Mom-oriented website, SheKnows, has created a list of a must-see sites located across the U.S. that would make great vacation spots for families. The list is rather bland with the obvious choices such as Yellowstone National Park and the Smithsonian. However, it’s still worth taking a peek to see if any are missing from your own travel bucket list or if you need some ideas for the next family vacation.
Rockland, Maine’s Lobster Festival – one of the Fun in the USA spots
Have you ever been to the World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum in Siberia? How about the Skógar Folk Museum in Iceland? Chances are, unless you are an extremely well-seasoned traveler, you haven’t. These are included in cultural blog Flavorwire’s fun list of 10 of the World’s Most Remote Museums. If the obscure is appealing, these might whet your appetite for a new adventure!
Ordos Museum, Inner Mongolia, China
If you’re the kind of traveler that likes to visit out-of-the-way, less known spots, then you’ll enjoy this article by Budget Travel, 12 Best Places You’ve Never Heard Of. Locations include a village in the Caucasus Mountains; Namje, Nepal which is only accessible by a footpath; an Australian island; and even a few places in the U.S. Is there anything on the list that makes you want to pack up and go?
Sucre, Bolivia, on the list of “Best Places You’ve Never Heard Of.”
Photo: Jerome Lorieau & Budget Travel
Need some ideas on where to take the family for vacation? iVillage has compiled a list of 40 Must-See Places to Take Your Kids Before They’re Grown. And to give you an idea of the best age to take your children to the suggested spots, they provide an age guide, divided from toddlers/preschoolers, grade schoolers, tweens, to teens. Included are the obvious places like our national parks (a must for any age!) and theme parks. But there are some ideas you might not have considered, such as taking your teen to the Galapagos Islands or your grade schoolers to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. Take a look at the list and start planning, but hurry; the kids will be grown before you know it!
Grand Canyon National Park – one of the places to take your kids before they’ve grown
Spa Tourism is a popular segment of the travel market with Spas and wellness centers generating about $60 billion in worldwide revenue. Resorts and hotels make up 10% of spa providers, day spas make up 80%, and medical spas make up the last 10%. With the proliferation of spas around the world and increased competition, spa providers are having to make their services – and buildings – stand out from the rest. Flavorwire has located 10 spas around the world that provide clients with experiences both serene and unusual. They include a salt cave in Chicago, an underwater spa in the Maldive Islands, and a Geomagnetic Vortex spa in the Mohave Desert. Which one would you like to visit?
Sources:
http://www.firstresearch.com/Industry-Research/Spa-Services.htmlhttp://www.globalspaandwellnesssummit.org/images/stories/pdf/8%20-%20spafinder%202012%20spa%20trend%20report.pdf
Iceland, an island country shaped by glaciers and volcanic eruptions, is rich in natural beauty. See for yourself in this gorgeous, 12-minute video voyage. This project by Henry Jun Wah Lee is titled, Legend: A Journey Through Iceland, and takes you on a “visual and aural journey through Iceland’s breathtaking landscapes during the time of the midnight sun.”
If after viewing you fall totally in love with Iceland, National Geographic Expeditions will be offering a new small ship expedition to the country next year. During this pricey cruise, ” passengers will get to experience walking on lava fields and ice sheets, visiting hot springs and waterfalls, birding in the Arctic Circle, kayaking into fjords and serene bays, and hiking along remote stretches of the Iceland coast.” Of course there are less expensive ways to see this beautiful place, but this cruise does sound wonderful . . .
Headed to Florida in September? You won’t be able to see any brightly colored fall foliage and the weather will still be hot, but it’s still a nice time of year to visit. Most of the big crowds will start to dwindle, the locals will be back in school, and hotels and attractions will begin offering discounts. Further, there are quite a few festivals and events planned around the state. The Orlando Sentinel has a list of these grouped by region and dates. For example there is Orlando’s Oktoberfest on September 29, and Epcot’s popular and tasty Food and Wine Festival that begins September 28. South Florida has an antiques festival, a ballet festival, and a wine fair. And if you’re in the Panhandle you’ll find a seafood festival and Jamaican Fest.
Clearwater Beach, Florida
Travel app, jetpac, has a cool infographic outlining ten places around the world for you to put on your travel bucket list before they disappear. Locations range from the Alps, to Glacier National Park, to the Taj Mahal. Click on the picture to enlarge.
This painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is titled, The Bay of Naples with Vesuvius and Castel dell’Ovo (1818- 1820) is by German painter Franz Ludwig Catel.
Franz Ludwig Catel (German, Berlin 1778–1856 Rome)
This is a present-day photograph of the Bay of Naples. Though not in the picture Castel dell’Ovo is still there. It mainly hosts conferences and exhibitions today, but visitors can climb to the top for beautiful views of the city. Does either one spark a desire to see Naples for yourself?
Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius
Has a painting or other work of art ever inspired you to travel?