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Playing in the Poconos
Outdoor adventures are accessible to all in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Poconos are a 2,400-square-mile, all-season playground. Summer means hiking and biking throughout the four counties' 261 miles of trails. Winter finds the pow ... read more
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Popular Park Alternatives
Enjoy similar attractions and avoid the crowds at the busiest national parks.
If you prefer to experience Mother Nature away from the masses, here’s something to consider. According to the National Park Service, the top four most visited national ... read more
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4-Season Fun in the Mountains
Experienced outfitters offer peak adventures for every season and fitness level.
Exploring the outdoors in your own backyard with grandchildren is one thing. But when you’re on a family vacation, you’d probably prefer to venture out in unfamili ... read more
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Skiing in Squaw Valley
Grandparents and grandchildren brave a blizzard and steep slopes together.
The weather reports sounded ominous. Five feet of snow was falling on the Sierras and vehicles required chains to drive over Donner Summit. Should we cancel our first family s ... read more
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A Baker's Dozen of the Best Sledding Sites
Share the rush of coasting downhill with your grandchildren.
If you grew up with snow in the wintertime, chances are, you went sledding as a kid. The exhilaration of flying down a hill, the exertion of climbing back up, the fun of rolli ... read more
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Ohio's Kinder, Gentler Ski Scene
Easy runs are just a day's drive from about 60 percent of the U.S. population.
There’s no getting up before dawn and driving hours in the dark to reach double black diamond ski runs for Judy and Rick Heckert, retired teachers who live in the Mansfi ... read more
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Secret Snorkel Sites
The best place to take your grandchildren snorkeling isn't always the obvious choice.
Sharing an underwater adventure with a grandchild has the potential to create a special bond that will live in family lore. Your grandchild will never forget the wonder of spo ... read more
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Condors Over the Colorado
An easy float trip down the Colorado River reveals ancient rock art and glimpses of the largest predatory bird in North America.
Not all of us like to be yanked about in extreme white water. So it was that I joined a group of adults and children for a smoothwater raft expedition on the Colorado River be ... read more
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Creating Memories on Horseback
Saddle up for a dude ranch vacation.
Our grandson is ecstatic. His horse, the one he was afraid of just a few days ago, broke into a trot, and 6-year-old Jeremy is grinning ear to ear. "I didn’t fall off," ... read more
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Winter Fun in Aspen & Snowmass
There's so much more to Colorado than skiing! Who knew?
Ski enthusiasts from all over the world descend upon the Aspen/Snowmass area each winter to enjoy Colorado's famous champagne powder and Technicolor blue skies. The mountains' ... read more
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Beyond Your Basic Beach
Not all beaches are created equal. Take your grandkids to the best of the best.
When I was pregnant, I had a single beach requirement: a convenient bathroom nearby. Public beaches with full facilities were sufficient.
When the kids started to toddle, we b ... read more
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S'mores Under the Stars
Get out the dusty tent and set about stargazing with the grandchildren. Camping is where it's at.
Ahhh, camping. Nighttime skies full of stars. Crackling firewood shooting off sparks. Mysterious sounds in the dark.
So, what do our grandkids remember most about last summer ... read more
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Canoeing the Saco
It's a guy thing
The lone red-tailed hawk soared in a cloudless azure sky high above the Saco River that meanders through southern Maine. Perhaps he was puzzled by the odd sight on the river b ... read more
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Soaking Up Nature in the Sea of Cortez
Not your ordinary day cruise
"Whale at 10 o'clock!"
The message from the bridge crackled over the loudspeaker and the kids scrambled for the deck as if it was Christmas morning. The gifts waiting for them ... read more
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Hit the Slopes
3 Great Ski Resorts for Grands
Visit any ski resort and you're bound to find children as young as 3 years old snowplowing down the slopes along with veteran skiers pushing 85. Skiing bridges the generation ... read more
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The Spell of the Yukon
Send grandchildren zipping about this winter wonderland in a dogsled, give them the thrill of a lifetime.
When I told people about my February trip to the Yukon Territory, responses ranged from, "You're crazy! Isn't it super cold there?" to, "I didn't realize the Klondike was a re ... read more
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Summer at the Slopes
If you think mountains are just for skiing, then you - and the grandchildren - are missing out big time.
Your grandchildren are still talking about their vacation at the ski slopes. "Grandma, we can't wait for winter so we can go to the mountains again!"
Why wait for winter? In ... read more
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