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Tours of the Hood

When contemplating a trip to California most people place Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Monterey Bay Aquarium at the top of their must-see lists. At the bottom of most must-see attraction lists are L.A.’s gang-ridden ghettos. Ironically, though, the city’s violent hoods are making headlines for being a hot tourist spot. For $65 per person (and a signature on a waiver that acknowledges they could be crime victims) visitors can hop on a bus and take an official L.A. Gang Tour. The paid tour of some of Los Angeles’ darkest neighborhoods was the brainchild of Alfred Lomas, a former member of … Continue reading →

Get It While It’s Free This Fall

Nothing catches a penny pincher’s eye faster than the word: “FREE.” They say that nothing in life is free, and when it comes to the world of travel, that’s typically the case. However, every so often, opportunities present themselves and you really can get something for nothing. The following freebies turn the spotlight on fall travel, and prove that you don’t have to drain your wallet to enjoy a seasonal holiday adventure: NEW YORK: The Jane in New York City is helping you experience fall’s glorious colors without breaking the bank. The six-floor West Village hotel is offering complimentary bicycles … Continue reading →

A Brief Look at St. Patrick’s Family Tree

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You don’t necessarily have to be Catholic in order to have at least some familiarity with St. Patrick. Not everything you may have heard about his life can be taken as fact. What is certain is that St. Patrick was an actual person, (and not merely a legend). Here is a very brief look into St. Patrick’s family tree. St. Patrick was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland somewhere between the year 385 and 387. This means that the saint that is most closely identified with Ireland wasn’t actually Irish at all. He was Scottish. Or, maybe he wasn’t … Continue reading →

The Many Worlds of Disney On Ice

Are you dying to check out that Kraft Singles-Disney On Ice savings offer but can’t decide which live show appeals most to you? Never fear; today I’m going to outline all of the Disney On Ice tours traveling the country so you can decide which you’d best like to see. Last year I posted an in-depth profile of the Let’s Celebrate extravaganza, so check out my prior blog for all the details on that show. Here is the scoop on the rest of the performances. When I first read that there are two Disney Princess ice shows currently touring, I … Continue reading →

Farmers Insurance Group Sponsors Stadium in Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles has been seeking a sponsor for a brand new football stadium. The deal has now been made, and the sponsor will be Farmers Insurance Group. Which means that the proposed name of the new stadium is “Farmer’s Field”. Naturally, the Twitterverse has come up with several jokes about this proposed name. The new football stadium will be located in the downtown area of Los Angeles. It will be located nearby the Staples Center. The purpose of this stadium is to, hopefully, bring the NFL back to Los Angeles. Right now, LA does not have a … Continue reading →

End-of-Summer Fun in the Sunshine State

Florida’s pushing hard for you to spend your travel dollar in its neck of the woods. And who can really blame the state given the recent oil spill and the impending storms? Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the state is actively seeking out visitors, given that it is home to some of the largest and most popular tourist attractions on Earth. Some rodent named Mickey… ahem… Mouse. Still, in a previous blog I promised that I would spotlight some of the state’s non-over-commercialized hot spots, so here we go: MIAMI Not the Kardashian sisters’ Miami; rather, the … Continue reading →

D23: An Insider’s Disney

Anyone who’s here at families.com’s Disney corner is probably a Disney fan. Maybe we consider ourselves members in an unofficial fan club. Well, now we can join an official one. Last March Bob Iger unveiled D23, the official Disney fan club/community. The “23” stands for 1923, the year Walt Disney left Kansas City for California and founded the Walt Disney Company with his brother Roy O. You get the usual fan club stuff: calendars, membership cards and certificates, and subscription to a quarterly. Not to knock the quarterly; Disney twenty-three offers gorgeous photographs of and insight into past and present … Continue reading →

“Twilight” Hot Spots

Given that Stephanie Meyer’s book “Twilight,” documenting a teenage girl’s love affair with a vampire, has sold 85 million books and counting, and the big screen adaptation brought in $385 million at box offices worldwide, it should come as no surprise that “Twi-hards” are flocking to the Pacific Northwest. According to local officials in Forks, Washington, tourism has jumped 600% since the release of the first book in the teen vampire love saga back in 2005. The series’ second book “New Moon,” which opened as a movie at midnight, makes a pit stop in Italy, but the majority of the … Continue reading →

How to Make the Most of the Labor Day Holiday

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. It also means no more biking until sunset, no more eating leftover smores for breakfast and no more midnight dips in the kiddie pool. If summer 2009 was one to remember, then why not send it off in style by having one last hurrah in the great outdoors. The following family-friendly outdoor activities are sure to grab your kids’ attention and make their last weekend of summer one to cherish for years to come: CAMPING Many state and national parks are offering ranger-led tours geared toward grade-schoolers during the long holiday weekend. … Continue reading →

Harry Potter and Michael Jackson Themed Trips

If your kids are wild about Harry, then hit the road for a literary journey featuring the fictional boy wizard’s favorite haunts. Last week’s release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has sparked a slew of travel deals inspired by J.K. Rowling’s books about wannabe wizards, including: Skyscanner.net is offering tours of 13 key locations in the Potter Universe, from Platform 9¾ at London’s Kings Cross Station to Romania, home to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. Fandango.com is featuring a Summer Movie Road Trips section that offers travelers the chance to visit Harry Potter’s Rolling Green British Isles. Meanwhile, for … Continue reading →