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Welcome to FamilyTravel.com!
FamilyTravel.com is dedicated to making family travel fun and affordable for the entire family. Find and book all your family vacations and family adventures here. Our family travel experts and partners bring you the best ideas and great rates on everything from family friendly hotels, to reunions to family adventure travel. From Disney World and all inclusive resorts to family ski vacations, family ranch vacations and family whitewater adventures, we have the family vacation ideas for you! Sign up for our newsletter (it's free and easy ) to hear about the latest great travel deals. Tell your friends! We look forward to being partners in family travel.
Lynn O'Rourke Hayes & Pam Plesons
Read on for our Feature Articles, Family Travel News, Family Travel Deals, and Expert Travel Tips!
 Plan Your Trip Here!
Your National Parks, Your Way
For every family, there is a perfect national park vacation. Choosing the right experience, however, requires a bit of planning and research as well as factoring in family dynamics such as age and fitness level.
Xanterra operates lodges, restaurants, gift shops, tours and other activities in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Everglades, Petrified Forest and Bryce Canyon National Parks and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. (Xanterra Parks & Resorts.)
Here are some suggestions: Read More!
Interested in Yellowstone?
Fly Fishing: Good For The Soul
If not casting color onto a canvas, Tom Wolfe can be found throwing a line streamside somewhere in the Montana backcountry. Mixing his love of painting with a passion for wild places, Wolfe paints through the winter in his log cabin tucked in the Absaroka foothills. Then, when spring melts into summer, he happily leads week- long pack trips or day excursions into to some of the best trout fishing water in America. When not teaching the kids how to tie a fly, he might be working on a watercolor of your family’s high altitude adventure. Find out more!
Spring time Fun!
Take advantage of great deals and keep exploring new territory. More ideas!
View the Adventure Mom's Slide Show!
Route 66 : The Mother Road
Whether you know it as the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road” as John Steinbeck labeled the byway in his prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, there is no doubt that Route 66 has consistently caught and held the imaginations of intrepid travelers who seek freedom, adventure and a slice of Americana.
More recently, Pixar’s film Cars, introduced the iconic roadway that stretches miles from Chicago, Ill to Santa Monica, CA, to a new generation of road trippers.
The next time your family yearns for the magic of the open road, relive the glory days along Arizona’s continuous stretch of Route 66. Here are a few suggested stops:
Winslow, AZ. While standing on “The Corner” in this quaint, old railroad town you’ll be reminded of the 1972 tune Take It Easy, music that made both the town and the Eagles famous. Check into the historic La Posada hotel and enjoy train watching, outstanding food and a visit to the nearby Petrified Forest. Contact: (928)289-2434; www.winslowarizona.org Find our more!
British Columbia
Enliven Your Visit With A First Nations Experience
By Steve Bergsman 
Most of my journeys into British Columbia involve some sort of outdoor activity. That’s because I usually travel in winter and when I’m not skiing, I try for something different; snowshoe hikes, dogsledding, riding the zipline in Whistler. I even went ice fishing one year.
This time my journey was in the warm months and I followed a historical route along the Fraser River, which gave a whole new meaning to my presence in this far-west Canadian province. Read more here!
AN OLD BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING TOWN ATTRACTS TOURISTS AND SPIRITS
By Steve Bergsman
I was standing on the dusty streets of Barkerville, British Columbia, about 7 o’clock in the evening on a fine, crisp spring night. There was no one else about; just me. It seemed everyone had deserted the place and the whole town was mine. I felt a little like the Will Smith character in I Am Legend, who has all New York City as a playground and no one to share it with.
Read more here...
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Africa has long been considered an adventure seeker’s paradise. And for the wildlife enthusiast, the chance to see great migratory herds on the open savannah or an abundance of colorful bird life, is nothing short of thrilling.
Whether you are game for a trip to the Kenyan bush or an experience closer to home, here are five ways you and your family can get a taste of life on safari:
Into Africa. Drive by a pride of lions in a safari rig, walk through herds of plains game or observe from the comfort of your lodge veranda as elephants descend on the local watering hole. You and your family will delight in the extraordinary experience of seeing rare and intriguing animals in their natural habitat. Contact: www.Magical Kenya.com. Read More!
Planning Holidays with the Grandkids
by
Lynn O'Rourke Hayes
Intergenerational travel is on the rise. Busy family schedules and geographic distance sometimes prevent regular gatherings. Thus, “grand travel”, as one aspect of this growing trend is known, provides an opportunity for two generations to get to know each, and the world, a little better.
By spending time away, with parents out of the picture, grandchildren and their grandparents can forge their own special bond. Grand travel need not include a fancy holiday in a luxury resort or a visit to a trendy theme park. There are other options. Here are five:
1.Over the river and through the woods. Invite the grandkids to your place and then paint the town. They’ll love getting comfortable in your home and seeing your local sites. Check in with your Chamber of Commerce or Convention and Visitors Bureau for an update on great options for kids. Consult parents from your neighborhood or church for family-tested ideas. See your home town through the fresh eyes of youth.
Read on.
ROAD TRIP TRAVEL TIPS
Five Road Trip Tips You Don’t Want to Miss
Before you hop in the car to begin any road trip - near or far - be sure your vehicle is ready for the open.road. Here's what to do!
Family Strategies
Grand Glacier
It’s a must see: stunning vistas, more than 200 lakes, 175 named mountains and 40 glaciers, tucked within one million acres of natural beauty. That’s Glacier National Park.
Established in 1910, by an act of Congress, this extraordinary recreational playground is also home to more than 350 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
With so much to see, it is important to plan in advance. Here are suggestions to jump start your visit:
Ride the Red Bus. The historic red buses are a symbol of another age, providing a commanding overview of the park’s magnificent history and scenery. The vintage vehicle carries 17 passengers. Tours range from three hours to a full day. Children under 12 are half price. Contact: Glacier Park, Inc. ; www.GlacierParkInc.com; 406.892.2525. Find out more!
Guest Ranches Make Roughing It Easy
For nearly a century, travelers have visited guest ranches for an authentic taste of the old West. Today's wranglers are busy welcoming families eager to unplug from the hectic pace of modern life.
Horseback riding lessons, guided trips and individual trail rides are central activities. An experienced crew will match horses to riders of every ability and experience level. For those less comfortable in the saddle, choose from hayrides, singalongs, Western dance lessons, cookouts, hiking and even spa activities.
There are many ranches where you and your family can share a good time.
Nine Quarter Circle Ranch, Gallatin Gateway, Mont. – The Kelsey family has been hosting guests in this secluded valley near Yellowstone National Park for more than 50 years.
Their Appaloosas will carry guests through pine forests, over the trout-laden Taylor Fork stream and across meadows rich in wildflowers. Kiddie wranglers ensure that even the youngest guests enjoy their stay. Contact: 406-995-4276; www.ninequartercircle.com. - Lynn O'Rourke Hayes
Read more about ranch vacations.
Take a Family Hike
by Lynn O'Rourke Hayes
Hitting the trails as a family is a great way to get some exercise and explore an area up close. Find a trail close to home or make a great hike the centerpiece of your family vacation.
Here are five places that blend history, great views and a good time. Read more!
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