Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Aug 11

I’ve just got back from a great vacation in Malta in the Mediterranean – and it was hot, hot, hot.  There were certainly a lot of families around there, all enjoying the sunshine and that fact that this island is so small that there seems to be a beach almost everywhere you go!

I have made only a small collection of articles from this months choices as I haven’t been back long and the Internet out there wasn’t so good – hence this post being a day late!

So, lets start with just a lovely story from Kizie about Sharm El Sheikh as this was the other destination I was interested in – but the weather turned sour! I have been there before though – and would recommend it myself. Great post with lots of info.

Next, lets hop to someone else on vacation – with Jennifer Miner from Traveling Mamas talking about her great trip on the Nickelodeon Family Cruise Trips from Los Angeles. Some great snaps too.

Then we nip over to Renee Rouse who has a great idea for planning for those ‘last minute’ day trips. Rather than decide to go out and then spend an hour or 2 fussing over everything – just take a look at some of Renee’s ideas and put your own spin on it! Frugal Tip – Summer Fun Bags

And finally a short photo post about the best points of hiring or buying an RV with young kids by Jenafer with Living La Vida Loca in the RV.

See you next time with a bigger offering…..

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 10

Welcome to another fantastic fact-packed Traveling with Kids Blog Carnival!

We start with some great family stories from recent vacations – firstly with Amy @ The Q Family photo story about Thailand in A Day at The Ancient City.  Then we have a story so great that Vichuda thought that words were no enough and so filled their post Krabi Thailand - with just pictures…

There are also some great pictures with Amy @ The Q Family, who discuss the little known world of 10 Fun Aquariums for Family Sleepover – amazing!  I never thought you could do that…….

Tim Tinkel then whisks us away to the wilderness with his family travels in Virginia with his post Families Again. Along the same lines, Jessica Nagel describes her delight at the best baby jogger she has been using with Baby Jogger + Coronado = Euphoria.

James Bishop then offers us some brief advice about choosing the right tent for families if camping is something you are considering, with his article on Choosing The Right Tent.

And the final 2 are ‘on the road’ stories, with advice for getting somewhere without having to entertain the kids yourself the whole time. To start, Fiona Leonard discussed the art of Matching Children’s Books to Holiday Destinations, and gp goes on to discuss the bare essentials before you head off anywhere in A Road Warrior’s Guide to Taking it on the Road « Musings from Montana.

Hope you enjoy them all.

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posted by Travel Cat on Jun 10

Hello again, and welcome to the first summer Traveling With Kids Carnival in 2009 – and so far the weather has been great!

Me and my nephews have been charging around the countryside looking at the animals and the amazing butterflies that are filling the skies this year.

Its no wonder people are thinking about camping this year and traveling closer to home – it’s cheaper and can be just as fun as going miles away, and you know you are just a short drive from home should anything go wrong!

Savings Toolbox picks up on this with their post: Camping as the Perfect Money Saving Vacation as it hits home about not only the money you don’t spend on flights and eating out all the time – but the adventures you can have for virtually nothing! 

RV Journeys are on the mind of Bob Erwin in his Thoughts Before Going On a Family RV Travel Trip - which covers a few driving past-times but also some great little games to consider if traveling by road.

Joshua’s article has some tips on how to encourage kids to learn a new skill or improve an existing on during the long summer vacation – rather than just shipping them off to a club without researching what your kids actually want to do: Tips for Learning during Summertime

Billeater follows with some ingenious ways to keep your kids busy without breaking the bank – even if you don’t even go anywhere – take a peak at Summer Entertainment for Families on a Budget to find out what he has in store……

Nui Loa has a bit of fun after raiding her kids CD collection and finding quite a lot of things she likes!  What a great way to bond with your kids if you can actually listen to their tunes without thinking ‘what a racket!’  Try out some of her choices before stocking your kids collection with tunes you really like yourself at Our Five Favorite Kids’ CDs for Grownups

The last 2 articles are short vacation stories.  The first is about surviving a flight with kids and the other is a tiring but enjoyable family vacation to Orlando!

One Family tells the short tale of their personal experiences of using a certain airline that they enjoyed and which helped the kids relax and certainly passed the time better than just watching the TV screen in the backs of the chair! So enjoy their story in Southwest Airlines – An Experience

Then Amy @ The Q Family presents their vacation diary of Friends, Family, Food and Floating Tube with some great photos to add to the dramas!

Enjoy these – and I hope the weather stays good – and you send in more of your adventures…… 

posted by Travel Cat on May 10

Welcome to another edition of this great Traveling With Kids Carnival, with BlogCarnival.

We get straight into it with a quick comment on international travel, as I am hoping that the current global news regarding a certain health scare hasn’t put people off traveling, but maybe has pushed a few people to consider a more local vacation this May – perhaps a road trip or camping in a National Park for a change!

Let me know your thoughts on this and how it has affected you and your family – if at all!

Right, first up is just a fun one with tongue twisters to keep the kids (and adults) entertained for a while.  I had great fun last week getting my mum to even say the thing in the first place – let alone repeat it!  So get going with First installment: Indoor activity and let me know how YOU get on!

2 nice personal stories here: one from a mum living in France with her ‘kid’ as she calls him – so Christine presents Basel Back Pack Hostelwith some snaps! And the other about living in Central America and an un-cooperative Barney! So join Marina for Where Can I Get a Pony Ride?

Just a different angle on the whole holiday thing with this eco friendly option from Erika: Ecotourism in the Amazon Rain Forest not specifically to do with kids themselves – but certainly related to the world we are leaving them!

And finally, an amazing story of a family’s long-distance vacation by bike! Not only did it make me very jealous as I sit here at home, but also inspiring that people take on such challenges as opposed to everyday boring life! So, Marjorie Morgan presents GO! Girls Outdoors | Alaska to Argentina by bike, with family

Bye for now…..

posted by Travel Cat on Apr 10

This Latest Carnival of Traveling With Kids, has a real corker to begin with!

Many new mom’s and dad’s have this exact issue with their new babies and toddlers – but don’t recognise it.  So read up on Emma’s little article: Family vacation can be fun or a disappointment – the choice is yours. and see what a difference a change of priorities can have on your vacations and your life in general!

Next, we have a short introductory article encouraging you to read on – with several links to a very detailed and personal story of their fantastic DisneyLand trip.  It also includes some great photos: so Modern Parent presents Our 2009 Walt Disney World Vacation

A little advice next from Concerning Kids, who offer a short tip-filled article on  Tips For Parents Of Picky Eaters | Concerning Kids to help those vacation meal times a bit more easy to handle.  There’s nothing worse than spending a fortune on unfamiliar foods when abroad if they will just be wasted!  And it also offers parents tips on what they do infront of their kids that can make things worse!

To finish today, is a real cute story from Todd Fernandez about safety when outdoors.  Whether at home in the woods or away at a theme park – or just on the beach having fun – never forget your kids safety.  Read The Last Zebra for a great piece of advice!

Stay well, and keep traveling!

Travel Cat