I’ve taken my girls all around the world. And my mother never blinked an eye until Morocco. She had a really tough time with Morocco. She couldn’t really tell me why. She was just worried. I think it was that whole dark, sultry Africa thing … better known as the unknown.

Morocco. more specifically Tangier, is the only traveling many people will ever do in Africa. It was never on the top of my list. We were headed to Spain, and when my husband realized it was only about an hour’s trip by ferry, the deal was done. Africa!

Photos courtesy of Dana Rebmann

Tarifa to Tangier Ferry

Head to Tarifa, Spain and spend the night. It’s a great beachside city to play in with the kids. Then jump on a ferry first thing in the morning. Unless your family’s the real adventure type, book a tour. It’s the same cost to buy a ferry ticket with escorted tour as it is to just buy a ferry ticket. (Yes, the guides are hoping you like to shop.) If there’s four or more in your group, book a private tour. It’s only slightly more and worth trading the tour bus for a car.

You can also customize the trip a bit. We told our guide right off the bat we were much more interested in the people than the shops. He listened. Going with a private tour also provides you with shelter from the hustlers that have given Tangiers its shady reputation. They’re out there, but they’re apt to leave you alone, rather than suffer the wrath of your angry tour guide.

Dirhams Debate

Tangiers official currency is dirhams. But we found pretty much everywhere accepted Euros. Even though the exchange rate is not as good, it wasn’t worth dealing with another currency for a day. For any big purchases, just pull out your credit card.

Camel Rides

My kids couldn’t wait to go get on a camel, but even they enjoyed our private car tour through the neighborhoods of Morocco. We saw middle-class neighborhoods, upper-class neighborhoods, schools and, go figure, a pet cemetery. Even going the long way, we beat the crowds to the camels. Having your choice of camel when you’re 8 and 11 … priceless!

Hunt for the Neighborhood Bakery

In old- town Morocco, many families make their own bread, but they don’t have ovens to bake it in. The neighborhood bakery is really the neighborhood oven. Use your nose to find one and peak in. We were greeted with smiles whenever we discovered a new warm batch of bread fresh out of the oven.

Farmers Market at Every Turn

While many Americans head to Costco and shop for the week, in Tangiers, folks buy what they need, when they need it. That means fabulous fruits, vegetables and herbs. Many folks make their living selling fresh greens right on the street. Locals set up just about everywhere, in alleyways, on stairs, anywhere there’s foot traffic.

Doors

Homes in old-town Tangiers don’t have front yards, but their front doors are so amazing you won’t even notice. Folks in Tangiers aren’t afraid of color. The vibrant colors scattered through the old-town seem to invite you to explore. Have your kids hunt for their favorite color of the rainbow. The doors are a small part of what gives the city its colorful vibe.

Eating

Everyone has different levels of bravery when eating abroad. Trust your intuition. We didn’t eat any street food. Our tour guide told us not to. Pack extra snacks for the family and don’t drink anything that you don’t see come straight out of a bottle. (Bottled water and cola are easy to find.) If you’re used to ice, be prepared to be without.

Almost all tours include lunch, so just about everyone you met when your kids rode the camels earlier in the day, will join you for lunch. My kids thought the restaurant looked like something out of Aladdin. Soak in the scene—the music and the dancing. Then use your judgment when lunch is served. Though my family wanted nothing to do with the soup, the chicken on skewers was a hit. The chicken was good, but I think it was the orange Fanta served with it, that sent my eight-year-old straight to cloud nine.

Camel rides and orange soda. It doesn’t get any better.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino family travel destinations

Volunteer family travel

10 great fall getaways

On a recent trip to Vermont, we were able to spend time at Shelburne Farms. Somehow, I was not expecting much from this stop and planned it as a quick break on our way to Burlington. I was pleasantly surprised! I knew there would be cute farm animals, but what I didn’t anticipate was the stunning grounds, impressive barn structure and eager staff ready to educate the kids on everything farm related.

Visiting Shelburne Farms

Riding the tractor up, you clearly see right away that this is no ordinary barn. Built during the “Gilded Age” by a Vanderbilt, the barn is both massive and architecturally beautiful. It’s nearly as impressive as the Royal Mews in London (Royal Barn). The grounds were designed by Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed Central Park; they are expansive and make for an excellent day of hiking.

In the 1970’s, when the family needed money to maintain the large structures, they turned the farm into a non-profit, thus benefiting from the tax break. The non-profit educates visitors about the sustainable farming and they do an excellent job entertaining any questions you may have.

My kids loved petting various farm animals, milking cows and goats, collecting eggs, feeding bottles to baby cows and goats and let’s not forget watching the delicious cheese being made.

You have an option when you arrive on which tour to take. We just did the barn, but next time I would recommend seeing the whole property. That way you can see the Breeding Barn, the Coach House and the house which was converted to a lovely inn.

This post is part of Photo Friday on DeliciousBaby.com. Be sure and head over there to check out more travel photos from around the world.

Photos courtesy of Nancy Solomon

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended family-friendly hotels Vermont

Stowe, Vermont with kids

Skiing in Vermont with kids

Kid-friendly luxury getaways by Ciao Bambino and Lexus

Things to do in Vermont on Uptake.com

Do you have a family travel question?  Ask an expert!  Come visit us on BestFamilyTravelAdvice.com.

When we stayed at The Resort at Squaw Creek this summer I learned about a terrific kids fly fishing program run right at the resort.  I interviewed the owner of the program, Matt Heron, for details.  There are so many great kid-friendly activities in Lake Tahoe. I’m adding this to my list!

Fly fishing in Lake Tahoe. Photo Credit Matt Heron Fly Fishing

What is Matt Heron Fly Fishing?

I am the owner and operator of Matt Heron Fly Fishing. MHFF is a full service fly fishing education program (or fly fishing school), geared for everyone … kids, adults, beginners and experts. I offer nine different classes on property at the Resort at Squaw Creek ranging from a simple hour and a half casting, or fly tying class, to the “Sundowner”, a half day fly fishing class that covers everything from A-Z.

I have two ponds at the resort that I stock with rainbow trout that range from 10-24 inches. Having stocked ponds at my disposal is makes for a great learning avenue because catch rates for beginners can be high.

I also have the Fly Fishing Center, a unique Yurt on property that is the classroom for the program. All fly tying and power point presentation classes are held there.

It has quickly turned into one of the top fly fishing programs in the country, consisting of over 100 classes, and well over 200 students in June, July and August alone.

What is the best age for kids to learn about fly fishing and what are your most popular classes for families?

I would say the optimal age for kids to start fly casting would be around 10. It can be very challenging for kids younger than that to have the strength and coordination to cast a fly rod. With that said, I do have a few light weight spinning rods on hand as a back up plan to fly fishing. It usually works out that I will assist the kids with the cast, and they will get to do the “catching” part. I never say no to a child, no matter the age. In fact, I’m taking out a three year old tomorrow with his parents. In that case, it’s more about him experiencing what fishing is, rather than learning to fly fish.

One of my most popular kid’s classes has nothing to do with casting a fly rod, it’s about the bugs. My “Creek Creatures” class is a short 20 min power point presentation about aquatic macro invertebrates, with lots of big, colorful pictures … Followed by about an hour of hands on bug sampling in the Truckee River. Kids in this class are usually 7-16 years old (the parents are always encouraged to join). When they are on the younger side, adult supervision is required. Kids like nothing more than getting wet in a river, and catching what could be thousands of bugs.

Is Lake Tahoe a good venue for fly fishing?

Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area comprise one of the most beautiful outdoor class rooms anywhere in the world. We are fortunate to have lots of cold, clean, oxygenated rivers that are a haven for many aquatic bug species, this intern leads to large numbers of healthy fish, and of course that equals great fly fishing! Most of the fish we catch are rainbow and brown trout.

What is your fishing background?

I’ll let the “About Matt” section of my website tell my fishing background. I started fishing when I was three, and started fly fishing when I was ten. I have been fly fishing for about 19 years. I got started at the resort when in late 2006; they asked me to run my program as a full time job in the spring, summer and fall.

How do your classes work?

All of my classes run from $75-300 per person. The Creek Creatures class is $75. The “Sundowner” is $300. I always encourage adults and kids to bring a hat, sun screen, polarized sunglasses, and of course a camera … and lots of questions!

Check out http://www.mattheronflyfishing.com for more information about the program, along with information on our clinics.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended family-friendly hotels in Lake Tahoe

Best Lake Tahoe hikes with kids

Lake Tahoe family vacation activities

Photo Friday: rock jumping and hiking in Lake Tahoe

This is a guest post from Michelle Duffy of WanderMom.  Many families fear the crowds and smells of Venice (with good reason, particularly during July and August) and stay just 2-3 nights. This is sufficient (see my article on Italy family travel tips for reference), however, there are enough nooks and crannies to explore to keep families entertained for a week or more. Michelle stayed in Venice for 5 days—a good amount of time—so I invited her to share their trip highlights.  It’s always fun to see what resonates the most with kids.

Venice transportation.  Photo Credit Cagney Jarvis of The Chickpea Studio

Venice with Kids

You might not think of Venice as top European destination for kids, but it is. We spent five wonderful days relaxing and exploring the city. We stayed in a small apartment off Campo San Angelo, a short walk from the famous Piazza San Marco. In planning our trip, I had to consider how to make Venice enjoyable for my very active, very boisterous boys, while still getting to show them this famous city with all her artistic charms.

Photo Credit RUSM

Piazza San Marco

We arrived by train. It was unseemingly hot for late June so we stopped for gelato on the steps of the train station watching the vaporettos coming and going and once we were done eating, hopped on a vaporetto to get to our apartment. My younger son found traveling by water-bus in itself exciting. Later, when the streets were quieter, we took a walk over to Piazza San Marco.

The evening was the perfect time to visit with kids-in-tow: the dueling pianos were just tuning up, the restaurants were setting up for evening service and the evening sun glinted on the famous lion on the Basilica. The day-time crowds had dispersed and we got to enjoy the square at a kid-friendly pace. We continued our walk looping back through the San Marco neighborhood and discovered that Venice, with it’s small cobbled streets, many bridges and unintelligble layout is an excellent urban destination for adventurous boys.

That first evening set the pattern for our visit. Over the next four days we walked all over Venice. At morning coffee in a little cafe on Campo San Stefano, I suggested sightseeing options for the day and my husband and kids would consider my ideas, discuss, disagree, refute and compromise. Such is our habit when we travel.

Scuola di San Rocco

On Day 2 we visited the Scuola di San Rocco. For this, I owe thanks to Mary Pope Osborne for including Tintoretto as a character in her Carnival By Candlelight book. She made it easy for me to convince my kids to come with me to the Scuola, and once there, they were enthralled by the paintings on the walls and ceilings. “Wow. Tintoretto sure was prolific” my 12-year-old exclaimed. We spent the rest of the day exploring sestiere San Polo finishing with a relaxing late afternoon prosecco in Campo San Polo while our boys watched local kids play soccer around the Campo.

Venice neighborhood. Photo Credit RobertoGennaro

Cannaregio

Day 3 was easily the high point of our visit to Venice. Heading away from San Marco, we idled by the shops on the Rialto Bridge and wandered North into Cannaregio. The streets in the Jewish Quarter were quiet and peaceful giving me ample time to share with my kids that this area is where the word ‘ghetto’ was originally coined although I didn’t get time to reflect on the weight of such history because hungry boys need food fast and, regretfully, I walked past the Jewish Museum with my head in the guidebook looking for a recommendation for somewhere for lunch. With a plate of cicchetti from a nearby bacalo, we ate – and basked in the sun – sitting on steps by a nameless canal. OK, so I’m sure the canal has a name, but this was a perfect, lazy, hazy summer vacation day so I’m afraid I didn’t pay attention to where we actually were, just sat back and enjoyed the moment.

Doge’s Palace. Photo Credit Vladacanon

Doge’s Palace

My plan for Day 4 was to spend our morning on Murano and then perhaps visit to other attractions in the afternoon. And we should have been able to do so too had I not taken us on the long way to Murano. Our last full day in Venice was sadly, gone in a flash.

Having saved the best (for our boys) until last, we spent our final morning at the Doge’s Palace. There are rooms and rooms full of beautiful paintings and other artwork, but we spent most of our visit in the Armoury. My boys were fascinated by the weaponry and suits of armour. My older son stood for a long time in front of the fiendish-looking metal chastity belt and gasped when he figured out the mechanics of the device. We lost our younger son in the Prisons. That happens when your child decides he really, really liked the old-style knives and guns so much that he had to go back and see them “just once more, Mom”. Heading out of the museum, I was actually glad to cross the Bridge of Sighs how ironic is that?

With our bags packed, we stopped for just one more coffee at “our” cafe on Campo San Stefano. We thanked the staff for their patience with our daily visits and pidgin Italian and said our goodbyes to the cafe and Venice – for now anyway.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended Venice/Veneto family hotels

Ciao Bambino recommended Italy family hotels

Family-friendly villas and agencies in Italy

Veneto travel with children

Tuscany attractions with kids

Florence things to do with kids

Kid-friendly tour guides and walking tours in Venice/rest of Italy

Italy travel tips, creating a family-friendly itinerary

Review of Italy guide book for women

Do you have a family travel question?  Ask an expert!  Come visit us on BestFamilyTravelAdvice.com.

Lucy the Elephant. Photo Credit Dana Rebmann

“We’re going to see an elephant.” That’s all I told my girls. They were confused and that was the way I wanted it.

We were on family vacation in Atlantic City on the Jersey Shore. They wanted to go to the beach, and so the questions began. But I refused to provide any details. I wanted Lucy to be a surprise.

Last summer one of the highlights of our vacation was climbing to the crown of the Statue of Liberty. It was such a hit I went searching for another climbing adventure, and I found it less than 10 minutes from Atlantic City. It’s not every day you get to climb an elephant.

Zoomorphic Architecture

Lucy the Elephant is a six-story building, shaped like an elephant. She was built in 1881 in Margate City, New Jersey by James Lafferty. He’d hoped she would help sell real estate. Unfortunately for him, he was wrong, but the idea of an animal shaped building was innovative and Lafferty was granted a patent to protect his lovely lady. Lucy was the first of three elephant buildings, but she’s the only one that’s survived the test of time. And it wasn’t easy for her.

A Little History

In 1970, Lucy was practically falling apart. The oceanfront property she called home, was slated to become home to new condominiums.Thanks to a grassroots “Save Lucy” campaign, the beautiful beast was moved about 2 blocks to a city owned elephant safe haven. The hours of hard work put into moving and restoring Lucy was rewarded when she was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Climb the World’s Largest Elephant

From summer home to tavern to tourist attraction, Lucy’s had many jobs over the years. When we parked the car and my girls looked up they started yelling, “That’s Lucy from the Guinness Book of World Records!” Suddenly, the beach was all but forgotten.

Climbing Lucy is easy. My non-scientific count came up with 35 steps with breaks in between – easily doable whether you’re 4 or 40, or even carrying a kid or two to the top. You enter Lucy through a back leg and climb to her stomach where you see a brief video on her history. After the movie, look through her glass eyes, to see her view of the world and a great view of the beach.

She has 22 windows in all, including a pane in the butt. When you’re ready, another short climb will take you to the howdah, the ornate carriage mounted on her back. It’s beach as far as the eye can see but if you look to the left you can see the condos responsible for her move.

When you make your ascent through her other back leg, keep your eyes peeled, so not to miss what Lucy had for lunch. I won’t ruin the surprise, ask the tour guide if you can’t find the elephant’s edibles.

The pictures just don’t do the behemoth beauty justice. She’s huge. A million pieces of timber covered with 12-thousand square feet of tin. Her ears are 17 feet long and 10 feet wide. It’s estimated they weigh 2-thousand pounds each.

Lucy provides plenty of shade for the tables scattered around her.Pack a picnic and have lunch. If you need some extra goodies, peanuts are sold in the gift shop.

Lucy’s Beach

The climb won’t take all day. Picnic included, you’re probably looking at two hours. If you’re not on a schedule, follow Lucy’s trunk straight to the beach. You’ll need to buy a beach tag from the checker, and chances are he or she will be standing right at the entrance to the beach. Lifeguards are on duty Memorial Day through Labor Day. The beaches are wide and flat with fine white sand. If the water doesn’t cool you off, look for the ice chests on wheels. Mobile ice cream men roam the beaches, bringing smiles to kids of all ages.

Got a family travel question? Ask an expert on Best Family Travel Advice!

Relevant Links:

Atlantic City attractions with kids

United States Family Travel Guide

East Coast beach vacations

Cape Cod family vacations

Kid-friendly activities on Nantucket

Are you feeling like summer is coming to a fast close and you need more holiday time?  I do! Fortunately, fall is a wonderful season to plan short getaways while the weather is still nice and in many cases, prices are lower than peak travel periods.

Here are 10 great fall travel ideas.  I’ve included venues that are great for parents-only getaways as well as family breaks.  Given all there is to do to prepare for back-to-school, we’re all exhausted and need some downtime.

North America

Fairmont Banff Springs | Banff, Canada

Banff is just over an hour’s drive from the Calgary airport and makes a surprisingly easy short yet spectacular getaway.  The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is a grand resort property with a long list of amenities and nearby activities for every age.  If Mom and Dad want a break, the hotel hosts the International Festival of Wine & Food from October 29-31st, although flights would have to be timed to get home for Halloween.

Check pricing now

Seven Stars | Turks and Caicos, Caribbean

If you are willing to wait until the last minute to book a trip to ensure the weather behaves, the fall can be a great time to stay at a gorgeous hotel for less.  We recently added Seven Stars to Ciao Bambino (courtesy of The Luxury Travel Mom). This condo-style property has spacious units overlooking a breathtaking beach. You can keep costs down eating breakfast and lunch at home; the beach venue will give you one last dose of a summer feel before winter arrives.

Check pricing now

Intercontinental Boston | Boston, United States

It’s hard to beat New England for glorious fall color.  Boston is easy to access with oodles of indoor and outdoor activities.  The Intercontinental Boston is set right on the newly redeveloped harbor and walking distance to many of Boston’s best kid-friendly attractions.  The decor is modern, sophisticated, yet comfortable with kids.

Check pricing now

Trapp Family Lodge | Stowe, Vermont, United States

You can’t write a piece about fall getaways without including Vermont.  Find & Go Seek is the source of our Trapp Family Lodge review and I’m absolutely drooling over this hotel.  The Alpine-style Trapp Family Lodge combines cozy digs with top-notch service. Easy access to Stowe means there is plenty to do in and around the area for every age and interest.

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Cavallo Point Lodge | Sausalito, California, United States

Fall is the best time of year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Fog-free days make outdoors-focused activities a joy.  I can’t think of a better home-base than Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito.  For locals and visitors alike the ambiance and views here do not disappoint. The best Bay Area hiking and biking is out your doorstep and little kids have a huge grass area that is perfect for running around, as well as the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

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Europe

Many of our readers live in Europe (as do I now) and easy fall getaways means a local venue.  We are lucking enough to have week to two week breaks from school here in October which means a full holiday is a possibility.

Colle San Paolo | Umbria, Italy

We just featured activity tips Umbria vacations with kids on the blog and I have to admit that a few of the options are new and intriguing for me.  Chocolate school?!  White water rafting? It all sounds fabulous. Colle San Paolo was reviewed by our friends at ItaliaKids.com. Well-furnished apartments and a villa are ideal for families.  The beauty of Umbria is that it is much less touristy than Tuscany with as many wonderful villages and attractions to explore.

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Villa La Massa | Florence, Italy

Florence is too crowded for my taste in summer months.  It is much better to explore Florence in the fall when the weather is still pleasant and the crowds have thinned.  If luxury holiday in Florence sounds dreamy Villa La Massa is an excellent choice.  Although Villa La Massa is one of the best-known luxury hotels in Italy, they are 100% focused on welcoming families too and always have a special program or two to offer to their guests with children.

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The Elms | Worcestershire, England

The English countryside is fantastic year-round destination.  The Elms in Worcestershire has an indoor pool for rainy days as well as a supervised kids’ program for babies and toddlers.  The countryside in this part of England is full of interesting excursions including castles and a safari park.

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Vedema Resort | Santorini, Greece

I’m excited that we are starting to build a bit of a Greece portfolio now. The Vedema Resort is in glorious Santorini.  Reviewed by our friends at TravelSavvyMom.com, this village-like complex has spacious suites and villas with plenty of room for everyone to spread out and get comfortable. There aren’t a long list of family-focused amenities here, but if R&R in a spectacular setting is calling you, this will due the trick.

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Angleterre & Residence | Lausanne, Switzerland

Come and say hi to me in my new home in Lausanne, Switzerland.   It is insanely gorgeous here (Photo Friday Lake Geneva) and rumor has it that fall is a wonderful time to visit.  We stayed at the Angleterre & Residence on our scouting trip and loved the family experience at this hotel.  The location is exceptional right on the water with a long promenade and huge green space nearby.  Plus, you can access a bit of pampering at the iconic sister hotel, the Beau Rivage Palace, next door. My review is not in Ciao Bambino yet, but will be soon.

Check pricing now

Relevant Links:

Have a burning family travel question? Ask the experts on Best Family Travel Advice

Kid-friendly luxury vacations by Ciao Bambino and Lexus

Some news! We just launched a new partnership with LocalGetaways.com.  We’re writing tips and advice for their Kid-Friendly Great Getaways section. The first edition covers the California wine country vacations with kids. Napa and Sonoma are right outside of Dana’s front door and she’s provided an array of fantastic suggestions of things to do with kids other than dragging them to wineries.

Local Getaways is a great resource to bookmark for boutique hotel stays in California.  The publisher, Matthew R. Poole, is the author of three Frommer’s Travel Guides to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and California. Matthew and his team have put together a great array of small hotels that are perfect for short holidays.  Not all are kid-friendly (you can use Ciao Bambino to cross reference hotels that we like with kids), but nonetheless, they always showcase great deals at properties that are perfect for parent-only excursions too.

Relevant Links:

Napa family hotels on Ciao Bambino

Kid-friendly luxury vacations by Ciao Bambino and Lexus

Napa with kids, Oxbow Market

Napa with kids, 5 kid-friendly activities

Welcome to Atlantic City.  Photo Source Dana Rebmann

My favorite trips are the ones that require a passport. When going somewhere I’ve never been, there’s the promise of the new and unknown. There’s excitement and a sense of adventure that starts when you make the first reservation and lasts until the plane touches down at home. But trips are not always vacations. There’s a big difference, especially when kids are involved. My favorite vacations involve sandy beaches and warm water, and one of my favorite sandy stretches is the New Jersey Shore.

If you call the East Coast home, you probably understand what I mean. West Coasters, before you decide I’m nuts, hear me out.

Atlantic City beach

Atlantic City with Kids

Location, Location, Location

Part of the beauty of the Jersey Shore is its location. It’s easy to get to even if you don’t live in the Garden State. Folks from areas surrounding New York and Philadelphia can jump in their car and in most cases, have their toes in the sand just a couple hours later. If the kids have a soccer game on Saturday, you can go to the beach on Sunday. Day trips are doable budget friendly options for families. Pack a picnic and go. With dozens of seaside destinations to choose from, everyone has their favorite getaway, but probably the best known locale is Atlantic City.

Gambling on the Beach

It’s kind of like gambling in the desert, but with a worn façade and much less bling. Unlike other beach towns, when you go to Atlantic City, you go for the casinos and the entertainment they provide.Most of it is geared at the 21 and over crowd, but families aren’t left out of the equation. It seems as though there’s always a Cirque show at the Trump Taj Mahal. At Caesars it’s all about ancient Rome, but your kids might be much more entertained by the water show the hotel puts on at the end of the Pier Shops. On a hot and humid summer day, you can cool off while you window shop your way to the end.

The neat thing about the high-end mall is built on a 900 foot pier over the Atlantic Ocean. And for those who love looking at the beach, but would rather not be on it, there is a stretch along the pier where you can sit in Adirondack chairs and take in the full effect without ever getting sand between your toes.

Life’s a Beach

But for those of us who aren’t afraid of sand, Atlantic City has wide beaches, and though there’s usually quite a crowd, it always seems as though there’s plenty of room for everyone. Lifeguards patrol the beaches from 10am to 6pm daily throughout the summer. An added perk, Atlantic City beaches are free. You don’t need to buy a beach tag to enjoy a day in the sand. And for those who are accustomed to West coast beaches, you’re in for a real treat. The Atlantic Ocean is warm! Think 70+ degrees, or high 60’s on a cold day.

Soft pretzels on the boardwalk

Hit the Boardwalk

The Boardwalk ties together seaside Atlantic City. It’s showing signs of age and could use a little sprucing up, but the spirit is still there. In between the casinos, there’s dozens of touristy shops selling everything from t-shirts to beach toys to pet hermit crabs. You’ll also find your fill of junk food. Salt water taffy, soft serve ice cream (known as custard), fried Oreos and funnel cakes. My kids like to watch soft pretzels being made and then indulge. Ten pretzels are just four dollars – a Boardwalk bargain. Be sure to get plenty of mustard to dip them in as you walk. If your kids are thrill seekers, Steel Pier is the ocean front amusement park for ride and game lovers.

Absecon Lighthouse

If you’ve got a car, the Absecon Lighthouse is worth a visit. (Though called the Absecon Lighthouse, the Lighthouse is located in Atlantic City.) A small museum provides a basic history, then if the kids have the energy you can climb 228 steps to the top of one of the country’s oldest lighthouses. It’s a good way to burn off all the Boardwalk junk food.

Just like Las Vegas, Atlantic City has its family friendly side, you just have to look for it. But make sure to save some time to splash around on some of New Jersey’s other beaches. My favorites include a 65-foot elephant, warm carmel corn and family surfing lessons. More next week.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino’s United States family travel guide

East Coast Beach vacations

Things to do in Atlantic City on Uptake.com

We’ve spent this week in Zermatt, Switzerland.  We were last here 10 years ago and can’t believe how much the town and valley have grown.  The crowds in town are extreme in August, but fortunately, it’s easy to escape people through miles and miles of spectacular hiking trails.

The massive Matterhorn is ever-present and dominates the landscape. That said, almost one-third of all the 4,000 meter/13,000 foot+ peaks in the Alps are grouped around Zermatt, i.e. there many breathtaking mountains and views to appreciate here.

The face of the Matterhorn changes dramatically based on your position and the time of day.  My favorite image of the mountain is this one captured at sunrise when the peak is immersed in warm, morning light.

Sunset is also a spectacular time of day when alpenglow hits the peaks and one side of the Matterhorn.

Yet again, the image of the Matterhorn changes when you get up close. We took the Matterhorn Glacier Trail which runs right under the mountain.  A must-do for anyone visiting the area.  Stay tuned for a separate post on the best hikes in Zermatt that are doable with kids.

For more Photo Friday posts, head over to Delicious Baby.

Relevant Links:

Ciao Bambino recommended family hotels Switzerland

Hello Switzerland

Photos of Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Susan Van Allen writes about Italian travel and interviewed me for her book, 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go.  I finally had time to sit down with her book on vacation this summer.  Wow, what an inspirational resource for all of us who have a love affair with all that is Italian!

Susan writes about Italy’s feminine spirit and describes the places and experiences that transform travelers. Her description of Italy as a place that “brings peace and comfort, a place that stirs that soul” is applicable to both sexes and all ages.

I’m one of those travelers that struggles to read a guide book before arriving in a place.  This book is different. The historical facts presented read like a story—the details are a joy to peruse and Susan communicates the heart and soul of all that she covers.

She categorizes all the various experiences vs. organizing the book by destinations. I love this—saints, villas, gardens, caffes, gelato, shopping, beauty treatments, spas, beaches, culture—glorious suggestions are easy to access and digest.  The presentation is user-friendly with useful tips (including relevant links for reservations) and recommended reading.

This guide doesn’t cover traveling with kids in detail, but this is precisely the beauty of family travel in Italy—many of Italy’s best experiences appeal to all ages and interests in one way or another. For more information visit SusanVanAllen.com.

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