Educational travel

On a recent trip to Riviera Maya, Cancun on the Mexican Caribbean seashore, my family of four (two children ages 3 and 6) had the extreme pleasure of visiting Xel-Ha (pronounced shell-hah) and Xcaret (pronounced eesh-ca-ret). Even though we spent a full day at each location, we barely scratched the surface of fun activities. My advice to families who are planning a visit to Xel-Ha and Xcaret, treat it as you would Disneyland: give yourself at least two days per park.

Whether a book sparks interest in history, an iconic spot, nature, culture, or writing itself, children’s literature is a powerful way to open our kids’ eyes to something new.

Each volcano site has its own features that make it so unique. As a traveling family we like to visit them all, but if you can only pick one of the following top volcanoes to visit with kids, any one will do!

Impact on aquatic ecosystems begin with activities that inspire children to learn and take care of the environment and the creatures who reside there.

Fostering a passion for space and space travel in children is what will lead to new discoveries in the universe that can benefit us all.

Vancouver Island is a magical trip with kids that is often spent in Victoria, sipping tea at the Empress, wandering the famous Butchart Gardens, strolling the boardwalk looking for coffee or poutine, and feeding goats at Beacon Hill. While that is a lovely trip all in itself, Vancouver Island has a lot more rugged adventure to offer.

This third largest New England city has been revitalized with a strong emphasis in the arts and attention to its natural and historic attributes that families can enjoy for free.

When my daughter asked questions about lions and tigers, we brought her to a big cat rescue. When she asked about whales and dolphins, we took her off the coast of California for a whale watching excursion. It is a bit trickier to bring dinosaurs to life. When she became fascinated with them, I immediately went on the hunt for ways to bring a little bit of life to our picture books and Google searches. Here is what I found.

Get to know the animals in Southeast Asia while you take your whole family on a unique animal encounter vacation to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

Introducing my kids to the South, my sister (living in Atlanta), loaded up the 6 of us and took off. This is how to road trip Charleston SC to Savannah GA.

To make the most of your weekend in Jekyll Island, there are certain things that I consider must-dos for every family that visits the island.

Why we travel is the hope that years later, our children will fondly remember the seeds of love and adventure sown in those wild woods of wonder.

Grenada also has the distinction of being a quieter island with none of the huge mega resorts at some of the other Caribbean islands. In fact, the whole island has perhaps 1,200 or so hotel rooms. That’s it. Yet what it doesn’t have ends up being one of its biggest assets -a lovely paradise that is uncrowded, friendly, and a great destination for families.

The Shenandoah Valley Kids Trail provides a list of activities for families that are both educational and fun for kids; vacations in the Shenandoah Valley are sure to be memorable and meaningful.

Taste and see, experience and enjoy a sampling of the culture and history of Santa Barbara with your kids.

The peninsula of small coastal villages and white clapboard houses with names like Egg Harbor and Fish Creek attracts families looking for outdoor adventure and a slower-paced vacation.

Only 70 miles away from Richmond and 120 miles from Washington D.C., Charlottesville is perfectly located for a mid-Atlantic family to get away for an entertaining and educational visit to one of the country’s most historic cities.

Our Jackson Family Farm stay was a rare opportunity where our kids found a sense of freedom to shake off their city boundaries and just be kids again.