The Virtual Woman: A Woman's
Weekly Guide To Cyberspace
Have Kids (And Modem): Will Travel
For a brief moment I thought I'd have children. And then I began to receive inquiries from readers about traveling on summer vacation with their kids. Not pretty, I thought. Not pretty at all. At least not pretty without a modem. So I fired mine up and, as usual, the Wonderful Worldwide Web did not disappoint. There is plenty out there to help parents traveling with kids this summer-so read on and have fun!!
Dear Virtual Woman:
To put it nicely,
my two kids (8 and 10 years-old) require a lot of attention and get bored very easily.
All this makes the annual car ride to my parents house in Atlanta (we live in New
Haven, Conn.) seem like punishment for the entire family. By the time we cross the
Georgia state line, we're at our wit's end. This summer, I want to make sure we have
smooth sailing. Any recommendations?
- Rose Anne H., New Haven, CT
Dear Rose Anne:
Don't even think of rolling out of your driveway without checking out Cyber Parent's Traveling with Kids section (http://www.cyberparent.com/trips/). Not only will you find tips on how to keep you and your kids happy travelers, you'll also find links for fun games to play in the car. This site has a lot of good pointers on how to keep your two sweet little terrors engaged and intellectually challenged throughout your trip.
Dear Virtual Woman:
A lot of family's vacation time
is spent during major holidays, so by the time summer rolls around my husband and
I really try to plan special weekends. Things like picnics in various parks around
the city. The only problem is the not so great picnic food-to-go and the mess. Is
there a site with some good picnic ideas?
- Anna G., San Francisco, CA
Dear Anna:
I love it-picnicking your way through the summer! Hoping you don't mind if I and a few million readers steal this idea? Here's a site guaranteed to help make your picnics this summer even better: Family Travel Guides (http://www.familytravelguides.com). Scroll to the bottom of this page and look for the "Food to Go" link. On the following page you'll find a link to picnic pointers. Everything from how to make kid-friendly food to a list of outdoor essentials like bug repellent and sunscreen. Personally, I liked the tip about how to keep your sandwiches from getting soggy (always a potentially big picnic faux paus).
Dear Virtual Woman:
We're taking the plunge.
Starting July 1, we're taking the family on a cross-country trip from Phoenix, AZ to
Boston, MA. I've prepared myself with AAA travel guides, but I'm not up for sifting
through each state guide for the best hotel/motel that'll meet our family's needs. I
have enough trouble trying to pique my twelve-year-old and fourteen-year-old's interest
in exploring America. Is there a list of hotels/motels that describe kid discounts and
so forth?
- Cross-Country, Phoenix, AZ
Dear Cross Country:
The travel experts are here with your solution, and then some. That's right, Fodor's (http://www.fodors.com/resource/children) has what you need for the perfect trip across the states. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and find a list of hotel/motel chains, all of which offer discounts for kids. Fodor's not only directs you to useful planning tips, it gives you step-by-step advice on how to get your kids involved in the vacation and get you excited about this chance for family bonding, not whining.
Happy Surfing!
Find these links and more at WWWomen.Com (http://www.wwwomen.com) the web's largest search directory of topics for women online. Email the Virtual Woman with your Internet questions or send snailmail to: WWWomen.Com, Attn: Virtual Woman, 3701 Geary Blvd., #325, S.F., CA 94118. Copyright, 1998. WWWomen, Inc. All rights reserved.
This column can only be re-distributed with written
permission by
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service or WWWomen, Inc.
Contributing Editor: Mary Ray
© Copyright 1996-99. WWWomen, Inc.®. All Rights Reserved.
WWWomen is a registered trademark of the WWWomen company.