The family vacation is a rite of passage for many households. As any veteran family vacationer will assure you, a family trip can be among the most pleasurable and rewarding times of your life; it can also quickly devolve into a farce worthy of a National Lampoon movie. Good advance travel planning is essential.
The San Antonio edition of the free monthly Our Kids magazine includes a calendar that lists daily local activities oriented toward children. You can read it online at http://sanantonio.parenthood.com/aboutus.html; order it in advance from 8400 Blanco, Suite 201, San Antonio, TX 78216 (tel. 210/349-6667); or find it in San Antonio at HEB supermarkets, Wal-Mart stores, Hollywood Video, and most major bookstores. Call to find out about other locations where it's available.
Recommended family travel websites include Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), a comprehensive site that offers customized trip planning; Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), an award-winning site that offers travel features, deals, and tips; Traveling Internationally with Your Kids (www.travelwithyourkids.com), a comprehensive site offering sound advice for long-distance and international travel with children; and Family Travel Files (www.thefamilytravelfiles.com), which offers an online magazine and a directory of off-the-beaten-path tours and tour operators for families.
