- Part 2

Five Favorite State and National Parks for Family Vacations with Teens and Tweens

Hawaii, Jersey Shore, Mt. Washington Valley, South Dakota, Yellowstone No Responses »

Jun 022011

Five Favorite State and National Parks for Family Vacations with Teens and Tweens

With school getting out and summer coming in, many families with teens and tweens will be thinking about hiking, camping and getting into the great outdoors. State and National Parks offer access to a wide array of natural wonders and family adventures. If you are looking for ideas consider some of our favorites from across the country including: Custer State Park in South Dakota Stay at one of the park’s lodges, drive the wildlife loop to see the buffalo herd, big horn sheep, antelope, begging burros and more. Don’t forget to visit Sylvan Lake. Take a mile long stroll around the lake or follow the trail for a thrilling day hike to 7,244 ft. Harney Peak. Its a great hike for teens and tweens. Side trips to Jewel Cave [...]

The Breakers Mansion at Christmas in Newport, RI

New England 2 Responses »

Dec 122010

The Breakers Mansion at Christmas in Newport, RI

Newport, Rhode Island is well known as a glamorous summer boating and beach destination that is home to an amazing collection of Gilded Age Mansions, many of which are now owned and opened to the public by the Preservation Society of Newport County. A hockey tournament recently took us to Newport, which provided us an opportunity to explore this town in the off season. Despite brisk early winter weather, the downtown, the Mansions and the famous 3.5-mile Cliff Walk trail along the coast were all busy. We were delighted to discover that several of the grandest mansions were not only open, but festively decorated for the holiday season. From November 20 to January 2, The Elms, Marble House and The Breakers can be visited daily. For the rest [...]

New England Foliage Weekend Ideas

Uncategorized 6 Responses »

Oct 012010

New England’s foliage season is already in full force in the northern reaches of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. The central portions of those states will most likely peak right around Columbus Day. In the later part of October the colors will roll across central Massachusetts and then on to Cape Cod, Rhode Island and Connecticut. If you are hoping for a family getaway to look at the leaves recognize that teens and tweens are probably going to need more activity than is provided simply by driving up and down New England’s scenic highways. Our suggestion is to target an area that can provide a mix of scenery, outdoor activity and some thrills for teens and tweens. Some of our favorite leaf peeping locations include New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley, [...]

Hawaii’s Big Island Volcanic Landscape: A Study in Contrasts

Best trip archives, Hawaii 1 Response »

Sep 202010

Hawaii's Big Island Volcanic Landscape: A Study in Contrasts

When we visited Hawaii’s Big Island we spent a lot of time outdoors (see our Top 10 must do list of Hawaii Big Island activities here). Hawaii is truly a land still being created and we were constantly amazed at the abilityof stunning plants to thrive in what appeared to be barren volcanic soil. We thought you’d enjoy a look back at the colors and contrasts of life in the volcano zone. The active volcanic areas such as the Halema`uma`u crater at the Kīlauea summit and the ocean entry, where new lava pours into the sea, feature large smoking plumes of sulfur-laden gas that create a pretty hostile area for any kind of flora or fauna. Amazingly however, plant life quickly establishes itself and works to transform the [...]

Waterfall Hikes in the Mount Washington Valley, NH

Best trip archives, Mt. Washington Valley, New England 1 Response »

Jul 112010

Waterfall Hikes in the Mount Washington Valley, NH

The Mount Washington Valley, NH is home to a large number of waterfalls. Many are accessible via short to moderate hikes via well marked trails. If you visit the region, be sure to take time to visit at least one of these wonders. We selected the moderately challenging hike to New Hampshire’s tallest waterfall, 200 foot Arethusa Falls in Crawford Notch State Park. Since we were there in June the falls were very active although we have been told that later in the summer they can slow to a trickle. The well used, heavily shaded trail runs 1.3 miles from the upper parking lot to the falls. It is a gradual uphill hike almost the whole way, except for a steep downhill section in the last quarter mile. Although we [...]

Mt. Washington Valley, NH Top 10 – Summer Edition

Best trip archives, Mt. Washington Valley, New England No Responses »

Jun 272010

Mt. Washington Valley, NH Top 10 - Summer Edition

We want to again thank the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce (1-800-DO-SEE-NH) for arranging a jam packed weekend of teen oriented activities for us to review from June 25-27, 2010. We have always thought of the Mount Washington Valley as a place to take small kids, but this trip convinced us there is plenty there to keep teens, tweens and their parents happy as well. Over the course of a three-day weekend we felt we just scratched the surface of what the Valley has to offer. You can read all about it by clicking the red links, each goes to a full article about a different piece of our adventure: The accommodations and breakfasts at the Merrill Farm Resort in North Conway. Located on the banks of the Saco River the Resort [...]