travel planning - Pitstops for Kids

Best of 2014: Best destinations for families you can book now!

December 22, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Every December, we take time to reflect upon the past year of travel, and select five experiences—yes, just five!—that we crown the best of the year. Last year, our top travel experiences of 2013 took us from Alaska to the Caribbean. This year, we’re focusing on the American West and MidAtlantic, showcasing everything from five-star city hotels to cabins. We stand behind these picks as the best destinations for families, 2014.

Best Destinations for Families: our picks from 2014

Experience Grand Teton National Park ‘behind the scenes’:

You’ve heard it from us before: no outdoor tour operation does family adventure better than O.A.R.S. We loved their Rogue River itinerary, so we embarked on their OARS Jackson Lake 2 night adventure confident we’d have an amazing time. What makes it so great? Beyond the near perfect guest service we’ve found consistently with O.A.R.S., the Jackson Lake kayaking adventure allows families to see a new side of Grand Teton National Park. We slept literally in the shadow of the peaks of Grand Teton, hiked to lakes less traversed by car camping families, and swam on the far banks of the lake, inaccessible to anyone without a boat. Check out our full review of the O.A.R.S. Jackson Lake 2 night kayak tour.

Play cowboy or cowgirl for a week:

Also located within the boundary of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, Triangle X Ranch is has been around for generations as a working ranch and guest ranch. For many, it’s become an annual summer tradition; when we visited, we were surprised to learn that almost 80% of guests are on a return visit. That’s your true review, right there! While at Triangle X dude ranch, we got to ride our personal horses for the week two times per day, hike, relax at the ranch, go on Snake River float trips, and enjoy plenty of family bonding time around the campfires, in the kitchen and dining rooms, and while on the trail. Want to take your whole family to summer camp? This is it. Read our full review of Triangle X Ranch.

Learn US government and history in our nation’s capital:

School-aged kids get so much out of Washington DC! Truth be told, so do parents. I didn’t expect to love our time in the nation’s capital as much as I did; Washington DC is safe, walkable, and family-friendly. Best of all, almost all the attractions you’ll want to visit are free to the public. Many tours do require advanced planning, however, so best get started for your spring or summer visit! We recommend a Club-level stay at Grand Hyatt Washington: it’s a spurge, but also makes good travel sense. You’ll be close enough to the action to walk everywhere, and can eat most meals in the relaxed atmosphere of the club. Read our full review of Grand Hyatt DC.

Step back in time in Gettysburg:

What a sobering, awe-inspiring, and important historical landmark to visit with kids! Gettysburg, PA is a must-do with kids old enough to learn about Civil War battles in the context of US history. We recommend this trip for kids ages 8 and up, and suggest families stay 2-3 days before or after a trip to study more American history in Williamsburg or Philadelphia. The Gettysburg historic battlefield is best toured with a licensed battlefield guide; book one to ride with you in your car for the absolute best experience. Be sure to leave time to explore the town, too. Read our full review of our time in Gettysburg.

Play in the snow in the Colorado Rockies:

Keystone Colorado is arguably the most family-friendly ski resort in the Rockies. It certainly goes out of its way to cater to kids. However, this doesn’t mean Keystone isn’t up to the challenge of serious skiers and snowboarders: behind kid-centric Dercum Mountain, two more peaks await, with steeps and deeps, cat-accessed terrain, and plenty of bumps. After each ski day, Keystone pulls out all the stops, with daily Kidtopia activities geared just for kids 12 and under, weekly parades, and even fireworks displays. No wonder Keystone has been compared to Disney…on ice. Check out our long weekend at Keystone.

Where did your family’s 2014 travel take you? What are your top picks?

Winter driving tips for holiday road trips

December 3, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

It can happen in an instant, and last February, it did: one moment, we were making the turn from an icy highway onto a ski resort access road, and the next, we were sliding into a snowbank, nose first. Luckily, everyone was ok, but our car suffered upon its impact with the wall of snow. After rolling into the parking lot, we spent valuable ski time accessing the damage and making sure our car would be able to deliver us back home safely. Our brush with the snowbank turned out to be only a minor inconvenience (and the cost of our deductible), but it served as a good reminder to always be prepared.

Read on for winter driving tips for holiday road trips

Keep snow chains in your car at all times:

I’m embarrassed to say we had our chains with us the day we got up close and personal with the snowbank, but hadn’t taken the time to put them on. If you’re not familiar with their installation, practice at home (this can be a good activity to do with school-aged kids and teens). If you really don’t want to hassle with it, consider winter snow tires.

Travel with extra supplies:

In winter, we have two extra blankets, a few flashlights (with batteries), and a jug of drinking water in the back of the car at all times. You never know when you’ll be caught on a pass that closes or stuck roadside. If you’re not already packing these items, also pack:

a pair of winter boots
gloves
a small shovel

You’ll be very glad to have them if you need to get out to install chains or dig yourself out of snow.

Know your comfort level:

In our winter driving experiences, we’ve seen it many times: a driver slows past the point of caution and to the point of danger to others. When climbing a steep, icy hill or navigating a windy winter road, slowing too much can cause traffic behind you to lose momentum…and then traction. To avoid causing a mess behind you, only drive a road you feel comfortable navigating at a steady, safe speed, in a vehicle that’s up for the challenge. Of course, this is easier said than done. If you do feel overwhelmed in a white-out or ice situation, wait until you reach level ground, and pull over when safe. Better yet, consider paying for a shuttle from your resort to your ski area or even from the airport. The price may be worth the peace of mind.

Check tire pressure and windshield wiper fluid levels before leaving home:

We learned this tip the hard way, when forced to search everywhere for an open garage on a holiday weekend in December, while road tripping to Canada. Tip: ask for recommendations at local gas stations. Attendants there can often point you in the direction of shops that remain open. It’s far easier to deal with mundane maintenance issues while you’re still at home. Using precious vacation time to inflate tires gets old very fast. Also make certain you replace older tires and have the proper tires for your car, in all seasons. Tyre-Shopper is a good place to start for UK readers.

Have roadside assistance at the ready:

Whether you opt for a pay-as-you-need-it service like Allstate’s Roadside Assistance, which you can learn more about in this post on road trip tips, or subscribe to AAA, have a plan in place for roadside emergencies.

Top travel apps for winter road tripping:

You’ll need plenty of pit stops during your winter road trip! In addition to utilizing the hundreds of reviews on Pit Stops for Kids (did you know your smart phone will automatically load our mobile app?), check out the following for indoor play spaces and museums, low cost gasoline, and road side help.

Trekaroo app: Leave your own reviews of the restaurants, hotels, and attractions you visit on the road and help out other parents. The Trekaroo mobile app works much like TripAdvisor, allowing you to help out others (and read real parent reviews while on the go).

Pillows and Pitstops (UK): For my UK readers, Pillows and Pitstops is like the Pit Stops for Kids of Britain! I love that parents can plug in their beginning and ending locations, and get ideas for their route.

Fuelcaster: Gas prices tend to go up during peak car travel periods, such as winter holidays. With Fuelcaster, we can check on fuel prices as we go, predicting what we’ll pay. This way, we can know whether it’s best to ‘top off’ or wait. Just don’t run out of gas trying to find the best deal!

Department of Transportation: There are plenty of traffic apps out there, but dot.gov should be your starting point for road conditions in every state. We like to check the desktop site before we leave, then have the mobile site loaded on at least one phone during any winter trip.

Do you need more winter driving tips? We have our best all-season road trip advice at the ready!

Photo by: Flickr/miguelb

Budget airlines: Tips and tricks for a smooth flight

November 26, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

With a family of five, we often fly on budget airlines, and while abroad, budget airlines in Europe. While we certainly enjoy the comforts and perks enjoyed on higher-priced air carriers, on many trips, the savings on these low cost flights outweigh the lack of perks. However, it’s important for families to know what to expect (or more accurately, what not to expect) when buying budget airline tickets in order to have a pleasant flight.

Tip #1: Book directly through the budget airlines.

Go ahead and find deals on an airfare deal finder like Kayak or CheapOAir (we use them all the time!), but then click over to the budget airline’s website and look for the same flight to book directly. Why? We found out the hard way after booking a Frontier Airlines flight through CheapOAir. We found ourselves with an extra carry-on item (a homemade souvenir our son Tobias had crafted and couldn’t part with), and had to pay to bring it onboard, even though he didn’t have any additional carry ons with him. Had we booked through Frontier directly, we would have been entitled to free carry-ons*. It’s also helpful to book directly through the airline website when you find yourself in need of extra help at check in, or have any routing issue. Just like when booking hotel rooms, brands are happier to help their loyal customers. Buying through a second-party site screams ‘deal finder’ not ‘loyal flier’.

*Check Frontier for current carry-on baggage policies.

Tip #2: Consider upgrading to priority boarding:

I know, I know, the whole reason you’re booking a budget airline is to save money! But when you buy the bare bones ticket on airlines such as Allegiant, for example, you’re almost guaranteed to find yourself at the end of the boarding line. If you’re carrying on bags, you’re likely to have them re-directed to checked baggage. If this is ok with you (hey, free checked bag!), then do not upgrade to priority boarding. But if having your bags with you is important (we usually want to get going immediately upon landing, not wait for bags), upgrade!

Tip #3: Read the fine print regarding carry-on bags:

Remember our Frontier flight? On many budget airlines (including Frontier and Spirit, last time I flew both these carriers), there is a charge for carry-on baggage. There are exceptions: travelers who book directly through the airline are often entitled to free carry ons, but you have to read the rules…which change regularly. Southwest still offers free carry ons and even two free checked bag for travelers who book directly through their site, for example. Always do your research, and find out if the budget airline you’re considering has a partner airline, such as Delta, American, and Alaska. If so, your loyalty mileage plan membership may entitle you to free carry-ons or checked luggage.

Tip #4: Book two one-way tickets to save money, and search by single passenger.

Because most budget airlines are regional, they often offer extremely cheap fare on select days of the week. Use the airline’s fare calendar or ‘flexible dates’ tool (like the one below) to find the cheapest days to fly. Compare the cost of two one-way tickets vs round trip fare. Likewise, if you have older kids who can sit alone if needed (best for short flights), always check ‘one passenger’ when searching for fares, even if you’re shopping for your whole family. Airline ticket generators find the lowest fare in the seating tier that accommodates your whole party, so if there are two remaining lowest fare seats, but four people in your group, all four of you will be ‘upgraded’ to the next lowest fare tier. If two budget seats and two slightly more expensive ones will be ok with you, check ‘one passenger’ when searching.

Tip #5: Consider paying more for long haul flights.

When our whole family traveled to Cancun last year, we flew on (now-defunct) Air Tran. We got a great fare, but the brutal truth is, our red-eye, five-plus hour flight across the country from the Pacific Northwest was pretty miserable on a bare-bones airplane. Forget about food service (or even complementary drink service), or comfortable seats or decent in-flight entertainment. We don’t mind skipping these perks on a shorter flight, but for a few more hundred dollars, we would have been far happier on a higher-priced air carrier for this long flight.

If you take heed of the tips above, it’s entirely possible to have a happy, contented flight on a budget airline, and save money to boot. We’ve happily flown Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air, and Southwest without issue, when we knew what we were getting, booked directly, and leveraged our bigger budget frequent flier reward memberships where possible.

Broadening Children’s Horizons Through Travel

July 29, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

If your kids play computer games that take them to other worlds, exploit that interest by traveling to places which inspire them. Parents and kids can broaden their horizons through exposure to another culture, its cuisine and customs, and still have a ball on vacation.

Try Ancient Greece or Egypt

Bargain holidays could allow a visit to Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs awaiting new explorers. In Greece your child could experience the mystery behind myths and legends so many movies have plundered for their plotlines. Once here, the kids will find these lands anything but ancient.

Capture the Experience

Sweltering in outdoor heat, it becomes easier to appreciate the labours of slaves or the determination of heroes to cross seas and deserts. Immerse yourself in the scene. The taste of cool, clear water, the spicy fragrance that entices hungry appetites to a welcome meal, the texture of fresh hot bread all become part of an important experience which leads to further appreciation of our easy-buy society.

Understand the Past

Hikes along the paths trodden by those long ago will show the difficulty ancient tribes had in their everyday lives. With no cars, no trains and no planes, but just camels, horses or donkeys to help carry heavy loads and transport people and goods to new locations, the efforts made by those who built fabulous palaces and monuments become even more awesome.

Find out How and Why

With exposure to foreign customs and languages your child will get a feel for how and why certain practises dominate. In hot countries where electricity and refrigeration are limited, foodstuffs are preserved in salt, oil or sugar to prevent them going off. Try some new tastes recommended by locals. Rural areas don’t have the shops and malls commonplace back home and your mind-set has to adjust to new conditions.

Bring Back Souvenirs

Every sense can experience something new. Unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells in bazaars and market places offer a treat deserving of souvenirs to remind you of them when you return home. Museums and areas of local interest will invite questions, which is always a good thing to enhance education and understanding. Off the beaten path, with a guide to keep you safe, some of the more primitive areas will encourage self-sufficiency and creative solutions to problems arising in hostile environments.

Seeing how others live in different cultures will give kids a worldly view and appreciation of their home comforts.

Image by Jimmie, used under the Creative Commons license.

Teaching kids airplane etiquette: how to create good fliers

July 22, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

We’ve all been there, either as parents or innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire: a disastrous flight during which kids are causing more than their share of trouble. Sometimes it’s unavoidable: a tired baby a parent is trying to console, a sick child, a long layover. Other times–and I know you’ve seen this–kids behaving badly on planes when it’s avoidable with a few lessons in manners. When teaching kids airplane etiquette, we suggest the following while flying with kids:

Kids Airplane Etiquette:

1. Find your seat quickly. I don’t know if it’s just my kids, but there’s always a lot of debate over who’s going to sit where in our assigned seats. I’ve taught them to go straight to the seat listed on their ticket first, to get out of the aisle, and to swap places after the rest of the passengers have gotten on.

2. Wheel your rollie-bag properly. No carry-on luggage wars in the terminal, kids! Games of chicken and extreme rolling are not permitted in our family…anymore. I’m tired of my toes getting rolled over and the looks of disgust issued by business travelers.

3. Clean up trash. I instruct my kids to place snack trash into their cup, then hand the whole thing to the flight attendant. Getting out of the habit of putting anything–including trash–into the seat pocket ensures we don’t leave anything we need behind, like chargers or iPods.

4. Say hello to flight attendants when you board. Thank them as you deplane. Required. Enough said.

5. No kicking the seat in front of you.Whoa boy, is this a big one. And sometimes, it’s not the kid’s fault, if his or her legs are just the right (or wrong) length. Our kids know to tuck toes down or even sit ‘criss-cross applesauce’ to avoid the seat kicking issue. It’s a toughie.

Tips for parents:

1. Try to board early. Even if your kids are out of the age range that (sometimes) ensures pre-boarding, line up as soon as you’re able to based on your seat assignment. This will give you more time to stow carry-on baggage in the bulkhead while the main cabin is less crowded.

2. Prepare kids with a great eBook: Monsters Don’t Ride on Airplanes. Check out the screen shot of this adorable book below! We read it recently, and I think it’s a great tool to use with young kids. The simple story shows various silly-looking monsters on airplanes, doing everything wrong. Then is shows a girl and boy doing things right, with the message that well-behaved kids get to ride on airplanes and go to fun places (while monsters are left behind).

3. Avoid red-eye flights unless you know your kids will sleep. No one likes a crying baby. There’s little that’s more miserable on a plane than a red-eye during which young kids cannot sleep. We’ve been tempted by lower cost red-eye flights, but because our kids are not good sleepers on airplanes, we’ve learned to avoid them. Fly when your kids are at their best. If that time happens to be when they’re asleep…hey, we don’t judge!

4. Help security flow more smoothly. We almost always fly carry-on only, which means everyone has toiletries that may have 3 ounce containers. To make it easier on everyone when we go through security, I consolidate these items so they’re all in just one quart-sized bag. (Everyone’s tooth brushes, hair ties, and other non-liquid cosmetics and toiletries can remain in each person’s carry-on.) When we go through security, each kid knows he can place his backpack and his carry-on onto the belt without getting anything out.

5. Eat on the plane. Hey, it’s something to do, and it keeps kids happy. We’ve found that in most cases, purchasing a meal on a plane is no more expensive than purchasing a similar meal in the airport. And this way, we don’t have to carry a bag of food onboard. My kids love simple meals like fruit and cheese plates or snack baskets, and I love that they’re entertained by the novelty of airplane food for a few minutes. Plus for parents: Alaska Airlines flights offer complimentary local wines and craft brews for the adults!

6. Bring a headphone splitter. For some reason, it highly annoys me when parents set their kids up with a movie or cartoon on a plane, and subject the entire cabin to the audio. Are there worse things? Sure, but this problem is easily solved by buying a cheap headphone splitter and using kids headphones.

What are your top tips for airplane etiquette?

How to find kid-friendly golf courses from California to Florida

March 26, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Ever since my three kids–now 14, 12, and 9–took up golfing, we’ve planned some of our family vacations around the sport. Parents who golf–or parents of golfers–understand the unique challenge in finding golf courses for kids: you want to experience unique or famous golf courses while on vacation, but you also need to find courses that meet the needs of your kids. Nothing ruins your concentration (and enjoyment) on a premier golf course faster than feeling the pressure from a golf marshall to pick up your child’s ball or move along faster. If you’re packing your kids’ clubs on your next family vacation, here’s a rundown of kid-friendly golf courses across the country:

pga-tour-kids

Note: hover here for more info on buying golf clubs for kids.

Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club:

Naples, Florida is considered the ‘golf capital of the world’. While golfers will find a dizzying array of course options here, the public course at the Naples Golf Club is low-key and relaxed, perfect for kids. Play nine holes or 18, and rest-assured that you don’t need to stay at the resort to get a good rate. The course enjoyed a full refurbishment in 2011, making it one of the top courses in the city, despite accessibility.

Chardonnay Golf Club:

The Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa, California shines for family golf with low-cost rental clubs, golf camps for kids, and golf academies. What this means for visiting families: your kid won’t be the only one out on the links. For adults, the course challenges as it winds through 150 acres of vineyards. Chardonnay is semi-private.

Mount Snow Golf Club:

Located in West Dover, Vermont, Mt. Snow offers junior golf academies for as little as $12/session, making it easy for vacationing families to join the fun without worrying about spending a lot of cash on an ongoing program. And nearby, Smuggler’s Notch Resort offers a Junior Intro to Golf activity as well as kid-centric mini-golf and driving ranges.

Grand del Mar Golf Resort:

At the Grand del Mar, kids 13-17 golf for half price, and kids 12 and under play free with adults (when availability permits). Junior rentals are complimentary, and golf pros are very pro-family. Despite the welcome of children, the course is very challenging and a destination for serious golfers.

Tips for finding a kid-friendly golf experience anywhere:

No matter where you’re headed on vacation, kid-friendly golf courses can be found. Here’s what to look for:

Nine hole courses (ideally partnered with a premiere course)
Resorts with putting courses (perfect for young children in place of the ‘real’ deal)
Clubs with discounted rates for kids (this lets you know children are welcome)
Clubs with PGA Tour Academy programming, such as Oregon’s Pronghorn Club
Courses designed to circle back to the club house at hole 9 (allowing kids to stop early)
Courses attached to kid-friendly resorts, where childcare and kid programming will be on offer

This post is published in partnership with Trivago.com.

Best family travel experiences of 2013 (that you can book for 2014)

December 20, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Our last post of the year is always a round up of best trips we’ve experienced in the last 12 months. 2013 has been rich with travel for the Pit Stops for Kids crew, with top trips ranging from icebergs in Alaska to snorkeling in the Yucatan. For our family, it was certainly the year of ‘outdoor travel’. Below, find our top five travel experiences of 2013, with links to information on the destinations’ 2014 travel seasons. Enjoy ‘window shopping’ this holiday season, or spoil your family with a holiday gift of travel!

1. Cruising SE Alaska’s Inside Passage with Alaskan Dream Cruises:

We devoted almost two full weeks on Pit Stops for Kids to Alaskan Dream Cruises, and for good reason. This Alaskan family owned small ship cruise company provided one of the absolute best vacation experiences we’ve ever had. We learned more about SE Alaska and its people during our nine days aboard the Baranof Dream than we ever imagined, and enjoyed good food, good company, and great tour leadership the entire time. Start here to read our full review of Alaskan Dream Cruises. Book for the 2014 season now (space is limited).

2. Rafting the Wild and Scenic Rogue River with O.A.R.S.:

An O.A.R.S. river rafting vacation is the most adventurous trip you’ll ever take…where you don’t have to lift a finger. During our five days on the Rogue River in Oregon, I could navigate rapids when I felt like it, float quietly when I preferred, sit back and take in the setting sun on the water while our guides prepared the evening meal, and sleep out under the stars. It was truly the most relaxing vacation of our year. For my son Calvin, it was the most exciting. Somehow, O.A.R.S. is all things to all people! Read our full review of the O.A.R.S. Rogue River five day trip. Book your own trip at O.A.R.S.

3. Exploring the Yucatan Peninsula along the Riviera Maya:

Families can certainly spend their entire vacation on the Yucatan Peninsula lying on the sand working on a tan. And that’s ok! But if your crew seeks out adventure, Riviera Maya will provide it! During our one week in this section of Mexico, we snorkeled with whale sharks, rappelled down cenotes, swam into caves, watched ancient Mayan ceremonies, rode ATVs through mud, and toured ruins. And yes, we had time by the pool, too. Anxious to plan your own trip? Start with the Riviera Maya site for lodging and activity recommendations you can trust. it Pit Stops for Kids coverage coming in January!

4. Experiencing train travel through the Canadian Rockies with VIA Rail:

Gorgeous scenery? Check. Luxurious, though somewhat cozy, accommodations? Check. Gourmet dining amid a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere? Check and check. And when you arrive at your destination in the Canadian Rockies, the fun is just beginning; VIA Rail deposits you in the heart of national park territory in Jasper. Read our full review on VIA Rail’s Canadian line. Interested in booking your own trip? Start at VIA Rail.

5. Skiing Tahoe with family-friendly Northstar California:

Northstar California is one of the top family-friendly ski resorts in the US, and we love that it’s located adjacent to one of the world’s best outdoor playgrounds: Lake Tahoe. At Northstar, we enjoyed a multigenerational trip with the whole family–their slopes, programs, and lodging cater to multi-aged groups–and spent five days snowboarding and skiing. If you want a varied vacation, spend a few days snowshoeing or snowmobiling by the lake. Read our full review of Northstar. Book 2014 vacations now, while early bird ski deals still exist!

Travel gift for families: The Family Traveler’s Handbook

December 13, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Today, instead of offering a travel gift idea for kids, we’re reviewing a great travel gift from which the whole family can benefit. The The Family Traveler’s Handbook by Mara Gorman is a slam dunk of a stocking stuffer for any family on your list this season. This guidebook isn’t geared toward a single destination or style of travel; rather, it’s your new bible for family travel inspiration and how-to. Whether you love camping, road tripping, luxury travel, international travel, or any other sort, the Family Traveler’s Handbook helps you get started. Once you’ve targeted a destination, the book also carries you through your trip, with practical sections on making the most of your trip and traveling smarter.

What’s between the covers:

The Family Traveler’s Handbook answers the big questions first: where should you go on your annual family vacation? Should you fly or drive? How can you book hotel rooms or vacation homes smarter? I know from experience as a family travel expert that many parents get stuck right here. Travel can feel overwhelming–after all, it’s a big expense and you don’t want to mess it up! The Family Traveler’s Handbook offers answers that help parents identify what type of vacation would work best for them, and how to go about planning it.

Of course, you need the nitty-gritty, too. The subsequent sections of the book cover all those details you might not even think about, but make any family travel experience richer: how to keep your kid napping on the road. How to save money on food. Should you use public transit? Why or why not? How about public parks or local restaurants? How to know which are worth your time? All ages of kids are covered, helping parents plan whether they have toddlers or teens.

What sets The Family Traveler’s Handbook apart:

See these kids? You’re going to get to know them. And if you read author Mara Gorman’s blog, The Mother of All Trips, you already do. Let’s be honest here: even the most travel-crazy among us get bogged down reading a highly technical or practical travel guide. Instead, we want real, from-the-road stories, and in Mara’s book, you get just that. The practical information is there, don’t worry, but it’s peppered throughout with real-life anecdotes about real family travel…the good, the bad, and the hilariously funny. In other words, you’ll learn all you need to know about planning a family trip without even realizing it, you’ll be so entertained.

Read more testimonials, from additional family travel experts I know and trust, on the Traveler’s Handbook website. Pick up your copy on Amazon for just $15 or at Barnes and Noble or in ebook format. You have plenty of time to get one for the holidays!

In full disclosure, Pit Stops for Kids and yours truly are quoted in The Family Traveler’s Handbook, as we offer camping and outdoor adventure advice. However, I’d recommend the book regardless and was not compensated in any way to promote it. You can be sure it will be under our own tree this holiday season.

Follow our year-round Travel Gear We Use series, as well as our current Travel Gifts for Kids posts throughout December!

Trips to Ireland with kids: tips for exploring Dublin, Cork, and Galway

October 5, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Our Pit Stops for Kids international travel tips section is growing! Have you noticed? While the bulk of our travel focus remains on US and Canadian destinations, we encourage families to expand to international travel as well. Trips to Ireland with kids is often recommended because, in our experience, Ireland is one of the most accessible countries to visit with kids, and an easy place to start your international travel journey.

In this post, we offer general tips for travel through some of the most popular destinations in Ireland–Dublin, Cork, and Galway–in typical Pit Stops for Kids’ fashion…by road trip!

Whether you’re a lover of the island or you’re a complete newbie, taking your children for an Irish adventure will be incredibly rewarding. Rather than choosing to stay static in one place, consider renting a car and exploring as much as possible – that way, your kids won’t get bored with a city break and they’ll have plenty of experiences along the way.

For example, start your journey in Dublin, drive down the coast to Cork and finish off on the west coast at one of the hotels in Galway. Incorporate plenty of child-friendly activities in your itinerary as well as those that the grownups want to do – that way, everyone in your party will be happy! We love that Ireland is filled with outdoor splendor in the form of hikes, caves, and castles…kids and adults enjoy the history and beauty, and kids get plenty of exercise.

If you chose to start your road trip in Dublin, book a couple of nights in your first hotel rather than feeling like you’ve barely seen the city. While much of a city break focuses around adults and their interests, you’d be surprised at how much the Irish capital has to offer for little ones too. From exploring Dublin Castle and all its medieval delights to Dublin Zoo, located inside the massive Phoenix Park, youngsters will be happy with a couple of days here before heading off towards Cork.

The great thing about driving along the coast is there are always places to stop a while to absorb the beauty of what’s around you. Make sure you pack travel bags with plenty of goodies for your children to play with and snack on, to keep them occupied on the drive. Games consoles, coloring books and portable DVD players are ideal to keep them quiet! Think of some family games for the drive too – there’s nothing with a traditional round of I-Spy!

During your stay in Cork, stop by the Fota Wildlife Park, found on Fota Island – the only wildlife park in the country and well worth a visit to see the animals roam free.

Once you’ve made your way around the southern tip of Ireland, you’re on the home stretch towards County Galway, home to the incredible Connemara National Park and the Aran Islands, great trips with plenty of hiking for active kids. Bring your hiking or walking shoes!

While the drive between these cities will take less than three hours per leg of the journey, what can be found in between adds to the holiday even more. A week exploring as much as you can will be ideal, although if you want to see as much as possible, perhaps a fortnight would be better.

Photo credit.

Why we picked a small ship cruise: Small ship cruise Alaska booking tips for families

October 2, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Yes, families can and should book a small ship cruise Alaska!

The day we disembarked from our Alaskan Dream Cruises small ship cruise, we toured a museum of SE Alaska in Ketchikan. It took my kids about 15 minutes to view the entire facility, so I stopped them at the exit to ask why they’d spent so little time inside.

My oldest replied, “We already saw everything in this museum in ‘real life’ during the cruise, Mom.”

He didn’t realize it, but he’d summed up the reason for booking a small ship cruise. During our nine days on Alaskan Dream Cruises’ Baranof Dream family cruise, we visited Tlingit villages, kayaked amid sea lions, jumped into the frigid water of the Inside Passage, watched glaciers calve, stomped our feet to Norwegian folk dancing, eaten king salmon and crab, seen humpback whales breaching, made native crafts, and the list goes on. The entire time, we were surrounded by multiple expedition leaders (for both adults and youth) who pointed out sights, taught us scientific and cultural facts, showed us which berries to sample off the bushes, found eagles nests and bears fishing for salmon, and helped our kids paint, sew, and carve.

A small ship cruise–and especially a small ship cruise with a family-friendly itinerary like Alaskan Dream–allows kids and adults to fully immerse themselves in the place they’ve come to visit. We picked a small cruise ship for the following reasons, all of which proved true during our cruise:

1. We wanted an unique travel experience.

Alaskan Dream Cruises is owned and operated by long-standing Alaskan company Allen Marine. As a Native-owned cruise line, Alaskan Dream–including our ship, the Baranof Dream–could access parts of SE Alaska that other cruise ships, even other small cruise ships, could not. We spent a full day and a half playing in Alaskan Dream-exclusive Hobart Bay, where we watched black bears with their cubs, kayaked calm bays, and explored the wilderness of native-owned land. We were granted access to the Haida community of Kasaan, where we watched a master carver create a canoe and learned about their ancient totems and whaling house, and we were honored by a Tsimshian dance in the reservation at Metlakatla. When we arrived in Ketchikan and shared our itinerary with locals, they all agreed we’d seen an authentic representation of their state.

We believe eco-conservationism begins with experiencing nature.

As outdoor enthusiasts, we knew that by seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and yes, tasting the wild beauty of SE Alaska, our kids would have a greater respect for the planet, a sentiment reinforced when we spoke with Alaskan Dream VP of sales and marketing Mike Wien. “I can’t imagine a better opportunity for young adults to learn how to be stewards of the environment,” Wien told us, explaining that the eco-conscious attitude that prevails aboard an Alaskan Dream ship teaches basic ecological lessons that carry over.

Small ships also enjoy a smaller carbon footprint than large cruise ships, of course, as limited on-board space forces crews to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. We observed this practice in action on the Baranof Dream, noticing how every space is used on-board, and every item as a purpose.

We wanted to be responsible travelers.

Smaller cruise ships means smaller ports of call, which is great for both passengers who want to get off the beaten path and for local economies. The Baranof Dream stopped at only two major ports–Juneau and Ketchikan–remaining for the duration of our trip in private bays and small villages. We knew our tourism dollars were going directly to the people who had made the fine crafts we bought and the t-shirts we proudly wore. We knew our presence–under 30 guests–was not taxing the resources of our local hosts.

We wanted a flexible itinerary and ‘outside the box’ service.

With under 30 guest on-board the Baranof Dream and over 20 crew members, we were always well taken care of. More important than the prompt attention however, was the manner in which crew members adapted with the needs (or wants) of the guests. Crew members were jacks and jills of all trades–for instance, our pastry chef could also lead a kayak tour, and our steward taught yoga–and when the kids found berries while on a hike with their youth expedition leader, the bartender was happy to carry on the lesson with a class in smoothie-making. Our boys learned knot tying from the bridge crew and Tlingit crafts from our cultural guide. When an opportunity arises–in our case, to stop last-minute at a dog sled camp–plans were adjusted and schedules were reset.

Booking an Alaskan Dream Cruise: what you need to know:

Book early. Small ships fill up fast, so try to book approximately 9 months before departure if possible. But don’t book without speaking on the phone to your small ship cruise line. In the case of Alaskan Dream, their offices are located on-site in Sitka Alaska, and their office staff can be invaluable in helping you pick the right itinerary for you and your family. An itinerary may be in the works that is as-yet unadvertised, or they may be able to match particular interests with a particular cruise.

Do families need to book on a family cruise itinerary? No, on Alaskan Dream Cruises, kids are welcome on any itinerary. However, kids’ programming is only available on family cruises, and kids are much more likely to have friends their age on board (and that goes for parents, too). One aspect we loved about our family cruise was the relaxed atmosphere and the additional activities that engaged the kids in a tactile way.

Pit Stops for Kids experienced a family small ship cruise as guests of Alaskan Dream Cruises, for the purpose of review. No express opinion was required; we wanted traveling families to know about small ship cruising options!