New York City with Little Kids

Vacations are not what they used to be. I spent the July 4^th weekend in New York City, my first trip there with kids in tow, and it really hit home for me: I’m a parent.

New York City with Little Kids

Backlink: http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/15/new-york-city-with-little-kids/

Hey Kids, What Time Is It?

As Mark Twain, or Yogi Berra, famously said, reports of Twitter’s or Foursquare’s death are exaggerated. There’s way too much left from picking over RSS’s carcass. No, seriously, I really mean that. There’s way too much value lurking in Jack Dorsey’s original pivot from a bike messenger dispatch service to be mined, and who better than Dorsey to lead the charge as the iPad drives the push notification queue into the new media vortex. It’s two minutes past the Big Bang, and not enough time to grab the low hanging fruit. As Professor Irwin Corey, or Wavy Gravy, said Adam said to Eve: Stand back, I don’t know how big this is going to get.

Hey Kids, What Time Is It?

Backlink: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ZcLdnnbcbgs/

Lake Placid With Kids

Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. Now he's writing a column that focuses on traveling with kids.

When asked for travel advice, I usually recommend people try to visit a place during its "shoulder season" to take advantage of smaller crowds, cheaper rates, and in many cases, better weather.  Although it can be impractical with children of school age, Yellowstone National Park is a prime case in point, as is a place like Greece, which we traveled to in mid-May - the time before its majestic islands and famous attractions are usually overtaken by waves of summertime crowds and heat.

As the world becomes more accessible and the tourist dollar proves more important to local economies, an increasing number of destinations are trying to bring in visitors during what are typically their slower periods.  Various spots throughout the Caribbean, for example, offer not only bargain prices in the summer months, but festivals featuring local culture, top-name entertainers, and special events to attract incoming vacationers.  Aware of this growing trend, our family decided to spend a few days in Lake Placid, NY this summer - a destination certainly better known for its winter pursuits than anything else.   Like many resort towns that have traditionally thrived only when there's snow on the ground, the city that hosted the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games is now offering activities geared to families and outdoor enthusiasts year-round.




Post originale: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/11/lake-placid-needs-editing.html

Hawaii with Kids: On Oahu, the Adults Need a Playground Too

National Geographic Traveler columnist Christopher Elliott recently visited the Hawaii with his family. Read his first blog post here. 

Like almost every other destination on the planet, Hawaii claims to have something for everyone. But on Oahu, the most visited of the Hawaiian Islands, you have to look hard to find something for kids. 

Check into your hotel in Waikiki, as we did a few weeks ago, and you'll find plenty of fun for adults. Our property, the highrise Hilton Hawaiian Village, had a range of excellent restaurants, upscale shops, and amenities. 

But our three kids were overwhelmed by the enormous property -- overwhelmed, actually, by the entire Waikiki experience -- and although they managed to find a kids' pool and a beach where they could build sandcastles, they didn't connect with it the same way they had with the less touristy Big Island. 

Same problem at our next hotel, the Outrigger Waikiki On The Beach. Great property, with all the creature comforts you could want from a first-rate resort hotel. But apart from the stand selling shaved ice next to the pool, the kids were completely unengaged. They preferred to stay in their room and watch SpongeBob reruns.

Post originale: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/10/hawaii-with-kids-on-oahu-the-a.html

Hawaii with Kids: Little Adventures on the Big Island

National Geographic Traveler columnist Christopher Elliott recently visited the Hawaii with his family. This is his first report.

There's a surprise waiting around every corner on Hawaii's big island.

Like the time we ran out of road. We were dizzy with jetlag and like most tourists from the mainland, a little confused.

"Dad, I'm hungry," my middle son, Iden, complained from the back of the minivan. 

Was it dinnertime? But the sun, high on the horizon, said: "morning."

Where were we? The map didn't make sense. We were driving north on Highway 270 to...somewhere? But then the world came into sharp focus: A small parking lot, a cliff, and a black-sand beach below, bordering a seemingly endless North Pacific Ocean.

We'd discovered Pololū Valley Lookout.

Post originale: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/10/little-adventures-on-hawaiis-b.html