Archive for July 3rd, 2007

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Alabama with Your Kids

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Ideas for Family Summer Vacations to Alabama

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Alabama with Your Kids

Is Alabama a good vacation spot for you and your family this summer? As long as you can stand a little bit of heat, a trip to Alabama can be terrific. The place is rich with history, giving you a chance to give your kids an education during your travels. And believe it or not, even with that summer humidity and the high temperatures, there are some great areas of Alabama which allow for all-ages outdoor activities.

Northern Alabama

If your family is outdoorsy, you should think about centering your traveling plans on the northern area of the state. The Smokey Mountains are where a majority of outdoor travelers will be spending their Alabama vacation time. You can spend some quality time with the family by taking the kids hiking and camping in this area. Or give them a new experience with a horseback riding expedition.



Gulf Shores

Of course, there is a draw to the Southern part of Alabama and that’s the opportunity to explore a bit of a beachside vacation. After all, isn’t that what summer is all about? Not much of Alabama touches the Gulf of Mexico, but the area that does can be enjoyed by all families. The city of Gulf Shores features multiple white sand beaches, fishing and hiking opportunities, and even a theme park (Waterville USA) in case the kids do manage to somehow get bored.

Montgomery

For families which might want to spend more time indoors than outdoors, or who have a preference for urban areas, the capital city of Montgomery is a good bet for an Alabama summer vacation destination. Highlights here include educational museums like the Civil Rights Memorial, Blount Cultural Park for picnicking, and Old Alabama Town, a historic city where your kids can see what life was lived like before Gameboys and iPods.

Festivals

For families that like to spend their summer vacations attending events of different kinds, Alabama is a good destination. The biggest of these is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival which is held in Montgomery, but there are other events all throughout the summer, all throughout the state. Early in the summer, visitors enjoy annual events such as the local rodeo and the hot air balloon liftoff. Later in the summer, Alabama brings in travelers for 4th of July celebrations, BBQ festivals and historic commemoration events. Cities all throughout the state feature their own annual events nearly every week of the summer. And there are also weekly summer activities like First Friday art nights.

Things throughout the state

If you can’t make up your mind about where in Alabama might be right for your family’s summer vacation, here are some final highlights that might help you decide: ” The Montgomery Zoo - Widely recognized as one of the better zoos in the country, this makes for a great day trip for your family during an Alabama vacation. ” Gayle Planetarium - Located in Oak Park, this science center gives your kids a glimpse into a world beyond their own. ” Rosa Parks Museum - What a great way to teach your kids about the value of standing up for what you believe in. ” Little River Canyon - This is a favorite canyon hiking spot amongst outdoor adventuring families. ” Trains, planes and spacecraft - There are museums in Alabama featuring each of these different modes of transportation and exploration. The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is in Calera, The Southern Museum of Flight is in Birmingham and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is in Huntsville.

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Arkansas with Your Kids

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Family Vacations Summer Ideas for Travel to Arkansas

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Arkansas with Your Kids

Arkansas is one of the most family-friendly states in terms of summer travel. You can tell this just by checking out The Official Tourism Site of the State of

Arkansas which features an easy-to-navigate section for kids and families. They have an interactive map showing “101 Fun Things To See and Do in the

Natural State”. And they even make trip planning easy for parents by providing sample itineraries and web page where you can pick your city and length of trip and get suggestions on what to see. When a state makes it this easy to come visit with your kids, why choose any other places for your summer vacation? Here are some of the suggestions that you might come across when doing your Arkansas summer vacation trip planning:

 

The Ozarks

 



The bulk of the northern part of Arkansas is taken up by The Ozarks, a plateau surrounded by mountains where your family can go to get away from the fast pace of life and enjoy the beauty of nature together. This region also gives your kids a chance to experience a rather unique culture within America, since the people of the Ozarks tend to have a dialect and lifestyle which differ greatly from what your kids normally experience. The area is also filled with museums and places of historical significance so it makes for a great educational summer trip.



 

Quartz Crystal Travel

 





One of the things that some people don’t realize that Arkansas is known for is its abundance and quality of quartz crystals. An exploration of their history in the area can be a better family trip than you might think. There are dig-your-own crystal mines which your children will love. And there’s lots to do around the mines, including exploring the Ouachita mountains where the crystals are primarily located. These mountains have hot and cold springs and lots of nature and Native American history.

 



Lake

Activities

 



Arkansas admittedly does get a little bit warm in the summer so you might want to consider some lake activities when planning your itinerary. Luckily, Arkansas has plenty of these to choose from so you can design your lake vacation around your family’s desires and needs. For example, Bull Shoals Lake offers activities like tubing for older kids, Table Rock Lake has swimming and fishing and Beaver Lake is located near caves that can be explored.

 



Little Rock

 

Families seeking more of an urban destination inside of Arkansas should head to the capital city of Little Rock. It’s got all of the treats of a city including the Magic Springs / Crystal Falls Theme and Water



Parks, the IMAX Theatre and Aerospace

Center, bowling alleys and skating rinks and many museums. However, Little Rock is a small place as far as cities go and retains a kind of small town charm that would be lacking if your did your summer vacationing in a larger place. So, here, you just might get the best of both worlds.

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Connecticut with Your Kids

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Ideas for Summer Vacations to Connecticut

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Connecticut with Your Kids

� You probably want many things from your family vacation. You want to give your kids a new, exciting experience which will broaden their perspective of the world. You want to break up the dog days of summer with a little bit of excitement. But the reality is that what you probably want most of all is just a little bit of peace and quiet. Unfortunately, that’s not often the case when traveling with your family, since you end up in charge of all of the planning and headaches that inevitably come along with taking a trip. To make the most out of the relaxation that you do get on your family vacation, you should take your family to a state that offers calming serenity. You should consider taking your family to Connecticut this summer.





The Beaches

Some of the best summer vacation relaxation happens at the beach. Of course, the beaches of New England aren’t exactly the same as the beaches of Southern California, but there are usually enough sunny days to make a trip to coastal Connecticut enjoyable for the family. And there are places in the area that are all-ages friendly so that parents can chill out a little bit while their kids are in the water. For example, there’s Ocean Beach Park in New London, Connecticut. This is a boardwalk area with games and rides which features on-duty lifeguards that help watch your kids so you don’t have to constantly be on high alert.

Mystic

You may be familiar with Mystic, Connecticut from the time during the eighties when it was made famous as the setting of the comedic movie, Mystic Pizza. But much of what you’ll find in Mystic is related to history much older than that movie - the history of the seafarers who once lived and worked here, the history of the railroad in the area, the village life of the New England people, and the history of America itself is all visible in the architecture and activities of Mystic. The Mystic Seaport, The Essex Steam Train and Riverboat and the bison-viewing areas are just a few spots in Mystic where history comes alive.

Hartford

Of course, there’s always plenty to do in the capital city of any state and Hartford is no exception. One of the main things that this city offers which may not be as readily found throughout the rest of Connecticut is the opportunity to attend numerous different events with your family. The Hartford Waterfront is often the setting for festivals, music fairs and other events loved by families on vacation. Of course, there are also local tourist attractions, such as the Harriet Beecher Stowe house, and other indoor and outdoor activities for families visiting the state’s capital.

Connecticut Road Trip

One of the best things about a summer vacation in Connecticut is that the state is small enough that you can comfortable explore a good portion of it with your family. Whether you live in a nearby state and want to drive to the area or you fly in and rent a car, you can enjoy some road hours with your kids. While this may not sound ideal at first (”are we there yet?!”), many families find that the time spent on the road, playing car games, singing songs and having conversations is the best part of any family vacation. Connecticut offers beautiful scenery with attractions which are in close enough proximity to one another to nicely break up a tour of the state.

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Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Delaware with Your Kids

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
� Ideas for Family Summer Vacations to Delaware

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Delaware with Your Kids

 



Has the inevitable happened to you this summer? You had every intention of squirreling away money for a family vacation, but then one of the kids needed braces and the car required unexpected repairs and now it’s halfway through summer and you’re not sure how you’re ever going to come up with the money to take a trip with your family. Part of the problem could be that you’re looking at expensive destinations. Perhaps if you look at taking a trip somewhere off the beaten path, you’ll find that the cost of travel and related expenses is low enough that you can carve out the funds from somewhere and take that trip after all. For example, perhaps you might consider a trip to Delaware.

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Yes, Delaware. Sure, unless you’re familiar with the area already, it doesn’t sound that exciting. I mean, can you even name anything that’s going on in Delaware? Possibly not, but if you do a little bit of research, you’ll find out that there are a lot of different things going on in Delaware. The state has three basic regions and you might consider exploring one of them or all three, depending on what you want from your summer vacation. And you might even think about getting in some summer shopping with your family because Delaware is one of a very few number of states that doesn’t charge any sales tax on purchases!

Take a look at the three different regions of Delaware and consider your options carefully before you determine that you can’t afford a family vacation this summer.

Brandywine Valley

The Brandywine Valley is the northern region of Delaware, known by New Englanders for its scenic beauty and rustic charm. If what you want from your summer vacation is to take your kids to a place where they can unwind, experience nature and not be bombarded with over stimulating activities, then this region could be right for your family. But that’s not to say that you’ll lack activity while you’re here. Scenic drives, various museums (such as the Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum) and river taxi rides are just a few of the things that you and your kids can do in this area of the state.

Central Delaware Cities

The central portion of Delaware is the more urban part of the state, although it’s hard to describe this scenic area as particularly urban. In comparison with other states, Delaware offers relatively low cost options for accommodations and activities, even in this area. Dover, the capital, is located here, of course. This city offers attractions such as The Dover International Speedway Motortrack where you can catch NASCAR races if you just need to get in some action while you’re in Dover. But if you’d rather relax, the various towns in the area let you and your family see a quieter way to live urban life.

Coastal Delaware

 If what you really wanted to do this summer was take the kids to the beach, Delaware even provides an option for that. The coast is only thirty miles long, but it offers some beautiful beaches. And many of these aren’t packed with tourists. In fact, there’s only one major seaside resort here at Rehoboth Beach, a place you’ll probably avoid lodging at if you’re trying to save money but might head to for a day trip. Or perhaps you’d prefer to take the kids fishing at Lewes or swimming at Delaware State Seashore Park.

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