The Northern California Wine Country is one of the world’s top destinations to visit — without your kids. It’s got a bad reputation when it comes to being family-friendly. I understand how the rumor probably got started. Kids drink milk not wine. The Wine Country has been fighting the bad rap for years, and this summer they landed a knockout punch thanks to Francis Ford Coppola.

The man who gave us Apocalypse Now and The Godfather had a vision of a winery …

Summer is busy at Disneyland. It’s peak time for family vacations and while you should expect crowds, lines and hot days, there are family-tested strategies for making your visit more enjoyable.

The upside of summer is that the parks are open later and the kids don’t have school so you can take advantage of the evening attractions.

I’m so incredibly lucky. My kids are great travelers and it’s rare we don’t have fun on a trip. But every now and then you have those trips that make you go Wow! We just got back from a Wow trip to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. It’s one of the best family-friendly resorts I’ve come across, and it’s located in the heart of Huntington Beach, California.

It’s one of those places where it’s okay to feel spoiled and escape the day to day craziness …

Fourth of July is synonymous with summer fun.

Parades loaded with kids on decorated bikes, fireworks, barbecues, warm pie with ice cream and sunshine. The list could go on, but you get the idea. Even having lived through years of cold patriotic celebrations in San Francisco, one thing I don’t think of on Independence Day is snow.

This year things are different.

Ciao Bambino was recently invited for a two-day media event to check out what’s new for summer 2011 at Disneyland Resort. If you haven’t been to the park in awhile, now is a great time to visit!

New rides, a “soundsational” parade in Disneyland, and a huge expansion at Disney’s California Adventure mean families with kids of all ages can partake in new experiences.

When I need a break from the daily grind, a weekend overnight or two at a luxury hotel does wonders.

Sometimes it’s just too challenging not to work while at home — my “to do” list is always calling and by Sunday night I feel like I’ve had no downtime.

As a consequence, I always have a list of favorite getaways ready for relaxation emergencies. In the San Francisco Bay Area, this list includes Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay …

I live about four hours from some of the best skiing in the country, maybe even the world, and I can’t tell you the last time I was on skis. Sad. I used to ski. When my husband and I first started dating, he actually taught me how to ski. There were some lessons thrown in there too, but for the most part I learned while trying to keep up with him.

Then I got pregnant, had a baby and got pregnant again. Skiing …

I read an article recently about the rapidly dwindling number of California sea otters (they don’t know why this is the case yet) that left me sad. As a native Northern Californian, I grew up appreciating our spectacular coastline from Monterey to Big Sur. This is home to the much-adored sea otter.

The Northern California Wine Country has a reputation for many fabulous things, but being family-friendly isn’t one of them. Wine tasting with kids is do-able, but different. And though wine is obviously the toast of the town, kids have a new, fast-flying reason to celebrate when they visit.

Move over grapevines, some towering Redwoods have a new view of wine country to share. Ziplining is a favorite activity in family vacation spots like Cabo San Lucas and Costa Rica. Now, the California wine country …

I recently wrote an article for our friends at Shermans Travel highlighting three family favorite ski areas in North Lake Tahoe: Sugar Bowl, Northstar-at-Tahoe, and Squaw Valley. Each of these resorts offers a very different ski experience. The beauty is they are located close enough together that you can easily try all three ski areas in a single vacation.