DID YOU KNOW? Lifetime passes to America’s national parks for senior citizens and Americans with disabilities are now available through the mail.
The Senior and Access passes provide admission to, and use of, federal recreation sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees. Pass users also receive a 50% discount on some amenity fees for activities like camping and launching a boat. They are available to citizens and permanent residents of the United States age 62 or more or who have permanent disabilities regardless of age.
The “Senior” and “Access” versions of the America the Beautiful Pass – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – are good for a lifetime. The Access pass is free and the Senior pass is just $10. There is a $10 processing fee to receive either pass by the mail.
To get your Senior pass through the mail just submit a completed application, proof of residency and age, and $20. The fee covers the cost of the pass and a document processing fee. You can print out an application at this web site: http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html. Once the application package is received and the documentation verified, the pass will be mailed to you.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Fire up the grill. Pull out the road maps. It’s just days to Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start of Get-Outdoors-Summer’s-Here! Season.
Wading birds called avocets take flight at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a short ride off Interstate 15 near Salt Lake City, Utah. (USFWS)This summer, include a visit to a national wildlife refuge in your plans. Thrill to a hidden world of natural wonders while your kids learn the joy of healthy outdoor activity. Take pride in America’s Great Outdoors and your natural heritage.
Here’s another good reason to visit a national wildlife refuge:
National wildlife refuges make great mid-route stops on long drives. The shortest of detours off many interstate highways lead to federally protected wildlife havens and relief for your jangled nerves.
Just two examples:
• Heading south to Florida on I-95? In South Carolina, take exit 102 to Santee National Wildlife Refuge, a few minutes away. Scenic Santee Refuge is a magnet for hawks, eagles, wading birds and songbirds. It’s the historic stomping grounds of Revolutionary War hero Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion. And it’s an anthropological wonder — the site of 1,000-year-old National Register-listed ceremonial Santee Indian mounds.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Just because your child has become a teenager – or is acting like one – doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice meaningful family vacations. To help you keep the peace and the fun flowing, listed below are a few wise tips for traveling with teens from family travel specialists, Thomson Family Adventures.
1) Choosing a destination that offers activities to challenge and excite – like a zip line, white water rafting, or kayaking – will keep your big kids active, engaged and satisfied. If they’ve done an activity before, try in a new environment for new excitement. Look for a variety of activities that give everyone a chance to try many things; don’t give them the chance to feel bored with the same old thing.
2) This is your family vacation, but diversions are very useful. Traveling in a small group of like minded and similar aged families gives you the chance to meet new people and make new friends. For many families, having company to share the fun with helps prevent the family bond from fraying under the stress of too much togetherness.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
With winter’s essential wardrobe staples of galoshes and snowsuits, it seems hard to believe that spring break and the summer holidays are just around the corner. And while local amusement parks and day camps might seem like the obvious boredom-busters for youngsters, a Wildland Adventures family vacation just might be the ticket to both entertainment and enlightenment.
Wildland Adventures Family VacationsHaving earned the titles of “Family Travel Pro” and “Family Adventure Gurus” by National Geographic Traveler and Adventure magazines, the Seattle-based Wildland Adventures has created all-ages family adventure vacations to just about every destination in the world. And with special discounted pricing for children and teens, parents won’t have to worry about breaking the bank during the upcoming holidays.
To ensure a successful holiday, follow these tips from Kurt Kutay, founding president and director of Wildland Adventures, for planning the perfect family adventure.
1. Walk among the people. Following local footpaths through villages and farmlands opens windows to family life far different from our own. During your vacation, walk through the new land and meet people of different cultures.
2. Capitalize on everyone’s interests. When planning your family adventure, gather around the kitchen table and make sure everyone’s interest and ideas are included in the itinerary.
3. A good family guide is key. The best guides for family trips are parents or teachers who are familiar with young minds so they can deliver age-appropriate, interpretative information. Guides should possess the spirit of a child for fun, discovery and exploration.
4. Build anticipation. Provide pre-departure trip materials that include colorful, age-appropriate information about the destination. Some suggestions are laminated wildlife guides of animals they can expect to see or posters of the rainforest and other habitats they’ll visit.
5. Anticipate a peak experience. Plan activities in a walking itinerary that kids find personally rewarding: come across a waterfall or ruins or climb to the top of a castle or ancient temple. The trick is to make the journey as much fun as the destination.
6. Show the parents a thing or two. Involve activities that allow all family members to participate together – learn about yourselves, discover inner strengths or skills and do things you never imagined. Try out activities that parents might not be as adept as kids to reverse normal roles at home: kids can show their parents a thing or two!
7. Kids leading kids. Plan to invite young people from the local area to join in on the trip. Walking is a normal and daily fact of life in many cultures, and North American kids will more likely keep up the pace with other kids than adults!
To learn more about these or other Wildland family adventure vacations, visit http://www.wildland.com or call 1-800-345-4453.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
a guest blog by Sandy Salle of Hills Africa Travel
One of the greatest concerns travelers have when it comes to international family travel is safety. We often hear from families who would love to travel to Africa but who also have some safety concerns: “Is a safari safe for our family?” “Are health conditions in Africa safe for my family?” “Is traveling to and through Africa safe for my family?”
The answer to all of those questions is yes, Africa is a safe and wonderful place to bring your family. But, as with all destinations outside of your own country, there are obvious safety precautions that should be addressed and looked into prior to departure.
Some of these universal travel concerns include health precautions, language barriers, differing cultures, and unfamiliar governments. With these concerns lingering, it’s important to be educated, and have the right tools to prevent any unexpected emergencies when traveling outside your native country. The enriching and rewarding family experiences far outweigh any of these concerning factors, as all safety precautions are addressed prior to departure.
But two of the most popular safety concerns we receive from clients are in regards to family safari tours and children on safari.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
The Inn at Westwynd Farm was the sweetest part of my recent trip to Hershey, PA. Photo by Jumping Rocks.
a guest blog by Marti Mayne
My recent trip to the Inn at Westwynd Farm was combined with a “kidcation” to Hershey Park, and while the roller coasters were the high point for my girls, the highlight for me was the chance to stay at this fabulous farm and inn. The Inn at Westwynd Farm had been on my “B&B Bucket List” for awhile, so when planning our end-of-school trip, there was some method to my madness in taking the kids to Hershey Park, just three miles from the inn.
Take a big dose of romance, combine it with a gorgeous horse farm, add a kid-friendly attitude, and you begin to understand the Inn at Westwynd Farm. Now imagine huge helpings of extra amenities like a guest fridge filled with wine, beer, soft drinks, juice, popcorn, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, plus four or five different offerings for afternoon refreshments, and you’ll begin to understand the haute hospitality and extra value here. Gorgeous rolling hills with horses grazing, manicured gardens and lilies popping open everywhere complete the picture. Click here for more.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".