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Summer and Families: A Perfect Travel Pairing

Milwaukee Know How

Summertime and family vacations just seem made for each other . . . warm, sun-filled days, the promise of adventure, and time to reconnect with those we love. But let's face it, the dynamics of traveling with kids—whether they're toddlers or in their teens—are much different from those of a romantic couple's retreat. To help you plan, here are some options for just-right ways to enjoy a family vacation.

Renting a private vacation home or condo in a villa resort is an economical way to bring along the whole family, especially multiple generations—and one that many families still haven't explored as an option. But note that finding a vacation home online through popular booking websites can be a risky business. Eliminate that risk and make sure you have local support, should anything go amiss during your stay, by renting from trusted on-site management companies like those Hideaways partners with. This is especially important when renting in a foreign destination or one a long way from home.

Hideaways member Don Swartz and his wife, Carolann, of Moses Lake, Washington, convened in Italy last summer with 14 family members representing three generations. The result was a huge success, as Don relates. "Wow! There is no better way to describe the collective reaction of our group as we approached Villa le Favole. What a perfect place to spend time in Tuscany, especially with a large family. The property consists of two ancient, well-appointed stone houses, each self-contained. Carolann and I and all but the youngest grandchild stayed in one house, and in the other were three of the second-generation parents and the 'baby.'

"We especially appreciated the many patios, dining areas, and individual rooms that could be used for mini get-togethers—very important for a group of 14. And the bathroom facilities in both homes were quite adequate—also important! In Grandma and Grandpa's 'suite,' the bathroom had a wonderful tub with jets and a window that gave us a nice view of the grounds."

In addition to family villas in Italy, your Hideaways Travel Consultant can whittle down the choices and help you find just the right vacation rental for your family in the U.K., Greece, St. Martin, St. Croix, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and other popular destinations.

Where the Wild Things Are

Kids and creatures have a magnetic attraction, and places like Alaska, Hawaii, Africa, and Costa Rica promise wildlife encounters galore.

The action-packed excursions of small-ship line Un-Cruise AdventuresTHC will keep kids engaged as they kayak, paddle-board, and set off on guided wilderness hikes. In Alaska, you might have close encounters with black bears, bald eagles, and orca and humpback whales. In Hawaii, the thrills start with snorkeling among sea turtles, visiting the Humpback National Marine Sanctuary, and diving in for a night snorkel with Giant Pacific Manta rays. Note that all Un-Cruise Adventures ships have an age restriction of 6-plus years, and some require kids to be 13 years and older.

If your kids are travel-savvy, a trip to the Galapagos Islands can be a real thrill—swimming with sea turtles, scoping out blue-footed boobies, and going eye-to-eye with land iguanas. Appropriate ages will be determined by your child's maturity level. Hideaways ambassador Pamela Wright admits she was a little leery about taking her 10- and 12-year-old nieces to the Galapagos, but they had the time of their lives. "We wondered if they would be too young to appreciate it. As it turned out, they loved the trip and were just the right ages. Seeing animals in the wild, most of which they'd never seen before, was a real thrill for them (as well as us!)."

Of course, the pièce de résistance in wildlife viewing is an African safari, which we recommend for older children who can handle the long flight and strenuous activity. The reward for this somewhat arduous journey could be that your family captures the Big Five—cape buffalo, African elephant, lion, leopard, and rhinoceros—as photo memories to take home.

Craving Culture?

Families with older kids at some point find themselves outgrowing the same old beach/pool vacation and wanting something more. That's when it's time to take your travels to a new level and introduce your kids to the joys of culture, history, and discovering their heritage. Europe in general is a living history and culture classroom, filled with architecture, ancient castles and ruins, museums, and art galleries. And with the euro at an all-time low against the dollar, there's no better time to take your whole family to Europe.

Summer in the city, especially in one of Europe's more crowded capitals, is probably best left to families with older kids, not toddlers. Cities like London and Paris are packed with entertainment, including street performers—mimes, jugglers, musicians, puppeteers—who will keep your children (and you!) enthralled for hours. When it's time for a little education, head to a museum. We like Ripley's Believe It or Not! in London, filled with items both weird and wonderful, and Paris' Pompidou Center, which has a hands-on children's gallery and is free for kids.

In Amsterdam, the Anne Frank House museum is an important stop for older kids who can see the secret hiding place of Anne and her family. Afterward, you can rent the city's colorful bakfiets—work cycles with large baskets on front—and enjoy a very Dutch way of getting around the city in its many safe bike lanes. If Berlin is your destination, take your kids to the East Side Gallery, a section of the Berlin Wall covered in graffiti where you and your kids can leave your handprints.

Just for Fun

If you can't seem to separate your kids from the water, you might as well give in to it. Maybe mix in a little culture with a trip to Hawaii and a stay at The Fairmont Kea Lani, where beach days and surfing lessons can be broken up with things like petroglyph hikes, lessons in traditional hula dancing, and guided family stargazing. Kids ten years and older can even join their parents for a paddling lesson aboard a traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe.

Finally, tap into your inner cowboy or cowgirl with a ranch experience that will put the spring back in your family's step—with everyone wearing cowboy boots, of course! We have some favorite dude ranches, like Rancho de los Caballeros in Arizona and The Resort at Paws Up in Montana, where you and your kids can trade in your cell phones for some reins and ride off into the sunset together.

Ready to reconnect with your kids? When it's time to begin planning, give Hideaways Travel Services a call at 800-843-4433, or shoot us an email at ts@hideaways.co.


Three Generations Celebrating the Wonders of Costa Rica

By Hideaways member Jamie Andriacchi

This past year marked some big birthdays for our family—my partner Deb's 50th birthday and my mother-in-law Brenda's 75th—so it seemed like some celebrating was in order. We're a very active family with two teenagers, 14-year-old Ali and 16-year-old Nicholas, so we thought it would be smart to mix it up with some active adventures plus relaxing times to share with the children's grandparents. Also, the entire family was looking forward to sun, water, and immersion in nature. For all our criteria, Costa Rica turned out to be the perfect three-generation destination.

Many of our friends had wonderful things to say about Costa Rica, and they were right. The rain forest was amazing, the weather was good, and everyone we met was very friendly and helpful. Hideaways arranged a great condo—Buena Vista Bahia in the Los Sueños resort community near Puntarenas—for Deb, the kids, and me, while Brenda and Gene stayed at the Los Sueñ os Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort on the same grounds. It was the best of both worlds: room for the kids and us to spread out (without the expense of booking multiple hotel rooms), and all the conveniences of a full resort for the grandparents. The best part was, we were able to use all the hotel and resort facilities as well—the private beach club, restaurants, multiple pools—and we were provided with a complimentary golf cart to get to and from the hotel.

We loved our condo from day one, especially the spectacular view from our balcony. Every morning we'd take a jog around the beautifully landscaped grounds—Los Sueños is part of a 600-acre rain-forest preserve—and then head back to our balcony for a cup of delicious Costa Rican coffee and to just sit and admire the view of the golf course and the ocean beyond.

Unfortunately, the beaches here were not that great, so instead of hanging out on the sand, we spent most of our time enjoying activities with the kids. Ali took surfing lessons, which she thoroughly enjoyed, especially since she was able to get up and catch a few big waves. Another day the four of us went on a four-hour zip-line tour high up in the mountains—a breathtaking experience for all of us!

By far our favorite activity was whitewater rafting. Our guide was outstanding. I learned more about Costa Rica's culture and wildlife on this tour than I did reading all the literature I found before we left. We saw snakes and exotic birds, and the scenery was absolutely surreal. This is a must-do on any visit to Costa Rica.

If you get the chance to charter a fishing boat, this would be another amazing experience. We didn't have the time, but apparently the crew fillets the fish you catch and most restaurants will cook it for you, or you can cook it up yourself at your condo. I'd suggest going out right after your arrival. Then you can enjoy all that delicious fish you've caught during the rest of your stay!

Every day, our goal was for all three generations to end up by the pool for some quality "down time" before dinner. Every meal we had was very good, and with enough variety to keep everyone interested, from Mexican and Italian to Japanese and local dishes. Rice and black beans are, of course, a staple of Costa Rican diets, and we also had delicious fresh fruit and vegetables. To mark Deb's 50th birthday, we hired a local chef to cook a celebratory dinner for us at the condo—pork, chicken with a nice sauce, plantain chips, black beans, and a delicious strawberry cheesecake. It was a great success!

I have to say, the "adventure rain-forest dinner" that Hideaways arranged for all six of us really capped off our vacation. A driver took us up into the mountains where we met up with the rest of the group—about 20 in all—and were handed beer, wine, or soft drinks and given some time to wander the beautiful grounds of this open-air restaurant. Then a local couple cooked an authentic Costa Rican dinner, and we ate outside with the sounds of the birds and monkeys and other wildlife in the trees overhead. For us, this total immersion in nature was what Costa Rica is all about.

March/April 2015

 
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