Fun for the WHOLE family

As summer break is coming to a close, the last thing you're probably thinking about is NEXT summer's vacation. But maybe you should be. I mean, how was the trip? Stressful? All-Inclusive? Did everyone enjoy themselves? Here are the top 5, as recommended by Parents magazine:
1. San Diego, CA
2. Portland, OR
3. Washington DC
4. Orlando, FL
5. Chicago, IL

Now, I'm going to help you plan this out. Maybe next year will go a little smoother ;)

San Diego, what a city?! It's really beautiful. Take my advice and stay near the downtown (Gaslamp District) the trolly will take you everywhere you need to go. My choice for major highlighs would have to be the zoo, the USS Midway, and Balboa Park. Here's a great itinerary I stumbled upon. I couldn't have planned it better myself... other than to space it out! I would suggest this same trip but over 2days!

Portland is every Foodie parent's dream vaca! And while you're stuffing your face there are some pretty cool things to see along the way. A very good friend of mine lives here now with her young family and she suggested the following:  Spend an afternoon at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), including a tour of the USS Blueback Naval submarine. Drink a heavenly seasonal Burgerville milkshake, made with local huckleberries, caramel apples, or chocolatey hazelnuts. And finally,  get a bird’s-eye view from the Portland Aerial Tram.

Washington D.C. was a family favorite for my clan growing up. My dad lived there when he was in the Coast Gaurd so he knew all the tricks and tips. We went several times while growing and I've since been with friends. I know it as one of my homes! Here's the best part- It's CHEAP! All of the 17 branches of the Smithsoniam (this includes the ZOO!), there are several weeks worth of sights to see. Plus the area is steaped with rich revolutionary hiertage and military pride. I ALWAYS see the changing of the gaurds at Arlington- I remember doing this as a family, it really taught me so much respect for our armed forces. I also suggest picnicing on the Mall lawn. It really takes the rush out of a long day of exploring!

Orlando... well I live here, so you would think I would be it's biggest advocate. That would be wrong! But I know why everyone comes here, I work for that very company. That being said, there is more to Central Florida than a mouse and his 4 theme parks that couldn't possibly be covered in a single trip! My suggestion: Half the stay doing theme parks, half the stay at the beach- Clearwater is amazing, sometimes you can even see dolphins!

Chicago- My one true love! At least it is in this country. The heart and soul of this city is in it's communities. My favorite being Lincoln Park. I suggest staying there and taking the EL into the Loop area. It's a fun lesson on mass transit for the kids! Once in downtown you have so much you can see and do. Everyone picks the Shedd Aquarium and it is amazing, but head down the road just a bit and also check out the Adler Planetarium! They have really cool exhibits that should interest the whole faily.

Hope this makes next summer a little easier!

Not your Grandma's museum.

Admit it! Even as an adult, you hear the word "museum" and there is a lot of internal groaning. The fact is museums are boring build full of too much history and facts that simply take too much effort to process. "How long do I stare at this painting?" "Why is this place so depressing?!" I mean, we're all thinking it. But fear not, my friends! The winds of change are blowing.
In the last decade, a new breed of museums have been popping up across the world! These interactive, historical master pieces are changing the way tourism has approached storytelling for the last century or more. I liken it to Disney's Imagineering, because it starts from the concept design of a building and carries through to day guests pour through those doors. Every facset of the building is meant to enhance a visitor's journey, bring them into that specific time and place. Letting the visitors feel what was happening at that time.
There are 3 major museums that come to my mind when I think about this leap for tourism.

The National Holocaust Museum, Washington D.C.: Everything about this place is meant to transport you back to this terrible time and place. The tour starts on the ground floor where you board an elevator, stuffed to the max. You then watch a film, which sets the scene of Germany leading up to WWII. The doors open on the top most floor and you file out into a narrow hallway which leads you on a journey through the terrors of the Holocaust. You feel like cattle and the whole area is gray and muted in tones. It is truly bone-chilling. No windows. No doors. Trapped, just as the Jews must have felt.

A recreation of "the room of shoes", found in a German Concentration Camp.

Work Will Set You Free

The Sixth Floor Museum, Dallas: Built in the very building from which the assassination took place, the museums goal is to chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; interprets the Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza; and presents contemporary culture within the context of presidential history. With both audio and visual counter parts, each visitor may work at their own pace.

From the 6th floor's most right window, the shot was fired.

The Grassy hill just off the parade route!

The National Civil Rights Museum, Birmingham: It begins with a video of post civil war activities, then the screen lifts away and you are able to walk through the lives of a segregated nation. Visit the places they worked or went to school. See the public areas of segregation. Then is transitions into a literal uphill battle as the civil rights movement begins and leaders step to the forefront. The most touching in the videos of the Freedom Riders, after they were mobbed and bombed. It was a little difficult to watch.

And these are only the beginning. Tourism is changing and it's for the better. We are a generation of technology and gadgets. It's important that tourism embraces this if it want to keep the public's attention for long.
Happy Travels!