Gone with the Family

Passports with Purpose - Zambia 2011

Passports with Purpose is an annual Travel Blogger's fundraiser that I am proud to be involved with for the first time this year.  Passports with Purpose was founded by four travel bloggers (Debbie Dubrow, Michelle Duffy, Beth Whitman and Pam Mandel) as a means of giving back to the places that we, as travelers, visit.  Since forming in 2008, Passports with Purpose has raised money for Heifer International, built a school in Cambodia and built 25 homes in a village in India.  This year the goal is to raise $80 000 to build two libraries in Zambia through a partnership with Room to Read.  This organization works with communities and local governments in developing countries to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children.  The money raised will pay for construction of the libraries, all of the library resources such as books and educational materials, and teacher training.

Le Pont d'Avignon

 

Sur le pont d'Avigon

L'on y danse, l'on y danse

Sur le pont d'Avignon

L'on y danse, tous en rond

 

I have fond memories of my elementary school French classes with Madame O'Malley and learning this catchy French children's song so when I was planning our family's two week stay in Provence, I was secretly (or maybe not so secretly) excited that I would have the opportunity to visit Avignon and see the famous bridge for myself.

The Bronze Horseman

Our family spent two wonderful days in St. Petersburg, Russia while cruising the Baltics on the Emerald Princess.  On the second day of our private guided tour we cut short our visit to the extremely busy Hermitage because Emma, who had only just turned 6, was not dealing with the crowds very well.  As a result, we wrapped up our tour earlier than intended and, as we were leaving St. Isaacs's Cathedral, our tour guide, Anna, suggested that we go for a walk so that she could show us a little more of her city. 

Black Creek Pioneer Village

I recently accompanied my daughter Emma's grade 3 class on a field trip to Black Creek Pioneer Village located in north-west Toronto.  The last time that I visited was with Katie's class seven years ago and I had forgotten how much fun it is.  Yes, that's right - two teachers, four parents and about thirty 8 year-olds and I had fun -  despite the downright chilly weather.

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

The picturesque village of Peggy's Cove is a small fishing community located about 40km from downtown Halifax.  It's an easy day trip for visitors to the city or an attractive stop for those following the Lighthouse Trail scenic drive along the Atlantic coast.  Most  visitors to Peggy's Cove are there to see the historic lighthouse which is one of Canada's most photographed landmarks and one of Nova Scotia's most popular tourist attractions.  Very few people visit the province without making a pilgrimage to this site.

The Moose of Talkeetna, Alaska

After disembarking from an Alaskan cruise in Whittier our family boarded an Alaska Railroad train to the historic village of Talkeetna where we were able to spend a couple of hours before continuing on to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge.  Talkeetna is a remote but bustling town with a stop on the railway line and the Talkeetna Ranger Station where Denali climbers have to check-in.  We were quite pleasantly surprised upon our arrival to find a parade of quirky painted moose around the streets of town.  Emma was delighted with the moose and we had to stop and see them all. 

Copenhagen and the Master of Fairy-Tales

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish writer who is now known world-wide for his fairy-tales such as The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Steadfast Soldier and Thumbelina.  What many people don't know is that Andersen was also a keen traveler who published several travelogues about his journeys.  I am quite convinced that if Andersen were living today that he would be a travel blogger so I like to think of him as a kindred spirit.

Tacky Tourist Photos

There seems to be an entire industry out there devoted to providing tourists with tacky photo opportunities - you know the ones that a real "traveler" would never dream of taking.  Tacky or not, those photo ops are popular because they result in a fun souvenir and I'm not too proud to admit that our family has taken our fair share of these pics while traveling. 

The London Eye with Kids

Let's just start by stating what may be the obvious to many parents (but hadn't occurred to me) - depending on the age and temperament of your kids they may find the London Eye really, really cool or really, really excruciatingly boring.  It doesn't much matter though because if your family is visiting London for the first time then you have to ride the Eye.  In fact, school age kids will be clamouring to ride because they will want to tell their friends at home all about it.

Cruising as a Family Vacation

Have you ever thought about going on a family cruise and wondered whether you could do it without losing someone overboard?  Or fretted that your kids would be out of place among a boat load of senior citizens playing shuffleboard and bingo?  No need to worry as the mainstream lines have transformed themselves over the last few years.  Several have become family-friendly floating resorts as they try to woo family travelers and even if your taste runs more to the elegant ships than the party ships you are likely to find that your family is being heartily welcomed to the world of cruising.