Traveling this upcoming Holiday season? Catching fall leaves? Heading south for winter?
We’ve driven the miles, checked for updates and organized great side trips, just off the highway.
Unique museums, good spots to picnic and walk about, or plan day trips minutes from a popular interstate.
KIDS LOVE FLORIDA lists and reviews hundreds of kid-tested attractions and events throughout the state. Besides all of the details (where, when), the book is best known for its easy-to-read reviews of what is most engaging about each site. And, you’ll discover most of the book explores places besides theme parks. You won’t find this information together in any other resource or on the internet. Great idea for unique, easy day trips or vacations.
Explore hidden islands, humbling habitats, and historic gold mines. See dancing dolphins and comical kangaroos. Watch out for cowboys, Indians and swamp creatures. Well-known attractions plus hundreds of places you’ve probably never thought of! Make short vacation plans or get to know your favorite area better. Each chapter is a day trip zone including points of interest, events and suggested lodging and dining. New features include hand-picked HIGHLIGHTS, itineraries and web resources to quickly help you make the most of a short trip in each chapter. Searching countless hours on the internet? We give you fast travel facts, prices, and our kid-tested reviews for every listing (expanded in this edition). We did the work so you don’t have to. Great tool for moms, dads, grandparents, teachers & visitors.
** The print books are available at Bookstores and Online Retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. NOTE: Amazon often runs sales on our best selling titles each season. Our travel guides are best suited to print books so you can easily mark and highlight places you want to visit next!
From picnics in open spaces to stepping back in time with visits to historical sites, nature excursions to walking and driving tours, small towns offer options for off-the-beaten path getaways. All provide plenty of relaxation and outdoor adventures, with fewer crowds and room to wander.
But, planning trips can be so frustrating … especially when your kids are bored and begging for ideas on something fun to do … away from the backyard! “Traveling with kids shouldn’t be so hard. We wanted to make family trips easy so, we researched and wrote books about years of experiences,” says Family Travel Mom, Michele Z. KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDES include great hints on what kids like best.
The books provide all the details a family needs to know (i.e. maps, directions, websites, prices, reviews) to save lots of time. PLUS:
The series offers 16 regional travel guides: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, The Carolinas, Virginia, Wisconsin, I-75 & I-95
Grab your KIDS LOVE TRAVEL GUIDE and Create your own old-fashioned Road Trips! Books can be purchased at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Updates are on https://kidslovetravel.com/travel-books/
KIDS LOVE I-95 – Your Family Travel Guide to I-95. 500 Kid-Tested Fun Stops & Unique Spots from the Mid-Atlantic to Miami
Welcome to Side-Tripping with Kids – a New Way to Travel Quick Stops along I-95.
SideTrips!: travel just minutes off the interstate to learn of hidden messages and historic secrets. Fly in Space and see priceless national treasures. Escape rooms full of bugs, enchanted gardens, explosive museums, pirate ships, and haunted lighthouses & forts. See George Washington’s teeth, experience a Civil War battle, and find the elusive Fountain of Youth.
We’ll tell you exactly how to find unique landmarks and favorite pit stops, too. Make spontaneous or planned sidetrips and get to know your favorite destinations better! All on a budget of time and money.
Just in time for spring and summer travels…
KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA
An Organized Family Travel Guide to Exploring “Kid-Friendly” Pennsylvania – 600 Fun Stops & Unique Spots
Your kids will love finding where to discover Oil and take a tram ride deep into Coal Mines…hike along tall trees, great lakes, waterfalls and grand canyons…tour fun Snack Food Factories…twist your own Pretzel…take a peak at Polar Bears and Groundhogs…travel around Train Curves and Inclines…or, “meet” Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and even see some real Christopher Columbus stuff!
Each chapter is a day trip zone including points of interest, events and suggested lodging and dining options.
Save Time. New features include QUICK TOURS and web resources to quickly help you make the most of a short trip in each chapter. Searching countless hours on the internet? We give you fast travel facts, prices, and our kid-tested reviews for every listing. We did the work so you don’t have to.
Save Money. Once you purchase the book you’ll have access to a special page of online updates that keeps your book FRESH for years. Plus, we’ve found many places to visit for little or no charge.
The books are available at Bookstores and Online Retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Hilton Head Island Beach Fun
On a recent trip we found a wonderful base hotel, The Beach House, from which we could play. Comfortable rooms, right on the beach, good food and drink served at the Porch and Tiki Hut, a spacious pool area with loads of lounge chairs, and the best part, easy access to all this island offers!
We puttered around the island, too, and can offer some insider tips:
Coastal Discovery Museum: A great spot for learning about the history and the Lowcountry’s natural surroundings. The kids can romp and play around history and unique natural environs. The grounds are free to access, and they hold regular hands-on learning events:
Sea Pines Resort: Hilton Head Island’s original resort, and home of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage. Explore the natural history or ancient Native American shell rings at the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, shop at Harbour Town, visit the animals at Lawton Stables or the Salty Dog at South Beach Marina.
Sandbox Children’s Museum: An interactive and sensory experience for kids. This brand-new building opened just two years ago.
While you are there, check out the Lowcountry Celebration park, Hilton Head Island’s newest and award-winning park, complete with a playground modeled on a replicate of the Adventure – the ship in which Capt. William Hilton discovered the island. It’s located in the popular Coligny district – where the Beach House is located.
Harbour Town Lighthouse: A climb to the top is a history lesson of Hilton Head Island, and the views of the Calibogue Sound offer a beautiful view – especially during sunset.
https://harbourtownlighthouse.com/
Mermaid of Hilton Head: https://www.mermaidofhiltonhead.com/
Pirates of Hilton Head: An interactive treasure hunt. www.piratesofhiltonhead.com
Bluffton parks: Just over the bridge of Hilton Head is Bluffton, which has been growing with young families. Their parks are state-of-the-art: Oscar Frazier, Wright Family, Martin Family, and DuBois. Bluffton is also home to a thriving arts and culinary scene, as well as the beloved Thursday Farmers Market. https://www.visitbluffton.org/
Get on the water: Family-friendly adventure on the water. They offer dolphin tours, kayak and boating excursions, and so much more.
Biking is one of the best ways to see the island! Hilton Head Island is a Gold-Level Biking Community and with over 50 miles of back paths, it’s easy to get around on two wheels.
Beach: Make sure you catch the sunrise! There’s also no better way to spend your day than on the beach.
Places to eat: there are a dozen ice cream shops and candy shops. Best kids meals are found at the Salty Dog and the Crazy Crab. Order a seafood boil and share it as a family.
For events in the community, please visit: https://www.hiltonheadisland.org/events
Virginia is for love and February 14th is the perfect time to introduce a new edition of KIDS LOVE VIRGINIA, An Organized Family Travel Guide to Kid-Friendly Virginia! All the listings have been UPDATED, about a dozen places closed (mostly little museums that didn’t survive the pandemic shutdown), yet a handful of new places opened or added significant new attractions.
The print books are available at Bookstores and Online Retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. NOTE: Amazon often runs sales on our best selling titles each season. Our travel guides are best suited to print books so you can easily mark and highlight places you want to visit next!
Do you ever wonder if your kids would want to join you on a short journey back to your hometown? Wonder more what it would be like to be a tourist in your own town?
Sometimes, as your children age, it’s time to change things up a bit.
Over Christmas Break, I presented my kids with a present of a trip to just one city, just one part of the city – downtown (pittsburgese: pronounced dahntahn) PITTSBURGH – my birth town.
Here’s how I suggest you set this up: (no matter the town)
1. Book a hotel downtown – one with an indoor pool, restaurant, and downtown shuttle service is best.
2. Find the best way to see downtown in all it’s splendor. Most often that is some sort of transport.
3. Try a local history museum – discover trivia you probably never knew…
4. Gravitate to any cultural area of shopping/dining/markets so you can sample the “flavors” of the city.
5. Try to fit in at least one sporting event.
(for more ideas on Pittsburgh tourism try www.visitpittsburgh.com)
I live in the Midwest so we’re used to seasons. And…any sports fan knows the change of sesaons means the change in sports played too.
We decided to explore a City of Champions – Pittsburgh, PA – just for its sports.
After a short (1 to 2 hour) tour you have the lay of the land.
Many big sports cities offer shuttle service to/from nearby hotels or major attractions right to the front door (or dock) of the sports arena/field.
Pro Baseball/Hockey/Soccer games often have tickets available for a fair price.
Take a stadium tour or attend a training camp.
Usually it isn’t hard to find a local museum with plenty of local sports history memorabilia.
With a local flare or within a short walk/shuttle to games.
Marriott Pittsburgh City Center – The official hotel of the Pittsburgh Penguins is right next to the Consol Center (home of Penguins NHL Hockey). Uptown flair. Take their shuttle to the games or the Strip. Within 6-8 blocks of most downtown shopping/dining.
Cambria Suites Pittsburgh at Consol Energy Center. Friendliest shuttle drivers ever. Lots of sports fans stay here.
THE STRIP! Blocks of pure Pittsburgh. Along the Allegheny River just northeast of Downtown is the mile-long stretch known as The Strip District. Here, industrial and warehouse spaces have been reclaimed to support a bustling marketplace. During the day, this area serves as Pittsburgh’s most popular market district, offering the freshest foodstuffs, including enticing polish, irish, italian, and greek smells wafting from the door fronts and dozens of street and store vendors selling much “BLACK AND GOLD”. (the Strip: pg 305 of KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA)
For those of you following along by means of KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA, pages 291 thru 313 . We promise, with our books as your base we give you all the help you need to plan any daytrips – even the Sports fanatic kind!
Whether it’s the trip back to college, a last-minute Labor Day escape or an end-of-summer getaway, Americans find that August is a great time to hit the road.
And, most drivers had road trips in mind when they shopped for their vehicle, with cargo space being the primary attractor (22 percent). The great American road trip is alive and well with many drivers planning to go the distance (500+ miles), snap selfies and pump their favorite tunes.
“It’s not surprising to us that more than 80 percent of respondents had road trips in mind when they were car shopping,” said Edmunds.com. “Road trips are the ultimate test for any new vehicle; if the car can be reliable and comfortable while handling all the loading, unloading and hauling with adequate fuel efficiency, then it’ll definitely make a great long term vehicle.”
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