Our children ask to go back to Deer Valley Ranch every summer, and we are happy to say yes because we love it there too! It’s a breath of fresh air for our suburban family in more ways than one. First of all, it’s beautiful! Stunning mountains surround you, a creek runs nearby and the air…
Oahu, Hawaii, elicits visions of a family vacation paradise: sun, sand, surf and much more. And in fact, there is an absolute ton of things to do in Oahu with kids. There are pineapple plantations and macadamia nut farms, cultural centers and museums, temples and palaces, hikes and luaus, botanical gardens and aquariums, not to mention…
At first mention, I was taken by the concept behind The First Luxury Art Hotel Roma — a boutique hotel featuring contemporary pieces by local artists — and especially so in a city like Rome, with its awesome legacy of sculpture, painting and other visual art. And after staying there with my 11-year-old daughter Natasha, I’m…
There are many online arguments about the the long-term impact of travel on children and the value of investing in travel as a family when kids are young. My son, Devon O’Shaughnessy, is a freshman in high school and has traveled the world with me as I’ve grown Ciao Bambino over the past 14 years.…
Memories of traveling as a kid have a way of affecting the memories you make as a parent. Born and raised on the East Coast, I remember the excitement of visiting California for the first time with my mother and the subsequent college choice that resulted. I remember walking through Venice’s St. Mark’s Square with…
Each year, without fail, my tween son and I take at least one vacation together — a tradition born by chance when a hotel scouting trip to California happened to fall during his second-grade spring break. On impulse I booked him a plane ticket, and our five days on the West Coast turned out to be some…
Spring break will be here before you know it. If you haven’t made plans yet, there’s no reason to panic, but it’s time to start thinking about how your family would enjoy filling those cherished days off from school. While road trips can sound intimidating to some, I’m a big fan of the flexibility they offer…
A family ski vacation with teens can be a wonderful time … they’re well past the age when Mom and Dad break a sweat trying to bundle them up in the lodge, and they can carry their own gear (I should hope!). There are challenges that arise when your skiers and riders become older and more independent,…
This is the third and final post in Maya Guzdar’s series about her summer abroad program in China with The Experiment in International Living. Here, she talks about her thoughtfully orchestrated integration into Chinese culture and the lessons it taught her about her own. Thank you, Maya, for giving us a window into this wonderful…
Paris is always a good idea, whether it’s your first trip to the city or a return visit. And as an entry destination to exploring Europe, Paris really makes a good first impression on teens. It wows everyone with its iconic sights (who doesn’t get a shiver at that first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower sparkling at…
Fifteen-year-old Maya Guzdar spent four weeks in China this summer as part of The Experiment in International Living, which offers high school summer abroad programs for students who want to experience meaningful cultural immersion in another country. This is the second post in her series about the experience … thanks to Maya for this fascinating insight on…
