Rincón de San Josecito, Costa Rica – This was our “beach day” yesterday. It started pouring 10 minutes after we got dropped off. (We have turned in our rental car because it’s notoriously bad driving in this region. Case in point,…


Rincón de San Josecito, Costa Rica – This was our “beach day” yesterday. It started pouring 10 minutes after we got dropped off. (We have turned in our rental car because it’s notoriously bad driving in this region. Case in point,…

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…

Vis Island, Croatia – Here’s the thing about beaches in Croatia (and on Vis Island in particular). Not sandy. They are mostly pebble beaches so water shoes are a must, especially for kids. If you can get past that, this place is perfect for…

Newburyport, Mass – Late afternoon, late summer, at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island.

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…

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…

Kalajoki, Finland – One of the things I love about Finland is that there are no crowds, anywhere we go. I have written about this before, but it continues to astound me. This is one of the best, most popular…

Vacation Mavens is a family travel podcast offering destination guides, family travel tips, and ideas for parenting on the go. Co-hosted by Kimberly Tate from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara Gruber from We3Travel, Vacation Mavens provides inspiration to jumpstart family vacation planning and tips…

Tulum, Mexico – This past Halloween, the twins revived their obsession with ancient gods and monsters, which gave me the perfect excuse to plan a family getaway to Mexico. So here we are, celebrating the New Year in the land of…

Old Orchard Beach, Maine – We have been making this semi-annual trek up to Ferry Beach for a few years now. But it was only recently that I realized where we were: about three miles from kid heaven–the amazing, honky-tonk, happy place called…