The Travel Mamas’ Guide Book Launch & Residence Inn Giveaway

The Travel Mama Colleen Lanin holding The Travel Mamas' Guide

My book, The Travel Mamas’ Guide, is now available for purchase! Recommended by Working Mother Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel and “The Ricki Lake Show”—this new book takes the worry out of family vacations so traveling parents and children can focus on fun. To celebrate the book launch, one lucky reader will win a copy of The Travel Mamas’ Guide PLUS a [...]

Provence with Kids – A Dream Come True

Provence with kids

I fell in love with Provence long before setting foot on French soil. I had read and heard so much about Provence that for years I dreamed of visiting this region of La belle France. I almost made it there on my honeymoon when my new husband and I spent a week on the Côte [...]

Bloomington, Minnesota – An Affordable & Fun Family Vacation Destination

Bloomington’s central location between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and outlying suburbs makes it a fabulous spot for a Minnesota vacation. With no sales tax on shoes or clothing purchases plus reasonably priced hotels and restaurants, a vacation to Bloomington is an affordable choice. There are a lot of misconceptions about Minnesota, for example, that the state is made up [...]

Win a Trip for Two to India!

Holy samosas! You would win a trip for two to India, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, land of the Taj Mahal, birthplace of four world religions including Hinduism and Buddhism, and home to the world’s largest democracy. Most Indians speak at least conversational English, making this exotic destination an easy place for North Americans and other English [...]

Preferred Family $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway Winner

Preferred Family offers the cream of the kid-friendly accommodation crop, with over 230 hotels and resorts worldwide to choose from. These places don’t merely tolerate children, these destinations go out of their way to ensure travelers have a fabulous time on family vacations. To encourage parents to check out their vacation planning website, www.PreferredFamily.com, they offered up [...]

Where to Stay with Kids in Palm Springs – The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa

You might be surprised by the number of activities for kids in Palm Springs. I know I was. There’s the Living Desert zoo and botanical garden with its maze of miniature trains, Knott’s Soak City Water Park with its abundance of waterslides and a gigantic wave pool, and the Aerial Tramway’s spinning ascent to Mount San Jacinto State Park. But I [...]

YMCA of the Rockies: Colorado’s Most Affordable and Fun Vacation

If there is an affordable, fun family vacation in Colorado that rivals YMCA of the Rockies, I’d like to know about it. Since I moved to Colorado 10 years ago, we have had a family reunion and multiple trips to both of the YMCA of the Rockies’ locations. YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park location [...]

SeaWorld Orlando with Toddlers & Preschoolers

Sometimes little kids latch onto something that fascinates them—whether it’s trains, dinosaurs or Dora the Explorer. In our house, my oldest has an obsession with whales, sharks and dolphins that has been going on for about two years now. Since he will turn 4 next month, that’s over half of his life! I wonder if his adoration for these wonderful creatures was [...]

Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa: A Great Home Base for Exploring San Diego

Whether you choose to spend your San Diego vacation touring the sites and visiting theme parks, or you just want to kickback poolside and soak up the Southern California sun, the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa on Mission Bay makes a fun and convenient choice for families. Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa on Mission Bay (Photo courtesy of Hilton) [...]

3 Parisian Art Museums Your Kids Just Might Love

Paris may be known as the City of Love but it can also be a fun city for a family vacation. Kids are thrilled to see famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Luxembourg and Tuileries Gardens have carousels, ponds for sailing boats, pony rides and puppet shows. Delicious French pastries will bring a [...]