5 Fun Family Spring Break Vacations

Spring break is the first real getaway of each year and families across the country take advantage of the time off school and work to enjoy a fun family vacation. While many head for sun, sand and ocean, I want to share a few of my favorite family travel spots. Cowboy Up in Fort Worth [...]
Attractions

Family Fun at MagiQuest in Myrtle Beach

That? That is the only picture I have from my family’s afternoon at MagiQuest. We have three cameras between the four of us, including the dSLR I take with me everywhere. I am constantly snapping digital memories of our travels. And yet this horrifically blurry cell phone snapshot is the singular memento we have of [...]
Attractions

For Family Fun Visit a Playful City

It is often very easy to take for granted what is around us.  In my community it is very easy to take for granted the wide bike paths, parks within walking distance of every home and family friendly community activities.  Because my town has “taken action for play” it has been designated a “Playful City” by [...]
Attractions

Gaylord Hotels and DreamWorks Create a Family Friendly Alliance

I was at the Gaylord Opryland this past Wednesday for a very exciting announcement: Gaylord Hotels® and DreamWorks® announced a family friendly alliance meant to boost the leisure offerings at all Gaylord properties. While Gaylord Hotels are well known as fabulous conference and business hotels their family appeal has been weak.  With the introduction of the [...]
Attractions

Spring Break Family Idea? Take a Cruise!

It’s been a long winter.  I can say that because we’ve had snow on the ground for four months now, and the mud and mess of the spring thaw are finally about to begin.  Even the hardiest Minnesotans are tiring of the winter this year.  We really do need a Spring Break this year, and [...]
Attractions

Cheap Family Fun At Ski Snowstar in the Quad Cities

When the temperatures fall and the snow accumulates in the Midwest, it can be difficult to find something fun for the family to do together, especially in the evenings.  Ski Snowstar Winter Sports Park in Andalusia, Illinois provides the perfect solution with snow tubing. Ski Snowstar is located about 20 minutes outside of the Quad [...]
Attractions

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – Brings Christmas (and snow) to Florida

My absolute favorite thing to experience in Orlando during the Christmas season is the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.  It’s a little bit of Christmas magic for a Northerner that often struggles with spending the holidays in the Sunshine State. What it is: A light display that [...]
Attractions

Lake District Holidays

Whether it is for green motives or cost constraints, families who would normally go abroad for their holidays are in for some surprises when they head for the Lake District this summer.

Savvy guests are demanding more from Lake District hotels who in turn, are being more creative in what they offer guests.  Guests are re-introducing their families to the Lake District because it is compact (35miles) and offers very diverse attractions that will appeal to all members of the family.

The UK in general, of course does have a downside in the weather but what the UK lacks in sunshine, it makes up for in activities and good old fashioned fun. The Lake District is especially suited to families with its vast choice of activities. Firstly there are the fells. Walking and taking in the spectacular scenery in the Lake District is not only good exercise but it is free. Other activities in Cumbria and the Lake District are Muncaster Castle, the World Owl Trust, Ravenglass Steam Railway, Lake District Coast Aquarium, Puzzling Place and Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick, Beatrix Potter Museum and cycling tours at Grizedale Forest. A trip to the Lakes isn’t complete without a boat trip. Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater and Derwentwater are the main lakes for boat trips. It gives a different perspective on the fells from the water than on land.

An organized Lake District holiday break takes away all the stress of having to think of what to do each day. An organized package takes care of all the booking of venues and has an itinerary each day. This kind of holiday helps families get the most out of their Lake District holiday and can include activities such as sailing, walking, museum trips, picnics and cycling. Many have been designed to enable families to spend time together but also making consideration for the parents by giving them a few hours of freedom with the children only activities.

The Euro is not the only reason UK family holidays and Lake District holidays are predicted to increase. The awareness of climate change and the impact of flying on the environment is something that is making families think twice about going abroad. A return flight from London to Barcelona for example produces half of tonne of carbon dioxide per person. That is an awful lot when compared with a return car journey from London to the Lake District which creates a 10th of a tonne of carbon dioxide. Once a family has realized what good they are doing for their children’s future, money saved and most importantly, how much fun can be had on a holiday in the UK, it is sure to make the UK tourism industry flourish once again.

So really, who needs the hassle of travelling abroad, waiting around in depressing airports and arriving at disappointing destinations anymore? You can choose a destination like the Lake District where you and the children can arrive and leave, when it suits you and the hospitality is second to none. Educationally, children get so much more out of an activity holiday where they are challenged, learn and experience new things. As with a selection of these special activity packages available in places such as luxury hotels in the Lake District, parents can enjoy their Lake District holidays just as much as the children.

Frommer’s Northern Italy with Your Family (Frommers With Your Family Series) (Paperback)

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