To the Revolution!
Williamsburg, VA is an ideal family vacation destination to bring history alive as well as plenty of family fun. New for 2017 is the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown (opening 
April 19) and a new wooden roller coaster at Busch Gardens. There are plenty of family friendly hotels and resorts as well. The Kingsmills Resort is offering their Ultimate Family Fun package which is an excellent value and includes three night’s accommodations; daily breakfast; Flex Tickets to Busch Gardens Williamsburg/Water Country USA (valid for up to seven consecutive days admission to both parks); one-day tickets to Colonial Williamsburg; shuttle service to and from Busch Gardens, Water Country and Colonial Williamsburg; resort recreation including bike rentals, fishing, water sports, tennis and discounted golf; parking and internet access. Leave time to enjoy a myriad of other resort activities, including a Kid’s Camp, water sports, Segway tours, indoor and outdoor pools and more! Choose from hotel rooms or one to three bedroom condos and add additional room nights as needed.
Celebrate Canada
Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this year with free access to their national parks, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites. Other special events will take place throughout the year (http://passport2017.ca/). One free Discovery Pass is good for one vehicle regardless of number of occupants. It doesn’t cover most other activities within the parks such park ranger led tours. Canada has 47 national parks in all 13 provinces. Enjoy the sesquicentennial from coast to coast!
Eloise Suite Experience
The Plaza Hotel in New York City is rawther thrilled to invite you to experience the one-of-a-kind Eloise Suite designed by celebrated fashion designer Betsey Johnson. 
It’s pink and black all over with plenty of whimsical decor. The hotel offers a package that includes accommodations in the Eloise Suite plus Eloise’s Afternoon Tea for two, an Eloise robe, an Eloise Charge It key chain, a copy of the book Eloise at The Plaza, a $100 Gift Card for the Eloise Shop at The Plaza, an Eloise puzzle and an Eloise canvas tote! The suite doesn’t accommodate a rollaway bed (what?), but a one bedroom suite can connect for additional bedding. The iconic hotel located on Central Park is part of the Fairmont family of hotels. It offers 24-hour butler services, spa, gym and has several nice dining options.
RitzKids Orlando
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is debuting a new Ritz Kids interactive experience for your children. The first Ritz-Carlton to offer a physical space to bring the hotel’s scenography
to life, the property is part of the 500-acre Grande Lakes Orlando resort, which also includes a JW Marriott hotel, a Ritz-Carlton Spa and an 18-hole golf course. The refreshed Ritz Kids space and programming offers your children the opportunity to become fully immersed in Florida’s rich history and biodiversity. The partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society allows your little ones to discover adventure and exploration through four pillars: water, land, environmental responsibility and culture. The journey starts at check-in, when your children embark on their adventure to learn more about the unexpected history of central Florida and the footprints it has left on the region through a variety of experiences against the backdrop of a reimagined trading outpost, characteristic of early Orlando pioneer life. Adventures include a recreated Frontier Farmhouse; learning about the Everglades, wildlife interactions, ecosystems and botany; fishing and conservation. Nature activities off property include eco-tours and bird watching.
Jackson Hole Update
Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Mountain Resort recently debuted the new Sweetwater Gondola, set to significantly increase base-area capacity and offer access to a new ski school facility projected 
for completion in winter 2017. Located in the Solitude mid-station area, the enhancement will result in 12,000 square feet of additional ski-school, rental and dining space. With nonstop flights from 12 major U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Dallas and Newark — and only a 30-minute drive from the airport, the destination offers your family quick access to wintertime activities. And now in its second year, Jackson Hole Resort Lodging offers a Kids Ski Free Program, where families booking any condominium or home rental for four nights or more receive 10 percent off their stay, and children 14 and under ski free with each paying adult (one child per paying adult).
High Tech Water Park
Universal Orlando will open a new water park, Volcano Bay, next summer and recently released some more details about the exciting attractions and wearable technology. 
When you get to the park you will receive a high-tech bracelet called a TapuTapu which will allow your family to avoid long lines with a simple tap. You can put yourself in a virtual line for the attraction of your choice while enjoying other portions of the park. When the time comes to board the ride, you will be alerted by your bracelet; similar to the way restaurants alert you when your table is ready. Your bracelet will also let you trigger special affects around the park called Tap to Play. You can control streams of water spurting from whales in Tot Tiki Reef, shoot water cannons at other guests snaking down Kopiko Wai Winding River and illuminate images in the volcano’s hidden caves. Volcano Bay’s signature attraction is the Krakatau Aqua Coaster will be a trackless ride through the park’s 200-foot-high Krakatau volcano. You will be propelled both downward and upward on canoes that twist and turn through the peaks, valleys and dark passageways. Tickets are now on sale for Volcano Bay.
Holidays in Boca
Still looking for a winter getaway? Not to worry we are still getting lots of requests! The Boca Raton Resort and the Boca Beach Club want your family to create new memories this holiday
season with their the Uniquely Boca Holiday Package. Enjoy valet parking, cake pops on arrival, a family photo portrait, breakfast plus 15% off spa, golf, and tennis. The package also includes the resort fee and a late checkout. Choose to book a suite and receive a bonus $100 resort credit. This holiday package is available from now through January 5 with a minimum 2-night stay. The iconic property features 365 acres as well as many pools, water sports including the flowrider surf pool and surf lessons, wellness programs, variety of dining options, children’s programming and activities along with special holiday events for Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years.
Kids Ski Free at Keystone
Keystone, 90 miles west of Denver with more than 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, is celebrating the fifth birthday of its Kids Ski Free Program — which is also the age that children can officially join the program. In honor of its five years in service, your children can take part in complimentary skiing and free Kidtopia events and parties, including a special weekly birthday bash with Ripperoo, the resort’s canine ski mascot. Just book two or more nights in a Keystone accommodation option, which spans from hotel rooms to family-size condominiums, and children 12 and younger ski for free at the resort with no blackout dates (per adult). Since the start of the Kids Ski Free Program in 2012, the resort has provided more than 100,000 free kids’ lift tickets to families. Additionally, Keystone offers free parking, including front-row family parking, and complimentary red wagons in which to carry gear and children to and from the slopes.
Serafina Mystery
The Grand Bohemian Hotel, located in Asheville, N.C.’s historic Biltmore Village, is offering mystery fans the Serafina Package, inspired by The New York Times bestselling Serafina series 
by author Robert Beatty. The historical mystery-thriller novels, which take place in the mountains and forests around Asheville, center around a 12-year-old girl who lives secretly in the basement of Biltmore Estate. The package, which will run through the end of the year, includes a signed copy of the newest book, Serafina and the Twisted Staff; overnight accommodations; two tickets to Biltmore Estate; complimentary gourmet breakfast for two children ages 16 and under in Grand Bohemian’s Red Stag Grill; two coupons for complimentary scoops of Serafina Dark Forest Flavor ice cream from The Hop ice cream cafe; and an adventure map that provides a guide to Serafina’s Mountains, helping children explore the young heroine’s world. Mystery solved!
Ski Telluride
Skiers will appreciate the Ultimate Franz Klammer Lodge Ski Package at the Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz 
Klammer Lodge in Telluride, CO. It includes accommodations in a spacious two- or three-bedroom luxury residence, two adult daily lift tickets (excluding arrival day), complimentary round-trip airport transfers from Montrose or Telluride airports, valet parking, and ski valet. The package is available from November 24, 2016 to April 2, 2017 with a four-night minimum stay. The property features 63 units, spa, outdoor heated pool and hot tubs and game room. It is steps away from a variety of Telluride dining and shopping options and walking distance to the gondola.
