I love my job. I get to learn about grandparents and grandchildren having fun together on trips that take them from local ethnic restaurants to educational expeditions overseas. Here are some of my favorites from the past year.
1. Joe Byer's story about Kayaking With My Grandchildren shows how easy it is to share the outdoors with youngsters, even if you've never paddled before. Opportunities for getting out on the water abound all around the country. The closeness of a kayak cockpit guarantees conversation. Snacking at a sandbar, chasing minnows in the shallows, and racing to the next bend in the river will provide exercise, and time for your grandkids to be kids a while longer.
2. Children love the rides at a theme park, but adults don't always find much to interest them. Elizabeth Blair says a visit to Old Tucson Studios, Hollywood in the Desert, should please everyone. The kids will relish riding the carousel and real horses, watching mock gunfights, and panning for gold. Their grandparents will savor a nostalgic look back at all their favorite westerns that were filmed at the Arizona studios.
3. I adore Andrea Gross's idea for traveling Around the World (Without Leaving Home). She and her granddaughter embarked on a round-the-world tour of ethnic eateries in their area. It's a great way to sample the best of different cultures — their food — without laying out a fortune for airline tickets. You will be beyond cool if you take your grandchildren to a restaurant where they can eat with their fingers. Think Moroccan or Ethiopian cuisine.
4. Indoor waterparks are the wave of the future. Kara Williams chronicles the fun her family had Splashing Around at the Great Wolf Lodge in Texas, one of many water theme parks springing up across the country. Bad weather won't ruin a vacation at an indoor waterpark, where all the fun is inside. Kids can slide and splash without worrying about sunblock, and you can rely on lifeguards to keep an eye on the youngsters. All the fun is included in your room rate.
5. If you want to see America first, consider learning about America's first inhabitants. Nancy Bevilaqua visited New Mexico to explore Native American pueblo life. She and her son took classes in making bread and pottery, lunched with a tribal family, and visited the oldest continually occupied community in North America, the Acoma Pueblo's Sky City atop a mesa overlooking the desert floor. All aspects of the golden Southwest fascinated them.
6. For a foreign adventure without crossing the pond, Susan Campbell suggests visiting Quebec City. It's like Paris on our doorstep. The city celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008, with festivals and fireworks a plenty. Even when it's not putting on a party, the historic district is full of charming shops, cannons that kids can crawl on, and a sumptuous chateau. Food choices vary from caribou to crepes.
7. The best way to ensure that your grandchildren are vested in a vacation is to have them help in the planning. Heather Larson has some great ideas for Getaways That Grandchildren Can Plan. A school report might ignite an interest in visiting a historic battlefield; a favorite novel might inspire a tour of an author's home or the setting of the book. Even a toddler can participate if you spread out a map and let them point to a place to visit.
8. Visiting America's national parks is a patriotic right of passage for many families, but those parks are sometimes crowded during high season. Beth D'Addono reveals Popular Park Alternatives, which allow you to enjoy the majesty of the outdoors without banging elbows with others. She proposes places to observe grizzlies outside Yellowstone, view dizzying vistas away from the Grand Canyon, and hike trails with your grandchildren beyond the Great Smoky Mountains.
9. What better way to enjoy nature than with a furry companion, and I don't mean a dog. In her story about Llama Trekking, Julie Hatfield describes how even a reluctant tramper like her 5-year-old grandson happily led his llama for five miles without ever once asking to be carried. Surefooted llamas make hiking a breeze by packing your supplies. And you don't have to go to Peru to find an outfitter; we list several around the country.
10. You may think your favorite vacation memories are etched forever in your mind, but in a few years, you're going to forget how small the grandchildren were. Pictures are essential to preserving those happy times. Photo maven Gary Haynes's 15 Tips for Taking Great Vacation Photos is full of expert advice for capturing your grandchildren in a camera. Viewing those images will bring the joy home again.
Novice paddlers, here's how to Get Started Kayaking With Your Grandchildren. Photographers, check out the Best Vacation Cameras and Digital Editing Software for Vacation Photos.
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