May 12, 2004 -- Summertime is for play and the outdoors, adults and children alike enjoying a long day of swimming, the feel of grass under bare feet or the simple pleasures of the sun on your face caressed by a gentle breeze. Now is the time when travel providers will trot out special programs for the family, emphasizing enough activities for the kids to keep them occupied long enough to give the parents some free hours (and, with luck, wear the kids out so they'll go to sleep early). Here are just a few examples of many diversions you can find currently:
The Shawnee Mountain Ski Area in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains puts on a play-park face in summer, with programs designed for children aged two to 12, and their families. There are two waterslides and splashdown pools, and a 1,000-sq. ft. activity pool (maximum depth of three feet), sporting a big fountain in the center, with smaller fountains, mini canoes and other floating fun scattered about. You can play wet, or you can play dry, with ball crawls, cable glides, tunnels of fun, a slab slide, a tube slide, a sand box and more. There are also magic shows thrice daily in an air-conditioned theater and outdoor activities like juggling workshops. Shawnee Place opens daily June 19 through September 6, 2004 (Labor Day). Admission is $15 per person and you can play all day (10 to 5). On Sundays, Family Value Day admission (except on June 27) is $44 for a family of four. For more information phone them at 570/421-7231 or visit www.shawneemt.com.
A must-see website for families planning vacations is www.familytravelnetwork.com, which has a fascinating array of features, plus deals from around the world. The site offers a free newsletter; highlighted vacations; hot deals; destination reports; articles focusing on specific interests, activities, and trips for kids and teens (including spas for the young, Alaskan vacations, best beaches for families, factory tours and more); and there's a travel store as well.
For a really complete overview of children's activities, get a copy of the Specialty Travel Index, published twice a year for $10, or available free of charge on the web at www.specialtytravel.com. In this cross-indexed catalog of more than 300 tour operators going to over 300 destinations around the world, you can find an amazing variety of travel opportunities -- not all are budget- or even value-oriented, but there are enough to spend your time reading through the many listings.
Here's a sampling from STI's many posts:
- You can be a dude at the Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming, where the guests are limited to 25 at a time (www.ridingtours.com).
- Families can enjoy some kayaking, hiking and camping in the Prince William Sound area, looking for whales and seals (www.alaskasummer.com).
- Up in Maine, there's a six-day camping trip in the Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park (www.theworldoutdoors.com).
- Hie yourself to a hike in Montana, where the kids can see geysers and remnants of dinosaurs with a tour operator who will plant 25 trees in the name of your family (www.austinlehman.com).
- On foreign parts, you can find a driving tour along the Mosel River, with medieval castles (www.eurobike.com) or take nature hikes through the jungles of Costa Rica (www.backroads.com).