Furniture Making in Vermont

Families with children ages 8 and up can learn the craft of furniture making at the Stowe Mountain Lodge. Learn basic wood working, joinery and finish techniques to produce one-of-a-kind rustic log furniture that you take home with you at the completion of the course!  No prior woodworking experience required.  The cost is only $240 for up to four people.  Stowe Mountain Lodge is a year-round resort with a wide variety of recreational opportunities including 18 holes of golf, spa (with services for children age 6 and older), gym, walking and biking trails, pool and tennis.  In the region you can explore the outdoors with fishing, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, zip lines and more.  In winter enjoy ski-in and ski-out access with a variety of other winter adventures close by.  The town’s performing arts center showcases all sorts of entertainment and an arts center offers a great selection of creative workshops for all ages.  The hotel’s “Alpine concierge” is also on hand to arrange a picnic, suggest a farm tour or point your family to hidden swimming holes and canoe-safe waterways.  The hotel is also pet friendly.

Neptune’s Adventure in San Francisco

Explore Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco with a stay at the nearby Argonaut Hotel.  
Their Neptune’s Adventure package includes a deluxe room with two queen beds for up to four people, daily continental breakfast for four at the Blue Mermaid Chowder House and Bar or via room service, one-day cable car passes for two adults and two children, a special maritime gift for children, a Pier 39 Fun Pack, and complimentary Wi-Fi.  Kimpton Karma Reward members also get a $10 Raid the Bar credit.  The property hosts evening wine receptions, provides yoga mats for your room, has a gym and is pet friendly!

Family Glamping

TerraVelo Tours, an upscale glamping and adventures operator, will be hosting Family Weeks in California or Yellowstone this summer.  The California trip includes San Francisco, the Napa Valley, coastline and redwoods while the Yellowstone trip also visits Teton National Park.  Special children’s itineraries have been created to include cycling, hiking, cooking, crafts, movie night (no parents allowed!) and more.  Two dedicated children’s counselors accompany each trip to lead activities. Tours are limited to 5 families and discounts are available for children ages 8-15.  TerraVelo’s tents are more regal than rustic, outfitted with contemporary decor, beds with memory-foam mattresses, Turkish bath towels and more. A communal lounge offers games, books and a fully-stocked bar, and custom-designed shower and restroom facilities are an added bonus.  A personal chef and sous chef travel along with the group, preparing three gourmet meals per day.

Great Omni Amelia Challenge

Active families will love Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort’s Great Omni Amelia Challenge package
that includes your accommodations, one round of golf on the Ocean Links or Oak Marsh course, choice of two property tours (by Segway, Stand Up Paddleboarding or Kayak), two rounds of mini golf at Heron’s Cove, one tennis lesson, and one spa service or treatment. As long as the above activities are completed, you will also receive a two-night return stay certification to be redeemed between September 2015 and February 2016! This package is available now through Aug. 31, 2015.

Every Kid in a Park

Did you know that you own millions of acres of national parks, historic structures, cultural artifacts, ancient forests, snow-capped mountains, and clear blue lakes? Our public lands and waters belong to all Americans and are waiting for you to explore them!  Every Kid in a Park is a new initiative geared toward introducing America’s youth and their families to public lands and waters. The national program seeks to connect four million fourth graders with these treasured places in the 2015-16 academic year, coinciding with the National Park Service Centennial celebration. The Every Kid in a Park pass – available for the 2015-2016 school year – will provide free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and more!  Every Kid in a Park joins the Foundation’s Open Outdoors for Kids program in helping children learn history, culture, and science while exploring the great outdoors.  

Sandcastles at the Shore

The eco-chic Shore Hotel celebrates spring break with a unique sandcastle building package. U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition winner Raymond Karch, who has been carving sandcastles on the beaches of California for over 15 years, will teach your family the tricks of the trade on how to build an award-winning sandcastle. After presenting his building workshop, you will have free time to build your own sand masterpiece with his guidance. This activity will last for approximately three hours and includes a personal set of tools and a beach picnic. Sandcastles at the Shore travel package is available on Saturdays only from March 7 – April 18, 2015.

Family Fun by the Bay

Experience all that San Francisco has to offer with the Family Fun Package at the upscale Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghiradelli Square.  The package includes nightly accommodations, CityPass vouchers for two adult and two children, two children’s backpacks (each equipped with a water bottle), City Walks San Francisco and 50 Adventures on Foot tour cards, and five San Francisco postcards. Just stay a minimum of three-nights. Fairmont Heritage Place is a private residence club located in Ghirardelli Square on the historic San Francisco waterfront.  The property features 1-3 bedroom units, Maserati car service within 2 miles, 24-hour butlers, internet access and free breakfast.

Happy Birthday Yosemite

Camelback Waterpark

We are excited about the opening this spring of the Camelback Lodge & Indoor Waterpark in the Poconos.  The resort will include an eight-story hotel, spa and a 125,000-square-foot themed indoor adventure water park called Aquatopia.  The waterpark will showcase 7 pools, river ride, aqua-play structure, flowrider surf simulator and 13 slides including the Venus SlydeTrap – the first Aqua-Sphere-Manta slide of its kind in the World, as well as the Storm Chaser – the longest indoor watercoaster in the US.  The hotel will feature suites and 1-3 bedroom condos that sleep up to 14.  Outdoor recreational activities abound year round at the property and include skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, zip lining, a ropes course, mountain coaster and Segway tours.  The Grand Opening Celebration promotion features $200 in discounts and deals including a $50 resort credit, $20 off a spa treatment, discounted meals, 10% of shop purchases and a $50 resort credit if you book a future stay.

Ski Vermont

Want to save on family skiing?  Mount Snow in Vermont is offering their Kids Ski and Learn Free weeks.  The package includes a standard room at the moderate Snow Lake Lodge with daily continental breakfast. For every adult lift ticket purchased, one child gets a free lift ticket.  Plus half-day morning clinics for ages 4 to 12 of any skill level.  The special family weeks in 2015 are January 19-23, February 22-27, March 1-6 and March 12-20.  A three-night stay for a family of four start at $561.  Other activities at the resort and nearby include tubing, kids club, spa, snowmobile tours, dog sledding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and sleigh rides.  Currently 74 open trails covering 540 skiable acres are open.  Photo courtesy of Mount Snow.