Vacationing in San Diego is one of those quintessential California experiences.  The weather, the beach, the proximity to Mexico, and all of it seen in countless movies (Top Gun, Almost Famous, Flight of the Intruder) and on television (Gomer Pyle, Simon & Simon, That 80’s Show).
So what is there to do in this second largest city in California?
Here are some ideas, in no particular order:

San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park – Animal lovers will love both of these locations.  The zoo is in Balboa Park and the animal park is a short drive away in Escondido.
Balboa Park – Not …read more

Even when you’re traveling in a country known to be expensive, there are still ways to save a few pennies here and there.  Multiply that by several family members, and the savings really add up!
In Luxembourg, that small and expensive Grand Duchy situated next to Belgium, France, and Germany, families can save a bundle with the Luxembourg Card.
The card features include unlimited FREE use of trains and buses, along with FREE admission to 56 tourist attractions, including museums, castles, sightseeing trips, and more.
The Luxembourg Card is priced depending on the number of days that it is good for.  You can …read more

You may have thought that discounts were tough to come by in a spot as popular as the Walt Disney World, but the Holiday Inn Main Gate East is offering Twitter and Facebook fans an exclusive offer of buy one night, get one night FREE.
The Holiday Inn Main Gate is located 3 miles from the main entrance to the Walt Disney World Theme Parks.  With it’s kids play FREE, stay FREE, and eat FREE, it’s a budget friendly family option in a frequently expensive vacation destination.  The hotel has newly renovated rooms that include kids suites featuring a bunk bed, …read more

I’ll be honest.  When I’m thinking about the places that I want to go on vacation, North Dakota doesn’t really show up at the top of my list.  In fact, even more brutal honesty, it probably doesn’t show up at all.
But North Dakota Tourism is trying to convince me, and everyone else, that North Dakota is a darn good place to spend a family vacation.  Perhaps one of these educational activities will tempt you:

Agriculture – Learn about flowers, farming, spinning wool and and making wool products, and how to run a cold climate winery.
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American Indian Studies – Learn about …read more

First Choice, UK-based family travel experts, have incorporated FREE children’s “clubs” into two Premier Hotels.  The Clubs will launch later this fall, and are, in essence, childcare.  It’s hoped that this service will provide a quality experience for the small fry, giving parents a little personal break when they need it.
The first two properties to offer the service are the brand new African-themed Lopesan Baobab Resort (Melonaras, Gran Canaria) and the Blue Lagoon Resort (Kos, Greece).  First Choice expects to roll out the program at a number of their other resorts as well.
Here’s how the program will work:
The Clubs …read more

Fans of all things Disney will soon have a new museum to check out – The Walt Disney Family Museum, set to open October 1st, 2009 in San Francisco.  The museum will be contained in three historic buildings in the Presidio, a former barracks, a former gymnasium, and a former storage facility.  These buildings will include 10 galleries dedicated to chronicling the life of Walt Disney.
The story of Disney will evolve from the drawings of his youth, to the founding of his first company (Laugh-
O-GramFilms), to the birth of Mickey Mouse, to the opening of Disneyland.  Along the way, you’ll …read more

Located 16 miles south of Washington DC, Mount Vernon, the estate of George and Martha Washington, sits atop an undeveloped area along the Potomac River.  The Washington’s acquired the estate in the mid 1700’s, and George oversaw the development of the estate, from design through furnishings, even while he was off fighting in the Revolutionary War.
Whether he was a control freak, or just didn’t trust Martha’s judgment, I’m not sure, but the results are most impressive.  Today Mount Vernon is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It is open to the …read more

I have finally booked our summer vacation. It only took us eight months to decide where we want to spend those two weeks in July. And now that the reservations have been made, I cannot wait for these next five weeks to pass and we can start on our adventure.
I have to come clean here. I don’t fly. Not anymore. The second-to-the-last time was many, many years ago when I was flying a Delta with my mother to visit family in California. We had a layover in DFW and while rushing to our connecting flight we watched another Delta jet …read more

With its beautiful location on the ocean, and its lovely temperate weather, Santa Barbara is often referred to as the American Riviera.  Located about 90 miles from Los Angeles, the seaside city provides a charming combination of history, the arts, and an enjoyable pace of life.
Here are 20 FREE (or nearly FREE) experiences to be had in this beautiful city along the Pacific:

Visit the Old Mission Santa Barbara and smell the roses in the Mission Rose Garden
Experience local culture on State Street
Enjoy the 360-degree views of downtown from the Santa Barbara County Courthouse (west wing shown in photo) clock …read more

If outdoor recreation and wildlife is your idea of a perfect vacation, San Luis Obispo County provides a California Natural Escape.  With parks and beaches, a national monument, fresh water lakes, and the beautiful Pacific Ocean, this area provides an array of family friendly eco-activities.
Wildlife lovers will get their fill in San Luis Obispo County.  It’s a top birding destination (over 450 species have been noted here), it’s on the winter migration path for spot gray whales, it’s congregating ground and mating spot for elephant seals, and it’s a wintering ground for migrating Monarch Butterflies.  Sandhill cranes call it home, …read more