ARTICLES AND TIPS ABOUT GOOD HOPE: Good Hope Family Vacations and Trips with Your Kids

GET A GOOD INSURANCE POLICY TO COVER YOU ON YOUR TRAVELS - There is always some risk in traveling. You can never be too careful once you step out of your comfort zone & step into the big world. Traveling to places you have never been to & are not familiar with doubles the risk. Though it is not entirely unsafe, i (

NORTHERN IRELAND - A HEARTY WELCOME AWAITS YOU! - Northern Ireland - a place which to many people, conjures up images of warfare and civil unrest. Thirty years of bloodshed has indeed tarnished the image of Northern Ireland throughout the world. The good news is that this beautiful little country... (

GET CHEAP AIR TRAVEL RATES THE EASY WAY - Before, traveling overseas can cost you a fortune. And to get a good and cheap air travel would require you to pull out several tricks just to make sure travel agents will give you what you want. (

GETTING THE CHEAPEST POSSIBLE AIRLINE TICKETS - For most people, trying to get a good rate on airfare is a necessity. Most people spend the bulk of their vacation dollars on airfare. So it's a good idea to put in the time necessary to finding a better deal. (

FIRST THINGS FIRST - GET CHEAP TRAVEL TICKET - Traveling around the world is everybody's dream. When teachers ask their students, what are your hopes and dreams? It never fails that one of the most frequent answers would be, to be able to go to every place there is around the world. Who wouldn't wa (

ALASKAN LUXURY CRUISE DISCOUNT TRIPS OFFER MAJESTY FOR LESS - To truly see all Alaska has to offer takes a lot more than a typical vacation can afford, but a luxury cruise is a fantastic way to get a good idea of what this rustic state has to offer. (

GOING ON VACATION WITH YOUR CHILDREN - I asked to know why African Home Adventure Tours and Safaris specializes in various trips and excursions and I was told and indeed confirmed with them that this is done in a bid to exercise it's willpower: "only the best is good enough", this is an evenly (

HONEYMOONERS ENJOY ROMANCE AND RELAXATION OPTIONS - Typically, a good honeymoon that's nice and romantic can take place anywhere the honeymooners can get some quality time together with a lot of privacy. (

HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDS HAVE THE PERFECT FAMILY VACATION - All parents want their children to have a good time on vacation, as memories of family outings together can be some of the most cherished remembrances of a person's life. But kids have their own needs too, so it takes planning to make sure that they enjoy (

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL TIPS FOR THE BEST FAMILY VACATIONS - PART 2 - Traveling abroad has it's own rewards and challenges and it's good to think and plan ahead for any trip outside the boundaries of your own country if you don't want unpleasant surprises to crop up. (

TRAVEL PACKING TIPS FOR GREAT FAMILY VACATIONS - PART 1 - Taking a well deserved vacation is good tonic for almost anyone, but it's traveling to get to the destination that can be difficult and stressful. However, there are lots of things that you can do to make the trip more pleasurable and successful. (

ITALY: THE ART OF GOOD LIVING - Most people's perception of Italy is that of style, a country whose taste for the good life is matched only by its panache. The food is full of flavour, created with a desire to serve nothing but the best. (

WHERE TO FIND BUDGET TRAVEL BARGAINS - There is only one reliable place to find good budget travel and that is online. The internet has opened up a whole new universe of travel for those who are stuck on a pretty tight budget. (

HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT HOTEL USING THE INTERNET - So you know you're going on vacation. You know you need to find a good hotel that isn't going to break the bank. (

GETTING THE BEST OUT OF CHEAP TRAVEL - A good vacation is what every one looks forward to after a hard period of selfless work. But will it fit your budget? (

TRAVEL TO JAPAN AND EXPERIENCE THE FAR EAST - If you're determined to explore Asia but unsure which country to visit, you might want to set your sites on Far East Asia and travel to Japan. Here is some general but useful information that is good to know when you travel Japan. (

DO YOU ALREADY KNOW PORTUGAL? - Portugal is one of the last hidden paradises within Europe. It combines many advantages like good climate, intact nature, beautiful beaches, low costs of living and many moe. (

LANDSCAPES OF ENGLAND: HAYLE - The sea roars, whipped into a frenzy by the Atlantic winds racing across the bay. The waves look good today, surfers will be out for sure. Come rain or shine, these boys are dedicated. You can taste the salty spray as it draws you towards the water. (

JAPANESE SAMURAI SWORDS BUYING GUIDE - When it comes to Samurai Swords, there is quite a bit of terminology for the new collector to understand. But we want to make it easy for anyone to find a good quality samurai sword that will last a lifetime. (

5 PLACES NOT TO GO TO FOR VACATION - Some vacations aren't as good as they are made out to be; maybe it's a case of false advertising or maybe the locals just take advantage of you just because you have "tourist" stamped on your forehead. Or maybe your luggage arrived from the airport a day (

SPECIAL CARNIVAL CRUISE - A GOOD TIME GUARANTEED - Probably price is the main crucial point when it comes to deciding a vacation, isn't it? (

VACATION APARTMENTS, THE GOOD AND THE BAD. - Strata titled holiday apartments on the east coast of Australia first came about well over quarter of a century ago as a means of building holiday accommodation in large building complexes without the whole resort being owned by a single identity. (

VACATION TIPS: TRAVELING WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN - Tips to travelling with senior citizens for a successful journey. Information on rest stops, handicap support as well as good sights.

VACATION TIPS: TRAVELING WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN - Tips to travelling with senior citizens for a successful journey. Information on rest stops, handicap support as well as good sights.

DURANGO, COLORADO: A WONDERFUL VACATION DESTINATION - Durango, Colorado offers great diversity in climate, sports, outdoor activites, art, music,archaelogy, great climate, good restaurants and beautiful scenery.

RESTAURANTS IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - What are some good places to eat in Tallahassee, Florida? What do you need to know about these places?

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA RESTAURANTS - What are some good places to eat in Gainesville, Florida? What do you need to know about these places?

GOOD RESTAURANTS ON AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA - What are some of the good places to eat on Amelia Island, Florida? What do you need to know about these places?

GOOD BEACHES NEAR PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - What are some of the good beaches near Pensacola, Florida? What should you know about these beaches?

GOOD RESTAURANTS IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - What are some good restaurants in Pensacola, Florida? What makes these places unique?

GOOD RESTAURANTS ON TYBEE ISLAND, GEORGIA - Here is a complete guide to the restaurants of Tybee Island, Georgia.

GOOD GUIDED TOURS OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - What are some good guided tours of Savannah, Georgia? What makes them unique?

HOTELS AND MOTELS IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA - What are some good hotels and motels in Savannah, Georgia? What makes them unique? How much does it cost to stay there?

A TRIP TO NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA - An article describing the town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, known for its art galleries and magnificent views of the Delaware River.

A TRIP TO NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA - An article describing the town of New Hope, Pennsylvania, known for its art galleries and magnificent views of the Delaware River.

A ROARING GOOD TIME AT DISNEY WORLD'S ANIMAL KINGDOM - ORLANDO -- The big rock didn't look like much.

A VACATION WITH TIME AND MONEY - The New Zealand mom was stumped. ``We're coming to the U.S. for two months this December for blessed vacation time,'' she wrote via e-mail. ``Having only been to Los Angeles, we're curious where to travel, and travel agents don't seem to help much. Can you suggest a few places your family has enjoyed over the years? We are so looking forward to seeing a lot of America, and money is no object as long as it is guaranteed a good time.''

KIDS PLAY MAJOR ROLE IN MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS - For the first New Year's Eve in years, Louly (cq) Williams plans to be awake at midnight, toasting the new millennium at a fancy hotel party. She just hopes her 8- and 4-year-olds can stay awake, too.

MEETING THE PILGRIMS - PLYMOUTH, Mass. -- Every Thanksgiving season, Holly and Irving Puffer take their four kids farther from home than any parents in America to have dinner with a relative -- back 378 years, across the ocean to England. The kids, who range from 4 to 13, look forward to their annual time travel. ``The food's really good,'' offers 11-year-old Jake Puffer.

A DO-GOOD VACATION - Frank Celio wanted to give his three teen-age sons a vacation they'd remember, so he took them to a dusty New Mexican town where they stayed with a poor Navajo family and spent the week hauling rocks for a new community center.

IT'S ALL HAPPENING AT THE ZOO - Good thing butterflies don't mind noisy kids. There's an orange butterfly on a first-grader's shoe! There's a blue one on a classmate's finger! The excited children can't contain themselves, pointing and jabbering, as nearly 1,000 of the delicate, brightly hued creatures, oblivious to the ruckus they've sparked, flit and fly everywhere.

SKIING THE FAMILY WAY - STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- AAH. Hot water never felt so good.

GETTING A BARGAIN THIS SUMMER - So what if June's nearly gone. Relax. It's not too late to snare a summer vacation deal. In fact, you're in good company. More than half of family travelers don't plan more than a month before taking off, reports the Travel Industry Association in a new survey. Twenty percent plan just a week ahead!

COASTAL CALIFORNIA'S MORRO BAY IS TREASURE TROVE FOR FAMILIES - How to get your kids interested in the good stuff-history, nature, science, art? You make it part of an adventure, preferably, one in which your children can participate rather than be a spectator. One of the best places to do this, we discovered, is Morro Bay, in the Central Coastal region of California, a relatively undiscovered region, exactly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

JACKSONVILLE FAMILY VACATION GUIDES - Jacksonville prides itself with it's family friendly environment. Spend a day at the Jacksonville Zoo and it's many wild animals. Spy some seagulls at Jacksonville, Neptune, Atlantic or Ponte Vedra Beach. Spend the day shopping and dining at the Landing, a riverfront Mecca for people of all ages. The Sumner Museum will peak your senses with its fine collection of painting and sculpture. For you golfers, don't forget the TPC course at Sawgrass. With so many things to choose from, its a good idea to plan your vacation before hand.

NEW YORK CITY FAMILY VACATION GUIDES - New York is unlike any other city in the world! It is a great place for a family vacation. The museums, theaters, restaurants and the holiday season are kid-friendly attractions. It is a good idea to plan your trip ahead to get the most out of it.

CRAYOLA FACTORY: TRAVEL BRIEF - Chosen by the Travel Channel as the best kids' factory tour in America, the Crayola Factory offers children an interactive learning experience. Children and adults can learn how crayons are made and see crayon memorabilia, including those colors that have been retired for good. Kids can draw on the walls, make arts-and-crafts projects to bring home, and visit the Crayola Color Garden.

CHILD TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS - A vacation should be fun for the whole family, and keeping your child safe is an essential element of a good trip. Check out these travel safety tips for your next getaway:

IS TAKING TIME OFF AFTER HIGH SCHOOL A GOOD IDEA? - Three years ago, while Lauren Clark's classmates were filling out college applications, the 18-year-old senior at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, was making her own plans. Instead of enrolling in college right away, Lauren opted to take time off. The following year, when her peers were freshmen, Lauren flew to Ghana for three months to teach English and math to schoolchildren and help build a one-room library. After spending the winter holidays at home, Lauren left again for a three-month trip to Italy where she studied Renaissance art. The time away, she says, was invaluable.

BE A GOOD SPORTS PARENT - Parents come to youth sports because they care about their kids and appreciate the benefits of physical exercise and team play. However, it is possible to care too much. Here is some expert advice for keeping the youth sports experience positive -- both physically and mentally.

ONLINE RADIO: THE Q-CELTIC LANGUAGES - If you are using a self-teaching course book to learn your Celtic language, such as one from the Teach Yourself or Hugo series, you may have bought the version that includes cassette tapes to complement the text. These are good, and there are several websites that offer sound files geared specifically

THE PICTISH LANGUAGE: CELTIC OR OTHERWISE? - If you have already heard of the Picts, there's a good chance what you have in your mind is a romanticized image of a big, bulky painted warrior that you have in mind. I'm here to say that it's not really your fault, but it's also not true! This is the

RAGDALE HALL - HEALTH HYDRO - Located in beautiful Melton Mowbray lies a place guaranteed to nurture your body and spirit like never before. This isn't too good to be true, this is Ragdale Hall - Health Hydro.

FAMOUS NOVELISTS TAKE ON THE TUBE - That great and wise literary gentleman, Robert Louis Stevenson, once wrote that it was better to travel hopefully than to arrive. His brother George spitefully then invented railways in general and the London Underground in particular to prove he was wrong on both counts.

THE EURO IS HERE - With a new year just two days away, many of us are breathing a sigh of relief. Terrorism, war, recession, job layoffs-for many, it's been a rough year coming to an uncertain ending. Hopefully, 2002 will be more peaceful and prosperous.

ITALIAN SUPERSTITIONS - Every culture has its myths and beliefs. In Italy, these superstitions were often specialized by region. Still, concepts like luck-good or bad-and fear of dead spirits were universal to the Italian peasant community. How these concepts were handled makes up a fascinating part of Italian folklore.

FESTIVALS IN SPAIN - There is a festival to celebrate just about anything you can think of in Spain. If you are planning a trip in the near future it would be a good idea to plan your trip around a Spanish festival or two. It is something you are sure to enjoy and remember

FOOD, GASTRONOMY, GOOD EATS - While bread, wine and cheese are the foods most associated with France, there is a plethora of yummy, mouthwatering treats that tempt the senses ready to savor. If you feel like dining in --instead of eating out -- this is how you find the good stuff.

TASMANIAN PLACE NAMES 3 - So, you'd like even more Tasmanian place names? I hope you're game! We'll start today with colour names which include Auburn, Black Creek, Black Hills, Black River, Blackmans Bay, Blackstone Heights, Blackwall, Blackwood Creek, Blue Rocks, Red Hills, Redpa, Blumont, Cornelian Bay, Golden Fleece Rivulet, Albion Heights, Golden Valley, White Beach,

PLACENAMES OF TASMANIA -1 - If you've been following my Tassie ABC you may have noticed that Tasmania shares some place names with other countries. It also has some that are unique. In this article and the ones that follow, I'll be looking at some of these, more or less at random. I hope you join

TORONTO THE GOOD - The city has been called "the carrying place," Muddy York and most recently the Megacity, but one of the most enduring names for Canada's largest current metropolis was 'Toronto the Good.'

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING IN MONTREAL-PART ONE - Now that Winter is upon us in Montreal many of you readers may be asking the question where can I find some good cross country trails in and around the city?

WHAT'S NEW? THE SCHRANNENHALLE IS OPENING! - Germans love a good party -- we all know that. Germans also like to shop. Last but not least, Germans most certainly enjoy music and relaxation. So what would Germans call a venue that combines all of these attributes, and more? A dream come true? Perhaps. In Munich, they call it

PV SUMMERS ARE FOR KIDS - Children love Puerto Vallarta because it's summer all year round. They can throw on their cut-offs, a t-shirt, some sandals and they're good to go - go do any of the really cool activities this fun town has to offer them. From tots to teens there's tons to do.

HOT? GET WET - Hot and Bothered? Good. Now you can chill out at a water park.or in a park.New Trails to FollowFrom ODNR comes this great news: On June 4, the Ohio Water Trails team designated the Kokosing River Water Trail as the first Ohio Water Trail in the state. What's a "Water Trail?"

SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES IN WASHINGTON STATE - Well, you've done it. You've lived life's ups and downs and made it to "senior" status. You've experienced a number of decades, some good, some bad, and retired from your adult life-long profession. Perhaps you've been a stay-at-home wife or a househusband. Or you've retired from a prestigious law firm or

BLACK LOVE PART 1: WHERE IS THE LOVE? - Now that the overly consumer-based Valentine's Day is over, I felt that it is a good time to discuss Black love. Why Black love? Is it different from any other type of love? Well, if left up to the media (even the well-intentioned media) there really is no such thing as

REFLECTION ABOUT CHANGES - Contemplating big and little events of the past few months, the old adage that nothing remains the same forever seems appropriate. Whether good, bad, trivial, or of utmost importance, change is an essential part of life everywhere. Like other ethnocentric groups with strong cultural roots, Cajuns have traditionally shown remarkable adaptability

BIRD-WATCHING IS GETTING MORE FUN IN FLORIDA - There's good news for bird watchers and nature lovers. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has established a 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail.

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE ATTRACTION GETS A NEW LOOK - Good news, Universal Orlando fans!

INDY CAR RACING IN ST. PETERSBURG - Well, it's going to be a roaring good time April 3rd in St. Petersburg, Florida as Indy car racing comes to town!

PADDLING NORTH CAROLINA'S NEW RIVER: PART I - If you are looking for fun, adventure, good exercise, relaxation, and beautiful scenery all rolled into a single experience, you might want to try a canoe trip on the North Carolina section of the New River. Most famous for its exhilarating white water further north in West Virginia, the North Carolina

A TEXAS SALT LAKE - I know you've heard the term, 'worth your salt'. It actually comes from a time when salt was a spice of high value. The word salary comes from the Latin term 'salarium' which is what ancient Roman soldiers' pay was called and salt made up a good portion of their pay,

A TEXAS SALT LAKE - I know you've heard the term, 'worth your salt'. It actually comes from a time when salt was a spice of high value. The word salary comes from the Latin term 'salarium' which is what ancient Roman soldiers' pay was called and salt made up a good portion of their pay,

ABOUT MOTHERS - About Mothers Some unforgettable Mother's Day memories -- some good, some not. And all sure to bring up memories of your own.

THE ROAD TO DIETARY HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS - The Road to Dietary Hell Is Paved with Good Intentions ...Recent research findings, however, suggest that attempts at policing youngsters' food choices may boomerang....

AROUND THE MALL AND BEYOND - Around the Mall and Beyond Bonding through Books. A good read gives mothers and daughters much more to talk about than just the plot.

HELLO, MY NAME IS... - Hello, My Name is... ...And so goes the story of parents who struggle with their day care facilities and hope that despite the outward appearance, their children are receiving quality care...

HUMOR COLUMN FOR PARENTS- PTA SUBVERSIVE - Humor Column for Parents- PTA Subversive Good news! Joan Thompson's husband was transfered out of the country. Our PTA chapter can now rest easy again.

THERE GOES MY BABY - There goes my baby Once, I thought my daughter would win the Nobel Prize. Now that she's started college, I just hope she keeps her phone, her power, her housing -- and remembers to wake up for class.

A WAY WITH WORDS - A Way With Words Though I work with words everyday, I still occasionally manage to be misquoted or misunderstood. And I guarantee you'll eventually run into the same thing as you share with others your hopes and aspirations regarding being, or becoming, a stay-at-home mom.

PRAYING FOR HOPE - Praying for Hope What a dying infant taught her mother about God's ways.

WHEN BEING NICE ISN'T GOOD - When Being Nice Isn't Good The code of `niceness' carries a price we may not wish to pay. While we want children to be caring, considerate, tactful, and understanding of others, we also want them to be honest, strong-minded, and bold...

SOME TEENS SHOW SIGNS OF FUTURE DEPRESSION - Some teens show signs of future depression Certain characteristics typify teens who suffer recurrences of depression as young adults, raising researchers' hopes for devising improved depression treatments, a new study finds...

THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING BABY TALK TO YOUR BABY - The Importance of Talking Baby Talk to Your Baby It's time to confess. I'm a speech-language pathologist who talks 'baby talk' to babies. And not only do I enjoy doing so, I maintain that it's good for them!

THANKSGIVING, NO HOLDS BARRED - Thanksgiving, No Holds Barred Every Thanksgiving, my husband and I beam across the table at each other, thankful for our lovely family, our health and our good fortune, completely unaware of the "What I am thankful for" comments soon to emerge out of our children's mouths. After six kids, you'd think we would see it coming...

CALCIUM FOR MOMS-TO-BE - Calcium for Moms-to-Be Milk really does do a body good --- particularly if the body in question is that of a pregnant woman. Without enough calcium, lead levels may increase... Parents are advised to limit their kids' computer use... etc.

CARING FOR CRIB LIZARDS - Caring for Crib Lizards ...According to a 1999 survey conducted by the foundation Public Agenda, only 23 percent of Americans feel that parents are good role models for their children, while fully 49 percent believe that "irresponsible" parents are the main reason children fail to thrive in our society....

MOMMY'S LITTLE MONSTER - Mommy's little monster When good girls grow up to be bad girls, their mothers indulge in maternal hysteria. The lucky moms then get book contracts...

CHILD-CARE WORKERS EYE UNIONIZATION - Child-Care Workers Eye Unionization In what one organizer described as a '60s-style protest rally with guitar music and singing, a group of striking California child-care providers demonstrated on the grounds of the state Capitol in Sacramento last week, saying low wages are keeping good teachers from staying in the field...

TIPS FOR BREASTFEEDING SUCCESS - Tips For Breastfeeding Success Why should I breastfeed?... How do I get breastfeeding off to a good start?... How can I tell that my baby is getting enough milk?... What can I do to prevent sore nipples?... etc.

TEEN-DEMON TRACTS - Teen-Demon Tracts Despite all the good news about American kids, a sprawling array of books, videotapes, and consulting seminars would have us believe that just the opposite is true...

A BOY NAMED ROVER - A boy named Rover What do you call the baby when all the good names have gone to the dogs?

WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT GOOD SEX? - What's so bad about good sex? "Harmful to Minors" author Judith Levine talks about why American parents are afraid of their teenagers' sexuality, says kids know the difference between coercion and consent -- and blasts critics who say she advocates pedophilia...

AMERICA UNDERCOVER: SMALL TOWN ECSTASY - America Undercover: Small Town Ecstasy A television documentary that chronicles a suburban family's problem with the drug Ecstasy actually offers insights into good parenting...

OUR SHINY HAPPY CLONE FUTURE - Our shiny happy clone future Procreation without sex, smarter babies and the right to choose the sexual orientation of your kids -- it's all good, says scientist Gregory Stock...

CARING FOR CHILDREN AS A CAREER - Caring for Children as a Career Professionalizing child care would be good for kids and good for working mothers -- including those who work minding other people's children.

WELFARE REFORM DEPENDS ON GOOD CHILD CARE - Welfare Reform Depends on Good Child Care Isn't the whole point to rescue the next generation?

IMAGINARY INFANTS AS BEACONS OF HOPE - Imaginary infants as beacons of hope Once again, Americans have conjured a baby boom out of a national tragedy. What better way to create a happy ending?

PICKING, SQUASHING, FETCHING... - Picking, Squashing, Fetching... They are three good ways to entice children into the garden.

DADDY'S HOME - Daddy's home Sharing the dugout and lots of affection with their sons, the Giants telegraphed good news about fatherhood -- and manhood -- in 2002.

HOW TO TEACH GOOD BEHAVIOR: TIPS FOR PARENTS - How to Teach Good Behavior: Tips for Parents Children must be taught good behavior so they can live and work well in society when they grow up. Good teaching includes rewards for good behavior. Your child's age should guide your choice of ways to teach.

VEGGIES IN DISGUISE - Veggies In Disguise Clever ways to get your kids to say, "Hey, this is good!"

UNRECOGNIZED ABUSE - Unrecognized Abuse Abusive women know the bond that a good father will have with his kids. For an abuser, this bond is a perfect weapon and can be wielded with devastating results.

RETURNING TO WORK WHILE BREASTFEEDING - Returning to Work While Breastfeeding Breastfeeding is good for your baby -- and for you. It provides the best nutrition for your baby and protects your baby against many illnesses. Before you return to work, you may want to make a breastfeeding plan. This plan can help you with problems that could keep you from breastfeeding your baby.

SELL COLLEGE TO YOUR KIDS - Sell College to Your Kids It's good for them to buy into the idea and to want to attend.

CONTENT FILTERING: IN WITH THE GOOD, OUT WITH THE BAD - Content Filtering: In with the good, out with the bad Content Filtering helps users to control what a child is exposed to on the internet by allowing users to easily block unwanted websites.

12 TRAITS OF A GREAT FATHER - 12 Traits Of A Great Father A good father makes all the difference in a child's life. He's a pillar of strength, support and discipline.

HOW MILLIONAIRES ARE BORN - How Millionaires Are Born There's hope for the next generation when teens begin investing their money.

ON BREASTFEEDING, RIGHTS, AND GOOD MANNERS - On Breastfeeding, Rights, and Good Manners Breastfeeding need not devolve into cultural warfare. The issue will yield to courtesy, common sense and a bit of respect for the other person's rights.

GOOD NEWS ABOUT FOLIC ACID & INFANTS - Good News About Folic Acid & Infants After the United States began adding folic acid to certain foods in 1998, the number of fetuses developing certain birth defects dropped by 26 percent.

GOOD OLD DAYS - Good Old Days Online retailer, "You're Such a Baby," started with vintage-inspired babywear but has now moved on to include housewares and women's clothing.

10 THINGS YOUR PRESCHOOL WON'T TELL YOU - 10 Things Your Preschool Won't Tell You More working mothers and a wide acceptance of the benefits of early education have fostered the growth of preschools. But there's a downside: Many aren't very good.

ARE FAMILY MEALS GOOD FOR THE HEALTH OF ADOLESCENTS? - Are Family Meals Good for the Health of Adolescents? The authors conclude that eating family meals may improve the health and psychosocial well-being of adolescents, regardless of family connectedness.

A SUMMER OF SERVICE FOR TEENS - A Summer Of Service For Teens Volunteer programs give them the opportunity to do good away from home.

WHY PARENTS SHOULD HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR CHILDREN - Why Parents Should Have High Expectations Of Their Children In a world where children have low expectations and low frustration levels, even the smallest completion of a chore or task seems to call for big rewards. This doesn't do anybody any good.

GEN M: MULTIMEDIA OR MULTIMILLIONAIRE? - Gen M: Multimedia or Multimillionaire? Today's teens are following in our footsteps -- and that's not necessarily a good thing. While they are still living under your roof and rules, turn off the TV, turn down the tunes, and give your child some hands-on money education.

ABOUT MOTHERS - About Mothers Some unforgettable Mother's Day memories -- some good, some not. And all sure to bring up memories of your own.

18: A SPOILED CHILD NEVER LOVES ITS MOTHER - 18: A Spoiled Child Never Loves Its Mother Hold your 18 year-old (child) accountable for their actions even if by law in some areas they're legally an adult. There is no expiration date to parenthood and wanting to see your children evolve into good human beings.

CYBERPATROL 7 - CyberPatrol 7 CyberPatrol 7 delivers very good filtering that parents can use to help control and monitor kids' PC usage.

ARE BOYS REALLY BETTER OFF WITHOUT FATHERS? - Are Boys Really Better off Without Fathers? While Peggy Drexler's Raising Boys Without Men: How Maverick Moms Are Creating the Next Generation of Exceptional Men may seem like a harmless, feel-good affirmation for these mothers, it could have a damaging impact on children by affecting both the choices women make and family law.

ACADEMIC COST OF FOOD INSECURITY - Academic Cost of Food Insecurity New study shows that academic and behavior problems in children are more likely to occur in homes unable to afford good and plentiful food.

A SUMMER OF SERVICE FOR TEENS - A Summer Of Service For Teens Volunteer programs give them the opportunity to do good away from home.

SNEAKING TO BURMA TO CLIMB HKAKABO RAZI - Sneaking to Burma to Climb Hkakabo Razi A half-mad dash to Hkakabo Razi seemed like a good idea at the time. And hey, how tough can it be to sneak past the Chinese Army?

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE - Too good to be true "That vacation club didn't deliver what I thought I was getting!"

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO IRELAND - What to Know Before You go to Ireland The most important thing for a self-conducted tour to be enjoyable is to do your homework before you leave home. The answer is a good travel guide and a rough itinerary.

THE GOOD LIFE AND THE WILDLIFE - The good life and the wildlife Visit Naples, Fla., for its cypress groves, gorgeous orchids and teddy bear museums. Stay for the seven-mile crescent beach of pine and palm.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE - Northern Exposure Whether your idea of a good time is skiing, shopping or lounging in front of a fire, North Conway is a winter wonderland

LIGHTS, CAMERA - TOURISTS! - Lights, Camera - Tourists! Cambodians hope the movie Tomb Raider will lure more visitors. They should be careful what they wish for...

ME TALK PRETTY - Me Talk Pretty When traveling internationally, good language skills are what separate the bon vivants from the booboisie. Next time you find yourself linguistically challenged, whip out the Universal Translator UT 106 from Ectaco Inc....

BURMESE DAZE: SHOULD WE BOYCOTT OR GO? - Burmese Daze: Should We Boycott or Go? Travel used to be about fun, freedom, feeling good. The point was to get away, unwind. Bugs and sunburns were the main holiday worry. Now it's the footprints you leave behind. Case in point: Burma...

HOTELS ARE GOING HIGH-TECH. IS THAT GOOD? - Hotels Are Going High-Tech. Is That Good? For all the extra ease that every innovation delivers, there is a corresponding drop in old-fashioned human service...

AIR PIRACY - Air Piracy The latest news about the deregulated airline industry leaves little hope that the American flying experience will rise above its sub-Greyhound Bus standard any time soon. It wasn't supposed to be this way...

TASTY TIMES IN THE YUKON - Tasty Times in the Yukon Great adventures and good eating and at Tincup Lodge and Whitehorse...

ACCELERATING E-TRAVEL - Accelerating e-Travel Online booking cuts down on corporate travel costs, but don't say good-bye to traditional agents...

TRIPS AHOY! - Trips Ahoy! 9th Annual Business Travel Awards prove that good value isn't a distant memory: Best Low-Fare Airlines... Best Low-Priced Hotel Value... Best Online Travel Value... Best Budget Car Rental... Money-Saving Savvy... Carry-On Luggage Clues... Travel Sites, Old & New...

JUMP-STARTING ECOTOURISM IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON - Jump-starting ecotourism in the Brazilian Amazon Nine Amazonian states join to prove that natural ecosystems can be good economics...

FINE WINES AND SUMPTUOUS LODGES IN NEW ZEALAND - Fine Wines and Sumptuous Lodges In New Zealand Twenty years ago wine connoisseurs scoffed at the idea of anything good coming from the antipodes. Australia's extraordinary oenic successes proved them wrong, and now New Zealand Pinots and Sauvignons are on some of the world's most fastidious wine lists...

LONDON: CELEBRATING HER MAJESTY'S GOLDEN JUBILEE - London: Celebrating Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee Did you know that Americans traveling abroad head for London more than any other destination? And with good reason. It's a city that grows more vibrant every time we visit -- new attractions, a burgeoning restaurant scene, great hotels and on and on

A BLOOMIN' GOOD SHOW - A Bloomin' Good Show Interested in an idea for a great trip this year? Here's one for gardeners everywhere! Floriade is an international flower exposition held only every 10 years. Floriade 2002 opened in early April and runs through Oct. 20 in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands.

WHERE TO STAY IN VENICE - Where To Stay In Venice Venetians have a total sense of involvement with their city, placing the public good over individual interests. This discipline -- what is called particolare -- has given the hospitality business here a solid foundation.

VENICE INFORMATION - Venice Information While standing on line to purchase a Venice card, you'll probably be thinking, "Why am I wasting time?" However, in this most crowded of cities, the card issued by the City Council will help shorten a good many other lines and save a good deal of money, too.

CLEAN, SOBER AND SUFFERING - Clean, Sober and Suffering A sanctuary of good health in southern Thailand

FIND EDEN NOW . . . AND SAVE IT FOR LATER - Find Eden Now . . . and Save it for Later What is this thing called ecotourism? (Besides the glimmer of hype and a dash of greenwash, that is.) Here's the good news: when it's done right, it's nothing less than the future of travel.

HOT SPOT - Hot Spot Question: Can adventure travel take root in struggling, war-ravaged countries where the smoke is still clearing? Test Case: The Republic of Georgia, home to unspoiled wilderness, beautiful mountains, and fugitive Chechen rebels and rumored Al Qaeda cells Answer: Good question!

10 THINGS YOUR TRAVEL AGENT WON'T TELL YOU - 10 Things Your Travel Agent Won't Tell You You'll get lost in cyberspace... You've come to the wrong place for a good deal... Want service? Then pay up... Sure we know who to look out for -- us... Our technology stinks... We'll give you the wrong information... Our customer service won't win any speed contests... etc.

7 CRUISING DESTINATIONS OFF THE BEATEN PATH - 7 Cruising Destinations Off the Beaten Path We asked some Yachting photographers to unearth images of their favorite haunts. Hopefully, they will entice you to cruise off the beaten path

JET STREAM E-MAIL - Jet Stream E-mail Frequent fliers can now hope to e-mail at 35,000 feet.

HIGH FLIERS - High Fliers Need to know how to choose a good in-flight wine? No problem -- experts on the ground have done it for you.

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S BEDS - All the President's Beds George W. got a room at Buckingham Palace, but how much might he pay for a good night's sleep? A look at lavish hotel accomodations in the world's great cities.

TOURING TECTONICS IN ICELAND - Touring tectonics in Iceland Iceland is becoming a standard destination for global travelers. The country's geological attractions though, have always been good reasons to visit Iceland; the recent deals associated with a tourism campaign are only icing on the geologist's cake.

THE ATKINS ZONE - The Atkins Zone The Houdini of fast escapes from international prisons advises on how to get out--and stay out--of jail while traveling abroad. Plus, some good reasons to avoid getting slammed in these six notorious tourist traps.

NOT-SO-FRIENDLY SKIES - Not-So-Friendly Skies The discounting of discount airlines may be good news for you, but it's surely not for them.

ADVENTURE NEVER FELT SO GOOD - Adventure Never Felt So Good Ten North American spas that will recharge your mind, body, and soul

ASK ADVENTURE - Ask Adventure The best way to keep fit for climbing in the off-season and a good substitute for the trek to everest base camp.

FAR AND AWAY - Far and Away When employees have been very, very good, send them to one of these fabulous destination resorts. Check out the web sites for more information.

14 MINI-VACATION IDEAS - 14 Mini-Vacation Ideas Summer is finally here. Does it feel like everyone's going on vacation except you? Forget about feeling frustrated; summertime's all about living well and feeling good, and you don't need to stray far from home to do so.

PEAK SEASON - Peak Season Summer is the new prime time at mountain resorts. Here are a few good reasons to head for the hills when the heat is on.

TO SLEEP, TO DREAM, TO WAKE UP ON TIME... - To Sleep, to Dream, to Wake up on Time... Our intrepid reporter puts Crowne Plaza's aggressive snooze strategy to the test -- and a good night's rest.

AN ARTS TOUR OF TWO CITIES - An Arts Tour of Two Cities Dallas and Fort Worth offer more than cattle-roping cowboys -- such as five of the best museums in the Southwest and expanasive outdoor gardens. Oh yes, there's also lots of good eating.

TRAVEL: BAGGAGE CLAIM - Travel: Baggage Claim Why, it's a spankin'-new little Flying Circus luggage tag. What a cutie. Fun shape, colorful leather. (I sure hope that bag is mine!) It's the envy of the arrival gate.

TOP 10: U.S. HALLOWEEN PARTY DESTINATIONS - Top 10: U.S. Halloween Party Destinations These once-a-year parties draw massive crowds with their adult themes. While some are very selective when it comes to their guest lists, others welcome anyone ready to have a good time.

SAN JUAN ISLAND'S `WEST SIDE STORY' - San Juan Island's `West Side Story' Roche Harbor Resort and Marina, located on the northwest corner of the island, is one of the Pacific Northwest's most popular cruiser destinations for good reason. Here, tumultuous history makes way for harmony and celebration.

ERUPTUS INTERRUPTUS - Eruptus Interruptus Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Thar she... might blow! When Mount St. Helens threatened to go erupt again, disaster groupies rushed to the crater--and hoped for the worst.

DOLLAR-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS: MISSISSIPPI - Dollar-Friendly Destinations: Mississippi Ask folks in Mississippi for directions, and they'll not only take you where you want to go, they'll tell you a good story on the way -- which might explain why so many of the state's sons and daughters are renowned authors: Faulkner, Percy, Welty, Williams, et al.

MARIACHI AND TEQUILA: SINGING, DANCING IN JALISCO - Mariachi and Tequila: Singing, Dancing in Jalisco Mariachi and tequila, are two good reasons you should visit Jalisco, Mexico, but make sure your itinerary includes several trips to the surrounding areas, none more than a two-hour drive.

SOFTER SIDE OF THE WILD WEST - Softer Side of the Wild West Friendly is a good thing but there is more -- much more to Edmonds that makes it one of Puget Sound's most popular ports of call for visiting boaters.

TRAVEL: STRIP SEARCH - Travel: Strip Search The recently launched Kayak.com wants to be the be-all-end-all of travel search engines. Being the only site that lists "Jet Blue" is a good start.

BUILDING A NEW WORLD - Building a New World Mini-nations for the super-rich: These private dominions are a light version of a country or society, stripped of annoying `features' like crime, bad weather and excessive taxes. Which leaves the good things like sun, nice villas and glittering shopping malls.

AADVANTAGE ALLOWS MEMBERS TO REACTIVATE EXPIRED MILES - AAdvantage Allows Members to Reactivate Expired Miles Through Dec. 31, and for a fee, AAdvantage members can reactivate some or all of their expired miles. With AAdvantage's Short Hop awards redeemable at only 15,000 miles, it may be a good deal.

SEARCHING FOR SNOW LEOPARDS - Searching For Snow Leopards A journey deep into the mountainous region of Ladakh in northwestern India in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive snow leopard.

VACATIONS FOR A GOOD CAUSE - Vacations For A Good Cause How you can spend your holiday to ensure the best effects: Turtle Island In Fiji... Habitat For Humanity... Wildland Adventures... Lindblad Expeditions... Charitable Cruising... Mountain Travel Sobek... etc.

VIRGIN BLUE: FFP DUE BY CHRISTMAS - Virgin Blue: FFP Due by Christmas Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey hopes to release details of the airline's long-awaited frequent flyer plan by the end of the year.

FASTER FREE NIGHTS IS BACK - Faster Free Nights is Back All good things must end, but with Hyatt Gold Passport, they just keep coming back -- including the most recent incarnation of "Faster Free Nights."

WATER'S WARM, FISHING'S HOTTER - Water's Warm, Fishing's Hotter Fishing along Mexico's 3,000-mile Pacific coast varies from good to world class. There's something for every angler south of the border.

TRAVEL: A GOOD OMAN - Travel: A Good Oman Oman is the Middle East as travelers would like it to be: safe and absolutely gorgeous. It remains deeply traditional and has been only lightly touched by tourism.

IN THE LOOP - In The Loop The good life is a rollercoaster ride: Millennium Force, Ohio... Leap The Dips, Pennsylvania... Kingda Ka, New Jersey... Gravity Max, Taiwan... etc.

TOP 10: ROADSIDE AMERICANA - Top 10: Roadside Americana There's nothing better than a good old-fashioned road trip -- unless its those odd, oversized roadside curiosities of Americana found along the way. Here are some of the best the lower 48 states have to offer.

LIVING IT UP IN LIVERPOOL - Living it Up in Liverpool This small but vibrant town has nearly everything a man could hope for while on holiday -- friendly locals, a stylish nightlife, great food, even better beer, and fantastic sightseeing.

HOUSTON: HOUSTONIAN HOTEL CLUB AND SPA - Houston: Houstonian Hotel Club and Spa Healthy perks include: Seclusion in the city, Good-for-you cafe, Texas-size fitness center

TRAVEL: GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM! - Travel: Good Morning, Vietnam! Suggestions on activities, restaurants and places to stay when traveling to Vietnam.

FINE-FEATHERED ADVENTURES IN CHINA - Fine-Feathered Adventures in China Unearthing the Dragon: The Great Feathered Dinosaur Discovery by Mark Norell is as fine a dinosaur book as it is good travel literature.

WISH YOU WERE HERE. OH -- YOU ARE - Wish You Were Here. Oh -- You Are Multigenerational travel can be a good way to bring a far-flung clan together.

WINNING THE BATTLE - AWARD REDEMPTION IN 2006 - Winning The Battle - Award Redemption in 2006 With most airline flights full of paying passengers, it might come as a surprise that there's hope that you, too, can really get the award you want. But it's not always an easy fight.

FROM A TO Z-FEST - From A to Z-Fest Not just for sailboaters anymore, the annual Z-Fest in Zihuatanejo Bay (110 miles north of Acapulco) is a five-day festival of nautical fun and games, all for a good cause.

CARIBBEAN: ST. LUCIA, COCONUT BAY RESORT AND SPA. - Experience the authentic (yet-to-be-discovered) side of St. Lucia. Nestled amid swaying palms along Savannes Bay on the island's undiscovered south coast, with friendly people, beautiful vistas and Caribbean "quiet" days, The Bay is offers families an all-inclusive beachfront vacation option. Walk along the white soft-sand beach, wiggle your toes in the water, watch local fishermen, count sea gulls, snorkel in the bay. This is the good stuff.

FLORIDA: CRESCENT BEACH, A SECRET BEACH PLACE FOR FAMILIES. - Miles of lovely hard-packed sand make beach hiking, bike riding, and sand volleyball almost too good to pass up. When the tide is out residents and visitors drive along the ocean's edge, sometimes parking against the sand dunes that frame the land. Uncrowded and laid back, no high rise buildings buffer the beach zone. Shrimp boats cruise the currents; dolphins weave through the waves; pelicans glide over the shallows; summers bring sea turtles to nest; winters bring "Nor'easters" and treasures from the sea. Crescent Beach is picture perfect 24/7.

HAWAII: MAUI, TAKING THE KIDS. - Watch whales from the beach; ride down mountain slopes; snorkel over a volcano; surf the wind; ride a sugar train, the fun is waiting. The island offers miles and miles of pristine uncrowded beaches, marvelous surf and dependable sea breezes. Do nothing and experience the warm embrace of the island or do everything ?and rest when you return home. Maui has the good stuff for families. ?

GEORGIA: SECRET PLACES, GETAWAY IDEAS FOR FAMILIES. - Often exceptional places that allow families to regroup, rekindle and build memories never make mainstream family vacation lists. Unique and usually discovered by word-of-mouth these secret family vacation places have been adding great memories to family photo albums for decades. This is the good stuff that makes a family vacation trip even better. We have grouped them by geographic area for simplicity. Enjoy our family vacation secrets. This is the good stuff.

GEORGIA: THE BEST OF ARTS & BASEBALL. - From art museum treasure hunts and open-air folk concerts to ballpark tours and double headers communities across the state have a sense of how to make enjoying "the good life" easy.  Friendly residents enjoy sharing their unique heritage and insider tips. Georgia has a comfortable style that makes vacationing with kids effortless. Family vacation options span the state. We've selected some of the good stuff but there is plenty left to be discovered.

HAWAII: O'AHU, HONOLULU,TAKING THE KIDS. - Enchanting and awesome, diverse and dynamic, the island is loaded with good stuff for families. Kiss a fish or pet a ray; sing with a dolphin or snorkel over a crater; sail with the wind or ride in a jungle mobile; practice the hula or giggle at a pachyderm; gaze at the stars or build a sand castle. Sip fresh squeezed pineapple juice or taste luscious cocoanut candies. Better yet greet a sunrise or walk on the beach at twilight. On Oahu the choices for fun are endless. ?

CANADA: EAST TO WEST, SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVALS MEAN FUN FOR FAMILIES IN 2005. - Music makes any vacation more memorable and Canadians have mastered the art of combing music with plenty of festive activities well-suited for families on vacation. From Prince Edward Island piping to cowboy ballads in Alberta, Canadians are hosting the good stuff this summer.

SOUTH CAROLINA: MYRTLE BEACH, TAKING THE KIDS TO THE SEA. - Known for great golf and awesome entertainment, Myrtle Beach also offers an array of day adventures to create the perfect family beach vacation. You'll find sun soaked days, shopping bargains, scrumptious seafood and Barefoot Landing entertainment to fill the nights. Our idea menu includes the good stuff.

WEST VIRGINIA: FAYETTEVILLE, TAKING THE KIDS TO OPOSSUM CREEK RETREAT. - Fresh-cut flowers and scrumptious home-baked cookies welcomed us to the farmhouse at Possum Creek and proved to be a sign of good things to come. The cookies, a signature recipe baked by our host, disappeared in less than 20 minutes; we enjoyed the flowers the rest of the week.

USA: SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVALS MEAN FAMILY FUN 2005. - This is the good stuff, enjoy your summer and "listen to the music."?Music festivals and festivals with music make for great family vacation times. Whether it is perform in a city park or an amphitheatre on a mountainside, relaxing and letting the music take hold is the whole idea.?We've assembled an action list which includes good vibrations from Grant Park in Chicago, Barefoot Landing in North of Myrtle Beach, Dollywood in Pigeon Forge and the list goes on. Our Events Directory has oodles more,?sorted by location on the planet.

USA/CANADA: TIME TRAVEL WITH THE KIDS. - If you are old enough to say, "I remember the good old days," then experiencing living history with a child will be rewarding, unless your young companion remembers more than you do. While there are countless festivals to be enjoyed some of the best experiences may be found at more permanent places and we suggest, no matter what, that your summer plans include a little "living history" for the fun of it. From Massachusetts to and Virginia to New Brunswick and Ontario, time travel with kids is easy.

USA: OUTDOOR DRAMAS, LIFE UNDER THE STARS. - The lights dim. The stars brighten as a soft breeze rustles the nearby trees. Then, softly at first, a heartbeat grows louder and louder. Suddenly, a rider on horseback bursts into the clearing, wearing an expression of deep wisdom, past pain and hope for the future.

RHODE ISLAND: ENJOYING CAROUSELS WITH THE KIDS. - Moving symbols of the past, then as now kids and carousels go together. And at the top of the list the most beautiful hand-carved versions remain icons for hopeless romantics. Enjoying carousels with young children is a pure delight. There is no substitute for the joy of selecting the perfect white horse or riding on the back of a blue bunny. ?

USA/CANADA: CITYPASS OFFERS THE "A" LIST TO FAMILIES. - Planning a city holiday for a family can be a hassle. Too many choices and too many opinions often slow and confuse the process. There is an easy way to proceed with planning. Guaranteed good and worth the vacation time, CityPass offers the best cities and the best attractions and museums for less. Using the pass makes a city vacation affordable and easy. Destinations include: New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Southern California CityPass, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

USA/CANADA: CITYPASS OFFERS THE "A" LIST TO FAMILIES. - Planning a city holiday for a family can be a hassle. Too many choices and too many opinions often slow and confuse the process. There is an easy way to proceed with planning. Guaranteed good and worth the vacation time, CityPass offers the best cities and the best attractions and museums for less. Using the pass makes a city vacation affordable and easy. Destinations include: New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Southern California CityPass, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

FLORIDA: SPACE COAST, NATURALLY COOL. - It's where the good stuff is - from the technological wonders of NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the natural beauty of Merritt Island to miles of uncrowded beaches and awesome surf. Spanning the communities of Titusville, Palm Beach, Melbourne, Cocoa Beach and more the Space Coast offers everything to make a perfect family vacation. Need examples? Read on

MONTANA: ENJOYING SNOW DAYS WITH THE KIDS. - Known for crisp dry air and an abundance of snow, Montana welcomes families to winter heaven and provides oodles of snow vacation options. From ice climbing, ice fishing, ice hockey, ice sailing, ice skating, and speed skating to snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snow skiing, dog sledding, snow sledding, snow cycling and sleigh rides. Montana has the "good stuff" for a family vacation in the winter.

NORTH DAKOTA: LEWIS AND CLARK, CREATING A FAMILY FIELD TRIP. - Everyone loves a great field trip and kids are no exception. The good news is that noted historian Clay Jenkinson in collaboration with North Dakota Tourism staff have made it easy to travel the Lewis and Clark Trail by creating a paper guide and audio guide. Make plans and take a family field trip.

NORTH DAKOTA: LEWIS AND CLARK, CREATING A FAMILY FIELD TRIP. - Everyone loves a great field trip and kids are no exception. The good news is that noted historian Clay Jenkinson in collaboration with North Dakota Tourism staff have made it easy to travel the Lewis and Clark Trail by creating a paper guide and audio guide. Make plans and taka a family field trip.

NEW BRUNSWICK: BAY OF FUNDY, TAKING THE KIDS. - Imagine misty mornings beginning with a hot cup of coffee and a luscious oatcake; think about hiking through dramatic shades of green and discovering meadows of wild flowers. Listen to the tidal rush from the viewing deck at Hopewell Rocks. Sit on the rocky shoreline and count whales; glide the channels of the Bay of Fundy or hike a boardwalk along the Atlantic Coast.

TENNESSEE: PIGEON FORGE, 12 WAYS TO BE IN THE WILD. - A summer family vacation in Great Smoky Mountains means cool nights, sunny days, natural beauty and a dozen ways to enjoy being in the wild. We have had the good fortune to experience the natural beauty that surrounds Pigeon Forge and enjoy the lively, friendly atmosphere of the mountains.

USA: FAMILY CAMP VACATIONS--PURE FUN WITH KIDS. - Each summer millions of kids enjoy time away from home at sleepover camps. The idea is fun times ten. For parents just a little envious of the concept there is a practical solution "family camp". Growing in popularity, family camp requires adults to let go for a little while. No management skills needed just show up with the kids and enjoy the experience. Family camp, just like a river rafting trip or a family adventure tour, requires paying attention to the fun and enjoying the good stuff.

USA: WESTERN EDGE, FAMILY CAMPS JUST FOR FUN. - Ever been a tad jealous when reading about the fun planned for you kids at summer sleepover camp? You are not alone. The good news is there are family camps to fit all family types and some of the best are in the west. Imagine kayaking with dolphins off the California coast or fort-building under giant sequoias. Try river rafting with the kids or watch elk graze at sunset. From square dancing to storytelling family camps offer memory making experiences with or without green Jello.

USA: HEARTLAND, SPRING BREAK FAMILY VACATION IDEAS. - Getaway ideas to cure spring fever may be found through the Heartland States. From Minnesota and Illinois to Indiana and Ohio, we have ideas that spell fun. Whatever your family's passion, we have spring break vacation ideas to fit the quest. Need to feel warm sunshine and the crunch of snow underfoot? Want the excitement of splashing the kids at a state-of-the-art waterpark? How about riding the trails before breakfast or star gazing with the kids? Take in a show; shop 'til you drop; discover a museum. The good stuff awaits - take a break. Have we missed something? Our Vacation Directory has at least 101 more ideas for the perfect spring break.  

CALIFORNIA: SANTA BARBARA, SPRING BREAK 2006. - Your children won't be the only ones having a good time! Building on the success of the summer the Family Vacation Center sessions, two spring break sessions will be conducted in April. Explore nature, chill out with a book, play games with the kids, laugh along with others and rejuvenate your spirit. The place is beautiful and the atmosphere family friendly.

CONNECTICUT:: BRISTOL, TRY FLYING SCOOTERS. - Lake Compounce, New England's oldest family theme park, is committed to entertaining families and keeping the best of the "good old days'while ading high energy adventures.

CRUISES: NCL NORWEGIAN DREAM, CREATING A STORYBOOK CRUISE. - Grandparents with the good luck to share a cruise with their grandkids may find this specific cruise route of value. Each warm weather season the dramatically beautiful Norwegian Dream cruises roundtrip from England to Scandinavia and Russia. The storybook port list is what dreams are made of no matter your age. Ports include: London (really they mean Dover), England; Warnemunde (think Berlin), Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark.

VERMONT: SMUGGLERS' NOTCH RESORT, THE PERFECT FAMILY WINTER VACATION GUIDE. - Need a family vacation plan? Looking for a good read?  Smugglers' Notch Resort has created an authoritative planning guide for families who are thinking about snow days away. The Guide to Planning the Perfect Family Winter Vacation Guide provides valuable information for first-timers or veterans of snow holidays and it free to all who request it.

ARIZONA: KOA, CAMPING IN THE PINES. - It is hard to explain to my grandchildren about family vacations in the "good old days" when we enjoyed our time even without TV, Nintendo or a cell phone. In fact, our vacation days were filled with hiking, fishing, talking or just resting (hanging out) near our cabin in the pines.

BRITAIN: EXCHANGING PLACES IN THE SPIRIT OF HARRY POTTER. - With the release of the latest J.K. Rowling book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the prospect of another Harry Potter movie, Prisoner of Azkaban, life is good.

PARENTING SKILLS: FINDING A SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD - Tips for finding a good school for your child

PARENTING SKILLS: HOW TO BE A GOOD SPORTS PARENT - Letting your kids have fun in the winning is everything world of competitive sports

GOOD SPORTS PARENT: KEEP YOUR CHILD MOTIVATED - Letting your kids have fun in the winning is everything world of competitive sports

TRAIN RIDES IN THE US - FamilyFun presents six good old-fashioned train rides that will bring out the kid in everyone

VOICES OF SORROW AND HOPE - Child readers share their thoughts about the September 11 attacks.

DESTINATIONS: ECUADOR - Ecuador I don't have many nice things to say about this city, Guayaquil, Ecuador. It's a dirty, hot, crowded city with great airline deals when compared to Quito (which is beautiful, friendly and just plain nice). This will also give a good starting point for minor culture shock. They do have a nice waterfront area called Malecon 2000 and La Rotonda, (not beach or swimming) with a monument to the person who founded the city and a big park that is nice during the day. It's a bit nerve racking with very mobile little ones, because of the water, but still a nice day trip.

DESTINATIONS: SINGAPORE - With few exceptions, unless you are a really good swimmer or coming from Malaysia, you'll arrive in Singapore via

DESTINATIONS: KAMAKURA : FOOD - Our suggestion was to pick up some picnic food at the convenience store near the station. If you missed that, or perfer to sample local food, you are still in luck. There are no fast food restaurants in Hase near the Buddha, but the food there really isn't bad, and for a good price. There are many small restaurants. Our family ate a restaurant just across the street from the temple that served noodles (soba) that most kids would like. The restaurant was clean and friendly. Be prepared to order in Japanese, or to use gestures, as little English is spoken.

DESTINATIONS: KUALA LUMPUR - Time was short in Kuala Lumpur and we did not have a chance to visit three potentially kid-good places: the zoo, the bird park and the butterfly park. The first is a bit out of town, while the other two are co-located near the new central train station, so we have no real excuse but lameness. Shame on us.

GOING HOME: COMING HOME - We hope you had a nice trip. Wait, you're still at home? Oh, yeah, right it's the Internet and we're all still here. Well, since we are all still here, a couple of things to think about when your trip is ending.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : LOCKS - Locks are good too. Don't be fooled thinking the little locks on a suitcase will really deter theft. Instead, they will more productively give you a chance to be involved with any child-initiated random suitcase opening. The locks will deter your son's attempt to open the case on a street-side bus stop to "get something" and will give you a chance to avoid opening the case upside down in your room. You have to hold on to the key yourself of course.

DESTINATIONS: SYDNEY : THE ROCKS - Despite giving me a huge headache because I kept humming the stupid Neil Diamond song "Love on the Rocks" the whole time, the area of Sydney called "The Rocks" is a pleasant diversion from the rest of the city. The Rocks used to be a real place, one of the earliest locations settled in what is now Sydney, and is loaded with history. It has been transformed into a trendy tourist area that might not be to all tastes, but despite the darn song in my head and my intent to hate the place simply because it is obvious everyone is Supposed to Have a Good Time There or Else, the Rocks is worth a visit for you and your kids.

DESTINATIONS: TOKYO : WHAT TO DO: NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM - We had a great afternoon here with the kids, now ages 7 and 10. We spent about four hours at this museum, including a quick lunch in the cafeteria, so that makes this a pretty good rainy/cold afternoon place. You get dinosaur skeletons (T-Rex, et al), lots of hands-on science experiments and a location about 10-15 minutes walk from the subway and/or the Ueno Zoo.

DESTINATIONS: SEAWORLD: MORE INFORMATION - We found two things within the park that sneakily required additional charges, the you-pedal-'em swan boats and the multi-mega story observation tower. The charges are a couple of bucks if you want to, but for us we saw these additional costs late in the day and it provoked one of those parent things where I didn't want to lay out any more money while the kids were confused why they couldn't go on the pedal boats. Now forewarned, you can hopefully handle this better than I did.

DESTINATIONS: BANGKOK : GETTING AROUND IN BANGKOK - You can walk in many places but often sidewalks are crowded and shell-pocked, with tired dogs and hyped vendors leaving only a thread-thin path down the pavement. Add in the heat, humidity and pollution, and you can conclude Bangkok is not a good walking city.

DESTINATIONS: HONG KONG : FOOD (AND FOOD AND FOOD) - Hong Kong Food is everywhere in Hong Kong, and that's a good thing because it is all so good that you will attempt to eat your own weight in dim sum each day. That's hard to do, but well worth the effort. After that, try your first Peking Duck in all its courses, followed perhaps by some seafood, maybe with a McDonalds chaser for the kids.

DESTINATIONS: LONDON : GUIDEBOOKS AND A MAP - You'll need a good guidebook and a good map to enjoy it all (we'll also list a few favorite things of our own just below).

DESTINATIONS SEOUL - Seoul is a safe, fairly compact city, and is easy to navigate via subway or taxi. With a map and some general directions, you can get around without speaking too much Korean, and can have a good time with the kids without spending too much money.

BEFORE YOU GO: PASSPORTS AND VISAS : LOST PASSPORTS - Make photocopies of your passports, including the page with your photo on it. Take a set of copies with you (I hang on to my wife's copy and she holds mine, a nice bonding thing to do and good advice based on the premise that if I lose my stuff it will be good for her to have the copy). Leave a set of passport copies at home with someone you trust and who won't mind you ringing up at 2 am their time so you can ask them to FAX the copies to Papua New Guinea.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY : WHERE WE STAYED: THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY - Here are a few things that worked/didn't work for us:

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL : MARKET SAFETY - A word about safety in the marketplaces. The markets are very crowded, with narrow aisles and lots of twisty off shoots. It is very easy to get separated in the crowd and very hard to find someone who is lost. You will not be able to take a stroller everywhere, or, at peak times, anywhere inside the outdoor markets. For infants, a carry thing is recommended. For older kids, keeping a hand on their shoulders is a good idea.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SEATS ON THE PLANE - The seats you choose for yourself and your children have about as much to do with how easy the trip is as just about anything else you'll do concerning the flight. Good seats form the base upon which you can apply these tips toward a better trip. Bad seats get you off to a shaky start, and represent another obstacle to surmount on your way toward a nice vacation with the family.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : WASHING CLOTHES - Try and find out if you can wash clothes easily where you'll be. For example, are there coin laundries in Japan (actually yes, but usually in residential areas you'll be unlikely to visit as tourists)? If you can wash clothes fairly easily where you'll be, you'll make a good trade, exchanging a hour or two in the laundry for two weeks of carrying around less stuff.

BEFORE YOU GO: MONEY : CREDIT CARDS - Ok, now for credit cards. Like everything there is good and bad news.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY : PRICE - While rip-offs can happen, in most cases you'll pay for everything you get and hopefully get all you pay for. Just make sure you know what you are buying. A particular hotel can be expensive not because it offers an interesting, luxurious night's rest, but simply because it is right downtown.

DESTINATIONS: BANGKOK : BANGKOK: SOME GOOD NEWS - Despite all the sleaze and scum, Bangkok impressed us as a relatively safe city. Even passing through less-good parts of town and riding taxis alone at night, no one ever hassled us; in fact, everyone went out of the way to be kind and helpful. The Thai people love children, and you will see folks out with their kids everywhere.

DESTINATIONS KUALA-LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur (KL) is an excellent city to visit with kids, though not quite up to the theme park-like levels you'll enjoy in nearby Singapore. Unlike such garden spots such as Jakarta, sleazy Manila or even sleazier Bangkok, KL is clean, safe, modern but with nice older touches and, with just a little advice from us, a good spot for an enjoyable visit.

BEFORE YOU GO : EATING - We parents need to award a prize of some sorts to the people who invented the hand sterilizing goop/gel in a bottle. It seems to be mostly rubbing alcohol in some kind of gel, but is always there, requires no towel to dry and is kind of fun to use. Even when your kids are good at washing their hands, it can't hurt and besides, you may find that your dirty hands are still cleaner than the sink in some quaint place.

BEFORE YOU GO: EATING : EATING WHILE TRAVELING WITH KIDS - We parents need to award a prize of some sorts to the people who invented the hand sterilizing goop/gel in a bottle. It seems to be mostly rubbing alcohol in some kind of gel, but is always there, requires no towel to dry and is kind of fun to use. Even when your kids are good at washing their hands, it can't hurt and besides, you may find that your dirty hands are still cleaner than the sink in some quaint place.

DESTINATIONS: HAWAII : HAWAIIAN WATERS ADVENTURE PARK - Hawaiian Waters is a decent time for everyone, but a great time especially for kids around 10 years old or so. Parents with older kids might want to consider other fun, and those with young kids infant-sized can still have a good time but might want to think about the admission prices before, um, taking the plunge.

GOING HOME - We hope you had a nice trip. Wait, you're still at home? Oh, yeah, right it's the Internet and we're all still here. Well, since we are all still here, a couple of things to think about when your trip is ending.

DESTINATIONS: NEW YORK CITY : NEW YORK: THE GOOD NEWS - The New York of today is not your father's New York. We spent 10 days walking and crawling all over the city, day and night, on buses and the subway, and never experienced any crime, harassment or other big city unpleasantness. In fact, quite the opposite. Despite everything you've heard, every single person we ran into ranged from pretty nice to really helpful. We didn't believe it either, but that's what happened.

DESTINATIONS: BALI : WHERE TO STAY--KUTA - Kuta is a low-rent version of Las Vegas, only closer to the ocean and without the gambling. The hotels are generally noisier, closer together and (and this is the good thing) less expensive than other places on Bali.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : WINDOW OR AISLE WITH KIDS - The window-aisle civil war continues.

DESTINATIONS: GRAND CANYON : YAVAPAI VISITORS' CENTER - The Yavapai Visitors' Center is good, especially for older kids. There are some indoor and (mostly) outdoor exhibits that trace the history and geology of the Grand Canyon, as well as provide info on the area's wildlife. The displays all do require reading skills (yours or the kid's) to enjoy and learn from.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : WHAT TO PACK - I'll assume you already have a good handle on the regular things to pack. If not, give your mother a call and let her remind you to pack clean underwear. Better yet, give my mom a call and she'll remind you and it will keep her off my back for making fun of her on the Internet for the whole world to see.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SEAT CONFIGURATION WITH KIDS - If you have two kids and two parents, go for two and two. It does not matter so much if that means two in front of two or two next to two across the aisle. One parent sits with one child for take off, landing and meals. If one child behaves better and/or is more self-sufficient, the parents can swap mid flight to give each other a break.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SPECIAL SEATS, PART I: BULKHEAD SEATS - There are two special kinds of seats to know about. They can go by different names but may be the answer to some of your travel travails.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS BUSINESS CLASS AND UPGRADES - In case you wondered what life in front of the curtain was like, let me tell you the bad news first. You are still on the plane for the same 18 hours and the toilets are still too small. Same magazines, too. It costs about as much as a couple of nights in the hotel you'll stay at whenever you finally get there.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : EMPTY MIDDLE SEAT? - Some travel books advise you to reserve in a row of three seats one window and one aisle, leaving the "middle" seat open in hopes that no one will want the less-desirable single middle seat, giving you and your child extra room for free. This is a high-risk, high-return kind of strategy. The problem is that planes run so full these days that it's increasingly unlikely that that "empty" seat will stay empty.

BEFORE YOU GO: MONEY : CHANGING MONEY AT HOME - Sometime, you'll want to change some money before you leave. I don't love doing this since you frequently won't get very good rates. Some large banks in the U.S. can do this for you if you're a customer. Sometimes they have to order the foreign currency, so check in a few weeks before you travel to give them time to help you.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SPECIAL SEATS, PART II: EXIT ROW SEATS - The other special seat on every flight is the exit row seat, the row next to each door. The airlines will not allow children in these rows, as the passengers seated there are expected to help open the airplane doors in the event of an emergency. The seats are awesome however because you have more legroom than any other seat on the whole plane except maybe the pilot's.

ON THE PLANE: FLYING ALONE : TIPS FOR CHILDREN TRAVELING ALONE - The good news is that the pilot knows where to take the plane and, if you have scheduled a direct flight, your kid can't get off at the wrong bus stop. That all said, after you have learned your airline's policy and procedures, here are some additional tips.

ON THE PLANE : GOOD SEATS - Even if you're not flying internationally, a good seat on the plane can make a big difference. If you're flying 14 hours from Chicago to Sydney, it's critical. We have some suggesitons.

ON THE PLANE: IN THE AIR : SOME THINGS NOT TO EXPECT - Sorry to start with the negatives. Some long flights have disposable diapers, powdered milk, special kids' toys, packets of tissues and other goodies available. Most do not have these things available. Bring along what you know you'll need and consider it good fortune if the plane does have some items to supplement what you brought aboard yourself.

DESTINATIONS: NEW YORK CITY : WHAT TO DO: LITTLE ITALY AND CHINA TOWN - I subtitle this section "cheap stuff and good eats" but wanted to clarify that the good eats are not necessarily all that cheap. Also, the term "China Town" is a bit misleading because so many of the residents there are actually from Vietnam, Korea and other parts of Asia.

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL PLACES TO SEE WITH THE KIDS: INSADONG - Insadong, a street of antique dealers and small art galleries, is a few minutes walk away from Kyongbokgung Palace. On Sundays traffic is more or less blocked off and it is an interesting place to wander around in. It is not, however, a good place to bring young children.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY FINDING SPECIFIC PLACES - Finding a specific place to stay is guide book stuff, and we can recommend some good general guide books for families, or recommend by destination: Ireland, London, Paris or Rome.

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL PLACES TO SEE WITH THE KIDS: LOTTE WORLD - Lotte World is a (mostly) indoor amusement park, built inside of what might otherwise be a huge indoor stadium. Indoors means that you can entertain the kids year 'round. The rides are fairly tame, good for younger children, with a moderate roller coaster and an outdoor drop-from-a-high-place ride that will keep kids up through the early teens entertained.

TEACHING GOOD MANNERS - Teaching Good Manners

TEACHING GOOD MANNERS - Teaching Good Manners

JACKSONVILLE FAMILY VACATION GUIDES - Jacksonville prides itself with it's family friendly environment. Spend a day at the Jacksonville Zoo and it's many wild animals. Spy some seagulls at Jacksonville, Neptune, Atlantic or Ponte Vedra Beach. Spend the day shopping and dining at the Landing, a riverfront Mecca for people of all ages. The Sumner Museum will peak your senses with its fine collection of painting and sculpture. For you golfers, don't forget the TPC course at Sawgrass. With so many things to choose from, its a good idea to plan your vacation before hand.

NEW YORK CITY FAMILY VACATION GUIDES - New York is unlike any other city in the world! It is a great place for a family vacation. The museums, theaters, restaurants and the holiday season are kid-friendly attractions. It is a good idea to plan your trip ahead to get the most out of it.

A DO-GOOD VACATION - A Do-Good Vacation

A DO-GOOD VACATION - A Do-Good Vacation

A DO-GOOD VACATION - A Do-Good Vacation

FAMILY VACATION GUIDE: JACKSONVILLE - Jacksonville prides itself with it's family friendly environment. Spend a day at the Jacksonville Zoo and it's many wild animals. Spy some seagulls at Jacksonville, Neptune, Atlantic or Ponte Vedra Beach. Spend the day shopping and dining at the Landing, a riverfront Mecca for people of all ages. The Sumner Museum will peak your senses with its fine collection of painting and sculpture. For you golfers, don't forget the TPC course at Sawgrass. With so many things to choose from, its a good idea to plan your vacation before hand.

FAMILY VACATION GUIDE: NEW YORK CITY - New York is unlike any other city in the world! It is a great place for a family vacation. The museums, theaters, restaurants and the holiday season are kid-friendly attractions. It is a good idea to plan your trip ahead to get the most out of it.

SHORT HOLIDAY, LOTS OF KARMA - THERE aren't many places where you can rack up so much good karma in so little ...

TOURISM INDUSTRY PINS HOPES ON HERITAGE AND CULTURE - Joan and Allan Stanford considered lying on the beach or relaxing in the mountains, ...

HAUNTED BY DRAMA - IT is good to arrive in New London on a Sunday night in a chilly April because ...

PRINCELY FAMILY IN ROME DEIGNS TO DISPLAY ITS ART - Back in the good old days, a few centuries back, the Doria Pamphili family -- one ...

THEATERS OF HIGH TECH; BOSTON: WALK-THROUGH COMPUTER - THE mark of a good museum, according to Oliver Strimpel, executive director of the ...

PUTTING UP WITH THE JONESES - IT seems like a good idea at the time. You reason that since the constant ...

AROUND TOWN WITH A FRENCH TEEN-AGER - When my good friends in France sent me their 17-year-old daughter Veronique for a ...

A FARM FOR LEARNING - For those generations growing up and growing older out of earshot of a rooster's good ...

OUT FOR A CLASSIC GOOD TIME IN THE WOODS AND ON (OR IN) THE WATER - IF only you had a nickel for every time the kids whined from their permanent summer ...

PRACTICAL TRAVELER: PAYING FOR KIDS TO FLY ALONE - RICHARD JANIS thought he had found a good deal in April when he bought tickets from ...

RITUALS: ONE FAMILY'S COLD MOUNTAIN - THE early signs were not good. On the car radio as two of my daughters and I were ...

TRY IT, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU - FOR parents like mine, who were born in Europe and live in the United States, it's ...

CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; WHERE EVEN A NOT-GOOD BOOK CAN BE NOT BAD - The term beach book may sound like an innocent designation, but we all know what it ...

WHAT'S DOING IN: ST. THOMAS - St. Thomas is feeling good these days, perked up by millions invested in hotel and ...

ST. CROIX HOPES GAMBLING WILL BRING BACK TOURISTS - When Lisa Newkirk-Svarczkopf heard that casinos would soon open on St. Croix, the ...

SALMON WAR IN NORTHWEST SPURS WISH FOR GOOD FENCES - It started with a maritime blockade angry Canadian fishermen holding an Alaska ferry ...

GOOD YEAR IS FORECAST AT RESORTS - With five weeks to go before the start of the summer season, workers at Jones Beach ...

HAVENS: BEYOND FAST CARS AND SPRING BREAK, A NEW DAYTONA RISES - A HUNDRED yards from Sunglow Pier, a 44-year-old beacon of family fun, good-ole-boy ...

ON PATROL IN PLAYLAND - SCENE from a summer of law enforcement: Saturday night in Provincetown, good-time ...

FLORIDA HOPES SPRING BRINGS A REBOUND - Free tattoos in Panama City Beach, discount Disney tickets in Orlando and breakfast in ...

BED AND BREAKFAST, SOUTHERN STYLE - LEAD: WITHIN the past decade a good deal has been written about the virtues of ...

TASMANIAN PLACE NAMES 3 - So, you'd like even more Tasmanian place names? I hope you're game! We'll start today with colour names which include Auburn, Black Creek, Black Hills, Black River, Blackmans Bay, Blackstone Heights, Blackwall, Blackwood Creek, Blue Rocks, Red Hills, Redpa, Blumont, Cornelian Bay, Golden Fleece Rivulet, Albion Heights, Golden Valley, White Beach,

PLACENAMES OF TASMANIA -1 - If you've been following my Tassie ABC you may have noticed that Tasmania shares some place names with other countries. It also has some that are unique. In this article and the ones that follow, I'll be looking at some of these, more or less at random. I hope you join

2002 - THE YEAR OF MOUNTAINS - The United Nations has declared the year 2002 to be "The Year of Mountains". Last year, "The Year of the Bear" was celebrated very successfully here in western Canada and it is hoped that this year, the public will have the opportunity to learn more about the spectacular mountain ranges in our Province. Also, their importance ecologically and economically, to this country.

TORONTO THE GOOD - The city has been called "the carrying place," Muddy York and most recently the Megacity, but one of the most enduring names for Canada's largest current metropolis was 'Toronto the Good.'

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING IN MONTREAL-PART ONE - Now that Winter is upon us in Montreal many of you readers may be asking the question where can I find some good cross country trails in and around the city?

WHAT'S NEW? THE SCHRANNENHALLE IS OPENING! - Germans love a good party -- we all know that. Germans also like to shop. Last but not least, Germans most certainly enjoy music and relaxation. So what would Germans call a venue that combines all of these attributes, and more? A dream come true? Perhaps. In Munich, they call it

PV SUMMERS ARE FOR KIDS - Children love Puerto Vallarta because it's summer all year round. They can throw on their cut-offs, a t-shirt, some sandals and they're good to go - go do any of the really cool activities this fun town has to offer them. From tots to teens there's tons to do.

HOT? GET WET - Hot and Bothered? Good. Now you can chill out at a water park.or in a park.New Trails to FollowFrom ODNR comes this great news: On June 4, the Ohio Water Trails team designated the Kokosing River Water Trail as the first Ohio Water Trail in the state. What's a "Water Trail?"

SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES IN WASHINGTON STATE - Well, you've done it. You've lived life's ups and downs and made it to "senior" status. You've experienced a number of decades, some good, some bad, and retired from your adult life-long profession. Perhaps you've been a stay-at-home wife or a househusband. Or you've retired from a prestigious law firm or

BLACK LOVE PART 1: WHERE IS THE LOVE? - Now that the overly consumer-based Valentine's Day is over, I felt that it is a good time to discuss Black love. Why Black love? Is it different from any other type of love? Well, if left up to the media (even the well-intentioned media) there really is no such thing as

REFLECTION ABOUT CHANGES - Contemplating big and little events of the past few months, the old adage that nothing remains the same forever seems appropriate. Whether good, bad, trivial, or of utmost importance, change is an essential part of life everywhere. Like other ethnocentric groups with strong cultural roots, Cajuns have traditionally shown remarkable adaptability

BIRD-WATCHING IS GETTING MORE FUN IN FLORIDA - There's good news for bird watchers and nature lovers. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has established a 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail.

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE ATTRACTION GETS A NEW LOOK - Good news, Universal Orlando fans!

INDY CAR RACING IN ST. PETERSBURG - Well, it's going to be a roaring good time April 3rd in St. Petersburg, Florida as Indy car racing comes to town!

PADDLING NORTH CAROLINA'S NEW RIVER: PART I - If you are looking for fun, adventure, good exercise, relaxation, and beautiful scenery all rolled into a single experience, you might want to try a canoe trip on the North Carolina section of the New River. Most famous for its exhilarating white water further north in West Virginia, the North Carolina

SENIOR OPPORTUNITIES IN WASHINGTON STATE - Well, you've done it. You've lived life's ups and downs and made it to "senior" status. You've experienced a number of decades, some good, some bad, and retired from your adult life-long profession. Perhaps you've been a stay-at-home wife or a househusband. Or you've retired from a prestigious law firm or

BLACK LOVE PART 1: WHERE IS THE LOVE? - Now that the overly consumer-based Valentine's Day is over, I felt that it is a good time to discuss Black love. Why Black love? Is it different from any other type of love? Well, if left up to the media (even the well-intentioned media) there really is no such thing as

REFLECTION ABOUT CHANGES - Contemplating big and little events of the past few months, the old adage that nothing remains the same forever seems appropriate. Whether good, bad, trivial, or of utmost importance, change is an essential part of life everywhere. Like other ethnocentric groups with strong cultural roots, Cajuns have traditionally shown remarkable adaptability

BIRD-WATCHING IS GETTING MORE FUN IN FLORIDA - There's good news for bird watchers and nature lovers. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has established a 2,000-mile Great Florida Birding Trail.

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE ATTRACTION GETS A NEW LOOK - Good news, Universal Orlando fans!

INDY CAR RACING IN ST. PETERSBURG - Well, it's going to be a roaring good time April 3rd in St. Petersburg, Florida as Indy car racing comes to town!

PADDLING NORTH CAROLINA'S NEW RIVER: PART I - If you are looking for fun, adventure, good exercise, relaxation, and beautiful scenery all rolled into a single experience, you might want to try a canoe trip on the North Carolina section of the New River. Most famous for its exhilarating white water further north in West Virginia, the North Carolina

A TEXAS SALT LAKE - I know you've heard the term, 'worth your salt'. It actually comes from a time when salt was a spice of high value. The word salary comes from the Latin term 'salarium' which is what ancient Roman soldiers' pay was called and salt made up a good portion of their pay,

ONLINE RADIO: THE Q-CELTIC LANGUAGES - If you are using a self-teaching course book to learn your Celtic language, such as one from the Teach Yourself or Hugo series, you may have bought the version that includes cassette tapes to complement the text. These are good, and there are several websites that offer sound files geared specifically

THE PICTISH LANGUAGE: CELTIC OR OTHERWISE? - If you have already heard of the Picts, there's a good chance what you have in your mind is a romanticized image of a big, bulky painted warrior that you have in mind. I'm here to say that it's not really your fault, but it's also not true! This is the

RAGDALE HALL - HEALTH HYDRO - Located in beautiful Melton Mowbray lies a place guaranteed to nurture your body and spirit like never before. This isn't too good to be true, this is Ragdale Hall - Health Hydro.

FAMOUS NOVELISTS TAKE ON THE TUBE - That great and wise literary gentleman, Robert Louis Stevenson, once wrote that it was better to travel hopefully than to arrive. His brother George spitefully then invented railways in general and the London Underground in particular to prove he was wrong on both counts.

THE EURO IS HERE - With a new year just two days away, many of us are breathing a sigh of relief. Terrorism, war, recession, job layoffs-for many, it's been a rough year coming to an uncertain ending. Hopefully, 2002 will be more peaceful and prosperous.

ITALIAN SUPERSTITIONS - Every culture has its myths and beliefs. In Italy, these superstitions were often specialized by region. Still, concepts like luck-good or bad-and fear of dead spirits were universal to the Italian peasant community. How these concepts were handled makes up a fascinating part of Italian folklore.

FESTIVALS IN SPAIN - There is a festival to celebrate just about anything you can think of in Spain. If you are planning a trip in the near future it would be a good idea to plan your trip around a Spanish festival or two. It is something you are sure to enjoy and remember

FOOD, GASTRONOMY, GOOD EATS - While bread, wine and cheese are the foods most associated with France, there is a plethora of yummy, mouthwatering treats that tempt the senses ready to savor. If you feel like dining in --instead of eating out -- this is how you find the good stuff.

DESTINATIONS: ECUADOR - Ecuador I don't have many nice things to say about this city, Guayaquil, Ecuador. It's a dirty, hot, crowded city with great airline deals when compared to Quito (which is beautiful, friendly and just plain nice). This will also give a good starting point for minor culture shock. They do have a nice waterfront area called Malecon 2000 and La Rotonda, (not beach or swimming) with a monument to the person who founded the city and a big park that is nice during the day. It's a bit nerve racking with very mobile little ones, because of the water, but still a nice day trip.

DESTINATIONS: SINGAPORE - With few exceptions, unless you are a really good swimmer or coming from Malaysia, you'll arrive in Singapore via

DESTINATIONS: KAMAKURA : FOOD - Our suggestion was to pick up some picnic food at the convenience store near the station. If you missed that, or perfer to sample local food, you are still in luck. There are no fast food restaurants in Hase near the Buddha, but the food there really isn't bad, and for a good price. There are many small restaurants. Our family ate a restaurant just across the street from the temple that served noodles (soba) that most kids would like. The restaurant was clean and friendly. Be prepared to order in Japanese, or to use gestures, as little English is spoken.

DESTINATIONS: KUALA LUMPUR - Time was short in Kuala Lumpur and we did not have a chance to visit three potentially kid-good places: the zoo, the bird park and the butterfly park. The first is a bit out of town, while the other two are co-located near the new central train station, so we have no real excuse but lameness. Shame on us.

GOING HOME: COMING HOME - We hope you had a nice trip. Wait, you're still at home? Oh, yeah, right it's the Internet and we're all still here. Well, since we are all still here, a couple of things to think about when your trip is ending.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : LOCKS - Locks are good too. Don't be fooled thinking the little locks on a suitcase will really deter theft. Instead, they will more productively give you a chance to be involved with any child-initiated random suitcase opening. The locks will deter your son's attempt to open the case on a street-side bus stop to "get something" and will give you a chance to avoid opening the case upside down in your room. You have to hold on to the key yourself of course.

DESTINATIONS: SYDNEY : THE ROCKS - Despite giving me a huge headache because I kept humming the stupid Neil Diamond song "Love on the Rocks" the whole time, the area of Sydney called "The Rocks" is a pleasant diversion from the rest of the city. The Rocks used to be a real place, one of the earliest locations settled in what is now Sydney, and is loaded with history. It has been transformed into a trendy tourist area that might not be to all tastes, but despite the darn song in my head and my intent to hate the place simply because it is obvious everyone is Supposed to Have a Good Time There or Else, the Rocks is worth a visit for you and your kids.

DESTINATIONS: TOKYO : WHAT TO DO: NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM - We had a great afternoon here with the kids, now ages 7 and 10. We spent about four hours at this museum, including a quick lunch in the cafeteria, so that makes this a pretty good rainy/cold afternoon place. You get dinosaur skeletons (T-Rex, et al), lots of hands-on science experiments and a location about 10-15 minutes walk from the subway and/or the Ueno Zoo.

DESTINATIONS: SEAWORLD: MORE INFORMATION - We found two things within the park that sneakily required additional charges, the you-pedal-'em swan boats and the multi-mega story observation tower. The charges are a couple of bucks if you want to, but for us we saw these additional costs late in the day and it provoked one of those parent things where I didn't want to lay out any more money while the kids were confused why they couldn't go on the pedal boats. Now forewarned, you can hopefully handle this better than I did.

DESTINATIONS: BANGKOK : GETTING AROUND IN BANGKOK - You can walk in many places but often sidewalks are crowded and shell-pocked, with tired dogs and hyped vendors leaving only a thread-thin path down the pavement. Add in the heat, humidity and pollution, and you can conclude Bangkok is not a good walking city.

DESTINATIONS: HONG KONG : FOOD (AND FOOD AND FOOD) - Hong Kong Food is everywhere in Hong Kong, and that's a good thing because it is all so good that you will attempt to eat your own weight in dim sum each day. That's hard to do, but well worth the effort. After that, try your first Peking Duck in all its courses, followed perhaps by some seafood, maybe with a McDonalds chaser for the kids.

DESTINATIONS: LONDON : GUIDEBOOKS AND A MAP - You'll need a good guidebook and a good map to enjoy it all (we'll also list a few favorite things of our own just below).

DESTINATIONS SEOUL - Seoul is a safe, fairly compact city, and is easy to navigate via subway or taxi. With a map and some general directions, you can get around without speaking too much Korean, and can have a good time with the kids without spending too much money.

BEFORE YOU GO: PASSPORTS AND VISAS : LOST PASSPORTS - Make photocopies of your passports, including the page with your photo on it. Take a set of copies with you (I hang on to my wife's copy and she holds mine, a nice bonding thing to do and good advice based on the premise that if I lose my stuff it will be good for her to have the copy). Leave a set of passport copies at home with someone you trust and who won't mind you ringing up at 2 am their time so you can ask them to FAX the copies to Papua New Guinea.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY : WHERE WE STAYED: THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY - Here are a few things that worked/didn't work for us:

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL : MARKET SAFETY - A word about safety in the marketplaces. The markets are very crowded, with narrow aisles and lots of twisty off shoots. It is very easy to get separated in the crowd and very hard to find someone who is lost. You will not be able to take a stroller everywhere, or, at peak times, anywhere inside the outdoor markets. For infants, a carry thing is recommended. For older kids, keeping a hand on their shoulders is a good idea.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SEATS ON THE PLANE - The seats you choose for yourself and your children have about as much to do with how easy the trip is as just about anything else you'll do concerning the flight. Good seats form the base upon which you can apply these tips toward a better trip. Bad seats get you off to a shaky start, and represent another obstacle to surmount on your way toward a nice vacation with the family.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : WASHING CLOTHES - Try and find out if you can wash clothes easily where you'll be. For example, are there coin laundries in Japan (actually yes, but usually in residential areas you'll be unlikely to visit as tourists)? If you can wash clothes fairly easily where you'll be, you'll make a good trade, exchanging a hour or two in the laundry for two weeks of carrying around less stuff.

BEFORE YOU GO: MONEY : CREDIT CARDS - Ok, now for credit cards. Like everything there is good and bad news.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY : PRICE - While rip-offs can happen, in most cases you'll pay for everything you get and hopefully get all you pay for. Just make sure you know what you are buying. A particular hotel can be expensive not because it offers an interesting, luxurious night's rest, but simply because it is right downtown.

DESTINATIONS: BANGKOK : BANGKOK: SOME GOOD NEWS - Despite all the sleaze and scum, Bangkok impressed us as a relatively safe city. Even passing through less-good parts of town and riding taxis alone at night, no one ever hassled us; in fact, everyone went out of the way to be kind and helpful. The Thai people love children, and you will see folks out with their kids everywhere.

DESTINATIONS KUALA-LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur (KL) is an excellent city to visit with kids, though not quite up to the theme park-like levels you'll enjoy in nearby Singapore. Unlike such garden spots such as Jakarta, sleazy Manila or even sleazier Bangkok, KL is clean, safe, modern but with nice older touches and, with just a little advice from us, a good spot for an enjoyable visit.

BEFORE YOU GO : EATING - We parents need to award a prize of some sorts to the people who invented the hand sterilizing goop/gel in a bottle. It seems to be mostly rubbing alcohol in some kind of gel, but is always there, requires no towel to dry and is kind of fun to use. Even when your kids are good at washing their hands, it can't hurt and besides, you may find that your dirty hands are still cleaner than the sink in some quaint place.

BEFORE YOU GO: EATING : EATING WHILE TRAVELING WITH KIDS - We parents need to award a prize of some sorts to the people who invented the hand sterilizing goop/gel in a bottle. It seems to be mostly rubbing alcohol in some kind of gel, but is always there, requires no towel to dry and is kind of fun to use. Even when your kids are good at washing their hands, it can't hurt and besides, you may find that your dirty hands are still cleaner than the sink in some quaint place.

DESTINATIONS: HAWAII : HAWAIIAN WATERS ADVENTURE PARK - Hawaiian Waters is a decent time for everyone, but a great time especially for kids around 10 years old or so. Parents with older kids might want to consider other fun, and those with young kids infant-sized can still have a good time but might want to think about the admission prices before, um, taking the plunge.

GOING HOME - We hope you had a nice trip. Wait, you're still at home? Oh, yeah, right it's the Internet and we're all still here. Well, since we are all still here, a couple of things to think about when your trip is ending.

DESTINATIONS: NEW YORK CITY : NEW YORK: THE GOOD NEWS - The New York of today is not your father's New York. We spent 10 days walking and crawling all over the city, day and night, on buses and the subway, and never experienced any crime, harassment or other big city unpleasantness. In fact, quite the opposite. Despite everything you've heard, every single person we ran into ranged from pretty nice to really helpful. We didn't believe it either, but that's what happened.

DESTINATIONS: BALI : WHERE TO STAY--KUTA - Kuta is a low-rent version of Las Vegas, only closer to the ocean and without the gambling. The hotels are generally noisier, closer together and (and this is the good thing) less expensive than other places on Bali.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : WINDOW OR AISLE WITH KIDS - The window-aisle civil war continues.

DESTINATIONS: GRAND CANYON : YAVAPAI VISITORS' CENTER - The Yavapai Visitors' Center is good, especially for older kids. There are some indoor and (mostly) outdoor exhibits that trace the history and geology of the Grand Canyon, as well as provide info on the area's wildlife. The displays all do require reading skills (yours or the kid's) to enjoy and learn from.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : WHAT TO PACK - I'll assume you already have a good handle on the regular things to pack. If not, give your mother a call and let her remind you to pack clean underwear. Better yet, give my mom a call and she'll remind you and it will keep her off my back for making fun of her on the Internet for the whole world to see.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SEAT CONFIGURATION WITH KIDS - If you have two kids and two parents, go for two and two. It does not matter so much if that means two in front of two or two next to two across the aisle. One parent sits with one child for take off, landing and meals. If one child behaves better and/or is more self-sufficient, the parents can swap mid flight to give each other a break.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SPECIAL SEATS, PART I: BULKHEAD SEATS - There are two special kinds of seats to know about. They can go by different names but may be the answer to some of your travel travails.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS BUSINESS CLASS AND UPGRADES - In case you wondered what life in front of the curtain was like, let me tell you the bad news first. You are still on the plane for the same 18 hours and the toilets are still too small. Same magazines, too. It costs about as much as a couple of nights in the hotel you'll stay at whenever you finally get there.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : EMPTY MIDDLE SEAT? - Some travel books advise you to reserve in a row of three seats one window and one aisle, leaving the "middle" seat open in hopes that no one will want the less-desirable single middle seat, giving you and your child extra room for free. This is a high-risk, high-return kind of strategy. The problem is that planes run so full these days that it's increasingly unlikely that that "empty" seat will stay empty.

BEFORE YOU GO: MONEY : CHANGING MONEY AT HOME - Sometime, you'll want to change some money before you leave. I don't love doing this since you frequently won't get very good rates. Some large banks in the U.S. can do this for you if you're a customer. Sometimes they have to order the foreign currency, so check in a few weeks before you travel to give them time to help you.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SPECIAL SEATS, PART II: EXIT ROW SEATS - The other special seat on every flight is the exit row seat, the row next to each door. The airlines will not allow children in these rows, as the passengers seated there are expected to help open the airplane doors in the event of an emergency. The seats are awesome however because you have more legroom than any other seat on the whole plane except maybe the pilot's.

ON THE PLANE: FLYING ALONE : TIPS FOR CHILDREN TRAVELING ALONE - The good news is that the pilot knows where to take the plane and, if you have scheduled a direct flight, your kid can't get off at the wrong bus stop. That all said, after you have learned your airline's policy and procedures, here are some additional tips.

ON THE PLANE : GOOD SEATS - Even if you're not flying internationally, a good seat on the plane can make a big difference. If you're flying 14 hours from Chicago to Sydney, it's critical. We have some suggesitons.

ON THE PLANE: IN THE AIR : SOME THINGS NOT TO EXPECT - Sorry to start with the negatives. Some long flights have disposable diapers, powdered milk, special kids' toys, packets of tissues and other goodies available. Most do not have these things available. Bring along what you know you'll need and consider it good fortune if the plane does have some items to supplement what you brought aboard yourself.

DESTINATIONS: NEW YORK CITY : WHAT TO DO: LITTLE ITALY AND CHINA TOWN - I subtitle this section "cheap stuff and good eats" but wanted to clarify that the good eats are not necessarily all that cheap. Also, the term "China Town" is a bit misleading because so many of the residents there are actually from Vietnam, Korea and other parts of Asia.

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL PLACES TO SEE WITH THE KIDS: INSADONG - Insadong, a street of antique dealers and small art galleries, is a few minutes walk away from Kyongbokgung Palace. On Sundays traffic is more or less blocked off and it is an interesting place to wander around in. It is not, however, a good place to bring young children.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY FINDING SPECIFIC PLACES - Finding a specific place to stay is guide book stuff, and we can recommend some good general guide books for families, or recommend by destination: Ireland, London, Paris or Rome.

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL PLACES TO SEE WITH THE KIDS: LOTTE WORLD - Lotte World is a (mostly) indoor amusement park, built inside of what might otherwise be a huge indoor stadium. Indoors means that you can entertain the kids year 'round. The rides are fairly tame, good for younger children, with a moderate roller coaster and an outdoor drop-from-a-high-place ride that will keep kids up through the early teens entertained.

DESTINATIONS: ECUADOR GUAYAQUIL - Ecuador I don't have many nice things to say about this city, Guayaquil, Ecuador. It's a dirty, hot, crowded city with great airline deals when compared to Quito (which is beautiful, friendly and just plain nice). This will also give a good starting point for minor culture shock. They do have a nice waterfront area called Malecon 2000 and La Rotonda, (not beach or swimming) with a monument to the person who founded the city and a big park that is nice during the day. It's a bit nerve racking with very mobile little ones, because of the water, but still a nice day trip.

DESTINATIONS: INTRODUCTION TO SINGAPORE - With few exceptions, unless you are a really good swimmer or coming from Malaysia, you'll arrive in Singapore via

DESTINATIONS: KAMAKURA : FOOD - Our suggestion was to pick up some picnic food at the convenience store near the station. If you missed that, or perfer to sample local food, you are still in luck. There are no fast food restaurants in Hase near the Buddha, but the food there really isn't bad, and for a good price. There are many small restaurants. Our family ate a restaurant just across the street from the temple that served noodles (soba) that most kids would like. The restaurant was clean and friendly. Be prepared to order in Japanese, or to use gestures, as little English is spoken.

DESTINATIONS: KUALA LUMPUR - Time was short in Kuala Lumpur and we did not have a chance to visit three potentially kid-good places: the zoo, the bird park and the butterfly park. The first is a bit out of town, while the other two are co-located near the new central train station, so we have no real excuse but lameness. Shame on us.

GOING HOME: COMING HOME - We hope you had a nice trip. Wait, you're still at home? Oh, yeah, right it's the Internet and we're all still here. Well, since we are all still here, a couple of things to think about when your trip is ending.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : LOCKS - Locks are good too. Don't be fooled thinking the little locks on a suitcase will really deter theft. Instead, they will more productively give you a chance to be involved with any child-initiated random suitcase opening. The locks will deter your son's attempt to open the case on a street-side bus stop to "get something" and will give you a chance to avoid opening the case upside down in your room. You have to hold on to the key yourself of course.

DESTINATIONS: SYDNEY : THE ROCKS - Despite giving me a huge headache because I kept humming the stupid Neil Diamond song "Love on the Rocks" the whole time, the area of Sydney called "The Rocks" is a pleasant diversion from the rest of the city. The Rocks used to be a real place, one of the earliest locations settled in what is now Sydney, and is loaded with history. It has been transformed into a trendy tourist area that might not be to all tastes, but despite the darn song in my head and my intent to hate the place simply because it is obvious everyone is Supposed to Have a Good Time There or Else, the Rocks is worth a visit for you and your kids.

DESTINATIONS: TOKYO : WHAT TO DO: NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM - We had a great afternoon here with the kids, now ages 7 and 10. We spent about four hours at this museum, including a quick lunch in the cafeteria, so that makes this a pretty good rainy/cold afternoon place. You get dinosaur skeletons (T-Rex, et al), lots of hands-on science experiments and a location about 10-15 minutes walk from the subway and/or the Ueno Zoo.

DESTINATIONS: SEAWORLD: MORE INFORMATION - We found two things within the park that sneakily required additional charges, the you-pedal-'em swan boats and the multi-mega story observation tower. The charges are a couple of bucks if you want to, but for us we saw these additional costs late in the day and it provoked one of those parent things where I didn't want to lay out any more money while the kids were confused why they couldn't go on the pedal boats. Now forewarned, you can hopefully handle this better than I did.

DESTINATIONS: BANGKOK : GETTING AROUND IN BANGKOK - You can walk in many places but often sidewalks are crowded and shell-pocked, with tired dogs and hyped vendors leaving only a thread-thin path down the pavement. Add in the heat, humidity and pollution, and you can conclude Bangkok is not a good walking city.

DESTINATIONS: HONG KONG : FOOD (AND FOOD AND FOOD) - Hong Kong Food is everywhere in Hong Kong, and that's a good thing because it is all so good that you will attempt to eat your own weight in dim sum each day. That's hard to do, but well worth the effort. After that, try your first Peking Duck in all its courses, followed perhaps by some seafood, maybe with a McDonalds chaser for the kids.

DESTINATIONS: LONDON : GUIDEBOOKS AND A MAP - You'll need a good guidebook and a good map to enjoy it all (we'll also list a few favorite things of our own just below).

DESTINATIONS SEOUL - Seoul is a safe, fairly compact city, and is easy to navigate via subway or taxi. With a map and some general directions, you can get around without speaking too much Korean, and can have a good time with the kids without spending too much money.

BEFORE YOU GO: PASSPORTS AND VISAS : LOST PASSPORTS - Make photocopies of your passports, including the page with your photo on it. Take a set of copies with you (I hang on to my wife's copy and she holds mine, a nice bonding thing to do and good advice based on the premise that if I lose my stuff it will be good for her to have the copy). Leave a set of passport copies at home with someone you trust and who won't mind you ringing up at 2 am their time so you can ask them to FAX the copies to Papua New Guinea.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY : WHERE WE STAYED: THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY - Here are a few things that worked/didn't work for us:

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL : MARKET SAFETY - A word about safety in the marketplaces. The markets are very crowded, with narrow aisles and lots of twisty off shoots. It is very easy to get separated in the crowd and very hard to find someone who is lost. You will not be able to take a stroller everywhere, or, at peak times, anywhere inside the outdoor markets. For infants, a carry thing is recommended. For older kids, keeping a hand on their shoulders is a good idea.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SEATS ON THE PLANE - The seats you choose for yourself and your children have about as much to do with how easy the trip is as just about anything else you'll do concerning the flight. Good seats form the base upon which you can apply these tips toward a better trip. Bad seats get you off to a shaky start, and represent another obstacle to surmount on your way toward a nice vacation with the family.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : WASHING CLOTHES - Try and find out if you can wash clothes easily where you'll be. For example, are there coin laundries in Japan (actually yes, but usually in residential areas you'll be unlikely to visit as tourists)? If you can wash clothes fairly easily where you'll be, you'll make a good trade, exchanging a hour or two in the laundry for two weeks of carrying around less stuff.

BEFORE YOU GO: MONEY : CREDIT CARDS - Ok, now for credit cards. Like everything there is good and bad news.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY : PRICE - While rip-offs can happen, in most cases you'll pay for everything you get and hopefully get all you pay for. Just make sure you know what you are buying. A particular hotel can be expensive not because it offers an interesting, luxurious night's rest, but simply because it is right downtown.

DESTINATIONS: BANGKOK : BANGKOK: SOME GOOD NEWS - Despite all the sleaze and scum, Bangkok impressed us as a relatively safe city. Even passing through less-good parts of town and riding taxis alone at night, no one ever hassled us; in fact, everyone went out of the way to be kind and helpful. The Thai people love children, and you will see folks out with their kids everywhere.

DESTINATIONS KUALA-LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur (KL) is an excellent city to visit with kids, though not quite up to the theme park-like levels you'll enjoy in nearby Singapore. Unlike such garden spots such as Jakarta, sleazy Manila or even sleazier Bangkok, KL is clean, safe, modern but with nice older touches and, with just a little advice from us, a good spot for an enjoyable visit.

BEFORE YOU GO : EATING - We parents need to award a prize of some sorts to the people who invented the hand sterilizing goop/gel in a bottle. It seems to be mostly rubbing alcohol in some kind of gel, but is always there, requires no towel to dry and is kind of fun to use. Even when your kids are good at washing their hands, it can't hurt and besides, you may find that your dirty hands are still cleaner than the sink in some quaint place.

BEFORE YOU GO: EATING : EATING WHILE TRAVELING WITH KIDS - We parents need to award a prize of some sorts to the people who invented the hand sterilizing goop/gel in a bottle. It seems to be mostly rubbing alcohol in some kind of gel, but is always there, requires no towel to dry and is kind of fun to use. Even when your kids are good at washing their hands, it can't hurt and besides, you may find that your dirty hands are still cleaner than the sink in some quaint place.

DESTINATIONS: HAWAII : HAWAIIAN WATERS ADVENTURE PARK - Hawaiian Waters is a decent time for everyone, but a great time especially for kids around 10 years old or so. Parents with older kids might want to consider other fun, and those with young kids infant-sized can still have a good time but might want to think about the admission prices before, um, taking the plunge.

GOING HOME - We hope you had a nice trip. Wait, you're still at home? Oh, yeah, right it's the Internet and we're all still here. Well, since we are all still here, a couple of things to think about when your trip is ending.

DESTINATIONS: NEW YORK CITY : NEW YORK: THE GOOD NEWS - The New York of today is not your father's New York. We spent 10 days walking and crawling all over the city, day and night, on buses and the subway, and never experienced any crime, harassment or other big city unpleasantness. In fact, quite the opposite. Despite everything you've heard, every single person we ran into ranged from pretty nice to really helpful. We didn't believe it either, but that's what happened.

DESTINATIONS: BALI : WHERE TO STAY--KUTA - Kuta is a low-rent version of Las Vegas, only closer to the ocean and without the gambling. The hotels are generally noisier, closer together and (and this is the good thing) less expensive than other places on Bali.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : WINDOW OR AISLE WITH KIDS - The window-aisle civil war continues.

DESTINATIONS: GRAND CANYON : YAVAPAI VISITORS' CENTER - The Yavapai Visitors' Center is good, especially for older kids. There are some indoor and (mostly) outdoor exhibits that trace the history and geology of the Grand Canyon, as well as provide info on the area's wildlife. The displays all do require reading skills (yours or the kid's) to enjoy and learn from.

BEFORE YOU GO: PACKING : WHAT TO PACK - I'll assume you already have a good handle on the regular things to pack. If not, give your mother a call and let her remind you to pack clean underwear. Better yet, give my mom a call and she'll remind you and it will keep her off my back for making fun of her on the Internet for the whole world to see.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SEAT CONFIGURATION WITH KIDS - If you have two kids and two parents, go for two and two. It does not matter so much if that means two in front of two or two next to two across the aisle. One parent sits with one child for take off, landing and meals. If one child behaves better and/or is more self-sufficient, the parents can swap mid flight to give each other a break.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SPECIAL SEATS, PART I: BULKHEAD SEATS - There are two special kinds of seats to know about. They can go by different names but may be the answer to some of your travel travails.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS BUSINESS CLASS AND UPGRADES - In case you wondered what life in front of the curtain was like, let me tell you the bad news first. You are still on the plane for the same 18 hours and the toilets are still too small. Same magazines, too. It costs about as much as a couple of nights in the hotel you'll stay at whenever you finally get there.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : EMPTY MIDDLE SEAT? - Some travel books advise you to reserve in a row of three seats one window and one aisle, leaving the "middle" seat open in hopes that no one will want the less-desirable single middle seat, giving you and your child extra room for free. This is a high-risk, high-return kind of strategy. The problem is that planes run so full these days that it's increasingly unlikely that that "empty" seat will stay empty.

BEFORE YOU GO: MONEY : CHANGING MONEY AT HOME - Sometime, you'll want to change some money before you leave. I don't love doing this since you frequently won't get very good rates. Some large banks in the U.S. can do this for you if you're a customer. Sometimes they have to order the foreign currency, so check in a few weeks before you travel to give them time to help you.

ON THE PLANE: GOOD SEATS : SPECIAL SEATS, PART II: EXIT ROW SEATS - The other special seat on every flight is the exit row seat, the row next to each door. The airlines will not allow children in these rows, as the passengers seated there are expected to help open the airplane doors in the event of an emergency. The seats are awesome however because you have more legroom than any other seat on the whole plane except maybe the pilot's.

ON THE PLANE: FLYING ALONE : TIPS FOR CHILDREN TRAVELING ALONE - The good news is that the pilot knows where to take the plane and, if you have scheduled a direct flight, your kid can't get off at the wrong bus stop. That all said, after you have learned your airline's policy and procedures, here are some additional tips.

ON THE PLANE : GOOD SEATS - Even if you're not flying internationally, a good seat on the plane can make a big difference. If you're flying 14 hours from Chicago to Sydney, it's critical. We have some suggesitons.

ON THE PLANE: IN THE AIR : SOME THINGS NOT TO EXPECT - Sorry to start with the negatives. Some long flights have disposable diapers, powdered milk, special kids' toys, packets of tissues and other goodies available. Most do not have these things available. Bring along what you know you'll need and consider it good fortune if the plane does have some items to supplement what you brought aboard yourself.

DESTINATIONS: NEW YORK CITY : WHAT TO DO: LITTLE ITALY AND CHINA TOWN - I subtitle this section "cheap stuff and good eats" but wanted to clarify that the good eats are not necessarily all that cheap. Also, the term "China Town" is a bit misleading because so many of the residents there are actually from Vietnam, Korea and other parts of Asia.

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL PLACES TO SEE WITH THE KIDS: INSADONG - Insadong, a street of antique dealers and small art galleries, is a few minutes walk away from Kyongbokgung Palace. On Sundays traffic is more or less blocked off and it is an interesting place to wander around in. It is not, however, a good place to bring young children.

BEFORE YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY FINDING SPECIFIC PLACES - Finding a specific place to stay is guide book stuff, and we can recommend some good general guide books for families, or recommend by destination: Ireland, London, Paris or Rome.

DESTINATIONS: SEOUL PLACES TO SEE WITH THE KIDS: LOTTE WORLD - Lotte World is a (mostly) indoor amusement park, built inside of what might otherwise be a huge indoor stadium. Indoors means that you can entertain the kids year 'round. The rides are fairly tame, good for younger children, with a moderate roller coaster and an outdoor drop-from-a-high-place ride that will keep kids up through the early teens entertained.

HOW CAN I FIND HOTELS AND RESORTS WITH GOOD CHILDCARE? - How can I find hotels and resorts with good childcare?

BEYOND HARRY POTTER - Many will prefer the more life-threatening fare in Madeline L'Engle's Newbery Award-winning A Wrinkle in Time as Meg Murry and her family must help good triumph over evil. The battle persists through A Swiftly Tilting Planet and the other books in the powerful Time Quartet series (Dell Yearling).

HOW TO DESIGN A SAFE AND SATISFYING DIET FOR VEGGIE KIDS - "It's really important for parents to make clear that you don't mess with the family's decision to be vegetarian, that it's very important and needs to be respected," says Joanne Stepaniak, co-author of Raising Vegetarian Children: A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony and several other books on vegetarianism and veganism.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO MORNING SICKNESS WITH THESE 10 STOMACH-SETTLING TIPS - Say Good-bye to Morning Sickness with these 10 Stomach-settling Tips

A MONTH WITHOUT TV - As a producer for Good Morning America, my life is TV. But about a year ago, I realized that while I love the medium at work, I was competing with it at home. Returning from the office each evening around dinnertime, I would inevitably find my two boys -- Greg, 10, and Douglas, 8 -- sitting in the living room with their eyes glued to the television set. After seeing the results of a recent Stanford University study, which found that schoolchildren who decreased their television viewing exhibited markedly less aggressive behavior, I started wondering what life would be like without the boob tube.

A TRAIL-BLAZING BIRTHDAY - Sometimes the simplest birthday celebrations are the most fun, especially a slumber party with good friends. For an unforgettable backyard camp-out, all you need are a tent, a few games, and a menu of hearty outdoor fare. "Camping appeals to kids of all ages," says Child food editor Laurie Goldrich-Wolf, who planned a similar party for her 7-year-old daughter, Olivia. "Guests get a feeling of adventure without leaving home, and the food is easy to prepare and serve."

A MEMORABLE THANKSGIVING - For families who cherish tradition, Thanksgiving is one of the most special days of the year. "It's the only holiday in which you aren't expected to give gifts or buy something -- you can just enjoy eating good food and being together," says Cynthia Good, a freelance writer, TV producer, and host of the "Good for Parents" syndicated news segments on family life. Good and her husband, Joey Reiman, are blessed with a spectacular setting for their family celebrations: a three-story wood and stone cottage nestled against the side of a mountain in northern Georgia, an hour's drive from their home in Atlanta.

A SHOWER OF GOOD WISHES - There's no sweeter celebration of friendship than a baby shower. Whether the guest of honor is expecting her first, second, or even third child, a shower is a wonderful way for friends to express their joy before the baby is born. Recently, the women of Big Production, a New York City-based publicity firm, gathered for a luncheon in honor of their company's expectant co-founder, Cindy Krupp.

RAISING A GOOD READER - These days, you can't escape the daily news reports filled with concerns about literacy, President Bush's reading initiative, and the push for standardized testing. It's enough to make any parent want to rush out and buy all the software, flash cards, and workbooks she can to ensure her children don't fall behind in the race to read. Before you go broke buying learning aids, however, consider this advice from Lucy Calkins, Ph.D., founding director of the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College in New York City: "Life itself can teach kids all they need to know about reading." Calkins and other experts want to offer reassurance that there are many simple, fun things parents can do daily to raise language-loving children who'll be ready to read when the time comes.

RAISING A HOPEFUL CHILD - When Atlanta's High Museum of Art presented a Picasso exhibit four years ago, Timothy Elliott, Ph.D., and his wife, Nancy, got in the car with their girls and drove more than three hours from their home outside Birmingham, AL, to see the great artist's works. Nancy, an art teacher, provided the running explanation of the paintings. But the conversation with their daughters, Natalie, then 13, and Victoria, then 8, revolved around more than technique and style.

A DANGEROUS MISCONCEPTION - It's usually considered a good thing when parents make positive assumptions about their children -- but not when it comes to guns. When researchers at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, OH, surveyed more than 600 parents with kids between ages 5 and 15, they found that 87% -- regardless of gun ownership, geography, gender, income, education level, and the children's ages -- believed that their kids wouldn't touch a gun if they found one.

CHOOSING A FAMILY CAR - The highest priority in purchasing a family car is safety -- choosing a car that has well-engineered airbags and seat belts and good crash-safety ratings. Agile handling, strong braking, and fine all-weather traction allow a car to maneuver quickly and elude accidents. But there's a lot more you can look for in a vehicle to help your family stay safe on the road.

A QUESTION OF CONTROL - Q: I know it's good to give children a sense of control over their world and the chance to make decisions for themselves, but I'm not always sure where to draw the line on this. My daughter is 5 and she throws a fit if things aren't done her way -- even though her way often is not the right way. I don't want to spoil her, but I also am sensitive to this issue of letting her having control. How can I find a balance?

MAKE A MASTERPIECE - A cheerful clothesline art gallery displays portraits of your child and his friends. The artists? The kids themselves, who put their creative skills to good use as they make paintings, place their handprints on a T-shirt, decorate pizzas, and turn a birthday cake into a canvas at a delightful art party.

A FEW OF HER FAVORITE THINGS - Veteran star of screen and stage, Julie Andrews forever changed the world of family cinema with her unforgettable performances in classics like The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. But her Broadway roots inspired her latest book, The Great American Mousical, which she co-wrote with daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. This is a sweet and funny tale that introduces children ages 6 to 8 to the world of musical theater. Here, Andrews shares her motivation for bringing the stage to the page. Q: How was it working with your daughter on another children's book? A: It was particularly wonderful to work on this book because it's sort of right in our own backyard, so to speak. [Her daughter Emma is a founder and co-artistic director of The Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, NY.] It's about theater and hopefully will intrigue young children into being interested in the theater. We tried to inform as much as we entertain in terms of the story, and it's been a joy to write together.

A CAUSE AND A CURE - Polio had Jonas Salk, who developed the vaccine that brought the disease to its knees. AIDS is still waiting for its Salk, but at least it had the 1990s, which saw huge leaps in medical care to prolong and improve lives. When will autism's turn come? Hundreds of scientists are at work trying to find a cause or a cure -- the hope is, both. Here, an overview:

WHEN CHILDREN FEEL TOO MUCH -- OR TOO LITTLE - Sensory integration dysfunction is on the rise, but new research offers hope for kids who suffer from it.

READY, SET, PLAY! - By 2, children are ready to put their new mastery of motor skills to good use. We outline some activities your little one will love.

THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT SAYING NO - Your baby is gradually becoming more mobile and independent. We tell you how to set limits in a loving way.

"BAD" AND "GOOD" BEHAVIOR - One-year-olds don't grasp the concept of "good" versus "bad" behavior. You'll have more luck conveying right and wrong by the tone of your voice -- and by setting achievable limits.

THE ART OF BALANCE - Teaching your child good balance at an early age will set her up for better body awareness, coordination, and -- yes -- concentration.

THE 10 BEST CITIES FOR FAMILIES - Geography is not quite destiny when it comes to raising kids, but there's no question that it does influence how easy or difficult it is to provide our children with a good education, excellent doctors, fresh air, and cultural enrichment. Child surveyed over 100 cities, looking at everything from pediatric health centers to housing costs, air quality to student-teacher ratios. Here, our results: the top spots for families to call home.

10 GOOD REASONS TO BREASTFEED YOUR TODDLER - 10 Good Reasons to Breastfeed Your Toddler

MANY WILL PREFER THE MORE LIFE-THREATENING FARE IN MADELINE L'ENGLE'S NEWBERY AWARD-WINNING A WRINKLE IN TIME AS MEG MURRY AND HER FAMILY MUST HELP GOOD TRIUMPH OVER EVIL. THE BATTLE PERSISTS THROUGH A SWIFTLY TILTING PLANET AND THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE POWERFUL TIME QUARTET SERIES (DELL YEARLING). - Beyond Harry Potter

"IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO MAKE CLEAR THAT YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE FAMILY'S DECISION TO BE VEGETARIAN, THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED," SAYS JOANNE STEPANIAK, CO-AUTHOR OF RAISING VEGETARIAN CHILDREN: A GUIDE TO GOOD HEALTH AND FAMILY HARMONY AND SEVERAL OTHER BOOKS ON VEGETARIANISM AND VEGANISM. - How to Design a Safe and Satisfying Diet for Veggie Kids

SAY GOOD-BYE TO MORNING SICKNESS WITH THESE 10 STOMACH-SETTLING TIPS - Say Good-bye to Morning Sickness with these 10 Stomach-settling Tips

HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD BACKPACK FOR ALL AGES - HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD BACKPACK FOR ALL AGES. Text and Illustrations by Nancy Gold Busy Mom and Backpack Guru at Tough Traveler

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