Strollerderby : family vacations

10 Places To Bring the Kids

Amy Kuras — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:24:00 GMT

At some point or another, parents get the urge to load up the family truckster and go see America a la the Griswolds. I’d say most parents dream about getting to take their kids someplace spectacular at least once in their life. Our two dream family trips are driving out to Colorado to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, and heading to DC, when our kids are old enough to actually enjoy traveling but still young enough they’ll be seen in public with us.

Travel + Leisure’s September issue features “10 Places to See Before You’re 10”— a list of must-see family destinations. From the obvious – (Colonial Willamsburg, Disneyworld) – to the less so (Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum, LA’s Griffith Observatory), these are places the editors suggest are great places for families and things kids would really enjoy.

I visited a couple of these places before I was 10 – Niagara Falls and Disneyworld – and I have to say they are still stuck in my memory to this day. What are your dream trips with your kids? What do you think of the list? And have you braved a major family vacation yet?

Drive, Don’t Fly, To Your Next Family Vacation

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:21:00 GMT

According to Pablo, Salon’s resident sustainability expert, your next family vacation should be a road trip—that is, if it’s not a “staycation,” which Pablo advises is the most ecological way to soak up a little R&R. But if you’re a city dweller who’s dead set on going somewhere where your thighs are NOT permanently sweat-glued together, pack up the Toyota Corolla (or Prius or other un-supersized car) and camp your way to a breezier, more spacious destination.

In these airline-challenged times, even driving across the country is cheaper and more ecological than flying. To quote Pablo’s conclusion (and conveniently skip right over his intricate calculations), a family of three flying across country results in more than eight tons of greenhouse gas emissions, while driving the same distance results in less than two tons of emissions—certainly not inconsequential, but better than eight. And with Boston to San Francisco round trip airfares starting at around $450, your family of three would save about 500 bucks on fuel costs by taking a road trip, more than enough money to patronize the United States' amazing national park system.

Now we just all have to ask our bosses for three-week-long vacations. Let me know if anyone has any luck with the "But it's for the environment" excuse.

Image: Leapin' Lizards Designs

Family Vacation: Penis Museum

Madeline Holler — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:31:00 GMT

Isn't it time your kids knew more about penises? But how to go about their penis education ...

Make a family vacation of it! There's a man in Iceland who has built a small but popular museum dedicated to the display of the male organ from all species. (That's him in the picture stroking a stuffed elephant penis.)

There's one version of the male organ that is conspicuously absent from the collection: human.

But don't worry. Several fans of his collection have willed him theirs. Though one 90something guy might not go through with it. Seems aging has brought on a bit of shrinkage and his once proud member isn't what it used to be.

Still ... fun for the whole family!

Photo: Reuters

Babymoon at The W Hotel

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:01:00 GMT

Are you expecting a baby? Do you want one last chance to get away as a couple before there are three (or four, or five, or more) of you in the family. How about a "babymoon"?

I had never heard of a babymoon before, but I guess they are becoming very popular. A lot of first time parents want to have one last vacation before they give birth. The W Hotels are onto this concept and they have this great package available for babymoons. They call it Baby Me.

The Baby Me package includes a diaper bag, a foot massage and a "Womb Service" menu. There are also a lot of other goodies that come with the program.

I bet you can get pickles and ice cream from "Womb Service"? When I was pregnant I craved pineapple and Count Chocula cereal. I wonder if those are available?

Family Vacation Ideas: How 'Bout the Galapagos Islands?

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:03:00 GMT

In the 2-1/2 years since we went from couple to family, we've taken exactly zero vacations that did not center around visiting family. While family-centered trips have their own benefits (really), they're not exactly a respite in paradise. Because of that, we've committed to camping this summer in Wisconsin, chosen for its scenic dunes and guarantee of a car trip that will last no more than rounds of the (*cringe*) Little People CD.

Given those rather meek vacation plans, imagine the jaw-dropping and travel-lust that swelled up when I read about families taking luxury ecotours to the Galapagos Islands. The trip is guided by experienced, adventure-loving naturalists and is filled with posing for pictures with tortoises, observing birds and sea lions, hiking over lava fields and then returning "home" to a passenger boat. As the author describes, speaking clearly to geeky me, "it feels like we've stumbled into an episode of 'Nova."