Every Kid in a Park Returns
The Obama Administration recently announced that Every Kid in a Park has returned for its second year.
The program offers free park entry to the country’s fourth graders. Visit the Every Kid in a Park website to obtain a free pass that provides access to federally managed lands and waters – including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and marine sanctuaries. The pass is valid from September 1, 2016, through August 31, 2017, and grants free entry for fourth graders and up to three accompanying adults (or an entire non-commercial vehicle for drive-in parks) at more than 2,000 sites across the country! This program is an Administration-wide effort between the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Army, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Education and will continue each year with each new class of fourth graders.
College Visits to Boston
We are booking many of our families on college exploration tours with their high schoolers (as we now have two in
college and one high school senior!). Our packages include airfare, car rentals, convenient hotels and route planning. It’s such an exciting yet stressful time for families; so having a well-planned and organized trip can really make the difference (we just let you take care of the tours at each school). More hotels are throwing out special rates and packages for such an occasion that also give you time to enjoy the college locales. For example, in Boston where there are over 50 institutions of higher learning, the Commonwealth Hotel offers a College Visit Package. It includes your room, two Fenway Park tour tickets, reference book on fun Boston vocabulary slang to prepare you for your Boston years ahead, a $20 gift card to New England’s own Dunkin’ Donuts, a Boston map with local hot spots, and a 20 percent discount for graduation year 2020.
Sunny Isles for Families
Available through October 1st the Family Escape package from the upscale Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach includes your room, daily buffet breakfast for two (or four when you book a 2-bedroom suite), kids club 
access, a $40 spa credit for up to two adults toward a body or facial treatment, daily valet parking and internet access. This 98-room Florida resort (5-Diamond AAA and a Leading Hotels of the World member) features a unique and educational marine science program for children ages 5-12 called AcquaMarine. It uses a variety of educational hands-on activities that are also streamed on-line for parents (and approved family members). Family friendly activities abound including magic shows and balloon twister for kids, art and hip hop dance classes for teens, and tennis and nearby golf for adults. There is also a gym, fitness classes, several pools, beach butlers, cabana rentals, restaurants and more.
Family Adventure in Chicago
Through the end of the year, The James Chicago is offering their lil’ james Family Adventurer package 
where you can explore the best Chicago sights and culture with James-curated, family activities and destinations. Receive up to 20 percent off your stay along with a welcome amenity from Seedling, a company offering creative activity kits to spark your child’s imagination. Families also receive special amenities such as milk and cookie turn-down; a wide selection of books and classic board games; complimentary car service within the downtown area and free bike rentals with helmets. You will also get maps and guides for family adventures around the city. The James has 297 rooms, studios, one bedroom apartments and unique loft suites. The loft suite has two separate sleeping areas and includes a private media room with HD DVD projector with a selection of movies available through the hotel concierge. The modern hotel, located a block from the Magnificent Mile, also showcases a spa, steakhouse and complimentary internet.
Mini Manhattan Project
Enjoy a family week-end in New York City with the Mandarin Oriental New York’s Mini Manhattan package 
that includes a complimentary children’s welcome amenity, two $50 gift cards, one-hour carriage ride through Central Park with pick-up at the hotel, $100 food and beverage credit daily and internet access with at least a two-night stay. Young travelers are also invited to tailor their own adventure and explore the hotel’s MO Panda Club. Just launched this month, this exclusive kids program features Pocket Panda, a whimsical paper cutout character inspired by MiniMO the Panda. Children ages four to 16 can embark on a sightseeing and photography quest alongside Pocket Panda, and enjoy a selection of welcome amenities, immersive on-property experiences as well as access to some of the city’s top attractions. Children will also get a list of must-visit attractions to take their photo with him, which is curated seasonally with Art Smart, designers of personalized museum tours.
Legoland VIPs
Families headed to Legoland California Resort can now enjoy front-of-the-line access, a personal host for 
the day and more with the Ultimate Overnight VIP package. The deal also includes one-day admission to Legoland and Sea Life Aquarium, an overnight stay in a Legoland hotel suite with VIP check-in, turn-down service with bedtime storytelling, a photo package, a character escort to breakfast, lunch, valet parking and a special gift from the resort. Your family can also upgrade to include the Water Park VIP Experience for an additional $100 per person. Legoland recently opened Ninjago World, which features several new interactive attractions and its very own Ninja Kitchen restaurant.
Flying High in Scottsdale
The Phoenician, Arizona’s premier AAA Five Diamond resort destination, has partnered with I.FLY Trapeze to 
bring a one-of-a-kind, high-flying adventure to the desert. From October 2016 to April 2017, the property will offer 90-minute trapeze classes every Tuesday-Sunday at the recreational center known as The Park. Under the guidance of I.FLY instructors, you will learn timing and techniques for swinging, locking legs on a bar and completing the celebrated wrist-to-wrist catch. Each session, at $70 per person, is offered to individuals 4 years of age and older. Group packages and workshops are also available which is ideal for family reunions and families traveling together. The resort will also showcase complimentary shows – with all the pageantry of a Big Top performance — presented by the I.FLY team and select students. The Phoenician has 583 rooms along with 60 suites at The Canyon Suites property. There are plenty of great dining options, golf, tennis, pools, spa, children programs, bikes, playground, iScavenger Hunts (with your cell phone), art tours and more.
Urban Adventure Quest
For 28 seasons one of our favorite television shows The Amazing Race has followed teams around the world who compete for a million-dollar prize by completing various tasks. Your family can experience your own version of this travel competition through Urban Adventure Quest with a fun and educational way to explore a small city or a particular area of a larger one. The company now has 43 tours in 33 cities across the U.S. plus Vancouver, British Columbia. Using your smartphones to receive clues, you will embark on adventures to find specific locations where you need to answer questions, solve puzzle and complete challenges, all while earning points and competing virtually against other teams. Throughout the course of the race, you will visit famous sights, discover hidden gems and learn facts about the history and culture. Once your teams is registered, you can play on any day and time that is convenient for you. Or even split up into multiple teams and compete against each other. In addition, pricing is per team of two to five players; so a whole family can play for $49 for a two- to three-hour experience or $30 for a Mini Quest. With 86,000 players and counting, Urban Adventure Quest is a great way for families with children of all ages to explore a new city or even learn more about your own hometown!
Disney’s Free Dining
Disney World’s free dining promotion is back for stays between August 23 and October 1, November 15 and November 21, November 26 and November 28 and December 10 through December 21. All you need is a Disney hotel and at least a two-day theme park ticket with Park Hopper or Water Park Fun to qualify. Everyone in the room must be on the same package. Value Resort guests (Disney’s least expensive hotels) receive the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan which includes 2 counter service meals and one snack per day per family member. Stay at any the other Disney property and receive the standard Disney Dining Plan which is one Quick Service, one snack and one Table Service meal per day. Upgrading to higher tiers is possible for an additional charge. Please note that the number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited and some room category exclusions apply. You must be booked by July 8! We look forward to putting together a magical Disney vacation for your family.
Southwest USA with Thomson
Thomson Family Adventures now offers trips closer to home! For the first time the family adventure 
company is offering a scheduled tour inside of the continental United States this summer and next. The Southwest is home to incredible geological formations, vast desert landscapes, winding canyon hikes, Native American culture and some of the best national parks in the country. Thomson’s Southwest USA: Multi-Sport Adventure for Families starts in Phoenix and ends in Las Vegas. It includes Bryce, Zion and Arches National Parks along with Monument Valley and Moab. Activities include plenty of hiking (including wading up a river), horseback riding and a float trip on the Colorado River. Another new trip is their Canadian Rockies adventure to the gorgeous Banff region. Discounts are now available if you book for next summer (save $100 per person for groups of 2-5 and $200 per person for 6 or more if booked by May 31, 2016). Children under age 12, triple rooms with children under age 12 and alumni also get a discount. Thomson Family Adventures creates one-of-a-kind, high quality adventures to engage, entertain and educate families with children of all ages.
