1. FREEBIES? Know where to look for FREE car games to play while day-tripping? Our new books suggest online places to find and print them.

  2. INSIDE SCOOPS. What are some secrets to get the most value for your money. Where to sit to get best value? what to bring? why to get there early? Examples: on Tours-why standing in the first two rows is beneficial. What about having a picnic at a castle? Why go early to outdoor dramas?  3. EDUCATORS? There’s suggestions for finding FREE lesson plans embedded in many listings as helpful notes for educators.

  4. Marriage of guidebook and the Internet.

Guidebook= organic – highlight it, dog ear pages, write notes, already organized and filtered for kids, unbiased (no fee), and accessible without a wireless connection.
Internet=  the newest discounts, web updates, extra insights can be found at the links provided on every page.

KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDES can save you $$ in just 20 minutes reading just one chapter in one book! We can save you dozens of hours on the internet, too.

INTRODUCING THE NEW KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDES:

KIDS LOVE VIRGINIA, 2ND EDITION

Your Family Travel Guide to Exploring “Kid-Friendly” VIRGINIA – 600 Fun Stops & Unique Spots

COME TO our booth at the HEAV Homeschool Convention AND check out our books (16! Travel Guides + 30! Travel Mysteries) and show specials. Then, plan to attend our workshops: http://www.kidslovetravel.com/Homeschool%20Help.htm

FAMILIES LOVE VACATIONS ON THE CHEAP

FAMILIES LOVE TRAVEL – LETS PLAN SOME FIELD TRIPS AROUND THE MID-ATLANTIC ON A BUDGET. Family Travel Mom takes you on a educational journey of THE MID-ATLANTIC, finding fun lessons for less!

ONE of the authors will be there so think of a QUESTION or two to get a JUMPSTART on your next trip!

exclusively from: http://kidslovetravel.com

HEAV Convention Information Website: http://www.heav.org/convention

Kids admitted free all summer to roam 8,000 acres!

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Big kids, little kids – doesn’t matter:  Who doesn’t love an 8,000-acre backyard?

Biltmore brings it with miles of rolling hills, stunning mountain views, babbling streams, farm yards and even live music by big-name performers on starry summer nights. Not to mention the 250-room Biltmore House, George Vanderbilt’s dream home that he lived in more than 100 years ago.

Biltmore’s slate of outdoor activities and tours guarantees to keep adventurous families on the go. And with kids 16 and younger admitted free all summer, (and free for dads on Father’s Day, June 17), the prospect of stomping around on the grounds of America’s Largest Home is a winner.

Seeing the estate on foot will certainly satisfy curiosities, but taking it in from a bike, on the back of a horse, while floating down a lazy river, or even on a Segway boosts the experience to a new level. Or, try your luck at fly fishing, sporting clays and behind the wheel of a Land Rover (our Land Rover school offers courses for adults AND kids!).

For a more relaxed pace, Biltmore’s summer gardens offer many picnicking spots near tropical palms, thousands of roses, giant sunflowers and colorful lily pads and koi in the Italian Garden pools.

Summer nights heat up with the 16^th annual Biltmore Concert Series when it kicks off Aug. 9. The diverse line-up includes the Steve Miller Band; Peter Frampton; Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas; Foreigner; KC and the Sunshine Band and more.

And new this year for history buffs: “The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad.” This exhibition divulges details and tidbits about the Vanderbilt family and the lives they led in residence at Biltmore House and on their world travels. Objects from the family’s personal archives are on display – some for the first time – and help tell the story of their lives on the estate.

Extend your visit with an overnight stay at the Inn on Biltmore Estate and take advantage of special deals, including our Three Nights for the Price of Two offer on select dates this summer.

Detailed information on Biltmore’s special summer offerings can be found at www.biltmore.com.

Your Family Travel Guide to Exploring “Kid-Friendly” Florida – 600 Fun Stops & Unique Spots

Discover how to search for real pirate treasure and hidden castles or “fly” into space. Explore the best places to meet manatee, swim with sea lions, dance with dolphins, nestle into nature or wiggle in the waves.

Make short vacation plans or get to know your favorite area better. Each chapter is a day trip zone including points of interest, events and suggested lodging and dining. Choose from nearly 600 listings in one book about Florida travel with kids ages 2-15.

KIDS LOVE FLORIDA lists and reviews hundreds of kid-tested attractions and events throughout the state. Besides all of the details (where, when), the book is best known for its easy-to-read reviews of what is most engaging about each site. And, you’ll discover most of the book explores places besides theme parks. You won’t find this information together in any other resource or on the internet. Great idea for unique, easy day trips or vacations.

TRY IT TO PLAN YOUR NEXT UNIQUE TRIP AROUND FLORIDA

278 pages / $17.95 / ISBN#9780982288085

Discounted online: www.kidslovetravel.com/kids_love_florida.htm or www.amazon.com

Once you have a copy in your hands, it’s hard not to open it and explore its sections. I like to be organized when I travel so the pocketed folder pages placed strategically throughout the book caught my eye. Large text and spiral notebook style publishing were next. What mom doesn’t need to work on last minute plans while driving down to Disney? Readable text and a “workbook” that can grow in size work nicely on the road.

More about the book:

With the help of this planner, you’ll make exciting discoveries like where in Epcot to find Mickey-shaped tomatoes and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it eerie surprise on the Tower of Terror. In addition to these never-before-revealed secrets, you’ll also discover:

• The best places to stay and eat for every budget
• Scheduling strategies to cut your waiting time in long lines
• Prime viewing spots for parades
• And hundreds more money- and time-saving (and fun-maximizing) tips! 

Complete with journal pages to record your memories, fold-out maps to help you find your way, and pockets to hold your keepsakes, The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner helps you step into your own “Once Upon a Time” and make your Disney dreams come true!

BUT, we all know there’s more magic to Florida than just Disney. Want to read reviews about the family-friendliness (on a budget) of the other 599 things to do in Florida?

Check this out (NEW! EDITION): KIDS LOVE FLORIDA

  1. FREEBIES? Know where to look for FREE car games to play while day-tripping? Our new books suggest online places to find and print them.

  2. INSIDE SCOOPS. What are some secrets to get the most value for your money. Where to sit to get best value? what to bring? why to get there early? Examples: on Tours-why standing in the first two rows is beneficial. What about having a picnic at a castle? Why go early to outdoor dramas?  

3. EDUCATORS? There’s suggestions for finding FREE lesson plans embedded in many listings as helpful notes for educators.

4. Marriage of guidebook and the Internet.

Guidebook= organic – highlight it, dog ear pages, write notes, already organized and filtered for kids, unbiased (no fee), and accessible without a wireless connection.
Internet=  the newest discounts, web updates, extra insights can be found at the links provided on every page.

KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDES can save you $$ in just 20 minutes reading just one chapter in one book! We can save you dozens of hours on the internet, too.

INTRODUCING THE NEW KIDS LOVE THE CAROLINAS TRAVEL GUIDE:

 Your Family Travel Guide to Exploring “Kid-Friendly” North & South Carolina - 800 Fun Stops & Unique Spots

COME TO our booth #136  at the NCHE Homeschool Convention (http://conference.nche.com/) and check out our books (16! Travel Guides + 30! Travel Mysteries) and show specials. Then, plan to attend our new workshop at 4:30PM on Thursday:

ONE of the authors will be there so think of a QUESTION or two to get a JUMPSTART on your next trip!

exclusively from: http://kidslovetravel.com

Inventive “ScoutAbout” Program Launched at Nine Iconic Resorts

in Florida and the Caribbean 

New Program from LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels Promises Interactive Fun and Learning for the Entire Family 

FORT LAUDERDALE – May 15, 2012 – Just in time for summer, LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels is rolling out its new kids program called ScoutAbout at nine iconic, family-friendly hotels and resorts throughout Florida and the Caribbean.

Beginning this month, parents seeking a summer vacation that is fun and memorable can book a stay at any of the participating ScoutAbout properties and enjoy a uniquely-designed, scavenger-like tour, chock-full of fun-filled learning experiences.  

Initially launched by South Seas Island Resort, the ScoutAbout program has been so popular with guests that it has been expanded to other family-friendly properties in the LXR collection.  Participating properties include:

• ·         South Seas Island Resort, Captiva Island, FL
• ·         Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Key West, FL
• ·         The Reach, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Key West, FL
• ·         Hilton Key Largo Resort, Key Largo, FL
• ·         Buena Vista Palace, Orlando, FL
• ·         El Conquistador Resort, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Las Croabas, Puerto Rico
• ·         Las Casitas Village, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Las Croabas, Puerto Rico
• ·         Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• ·         Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Montego Bay, Jamaica

As part of the new program, parents and their children are invited to ‘scout about’ on a self-guided nature and history tour in search of a variety of landmarks and local flora and fauna.  Armed with a special ScoutAbout map customized for each property, families set out on a quest to collect a rainbow of colored wristbands at each of as many as 15 different on-property discovery points.  Kids cannot help but learn as they explore and investigate.  

At the El Conquistador Resort in Las Croabas, Puerto Rico for example, kids search for Tamarind Trees, Coqui Frogs, Parrots, Miniature Horses and Conch Shells, all native to the environment.  Meanwhile, at Casa Marina, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Key West, Florida, the hunt is on for sightings of Tarpon, Loggerhead Turtles and the famed Sand Key Reef as well as historial points of interest such as the USS Vandenberg and Henry Flagler’s Train Wheels.

When each discovery point is found, kids locate a special sign post with information and history on that particular element.  Before moving on to the next location on the map, they pick up the corresponding, color-coded wristband for that discovery point until they have collected a full set.  

Families are also encouraged to share their findings and ScoutAbout experiences with fellow ‘scouts’ via Facebook.  Once they “like” the resort’s Facebook page, they can post their own ScoutAbout photos and share their experiences.  In the process, they become eligible for each hotel’s “Top Scout of the Week.”

For more information on each resort’s ScoutAbout program, details on value-filled summer packages and reservations at any of the participating ScoutAbout hotels or other LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, call (877) 597-9696 or visit www.LuxuryResorts.com.

• PREP WORK: By doing some advance planning you can build anticipation while managing expectations. A developmental psychologist at Tufts University explains this is the time to let kids know they’ll need to stand in line before they can board a ride or, due to height restrictions, certain rides may be off-limits. By discussing in advance you can avoid an at-the-park meltdown.
• WHAT TO BRING & BUY: Rule of thumb: never buy anything in a theme park you can buy outside the theme park.  By bringing items like water, snacks, sunscreen, and bandages you’ll save money and have them at the ready as needed. (add to that: wipes, light towels – to sit on during parades, allergy/headache medicine and, if you can fit it in, rain ponchos)
• LOST & FOUND: A quick way to ensure your kids find their way back to you in case of separation is to pin your name and cell phone to the inside of their clothes.
• WHEN TO VISIT: If you go against the flow, you’re doing it right. Arriving 15 minutes before the gate is open and heading for the most popular rides first can mean the difference between no wait and a wait of 60-90 minutes for marquee attractions. Be smart though – a morning water ride that soaks the family may not be the best choice. (DisneyWorld bound? Try the economic services of www.TourGuideMike.com for a “Master Plan” to navigate the parks)
• TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE: Use your smart phone not only to note where you parked, but take a picture of your kids each morning in their park-visit clothes in case you have to ask for help in locating them. Smartphone apps also offer information such as maps to pinpoint bathrooms and some even provide up-to-the minute estimates on ride wait times.

 

• MY TAKE: I absolutely salivate over these trips but, really, do you know any families who go on safari?
• MY ADVICE: Enjoy the hidden gems of our great country before you venture off to find adventure in foreign lands. Our trek around Presque Isle (Erie, PA) or Mackinaw Island (MI) on bicycle was eventful and surprising. So was our ziplining tours near quaint forest towns across America or our dogsledding in the mountains of Maryland! Each “uneasy” adventure started apprehensive but ended with a sense of accomplishment and a much better appreciation for how each family team member works best to make the whole day fun!
• WANT IDEAS FOR LOCAL PLACES? Simply go to any KIDS LOVE TRAVEL guide and flip to the back ACTIVITY INDEX. Now, go to OUTDOOR EXPLORING or TOURS listings. You will not believe the hidden gems of adventure we have discovered and reviewed for your enjoyment!

 

Top 10 Science and Technology Museums

Does your child love gadgets and technology?  Have a budding inventor or scientist on your hands?  A visit to a fantastic science and technology museum can inspire great scientific and scholastic achievement in even the non-motivated student. Get your inner Einstein on!

http://blog.trekaroo.com/2012/04/18/top-10-science-and-technology-museums/

I know, I know…I would show a pic from my hometown science museum (COSI)…but it did make the top 10 in the country.

Honestly, though, do you think the new techy redesigned science museums are really better? Frankly, I miss the good old-fashioned push-pull kind where the kids had to make things work vs. watching things work.

What do you think?

Michele, Family Travel Mom

www.kidslovetravel.com