AOL Travel Ideas

24 Hours of Disney: On Location

Jake Thiewes — 2013-05-22T09:00:00+00:00

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Top Spas for a Mom-Worthy Recharge

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-05-09T07:00:00+00:00

Looking for something to do this Mother's Day? Take charge of your weekend to recharge by sinking into one of these sumptuous spa retreats.

Miraval, Arizona

Miraval, Arizona
Horses. Hammams. Happy hour. A seal of approval from Oprah Winfrey herself. If that meets your requirements for a relaxing long weekend, then Miraval is a must. The 400-acre luxury spa, a smattering of casitas in the sun-baked desert hills just outside of Tucson, offers an ideal, yin-yang balance of exercise and ease, of challenges and comfort. There are enough fitness activities to satisfy the most rabid gym rat, enough spa treatments to bliss out the super-stressed, and enough tequila, chips and guac at the nightly cocktail bar to go ahead and indulge, after all. Don't miss the outdoor Miraval relaxation massage, which combines the dry air of the Sonoran desert and the deep moisture of Clarins aromatherapy oils for reduced stress and improved circulation. The iced-cucumber water at the pool is pretty divine, too.

Read the rest of Top Spas For A Mom-Worthy Recharge on AOL's MapQuest Discover.

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Road Trip: Driving the American Horse Trail

Zach Everson — 2013-05-02T17:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Family, Arts & Culture, Weekend Getaways, Road Trips

Louisville is the ideal starting gate for a horse-themed road trip east, in part retracing the path America's iconic horse racing and breeding industry took as it largely migrated from Virginia to Kentucky. Begin under the twin spires of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, where the winner of the world's most prestigious horse race (held this Saturday) will earn his or her owners $1.24 million.

A short drive to the Bluegrass region takes you to the highly regimented Lexington-area breeding sheds. After a stop in Virginia to see steeplechases or maybe take an equestrian lesson, you'll end up on Assateague Island on Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore. There wild, er, feral horses frolic on the seashore and set their own agenda-which sometimes includes raiding travelers' campsites.

Giddy-up and happy tails.

Stop One: Louisville, Kentucky
Stop Two: Lexington, Kentucky
Stop Three: Northern Virginia
Stop Four: Assateague Island

Looking for more road trip ideas? Visit our Great American Road Trips home page.

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7 Upscale Restaurants That Treat Kids Like Foodies

Mara Gorman — 2013-03-26T10:23:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

It's a dilemma many food-loving parents face if they want to dine out with their children on the road: Should they head for the casual chain that may not offer the best food but where it will be easy and comfortable to bring their kids? Or should they put on their game faces and go to the restaurant with the hand-made cocktails and award-winning pastry chef but no crayons or sippy cups in sight?

Happily, they don't always have to choose. In addition to focusing on the use of local, (mostly) healthy ingredients, some higher-end restaurants are becoming inclusive when it comes to families. Whether that's because the chefs themselves have children or because welcoming kids is a savvy business move, this means families are no longer consigned to mediocre dining.

All of the following restaurants will warm the heart of any traveling foodie. They serve creative dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients. In fact, they'd all make great date-night destinations. But they also offer special touches in service, food and décor that make them worthy of the coveted family-friendly label.

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Around The Block: The World of Coca Cola, Atlanta

MapQuest Discover — 2013-03-22T10:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Family, Food + Drink

Invented in 1886 by an Atlanta pharmacist, Coca-Cola has influenced the global beverage industry ever since. The soda's long and storied history plays out every day at Atlanta, Georgia's World of Coca-Cola, located in a palatial, 92,000 square-foot space just north of downtown.

The two-level monolith shows off the vault where the top secret Coca-Cola formula is stored, hundreds of red and white Coca-Cola signs and marketing materials, and a pop culture gallery documenting the brand's impact on American culture.

Read the rest of the Around The Block: The World of Coca Cola, Atlanta at AOL's MapQuest Discover.

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Flying With Kids: How to Avoid a Cataclysm in Seat 9B

Zach Everson — 2013-03-20T10:41:00+00:00

Filed under: Family, Tips & Tricks

In the BC era (before children), selecting a flight likely involved two criteria: cost and travel time. Children, I assume you've heard, complicate things. Now there are other considerations. A flight at night could be worth a few extra bucks if it means your kids are more likely to sleep on it. Likewise with flying with kids during nap times. As with everyday life, parenting when traveling is usually easier if your kids are comatose.

And when might a three-hour layover be better than a 2.5-hour one? If the former is at an airport with a play area (like Minneapolis Saint Paul International or Chicago's O'Hare) while the latter offers no better entertainment options than eavesdropping on some guy in pleated khakis mumble through a rehearsal of his PowerPoint presentation at Chili's Too.

A few more tips for flying with young children:

PACK SMART. IT'S THE NEW PACK LIGHT.
Is leaving Sophie the Giraffe at home really worth saving 2.9 ounces? (If you spent $20 on this glorified chew toy, you know the answer.) If an item might make the difference between a smooth trip and a cataclysm in 9B, pack it.

Keep in mind your own sanity too: how much fun will your travels be if you're sleepless because you didn't pack your Angelcare Baby Movement and Sound Monitor? I mean, can you trust a Snuza alone?

And smash that paradigm of having to carry on all your luggage. When you're pushing a stroller, one large suitcase is easier to wheel to the check-in counter than two smaller ones. But stuff a duffle bag into it so once at the counter, you can spread out its contents to be under the weight limit for checked bags. A checked baggage fee (typically $25-$50) is likely just a small expenditure compared to the rest of your trip -- and well worth paying to have one fewer charge to supervise. You don't want to be chasing your toddler through concourse E while the FBI is detonating your unattended luggage (especially if it contains your Angelcare monitor).

TRUST YOURSELF, NOT THE AIRLINES
Looking to check a car seat, an American Airlines customer service phone rep said not to worry, there'd be free plastic bags to wrap it in at the airport. When my family got to the airport, the check-in supervisor said the airlines hasn't provided bags in years. We messed up, we trusted them. Next time, we'll splurge on our own garbage bags.

Jonesing for an open seat for your lap baby? Even if your flight seems full, ask if there's an open seat at check in, at the gate and once you're on the flight. Don't stop until you've buckled the car seat into an open spot or the flight attendant has made you gate check it.

KNOW THE TSA'S RULES
Last year, after finding a rogue juice box we'd forgotten to disclose in a carry-on, a Transportation Security Administration agent in Louisville started to pat down my 8-month-old daughter (she was clean, except for maybe her diaper), saying this examination was obligatory. On our return trip, an officer in Boston insisted that a twirl of his terrorist-detector wand in our 3-ounce bottles of expressed breast milk was similarly required.

TSA rules don't mandate either action. An infant search is mentioned as a possibility only if a baby activates a metal-detector alarm (ours didn't). And while "officers may ask travelers to open [liquids for small children] to conduct additional screening," note that it's "may" and not "must," and there's no mention of this bonus examination including plunging a foreign object into the liquid, rendering it undrinkable.

Being familiar with TSA's website, my wife halted our baby's frisking after the first pat and kept the agent's baton from sullying our liquid gold. In both instances, the TSA supervisors she requested to step in apologized and said the agents' actions were not necessary. So print TSA's rules for traveling with children and pack it in your carryon. And make sure your copy is recent, as TSA updates its rules.

And realize, if you're over 21, there's no rule against getting yourself an adult beverage in the airport or on the flight. You've earned it.

More tips to help you travel better:
How to Find Under the Radar Travel Spots
Group Trips: How to Plan a Smooth Getaway
How to Communicate Abroad When You Don't Speak the Local Language
How to Relieve Stress on the Road

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Phoenix with Kids: Five Ways to Explore the Desert

Mara Gorman — 2013-03-18T09:41:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

What would happen if a huge metropolis were plopped in the middle of one of the most diverse desert ecosystems in the world? Look no further than Phoenix, where mountains and rust-hued rock formations of the Sonoran Desert are visible and accessible for exploring throughout a vast urban sprawl.

Here are five kid-friendly ways to experience the desert during a stay in Phoenix. Just remember to bring plenty of water, slather on the sunscreen, wear sturdy shoes and avoid the midday heat during the summer. The desert is fascinating any time of year, although the spring wildflower season is the most colorful time to visit.

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: The Long Haul: Road Tripping Through the Arizona Desert

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The Long Haul: Taming Orlando's Theme Parks

MapQuest Discover — 2013-03-14T11:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Family, Disney

If Anaheim, California's Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, then Orlando, Florida must be the happiest place in the universe. With more than 100 attractions in total (including not one, but six Disney parks), Orlando provides plenty of opportunities for non-stop family fun.Planning the perfect trip to Orlando can be an overwhelming first time visitor, so follow this guide to sort out the best theme parks and the must-do rides to make the most of a memorable family vacation.

HOW TO: ORLANDO'S DISNEY WORLD

Since it opened in 1971, Walt Disney World has changed the entire landscape of amusement parks. Instead of taking a trip for a single destination, visitors can choose from Disney World's four theme parks and two water parks, along with a handful of owned and operated resort hotels.

Read the rest of the The Long Haul: Taming Orlando's Theme Parks at AOL's MapQuest Discover.

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Philadelphia for Kids: Five Historic Attractions That Won't Inspire Cries of Boredom

Mara Gorman — 2013-02-25T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

So you stood in line with your 6-year-old for an hour to learn that the Liberty Bell is in fact just a big bell. Then you discovered that the most exciting thing inside Independence Hall is a bunch of empty chairs where Benjamin Franklin and George Washington sat a very long time ago. It's true that few American cities boast as many historic attractions as Philadelphia. Yet if your kids aren't history buffs, all that history may go unnoticed amid their cries of boredom.

But don't give up in despair and assume you can't teach them something about Philadelphia's historic story. Happily, there are many fun options in Philadelphia for kids that will keep them so engaged they won't even know they're learning.

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[Top Photo: Credit G. Widman for GPTMC]

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Las Vegas for Kids: 10 Family Friendly Destinations

Matt Villano — 2013-02-19T09:41:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

Sure, Las Vegas is one of the only places on Earth where you can gamble and walk around with open containers of alcohol. But, believe it or not, the region in and around Sin City happens to be a great destination for families, too. Try these places in Las Vegas for kids.

Cowboy trail rides
The rugged land of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (pictured) makes for a great afternoon hike and an even better horseback ride. That's where this outfitter comes in. On half- and full-day guided rides, cowboys lead visitors up and into the Spring Mountains with the hopes of spotting jackrabbits, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, Joshua trees and more. Some hikes include lunches; one revolves around a barbecue cookout after a sunset ride through Red Rock Canyon.

DISCOVERY Children's Museum
This spring will bring new digs and a new name for the Lied Discovery Children's Museum. The new facility, which will operate under the name Discovery Children's Museum and move to the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center in Symphony Park downtown, will feature nine themed exhibition halls, as well as a multi-level exhibit with stations designed to inspire visitors-both children and adults-to learn through play.

Neon Museum
Consider this attraction the afterlife for old neon signs. The facility, which displays more than 150 signs that date back to the 1930s, opened to the public in late October on the site of the old La Concha Motel downtown. The collection includes the original signs from the Stardust, the Horseshoe and other properties; to get up-close, visitors must take a one-hour guided tour led by a volunteer. While these tours aren't for very young children-the desert sun can be scorching and metal on some of the signs is pretty sharp-the stroll is both educational and informative.

Las Vegas Springs Preserve
The "Springs Preserve," as local residents call it, is really three family-friendly museums in one. The newest addition, the Nevada State Museum, reopened in October 2011 after being closed for five years due to lack of funding and now spotlights an exhibit about Vegas fashion in the 1960s and 1970s. The other two venues are the Origen Museum, which presents a history of the Las Vegas Valley (including its Living Collections of animals such as Gila monsters, desert cottontails and Botta's pocket gophers), and the Desert Living Center, which teaches visitors about sustainability in a harsh environment. The facility also boasts 3.5 miles of hiking trails, all of which are flat enough to make them easy options for young hikers with little legs.

Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix
Go-Kart racing is serious business for the family of NASCAR driver Taylor Barton, whose father owns this rollicking facility in North Las Vegas. Four tracks offer different experiences for kids of all ages, including one course designed especially for kids between 38 and 54 inches tall and another where adults only compete against the clock. Elsewhere on-site, there are a series of carnival rides for toddlers, a café and a video arcade with air hockey, Skee ball and Pop-A-Shot.

Rides of fun
Most kids love amusement park rides, and Las Vegas has no shortage of opportunities for the little ones to get down and dirty. No. 1 on the list: The Adventuredome, which, with roller coasters and 3-D videos, undeniably puts the "circus" into Circus Circus. At the north end of the Strip, the Stratosphere, the tallest structure in Vegas, offers spectacular views of the desert and four rides that dangle participants over the edge. The Big Shot, arguably the most intense of these rides, whisks thrill-seekers up 160 feet at 45 mph-the equivalent of four Gs of force-then drops them back down again, all at a height of more than 100 stories.

Hoover Dam/Lake Mead
Most families in Vegas "see" the Hoover Dam and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on a road-trip or bus tour from the Strip. Instead, take the time to get to know the area more intimately. Take a guided tour inside the dam. Rent a houseboat and spend a day or two on the lake. For a different experience, rent bikes in Boulder City and follow the first third of the 36-mile River Mountains Loop Trail bike path to a spur trail that passes through five old railroad tunnels and ends at a parking garage for the dam. (Be warned: The return trip is almost entirely uphill.)

Animal attractions
Wild animals are considered amenities at a number of Strip hotels in Las Vegas. At Mandalay Bay, for instance, the Shark Reef gives families a chance to gaze upon more than 2,000 creatures, including the rare golden crocodile. Other popular animal attractions around town include Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, which is home to baby tigers, panthers and bottlenose dolphins, and the Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo, which is home to three dozen Chilean flamingoes.

Water shows
You and your family haven't arrived in Vegas until you've witnessed the Fountains of Bellagio in all of their balletic glory. The show runs regularly between 3 p.m. and midnight on weekdays and noon and midnight on weekends; the best place to watch with kids is from the sidewalk just east of the resort. Next door, inside the Crystals at CityCenter mall, two other water-based attractions have proven to be hits with young kids: Glacia, a placid water feature with protruding columns of ice, and Halo, a family of clear cylinders with vortices of swirling water inside.

Observation wheels
Las Vegas is at the forefront of a race to build some pretty awesome family-friendly Ferris wheels. First up, at the end of the year: the High Roller, which will measure 550 feet and become the largest observation wheel in the world. The attraction also will be the centerpiece of a new entertainment complex (dubbed Project Linq Las Vegas) at the center of the Las Vegas Strip across from Caesars Palace. The second Vegas wheel, a 500-footer named SkyVue, will sit at the south end of the Strip, across from Mandalay Bay, and is slated to open in early 2014.

[Top Photo: Getty Images]

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How to Celebrate Valentine's Day Around the World

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-02-14T14:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

When Valentine's Day rolls around, suggestions abound for where to go and what to do to celebrate your love. Take a sunset hot air balloon ride high above California wine country, anyone? Drive Montana's Going-to-the-Sun road, one of the most romantic routes in the U.S.? Pack up for a ride on a private jet or another of Gadling's Over-the-Top Valentine's Day travel experiences?

They all sound lovely and romantic. But if you're looking for a little more kitsch in your Valentine's Day travel suggestions, you're in luck. We've got little plastic men and women representing people in Korea, Denmark, China, Spain, Japan and Australia, and they're acting out those countries' Valentine's Day customs and traditions.

Note: The woman wheeling a piece of candy to her significant other on her skateboard may not be true to life.

To learn more about how people around the world celebrate Valentine's Day, check out the video below.

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Mardi Gras for Kids: Tips for Celebrating in New Orleans

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-02-07T10:07:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

As one happy group of purple-clad visitors wraps up its triumphant visit to New Orleans, another group is currently descending on The Big Easy in advance of Mardi Gras 2013. These travelers are asking a lot of questions: What's the Mardi Gras parade schedule? (It's right here.) Why does everyone on the floats wear masks? (It's the law.) How many beads do you think I'll be able to amass? (A lot.)

And parents are asking: Is it appropriate to bring the kids?

No doubt. Organizers stress that Mardi Gras is a family celebration. It's said to be a New Orleans tradition for adults to use their kids as an excuse to go watch the parades. But there are guidelines families who travel to Mardi Gras should follow. As Chris Waddington writes at NOLA.com: "On Mardi Gras, kids have to behave like grown-ups, because grown-ups behave like children."

For some more practical tips on navigating the parades and the sometimes raucous Mardi Gras crowds in New Orleans next Tuesday, take heed of the advice in the video below.

And if you're not going to New Orleans, but still want to show your kids the celebration, follow along on the NOLA.com paradecam.

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Tivoli Gardens: A Tour of Copenhagen's Iconic Amusement Park (VIDEO)

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-02-01T21:24:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

Copenhagen's 170-year-old amusement park is one of Denmark's best family vacation spots. Check out this video tour.

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Family of 14 Sells Everything, Travels Country in RV (VIDEO)

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-01-28T17:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

This Colorado family does its school work in the morning. The afternoon? Time to explore.

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Family Vacations: Tips for Flying With Toddlers (VIDEO)

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-01-23T16:07:00+00:00

Filed under: Family, Tips & Tricks

Flying with toddlers? Here are a few ways to make your family vacation easier.

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Indoor Skydiving in Orlando (VIDEO)

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-01-15T13:49:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

At Orlando's iFLY, indoor skydiving allows families to safely experience the thrill of falling through the sky.

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How to Make a Baby Travel Kit (VIDEO)

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-01-11T12:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

Martha Stewart has a plan for new mothers who travel.

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Family Vacations: 10 Great Destinations for 2013 (PHOTOS)

Matt Villano — 2013-01-04T15:26:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

Experiencing new places as a family always makes travel special, but some destinations are better than others for travel with the kids. Here's a rundown of 10 great family vacation destinations for 2013.

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How to Have a Dollywood Christmas (VIDEO)

AOL Travel Staff — 2012-12-11T12:43:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

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Family Vacation Trends for 2013

Matt Villano — 2012-12-06T08:51:00+00:00

Filed under: Family

Family vacations have come a long way since the days of the Griswolds' pilgrimage to Walley World. Back then, the road trip was everything; in 2013, peripatetic moms and dads can expect a mix of volunteer vacations, farm stays, Ferris wheels and more. With these opportunities come potential challenges in access, logistics and planning. Here's a closer look at up-and-coming family vacation trends in the New Year.

Volunteer vacations
Building homes, repairing trails and rehabilitating sick animals are some of the activities available on volunteer vacations-a category growing in popularity among family travelers with children over the age of 5. "This kind of trip gives kids unforgettable experiences and gives parents a sense of being good role models," says Aaron Smith, CEO of GoVoluntouring, which estimates that 2.5 million people volunteer globally every year.

In most cases, families cover airfare and pay a fee (anywhere from $400 to $1,800, depending on the destination and length of stay) for room and board; they spend their family vacations doing volunteer work. A number of groups now provide families with these types of experiences, including GlobeAware.org and Global Volunteers. Another good option: Volunteer Abroad Opportunities, which aggregates "voluntourism" trips from a number of organizations. The National Park Service, Sierra Club and American Hiking Society offer opportunities, too.

Agritourism
Farms are fun and engaging destinations for families with young kids-they're approachable yet eclectic. In addition to half- and full-day interactive tours of a particular property, a growing number of farms offer overnight accommodations from which families can work the land or interact with animals.

One popular spot for overnight farm stays is Full House Farm in Sebastopol, Calif. Here, overnight guests have access to the property's organic gardens and receive eggs from the farm's chicken coop. Full House guests also can choose from a number of farm tours, some of which include the opportunity to brush horses and feed goats.

Observation wheels
Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No-it's your family, at the top of an observation wheel. These attractions are super-sized Ferris wheels, complete with enclosed and air-conditioned carriages that feel like flying luxury suites.

Two new wheels opened in 2012: one in Pensacola Beach, Fla. and the other in Seattle. On the docket for 2013 and early 2014: Las Vegas' High Roller, which, at 550 feet, will eclipse the Singapore Flyer as the biggest wheel in the world; the 500-foot-tall SkyVue, also in Las Vegas; and the 425-foot-tall Orlando Eye, in Orlando, Fla. Most of the new wheels are slated to be part of larger family-friendly entertainment centers, offering restaurants, stores and video arcades.

DIY trips
All-inclusive hotel packages are a great option for busy families, but in 2013, more and more families will be taking the do-it-yourself approach, planning and organizing vacations on their own. This means renting furnished homes, apartments or condos through web-based services such as AirBnB, VRBO or onefinestay.

This kind of travel offers families greater freedom and flexibility. My wife and I have learned firsthand that playing travel agent also usually helps keep costs down. Some of our strategies to save money include building daily itineraries around what's available on Groupon and leveraging discounts through membership in AAA or the North American Reciprocal Museums program. We also shop for food at local farmers' markets and prepare meals ourselves; this strategy helps make sure our two little picky eaters eat well on the road.

Friendsourcing
The rise of social networking has empowered travelers of all kinds to turn to friends for advice on where to go and what to see. For family travelers, "friendsourcing" means apps that facilitate knowledge-sharing among parents with similar vacationing philosophies and styles.

Traverie, a fun app that debuted in November 2012, pulls information from friends' Facebook pages to create magazine-style synopses that enable parents to divine how family-friendly certain destinations are. Another popular app, Trippy, helps create detailed travel itineraries using Facebook to cull advice from fellow moms and dads who have been with their kids where you hope to go. Still more apps worth investigating: JetPac and Wenzani.

Kid-free policies
Sadly, not all of the family-related travel trends for 2013 are positive: A growing number of kid-free policies is one I wish I didn't have to report. The reality, however, is that Malaysia Air and AirAsia made headlines this past year for designating kid-free sections on some of their planes.

While domestic airlines have shied away from embracing this trend publicly, several have enacted fees for certain seats or advance seat assignment, a move that some families have seen as a direct attack. Bottom line: Be sure to investigate your prospective airline's policies before you book.

Matt Villano, the father of two young girls, writes the family travel blog for Parenting.com, and has covered travel in general for more than a decade.

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