Mary Turner

Mom of two teens who love to travel. We share our plans, adventures and insights on the Travel with Teens and Tweens blog

DoubleTree by Hilton’s DTour of a Lifetime Contest Takes Travel Social Media to a New Level

 Posted by on May 21, 2013  No Responses »
May 212013
 
DoubleTree by Hilton’s DTour of a Lifetime Contest Takes Travel Social Media to a New Level

DoubleTree by Hilton is one our favorite family friendly full-service hotel brands. From our recent getaway at the Boston North Shore property that features the CoCo Key water resort, to stays during family vacations and college tours in Washington DC, the Jersey Shore, and the New York City, DoubleTree by Hilton delivers a quality experience for the whole family—and don’t forget the cookies! Starting this month, DoubleTree by Hilton is introducing a new way to plan and share trip ideas with the launch of DTour, a YouTube channel for the hotel industry created in collaboration with Google. DTour is an online destination for travelers eager to ‘take a DTour’ – and share their experiences with like-minded adventure-seekers around the world. The website integrates all the major social media networks in [...]

UK Entertainment Ideas for Family Summer Holidays

 Posted by on May 20, 2013  No Responses »
May 202013
 
UK Entertainment Ideas for Family Summer Holidays

Whether you are natives of Europe or visiting the United Kingdom from other regions, summer is a great time for family holidays.  The summer holidays give parents the opportunity to spend much more time with their children, but the long time off requires a lot more planning and imagination than a quick weekend or even mid-school break.  Whether you are looking for a weekend in the city, time at the beach, or a world class theme park, our UK travel partners tell us that families visiting the UK will never run out of ideas for entertaining the kids on summer holiday.  Here are some of their top recommendations: See a Show in London’s West End London’s West End is world famous and is currently hosting a number of child-friendly shows [...]

A Spring Regatta Weekend in Saratoga Springs, NY

 Posted by on April 30, 2013  1 Response »
Apr 302013
 
A Spring Regatta Weekend in Saratoga Springs, NY

This recent Spring weekend found us in Saratoga Springs, NY cheering on the Princess as she participated in the Saratoga Invitational Crew races at Fish Creek on Lake Saratoga.  Our one night adventure included a quick tour of some of the city’s most famous landmarks, as well as an adults dinner and evening stroll around the thriving downtown.   Saratoga Springs is a college town, home to Skidmore College and SUNY Empire State College.  It is also a great base camp for exploring other nearby schools including Union College, RPI and Williams College. Whether you visit for a college tour, rowing, or as part of a family vacation, make time to check out the many historic landmarks.  This Victorian era town is dripping with history, as it has long been a destination for travelers [...]

Family Travel Ideas: A Short Stay in The Historic City Of Exeter

 Posted by on April 18, 2013  Comments Off
Apr 182013
 
Family Travel Ideas: A Short Stay in The Historic City Of Exeter

Our travel friends and partners around the world continue to send us great ideas for all types of family getaways.  One of the most recent recommendations we’ve received is the historic city of Exeter in South West England.  The city itself dates back over two thousand years and the surrounding area can be traced back as far as the Jurassic period. Exeter has had a tumultuous past: over thrown and invaded several times since its founding; it tells a fascinating tale for the inquisitive visitor. Exeter’s Rougemont Castle is an essential attraction. Although limited areas of the castle remain, it paints an intriguing picture of the city’s history. Originally started in the 11th century, after Exeter rebelled against William the Conqueror, it was built into the Roman city walls. It [...]

Stay Strong Boston!

 Posted by on April 16, 2013  Comments Off
Apr 162013
 
Stay Strong Boston!

It has been a surreal 24 hours in Boston in the aftermath of the attack on the 2013 Boston Marathon.  The first responders, volunteers and medical teams have been amazing even as the city struggles to understand what happened. Our prayers are with the families of the dead and many injured.   We are also praying for the first responders and spectators who had to deal with the immediate aftermath of the explosions.  We send particularly heartfelt thoughts to families who had children in the Copley Square area at the time of the explosions.  We hope the terrible memories from yesterday can soon be replaced with confidence in a better future. The investigation into the attack will keep the Copley Square area and parts of the Back Bay closed for several days and we expect that security at major sporting events, [...]

Outdoor Family Travel Adventures Are Always Tops with Teens

 Posted by on April 10, 2013  1 Response »
Apr 102013
 
Outdoor Family Travel Adventures Are Always Tops with Teens

Eco-friendly nature and adventure travel are usually a major hit with teens and tweens but it isn’t always easy to find an outfitter or tour company that really understands the needs of families traveling on outdoor vacations with teens and tweens.   Thankfully, more and more adventure travel companies are recognizing the unique interests of families with teens, tweens and college students.  Some of the travel opportunities that have recently caught our eye include: Cruising the Galapagos Ecoventura operates an environmentally friendly fleet of small 20-passenger yachts in the Galapagos Islands and features  family departures exclusively for families, most of which travel with children age 12-21. Located about 600 miles west of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands were created five million years ago by undersea volcanic eruptions. Pirates once used the islands as [...]

Whale Watching Season Kicks off in Massachusetts

 Posted by on April 2, 2013  2 Responses »
Apr 022013
 
Whale Watching Season Kicks off in Massachusetts

Since they were young, our kids have been fascinated by whales and other sea mammals.  To this day, our teen Princess can barely contain her excitement when she has an opportunity to visit an aquarium or aqua theme parks like Discovery Cove.   Living in New England, we are lucky that every spring and summer several types of whales, as well as dolphins and other sea creatures return to the waters off the Massachusetts Coast.   In fact, in just the last few weeks two rare 70-ton North American right whales have been spotted off of Cape Cod.   Humpbacks, minke whales and finbacks are also common visitors and are beginning to be sighted as well. From early April to late October, whale watching voyages are available on a range of boats from [...]

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