Search Results for: blog summer travel wet and wild family fun

The Big Tube Slide

Yesterday my family and I went to a new-to-me park. My wife and son had been there previously with an aunt a nephew. The last time they went they were treated to a bustling park full of children and parents and activity. Part of this was because it was in the hot months of summer, and this particular park has a water feature. Wading pools and spraying water always draw lots of attention in the heat. Amazing times were apparently had during that day I wasn’t there. I heard about it for a couple of days from my son. He … Continue reading →

Splash Into Summer Fun at Six Flags Great America

When was the last time you experienced liquid love… minus the nasty hangover? Forget about the Patron-laced tropical libations; now’s your chance to splish, splash, slide and surf your way into a wet and wild summer vacation you’ll remember for years to come. Soaking up the sun and hanging ten on cobalt blue water is easy when you live in Hawaii, but what do you do when you want to take a summer plunge in the Midwest? (Take the plunge at Riptide Bay!) Never mind Lake Michigan; instead, set your sights on Gurnee, Illinois. That’s where you’ll find Six Flags … Continue reading →

Family-Friendly Spring Break Vacation Hot Spots

Since giving birth I have created two vacation lists. One includes favorite destinations that I loved visiting when I was a child. The other features all of the places I wish I could have traveled to as a kid. The upcoming school spring break allows us the opportunity to cross off more of the vacation destinations from the lists. Still, we have a ways to go before we run out of family-friendly travel spots. Some of the destinations we are hoping to visit in the next few years include: Grand Canyon: I’m pretty sure this top tourist spot is on … Continue reading →

Super Savings on Spring Break Travel

Ordinarily, I would never consider spending spring break in Sin City, but when money talks, I listen. In this case, Spirit Airlines is doing the speaking with unbelievably low fares from Los Angeles to Vegas. How low is the discount carrier going to fill planes on its new route: try $9. Less than ten bucks to get to and from L.A. and Vegas—jaw dropping! Of course, after you add in taxes and fees the sale price goes up to $39 for a round-trip ticket, but still, that’s a lot less than it would cost to fill up your car and … Continue reading →

Bahama Mama

This mama would love a spring getaway to the Bahamas! Of course, watching TV doesn’t help cure my wanderlust. If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen a commercial for the Atlantis resort in Nassau, I would have more than enough money to take my entire family on a trip there. What’s more, the Paradise Island mega-property is offering a spring deal that’s almost too hard to pass up. It includes a fourth-night free starting at $499 per person, including two passes to swim with the resort’s dolphins, plus kids 11 and under stay and eat free, as … Continue reading →

Who is the Vacation Planner in Your Home?

Nine weeks and counting until school ends and summer vacation begins. I know this because my kindergartner recently commandeered my black Sharpie and is diligently drawing huge “Xs” on my calendar in anticipation of the end of the school year. My daughter has already created a long list of places she wants to visit this summer. Most of them are family favorites, including Six Flags Great America, the water park, the Children’s Museum, Summerfest, the State Fair and Chicago. I typically take her list and try to accommodate her wishes after I view our family calendar and budget. Apparently, I … Continue reading →

Don’t Let MTV’s “Jersey Shore” Stop You From Visiting the Jersey Shore

I used to spend summers in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. No joke. Each year my family would leave the sunny shores of Hilo, Hawaii, and fly 5000 miles to Newark, New Jersey, to visit my parental grandparents, 44 aunts and uncles, 60 plus cousins, and the rest of my dad’s humongous family. During week two of our annual trips we’d load up the clan and head down to the shore. It’s where I visited my first water park (Rainbow Rapids) and witnessed my first ever seaweed-entangled hypodermic needle floating in the white wash near Point Pleasant Beach. Ah, the memories. … Continue reading →

Winter Visits to Water Parks

I never understood why some people visit indoor water parks during the summer. I suppose if you are afraid of getting sunburned, then indoor water parks come in handy. Also, you never have to worry about your vacation being rained out if you book a room at an indoor water park. Still, in my opinion, winter is the best time of the year to visit an oasis of watery fun. And with more than 215 water park resorts open in 35 states, you won’t have trouble finding one to splash around in. Some of my top picks include: Wilderness Resort … Continue reading →

Get Your Wiggle on at Six Flags

My preschool daughter has never been a huge Wiggles fan. What’s more, she screams like a banchee every time I try to put her on an amusement park ride. And I’m not talking about those baby roller coasters that travel on a flat track, or those crazy toddler swings that spin around with modified reckless abandon. For the past three years my child has unleashed glass shattering, ear splitting, high-pitched shrieks each time I’ve tried to place her on merry-go-round horses (the paralyzed ones that don’t move up and down), baby boats (that barely move in a pool no bigger … Continue reading →

See What’s New at Universal Studios Orlando This Summer

The sagging economy is bad news for popular U.S. theme parks, but there may be a silver lining for families who spend the summer months racking up frequent rider miles on scream-a-minute amusement park offerings. This year several major theme parks are unveiling amazing new attractions designed to keep thrill seekers on the edge of their seats. One of the rides making the biggest splashes on the summer scene is Universal Studios, Orlando’s new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. The interactive coaster is being billed as the “most mind-blowing ride” in the park’s history. Daring guests board the coaster and immediately … Continue reading →