Sarasota, Florida – This week the twins joined all of the other grandchildren of Massachusetts, making our annual winter break escape to Sarasota, Florida. I don’t love Sarasota: there are too many strip malls and traffic jams. But how I…
Venice Museum of Natural History
Venice, Italy – The Venice Museum of Natural History is creepy. So of course my kids loved it. This place is filled with specimens that explorers brought back from around the world — featuring everything from stuffed animals to mummies…
Adventure awaits in Costa Rica national parks
Covering some 10% of Costa Rican territory, the country’s national parks protect a stunning array of landscapes – wetlands and forests, caves and volcanoes, and habitats for creatures galore. This is the country’s greatest natural resources, and it’s all yours…
Big Cat Habitat
Sarasota, Florida – We took a break from the beach to visit the lions and tigers and bears (Oh my!) at the Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary. It’s like a zoo, except all of the animals are rescues.…
Venice Rookery
Sarasota, Florida – This is birding at its best. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of wine, prop up your binoculars, and the birds come to you! Actually, they are coming home to roost at the Venice Rookery,…
Experience Kissimmee
Boston, Mass – We’re not going to Florida this year, so I was happy to receive an invitation from Experience Kissimmee for an event in Boston. In addition to drinks and swag we got to: Ride an air boat in the Boston Harbor thanks…
Cayman Turtle Center
West Bay, Grand Cayman – I have spent all week deliberating about the Cayman Turtle Center — reading about it, questioning locals and grilling tourists about their experiences. On my last day, I finally went to check it out in person. Why all…
Stingray City
Grand Cayman – The Wreck Bar at Rum Point posts a lists of Questions Not to Ask, ie, dumb questions frequently asked by tourists. (Example: “Do you live here?” Answer: “No, we jetski in from Miami daily.”) Or this one: Is…
North Side, Grand Cayman
North Side, Grand Cayman – Today I needed a couple of kids with me. Not everybody makes it over to the lesser developed north coast of Grand Cayman. But if you’re traveling with kiddos it’s worth the effort, as these attractions may…
Top Picks for Kids: Aruba
Aruba – How sad that I did not take the twins to Aruba (sort of). But I didn’t stop thinking about them the entire time I was away – and especially about how much fun they would have on the Happy Island.…