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,…
Nakomis Drum Circle
Sarasota, Florida – What better way to kick off winter break than feeling the beat at Nakomis Beach? Here, on Wednesday and Saturday nights, local drummers bring their instruments and provide the rhythmic accompaniment to the setting sun. Other revelers…
Kids Cultural Events in January
Somerville, Mass – The holidays are over and the presents are no longer new, and the weather is still frightful. As in, single-digit temperatures and–if you’re as lucky as we are in Boston–two snow days in one week. That makes…
Coco Key Water Park
Danvers, Mass – We have Caribbean Islands on the brain, thanks to the recent arrival of a box of books on the subject. We can’t go to the Caribbean this winter, but we can go to Coco Key, an indoor…
Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands
Somerville, Massachusetts – So we’re hunkered down in the Pink House, getting ready for the holidays, watching the snow fall and dreaming of warmer climes. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a box full of books covering…
Exploring Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don, Russia – Set along its storied namesake river, Rostov-on-Don is a geographic crossroads, standing at the historical border between Asian and European cultures and acting as a modern gateway between the Northern Caucasus and the Black Sea coast. It’s…
Sochi: Russia’s Black Sea Playground
Sochi, Russia – Prior to its 2014 debut on the world stage, Sochi was celebrated in Russia for its sunny skies and balmy temperatures, which attracted privileged Party members to seaside sanatoria. Even Comrade Stalin had a vacation home near…
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
New York, New York – What’s a weekend in the Big Apple without seeing a Broadway show (besides infinitely more affordable)? Since we splurged on spending Thanksgiving in the city, we decided to splurge all the way, and we got…
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
New York, New York — Auntie lives on the Upper West Side, just across the street from the American Museum of Natural History. And just across the street from where they inflate the giant balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day…