Travel
by Kayla Mossien
PARENTGUIDE News March 2010
The Places You’ll Go
If your family desires cultural vacations, head to Gozaic.com. The online resource spotlights educational activities and guided tours at destinations worldwide, with an emphasis on cultural fare around the nation. With tabs to Explore, Go and Connect, the site encourages browsers to plan enriching vacations according to a family’s interests and to correspond with others who have commented on similar experiences. Become a member for free or surf the site for date-specific events to further enhance vacations. A favorite of users are the tours, parades and exhibitions presented that honor an area’s past eras. Log onto www.gozaic.com to plan your next getaway.
Through the Grapevine
Children venture to the African savanna by reading the action-packed pages of The Jungle Grapevine (Abrams Books for Young Readers). Author Alex Beard creates a modern retelling of the classic telephone game as Bird mixes up something Turtle says. When the story gets confused, panic ensues in the jungle because of the characters’ silly assumptions. To order a copy, visit www.alexbeardstudio.com.
Stop by the Y
For an East Coast family weekend, check out the Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville, New York. Set in the high peaks of the Catskill Mountains, the countryside facility offers recreational activities like guided trail hikes, craft activities like candle making, team-buiding feats like catapulting and wellness classes like yoga. For more information on the acres of activities, including programming specific to the season, see www.frostvalley.org.
Beyond Disney
As if you need an excuse to float along a lazy river pool that leads to gentle rapids, staying at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate means you can take a complimentary shuttle to all four Disney World Theme Parks, or you can spend each vacation day amid the four-diamond resort’s vast splendor. Located about half an hour from the airport— less from Disney World— the Omni Orlando has the full spectrum of amenities to enchant visitors who plan to meet Mickey or merely bask in the resort’s offerings. Just consider everything from the hotel’s affordable guest rooms to the luxury family villas, the activity pools to the separate pool flanked by cabanas, the gaming arcade to the lavish spa, the easy Disney access to the recreation on site, including tennis, basketball and 36 holes of championship golf on Greg Norman-designed courses. Log onto www.omnihotels.com or call (407)390-6664 to make a reservation.
Stay Healthy in Transit
Protect your little traveler’s health en route to destinations with the Sure Fit Transit Cover. Suitable for planes, trains and automobiles, the slipcovers keep a barrier between a traveler and the seat, preventing germs from transferring from past riders to your loved one. Complete with a pouch to store personal items and a pillow, the Sure Fit Transit Cover is machine washable and designed to fit almost anywhere. Get yours at www.surefit.net.
Kayla Mossien is an associate editor.