Category: North America

Categories
Mexico

Riviera Maya

Take in the awesome Mayan cultural heritage at Riviera Maya, a safe but exciting area of Mexico for families to explore ancient culture.

WHY GO?

As well as the whilte sand beaches and lush vegetation, one of the best things about the Riviera Maya is its mix of big resorts with in-house restaurants and smaller local Mexican cafés, shops and bars that make beach holidays so pleasurable.

 

WHO’S IT GOOD FOR?

Older children and teens will love the Mayan Rivera. They’ll appreciate the magic history of the ancient kingdom and have fun exploring the landscape.

 

ACTIVITIES

Sian Ka’an is a thrilling day out. You can speedboat across a lagoon to an ancient, limestone-lined shallow canal built by the Mayans 1,000 years ago. 

Another site that we think is worth exploring is Coba, a lost Mayan city, with parts still covered over by jungle.  Once home to 50,000 people, Coba’s treasures, temples and pyramids are best reached by bicycle or, if your not keen on cycling, a rickshaw tricycle.  

Those prepared for a fairly long day out will be captivated by an excursion to the inland Mayan site of Chichen-Itza, and a climb up its 30-metre step pyramid.  We also love Uxmal with it’s unsusual smooth round pyramid that – legend has it – was built in one.

 

WHAT TO EAT

Don’t miss authentic Mexican delights like tacos and guacamole while in town or at the beach cafés; resorts tend to serve international food guaranteed to please all palates. For an Italian vibe try Playa del Carmen with its restaurants offering perfectly prepared pasta and risotto that’s ideal for smaller or fussy children.

 

THE LOWDOWN

Where to stay: Try the Fairmont Mayakoba, one of the most upmarket hotels in the region, and they will arrange a private visit to Sian Ka’an, which includes a fabulous lunch set out on white linen on the shore of the lake.

How to get there: Fly with British Airways from London Gatwick to Cancun from £650 return. Or try Virgin Atlantic from £640 return.

Travel time: 9-10 hours. 

Hotel: A seven-night stay at the Fairmont Mayakoba costs around £6,370 for two adults and two children sharing a room, including flights and breakfast. 

Categories
California

Monterey Peninsula

California’s coastal route, one of the most beautiful in the world, culminates in the Monterey Peninsula

Why go?

A tour which starts in LA and ends in San Francisco – or vice versa – is highly recommended to experience California’s central coastal route, one of the most beautiful in the world. The gentle stretch, which culminates in the Monterey Peninsula, is packed with family attractions.

Younger kids will love splashing around on the beautiful beaches, which range from wide-sprawling vistas to little bays, while tweens and teens can explore the natural wonders on hikes or horseback.

Activities

Heading north from Los Angeles, stop at Pismo Beach, which has eight miles of towering sand dunes with buggies for hire to explore them, and horseback riding along the sands.

But it’s not all about the beach; not to be missed is Hearst Castle, a fairytale hilltop mansion filled with treasures accumulated by the newspaper magnate who inspired Citizen Kane. There are spectacular pools, home movies featuring Hollywood’s greatest names and so many funny anecdotes, older kids will enjoy a visit as much as adults. Stop over at nearby San Simeon where there’s a good range of accommodation. 

Just south of Monterey is Big Sur, a great place to hike, with some of the best scenery in the area and plenty of trails to follow. There’s a range of lodging, from campsites to luxury hotels, and you can refuel at one of the family-friendly inns.

Next up is Monterey’s famous Cannery Row, which houses a spectacular indoor-outdoor aquarium, while nearby Pacific Beach has great beaches, and there are more in Carmel village, with its elegant little shops.

Here kids will love visiting the Cypress Inn for ‘Yappy Hour’ – Doris Day’s dog-friendly hotel whose owners love to socialise with their pooches over an afternoon cuppa.

Don’t miss: Visiting the vineyards, this area is home to some of California’s first-rate estates and many of the wineries have activities to keep children occupied while you indulge. 

The lowdown

Travel time: Flights from London to San Francisco take 10 hours and 55 minutes, it’s then a 2 hour drive to Monterey Peninsula. Flights from London to Los Angeles take 11 hours and 22 minutes, which is just over 5 hours from Monterey Peninsula. 

How to there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to San Francisco; from £564 for an adult return, and London Heathrow to Los Angeles; from £564 return. Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to San Francisco; from £563 for an adult return, and London Heathrow to Lost Angeles; from £563.

Best time to go: Monterey Peninsula has fairly consistently good weather, with a yearly average of 20°C, July to September is peak season, while between December and March you’ll have a chance of seeing the grey whale migration.  

 

Pictures by Andreas Hub/laif, shutterstock.com and Alamy

Categories
California

Palm Springs

Beautifully reclaimed desert and awesome mountains surround this charmingly retro little town.

Why go?

Why go? Head inland from Los Angeles or San Diego to beautifully reclaimed desert around and beyond the charmingly retro little town of Palm Springs, all with awesome mountains as the backdrop.

Palm Springs is all about the great outdoors, so this is a spot for older children; eight and overs. 

Activities

Hit the Aerial Tramway, which brings visitors above 8,000 ft to 54 miles of hiking trails in Mount San Jacinto Wilderness Park – it’s one of the steepest and most thrilling climbs in the world.

See desert fauna and flora in The Living Desert park, then relieve the dry heat with a trip to Knott’s Soak City Water Park, packed with great water rides and slides and featuring a giant wave pool for body surfing.

The lowdown

Travel time: Fly from London to either Los Angeles or San Diego (11 hours); Palm Springs is 2 hours from both.

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to San Diego; from £621 return and to LAX; from £564 return. Virgin Atlantic flies from London Heathrow to LAX; from £563 return. 

Best time to visit: Peak season is between January and May when the weather is warm and sunny during the day, and cool and crisp at night, this does mean bigger crowds. It’s less busy from September to November and still warm, while July and August are very hot. 

More information: www.visitpalmsprings.com

Categories
Florida

Panama City Beach, Florida

Twenty-seven miles of beautiful white sandy beaches, emerald waters, 320 days of sunshine annually and lots of child friendly activities.

Why go?

Panama City Beach is in North West Florida, and although it’s a long haul trip for your family, it’s also the ideal destination to unwind for a long break in the sunshine. It has 27 miles of beautiful white sandy beaches, emerald waters, 320 days of sunshine annually and lots of child friendly activities: from building sandcastles and shelling on the beach to water parks and nature trails, it offers endless amounts of family fun.

Activities

Panama City Beach is renowned for its aquatic adventures, so take to the water and enjoy snorkelling, canoeing, paddle boarding, skim boarding and fishing.

For an activity your kids won’t forget, go dolphin spotting: Shell Island has the highest population of bottle nosed dolphins in the world so get your camera at the ready. If you and the kids want to get up close and personal to these friendly water creatures, head to Gulf World Marine Park where you can be a trainer for the day and help care for the dolphins, sea lions, tropical birds and reptiles.

You can even spend a night snoozing with the sea life on an educational overnight stay where you can learn about the night time habits of marine life. For a retro amusement park, head to the fun filled Miracle Strip at Pier Park. 

Accommodation

The majority of accommodation at Panama City Beach is self-catering. Splash! is Panama City Beach’s newest beachfront resort that has a waterpark, including kids’ pool park with waterslides, interactive water toys, a lazy river ride and a dive-in movie theatre.

Edgewater Beach Resort will be launching the exciting new Adventure Zone in summer 2013 that will also feature a Splash Zone and Sky Trail.

And for views overlooking St. Andrews Bay, you’ll find a luxury retreat at Baypoint Wyndham Resort with a private beach and golf course.

The lowdown

Cost: Two bed, two bathroom accommodation at Splash!; from $159 per night.

How to get there: Delta flies from London Heathrow to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (via Atlanta); from £642 return.

Travel time: A flight from London is around 10 hours, and transfer time to Panama City Beach is just 15 minutes. 

Categories
California

San Diego Zoo and Safari Park

San Diego Zoo & Safari Park

One of the world’s best zoos, San Diego’s is a 100-acre tropical garden housing 800 rare and exotic species, including giant pandas.

Why go?

Really superior to most other zoos, the one in San Diego’s Balboa Park is a must-visit for any family on holiday in the city. 

Asides from over 800 rare and exotic species, including giant pandas, the site has a safari park, amusement rides, such as a carousel and steam train, and you can take a hot air balloon ride, 400ft above it all.

But visiting those should only be part of your visit to Balboa Park. Don’t miss the San Diego Air & Space Museum and 14 other museums in the park, as well as the theatre, art galleries and acres of lush gardens.

Top tip: San Diego is a breezy maritime city with a colourful city centre packed with casual family eateries; linger overnight to discover all its charms. 

The lowdown

Travel time: Flights from London to San Diego take 11 hours and 10 minutes. 

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to San Diego; from £621 return. 

Best time to visit: March to May and September to November are the best times to visit, the weather is warm and sunnyand there aren’t as many crowds as during the summer.  

Categories
Colorado

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Rocky Mountains, Colorado

Venture into the wild west in America with a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, with a heavenly landscape of peaks and glassy alpine lakes.

Why go?

Ever dreamed of ‘Wild West’ ranch-style living amid a heavenly landscape of peaks and glassy alpine lakes? Then take a trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Channel your inner cowboy (or girl) on a guided equestrian adventure. Children are especially encouraged to pony-trek as it’s a fun, non-strenuous way for them to hike. 

Activities

Real adventure-seeking families will love white-water rafting and the ‘backcountry’ camping tour; go on a llama into the untouched wilderness and sleep under the stars. Placid and naturally comfortable at altitude, llamas are the perfect furry partners for camping.

For less structured activities try a walking hike: pack a magnifying glass for close-up bug examinations, and binoculars to spot the elk and bighorn sheep that come down from the mountains during late spring and summer.

When children need time away from grown-ups let them escape to the Rocky Junior Rangers, an onsite kid’s club focused on animals and park preservation.

Don’t miss: See if you’d survive in the wild with a fishing trip, you may even catch a trout for supper. 

The lowdown

How to get there? British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Denver; from £695 return. 

Travel time: Flying London to Denver takes around 9 hours and 40 minutes, then it’s a 1 hour and 30 minute drive to the park.

Where to stay? Many Rocky Mountain visitors base themselves in Estes Park, an eastern gateway with lodging options to suit everyone (cabin, campsite or luxury hotel suite). There you can plan activites and it’s just an 8 minute shuttle to the park.  

Categories
California

San Francisco for Families

San Francisco, the cultural hub of north California has as much to keep children entertained as adults.

Why go?

The city by the bay is the international gateway to the wonders of northern California, with plenty to keep children occupied, from getting their hands dirty cracking into fresh crab at Fisherman’s Wharf, to family-friendly museums and parks.  

Who is it good for? As with so many cities, San Francisco’s sites are best seen on foot, so make sure your kids are old enough to appreciate it and don’t mind walking – we suggest seven and over. It’s also worth noting that the steep hills and cable cars aren’t entirely buggy-friendly. 

Activities

Children will love riding the cable cars (that’s trams to you and me) over its roller-coaster hills, hop off at Lombard Street to walk the ‘crookedest street in the world’ and enjoy a stroll along the waterfront.

Fisherman’s Wharf is punctuated by the enticing shops of Ghirardelli Square with a chocolate factory at its centre, while the Marina is a great place to join locals flying kites and walking dogs on a weekend morning.

There’s also Golden Gate Park, home to the California Academy of Sciences, the greenest museum in the world. It houses an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum under a 2.5 acre living roof.  

Food: Stop for a dim sum lunch in Chinatown, sample the seafood at Fisherman’s Wharf, or there’s a charming Japanese tea house for refreshments with a Pacific flavour at Golden Gate Park. 

The lowdown

Travel time? Flights from London to San Francisco take 10 hours and 55 minutes, it’s then about 20 minutes to the city centre by taxi or you can take the BART to downtown San Francisco in 30 minutes – it departs every 15 minutes and costs $8.25. 

How to get there? British Airways flies from London Heathrow; from £564 for an adult return. Virgin Atlantic also flies from London Heathrow; from £563 for an adult return. 

Best time to go? The days are warm and sunny in spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). 

Categories
California

Sacramento, California

There is living history in the string of 19th century mining towns close to Sacramento, many of which still preserve their gold rush atmosphere.

Why go?

There is exciting living history in the string of 19th century mining towns close to Sacramento, many of which still preserve their gold rush atmosphere.  

Children will love playing bandits as they run through ghost towns, sifting for ‘gold’ or whitewater rafting on the Sacramento River. 

Activities

Head to Murphy’s, one of the best preserved towns in the midst of the trail, where the bullet-holes which once reverberated through saloon doors in the wild old days, are still in tact.  

At the heart of the region is Columbia, once, incredibly, the second largest town in California. Now it’s a state historic park where gold rush scenes are re-enacted and shops and restaurants remain faithful to the period. Park at the trailhead just north of Columbia and you can hike to Coyote Creek for a picnic or swim at Natural Bridges, a spectacular limestone formation.

White-water rafting on the Sacramento River is popular, and Shasta Lake, created by a dam built on the river, is a water playground in its own right. A great way to explore its furthest reaches or stunning coves is with a rental kayak or powerboat. Better yet, you can actually stay on the water in a houseboat.

The lowdown

Travel time: Flights from London to Sacramento take 12 hours and 48 minutes, alternatively, fly to San Francisco (10 hours 55 minutes) and drive the 1 hour and 30 minutes on to Sacramento. 

How to get there: United Airlines flies from London Heathrow to Sacramento International, via San Francisco or Los Angeles; from £613 for an adult return. British Airways flies from London Heathrow to San Francisco; from £564 return, and Virgin Atlantic also flies from London Heathrow to San Francisco; from £563 return. 

Best time to go: May to October are the best months, but bear in mind it does get very hot in the summer. 

More information: Whitewater Voyages; Avis Car Hire 

Categories
New York

Street Food in New York

There’s a revolution on the streets of NYC – and it sure tastes good. Brooklynite Laura House samples the US’s coolest street food stalls in New York.

Why go?

There’s a revolution taking place on the streets of NYC – and it sure tastes good. We’re on a quest for lively, open markets and must-sample street-food stands, and this is an excellent enterprise for gourmands on a budget. In fact, it’s such an approachable style of family dining that we’ve taken to it even when making our way around our home city of New York with our two-year-old son, Soren. Here, the food truck and artisanal market scene hold the same culinary currency as buzzed about bricks-and-mortar restaurants and celebrity chef-helmed kitchens. 

 

The biggest problem will be indecision – what with shucked-to-order oysters, whole fried anchovies with pickled peppers, meaty lobster rolls and fancy nachos all there for the asking. As well as delicious red velvet ice-cream and chocolate-chunk pretzel cookies. With a toddler in tow, though, focus is required. 

Try to tempt them with layers of chicken schnitzel, kale Caesar salad, Parmesan shavings and a perfectly fried egg, all held together on a salt-crusted pretzel roll from Schnitz. Then cleanse you palates with artisanal lollies (naturally) from People’s Pops. An apricot and sour-cherry ice pop for the kids and a refreshing mint-and-lemonade shaved ice for the parents.

where to eat

The borough that is really elevating street grub is Brooklyn. In 2008, the Brooklyn Flea, a revival of an antiques and thrift market, began with just a few well-selected food vendors. It has since spun off into other Brooklyn Flea locations and the hyper-local and much-hyped Smorgasburg – a seasonal, outdoor food market with two Brooklyn locations and a new Manhattan outpost, which opened this spring at the South Street Seaport. 

In our home neighbourhood of Park Slope, a fleet of food trucks turn up and park in Grand Army Plaza at the entrance to Prospect Park, twice a month on Sundays, from April through to October. Here, stalls serve everything from expertly folded empanadas and Lebanese tabouli salads to pressed cheese sandwiches and steamed Chinese pork buns.

Must-visit street food stalls: Calexico; Kimchi Taco Truck; People’s Pops; Pizza Moto; Rickshaw Dumplings; Schnitz; and Taïm. Also check out Brooklyn Flea; Prospect Park Food Truck Rally; Red Hook Food Vendors; and Smorgasburg.

The lowdown

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to New York JFK; from £523 return. Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow to JFK; from £474 return.

Where to stay: Stay in the Carroll Gardens House where you can stay in your own two-bedroom apartment; from $215 per night. The Holiday Inn Express offers rooms with two double beds from $215 per night.

Visit our 10 of the Best family friendly hotels in New York for more places to stay.

Categories
Tennessee

Tennessee’s Smokey Mountains

There are two sides to Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains: the stunning scenery of the national park and the sheer strangeness of its ‘vacation hubs’.

Why go?

If you were to ask your children to suggest ingredients for their dream holiday, they might say something like this: ‘We want to go somewhere with crazy golf on every corner and loads of go-kart tracks. For food we’d like drive-thrus selling donuts with icing so colourful they’ll make our teeth tingle. There would also be a massive theme park nearby…’

Clearly such a nightmarish place could only exist in the fevered mind of a child. Or, as it turns out, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

But here’s the thing. If you do go, you will have a truly wonderful – and at times bizarre – holiday during which you will experience the warmth, hospitality and outstanding natural beauty of Tennessee. 

Who is it good for? Children between the ages of 6 and 13, and who’s fantasy holiday includes the aforementioned criteria.

Activities

Pigeon Forge describes itself as a ‘vacation hub’ and on its doorstep it has the two most-visited attractions in Tennessee: Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

One a monument to the rhinestone-encrusted queen of country, the other a celebration of the natural world.

On our first morning, we presented ourselves at the entrance to Dollywood. This is a unique hybrid of extreme rides, traditional craft exhibits, authentic food stalls, old-style shops and live music.

This surreal combination means it’s perfect for families, offering something for everyone.

We decided to keep the kids happy first and headed for the rides – all of which offer plenty of ‘hang time’ – that terrible moment when your bottom hovers an inch or two above your seat and your stomach an inch or two above your head. 

Usually, I stumble out of a theme park begging for mercy. But in this part of Tennessee the roles are reversed. Dollywood is bucolic, but its host town, Pigeon Forge, is an apocalyptic horror show.

But one Parent’s purgatory is often their child’s version of paradise and if I had a dollar for every time the kids said they loved Pigeon Forge, we wouldn’t have had to pay for the holiday at all.

The town is a six-mile stretch of crazy golf courses, multi-level go-kart tracks, malls, motels, pancake houses, donut drive-thrus and, perhaps the best-named shop I have ever seen: Fudge, Knives, Swimwear & Leather.

It also hosts the seismic weirdness that is the Dixie Stampede. The show gets underway when 10 bison trot out into the arena, and are chased off by women on horses, who do dangerous things while dressed in leather and spangly chaps. While this is happening, 1,500 of us are served dinner: corn, soup, potato and a whole chicken. 

Both Pigeon Forge and Dollywood lie in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so named for the drifts of cloud that seem to linger in the steep-sided valleys.

The best way to see nature at her best is to get out and walk. Clearly that’s never a top option for children, but the path we stumbled across had rope bridges and stepping stones for them to jump about on while we took in the dizzying views. Whenever the children started to lag behind, we reminded them to keep an eye out for bears – the park has a thriving population of grizzlies. 

The next day, we headed to one of the area’s first churches, a white clapboard building known as Chilhowee.

While we sat in one of the wooden pews a group started to sing. Their harmonies soaked into the rough planks of the ancient room. And it struck me, as I let their voices wash over me, that from these worshipful hymns to Dolly’s heartfelt tunes, music has been bringing people together in these mountains for centuries.

The Lowdown

Travel time: Flights from London to Nashville take 10 hours and 30 minutes. Dollywood is a further 3 hours and 30 minutes by car. 

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Nashville (via Dallas or Chicago); from £690 return for adults and £608 for children. Car hire is available from Dollar; from £137 per week. 

Where to stay: Luxury log cabins around Pigeon Forge cost from $209 per night with Majestic Mountain Vacations (+1 865-934-0654) 

More information: 

www.deep-south-usa.com 

www.dollywood.com