Family Travel Ideas

The cold weather is finally hitting the Northeast and while we are looking forward to skiing and hockey, we can’t help but start thinking about some warm weather winter getaway ideas.  Since we are dreaming, we figure we might as well dream big — you know, those extended, vacation of a lifetime getaways that the teens will remember even after they have gone off to college!

As always, our travel blogger friends have lots of  inspiration to share so here we go .. follow the links for some great articles chock full of lots of wonderful photos, then start checking out airfare and hotels for some major league warm weather winter family vacations with your teens and tweens.

Hawaiian Beaches, Nature, Shopping and Water Sports

Although it is a long trip from the East Coast, Hawaii is a can’t miss trip for families with teens.  Our teens loved the opportunity to see an activevolcano, hike among the petroglyphs, snorkel and enjoy the beach on the Big Island.  We wished we could have stayed twice as long.  If you are looking for ideas on the other islands one of our favorite sites, The Vacation Gals, has a great series of posts about shopping and wave paddling at Waikki Beach on Oahu.  Trekaroo hosts a great list of family activities on Maui.  Don’t miss the Haleakala Crater National Park or the beautiful beaches.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Beyond

Ciao Bambino got us thinking about Australia – where the seasons are opposite those of Boston and December is the height of summer.  Check out their Photo Essay from a family Christmas vacation on the Great Barrier Reef featuring birds, beach, fish, boats and lots of warm sunshine.  A similar Photo Essay on their site features Bondi Beach, just outside Sydney.  Australia is big so whether you want beaches or backcountry there are plenty of holiday options.

Spain’s Costa Del Sol Off the Beaten Track

The beaches of Spain are know worldwide, but long time round-the-world family travel bloggers,Soul Travelers 3 suggest getting off the beaten path, particularly during the winter months to explore  the best winter weather in Europe.  The Costa Del Sol is over a hundred miles long, filled with sandy beaches, rolling hills and majestic mountains. Enjoy their beautiful Costa Del Sol photos to see what they are talking about!

Cancun and the Mayan Ruins

Travel Mamas reminds us that Mexico is still a great, affordable warm weather family vacation.  Her recent article Cancun Should be on Your Bucket List, describes how much there is to do within just a couple hours of Cancun’s major beach resorts.  Important archeological sites like Tulum on the ocean and the pyramids of Chichen Itza botQoffer educational and exciting days trips.  The 200 acre Xcaret ecopark offers animal exhibits featuring jaguars, lions, and, monkeys. There’s also a Butterfly Pavilion, Bat Cave, and Coral Reef Aquarium and you can book a stingray encounter, dolp n swim, or underground river snorkeling adventure.  And of course, Cancun has some awesome beaches too!

Get Your Passports Ready!

We hope many of our readers get to take a wonderful warm weather trip with their teens and tweens this winter, if you do please leave a link to your blog so we can enjoy the trip too!

Hotels worldwide

Aruba or Austria? Barbados or Belgium? Chile or China? Marriott can offer hotel deals in 70 countries from the familiar to far-flung, for business or leisure.

Hotels Australia

Sydney airport hotels or Surfers Paradise, we have resorts and city hotels. Brisbane or Melbourne, business or pleasure? See our hotels, Australia and beyond.

Resorts

Need to relax or take a break from business? Marriott has spa resorts worldwide, and hotels in ski resorts for snow-lovers. Why not tee off at a golf resort?

Holidays

Luxury holidays for all the family, all-inclusive packages and deals on holiday resorts: relax and travel with Marriott to exotic locations worldwide.

Weekend Breaks

Take a weekend holiday to relax in a spa, play golf or explore a new city: choose from our range of quick getaways, city breaks and romantic holidays.

Hotel Reservations

  

Winter Car Traveling

Are you planning to drive and take a family vacation this winter? 

  

  If you are traveling by car, bus or RV during extremely cold weather, it’s important to equip your vehicle with necessary supplies. Put together a winter survival kit and place the items in your car, truck or RV. Winter survival kit items should be available at a variety of stores and serve several functions. These supplies should include items to keep you warm (and help you avoid frostbite), get your vehicle back on the road (if you are broken down) and help signal assistance (if you are stranded). 

Even if temperatures are not near zero, cold temperatures can still present a danger to you, and frostbite can set in within a matter of minutes. The outside ambient temperature can feel even colder when combined with wind.  You may hear weather reports which discuss the “wind chill factor.”  The Wind Chill Factor is an index that tells us the “feels like” temperature when the outside air temperature is combined with wind speed.  Forty degrees Fahrenheit can feel like anywhere from 34 degrees to 25 degrees depending on the wind speed. That might not sound like much difference, but when you get down to temperatures hovering near zero, the time it takes for frostbite to set in decreases from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. 

Travel Cautiously 

·         Stay alert and listen for travel advisories from the National Weather Service. 

·         Do not travel in low visibility conditions.

·         Carry additional warm clothing appropriately suitable for winter conditions – never rely on a car or other vehicle to provide your heat – it may break down. 

·         Avoid bridges and overpasses if at all possible. Ice forms first in these areas. 

·         Use tire chains if necessary and carry emergency supplies with you.

Personal Items

Before leaving for your trip, be sure to put together personal supplies in your suitcase such as:

·         Additional warm clothes for each person traveling – pack several layers.

·         Blankets and sleeping bags (large enough to share).

·         A sufficient supply of water. 

·         A first aid kit. 

·         A mobile phone.

Vehicle Items

Pack your vehicle’s trunk with the following supplies:

·         Windshield scraper - NEVER pour water on an iced windshield as it may crack.

·         Booster cables. 

·         Road maps. 

·         Tool kit.

·         Waterproof/strike-anywhere matches and a can to melt snow for water.

·         Paper towels.

·         Tire chains.

·         Tow rope. 

·         Flashlight.

·         Sand bag or cat litter (for increased traction on ice).

·         Compressed air (to repair flat tire).

·         Brightly colored cloth – to tie around the antenna. 

What To Do If You Are Stranded

Health website Helium recommends following the steps below if you are stranded: 

1. Step 1 – stay in your vehicle.  Get out of your vehicle to do only what is absolutely necessary and do not wander looking for assistance. Use your mobile phone and attempt to call for help. 
2. Step 2 - Retrieve the emergency items from your trunk and move them into the passenger area.                                                                                               
3. Step 3 – Tie the brightly colored cloth around your vehicle’s antenna. This will help others to locate your vehicle.
4. Step 4 - Put on your extra clothes; wear a hat or wrap your head in an article of clothing. This is the place your body loses most of its heat. Keeping your head warm will help you avoid hypothermia and frostbite.  
5. Step 5 – If your vehicle is broken down, determine if you can quickly fix the problem. If so,  create a sensible plan to repair the issue and be sure to stay warm and dry.
6. Step 6 - Run the heater of your car for 10 minutes every hour. Open one window slightly to let air in and make sure snow isn’t blocking the exhaust pipe of your vehicle. 
7. Step 7 – Huddle with any others traveling with you for warmth.