: Legoland’s Premium Play Pass

If you plan to visit the increasingly popular Legoland California in Carlsbad, CA during their peak summer and holiday periods, you might consider upgrading your admission tickets to Premium Play Passes. Not widely advertised, this upgrade allows every passholder front of the line access for every ride, all day long and preferred seating for every show. The cavat: you pay dearly for this … [Read more...]

Packing for a Family: Tips and Tricks to Ease the Load

Packing for an entire family can be daunting (not to mention time consuming). First there's the pre-trip laundry, sorting, and folding. Then there's the piling of bags in the car or airport security drop-off. And even after that, there's all the time wasted digging through suitcases trying to find that toothbrush or pair of shoes or jacket you just know is in there...somewhere. I don't know … [Read more...]

Cruising Options for Families of 5 and More

Image via Wikipedia If your family doesn't fit the standard travel industry mold of two adults and two children, you've probably experienced frustration at one time or another while booking vacations, hotels, and the like. I know I have, and I 'only' have three kids! Cruise lines especially seem to make it difficult (and costly) to book for a family of more than four, but there are tips and … [Read more...]

Junior Rangers: One of the Best Kept Secrets of National Parks!

In honor of this weekend's free admission to National Parks, Pit Stops for Kids would like to remind readers about one of the best programs the National Park system offers: Junior Rangers! It's easy to sign up, it's (usually) free, and it's an excellent way to learn about aspects of the park you might otherwise miss. Signing up is simple: you can find Junior Ranger booklets at nearly any park's … [Read more...]