Traveling with Kids Archives

05Sep

Hotel Review: The Rectory Hotel in England’s Cotswolds

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When I first walked into the Rectory Hotel during our recent visit to the Cotswolds, I was in total awe of its decor which is a modern ode to British culture. The hotel is a bit of Pottery Barn mixed with luxury, and its modern yet rustic features and amenities are extremely welcoming. Located in a grand Georgian country house on three acres of walled beautiful gardens, it was the perfect spot for my family to rest our heads and one of my favorite hotels I've experienced as of late. Why were we there? To experience some of England's most stunning Read More

03Sep

Hotel Review: Gliffaes Country House Hotel in Wales

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If you're looking for an off-the-beaten path hotel in Brecon Beacons, Wales, look no further than Gliffaes Country House Hotel. My family and I were so lucky to have paid a visit last month while vacationing in the United Kingdom. Located on 33 acres on the eastern corner of Brecon Beacons National Park, the hotel offers a complete getaway. The Victorian style hotel is surrounded by beautiful foliage, rivers, woods, hedges and sheep fields and is near quaint villages like Knighton and Crickhowell to explore. While exploring the grounds, we even bumped Read More

05Jan

A Few Days in York, England

Posted by The Culture Mom 2 Comments

As a traveling mom, it’s always key for me to incorporate a few ingredients into our family trips: adventure, education, history, culture and solid bonding experiences. A recent trip to England took us to the northern city of York, located in the heart of Yorkshire, England and incorporated all of these elements. Known as one of England’s most historic cities, the experience provided two days of looking up and gazing at medieval architecture, walking down winding cobble streets, learning about its diverse and sometimes troublesome history and wandering Read More

15Aug

Mother-Daughter Getaway at The Danforth

Posted by The Culture Mom 3 Comments

My daughter and I just spent one night at The Danforth, a small inn in the heart of Portland, Maine, with a lot of history dating back to 1812. From a prohibition hideout to episcopal housing, from boarding school to bank ruins, from Russian fortune to hard luck tales, The Danforth has a rich Maine history. It was transformed into an inn in 1993 and was recently renovated by brand new owners who plan on investing as much as $1 million and a new restaurant. The result is comfortable,stylish and lavish and made for a cozy 24-hour visit for the two of Read More

14Aug

A Visit to Maine’s The Lodge on the Cove

Posted by The Culture Mom 2 Comments

We just spent 24 hours at an unexpected treasure of a boutique hotel called The Lodge on the Cove, part of the Kennebunkpost Resort Collection, in Kennebunkport, Maine. Tucked away in a secluded part of this famous seaside town is this simply sublime and stylish resort. It's also extremely welcoming to families with its spacious rooms, spread throughout a property that edges a tidal cove one mile from the center of town, as well as its activity offerings. The hotel is a converted motor lodge that re-opened last year. The owners commissioned local Read More

13Aug

A Visit to Essex Culinary Resort & Spa

Posted by The Culture Mom 11 Comments

My family and I just spent a few days at a very unique resort in Vermont called the Essex Culinary Resort & Spa. What is unique about it is not the fact that it's a located in a serene, beautiful of the state and offers a plethora of neither activities nor the fact that the grounds itself are breath taking and quite immaculate. What's unique is that the entire resort is based around cooking. As soon as you walk through the door, you are presented with homemade desserts and that is the just the tip of the iceberg with the serious culinary reality Read More

30Jul

A Visit to the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Posted by The Culture Mom 2 Comments

On a recent visit to Hyde Park in the Hudson Valley, we took our son for a tour of Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. It’s a remarkable property was built over a hundred years ago in 1898 by Frederick Vanderbilt, grandson of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. The tour took us to see about 15-20 rooms of the 50-room Classical style mansion. One of eight heirs to his family’s fortune, Frederick purchased the property in 1895 and hired architect Charles McKim to decorate a “country house” in which the family could entertain guests during the Read More

04Jul

A Family-Friendly Visit to Palm Springs

Posted by The Culture Mom 7 Comments

My guess is that when you think of Palm Springs, you think of exotic cocktails, lying by the pool, hiking in the desert, exploring art galleries, dining at retro eateries and nightclubbing with the likes of Frank Sinatra impersonators. Little did you know that the town is actually full of child-friendly spots. Whether you go for a few days or a full week, you won't run out of things to do with the kids. Palm Springs is really easy to get to, as well. It's a mere two-hour drive from Los Angeles, San Diego, Mexico and an easy flight from Phoenix, Read More

07Feb

Winter Family Travel Idea: Adirondack Winter Festivals

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Carnival season has officially begun in the Adirondacks of Northern New York, and I am making plans for my family to hit the region this winter. Saturday marked the beginning of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival’s 10 days of revelry. Check out the Ice Palace, snag a front row seat for the Gala Parade and join in a 115 year-old tradition at one of National Geographic Traveler’s Top 10 Winter Carnivals in the world. The Adirondack Region of Northern New York is a six-million-acre wilderness park, offering unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities Read More

28Apr

Epcot with Kids

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(This article 'Epcot with Kids' is also featured on TravelingMom.com. I am currently on vacation in Orlando and will be posting articles from my trip over the next few days across both web sites.) When we decided to visit Disney World during Spring Break and Easter weekend, we didn’t really factor in the expected lines and big crowds. So, we decided to spend our first day at Epcot. Epcot may not be the first Disney park you may consider as a good place to start for your kids. It’s big, it’s educational, it doesn’t have the roller coasters and more Read More