Summer vacation’s not far off … and with it, the challenge of keeping youngsters occupied and entertained on planes, trains and in the backseat. Or (shudder) in an airline terminal when your flight’s just been cancelled. So this week, we’re giving away a travel fun pack - Laura Krauss Melmed’s charming “New York, New York! The Big Apple From A to Z,” whose colorful pictures provide little glimpses of all the things to see at the Metropolitan Art Museum or aboard the Intrepid aircraft carrier (nuclear missile submarine tour, anyone?) … plus an American Girl craft book that includes kid-friendly activities perfect for either a kids’ craft sale or a little backseat entertainment. Big fun!

Here’s how to win ‘em. Simply click “comments” (we’ll draw a winner Sunday night — and congrats, by the way, to 1StopMom who won last week’s books!) and share your most memorable family travel tale. Spectacular settings, epic disasters, the great road trip diaper shortage, it’s all good.

Planning that next family vacation? The Roemer family gives us the scoop on Beijing and Shanghai with kids.

THE TRAVELERS: Wine sales and Mandarin teacher Julie McCormack and prosecutor Michael Roemer, and their children Conor, age 7, and Erin, 5.

THE TREK IN A SEC: Two globe-trotting, Third World-loving parents from Orinda booked a two-week independent trip to China with their then 4- and 6-year-olds in tow.
Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for a tropical vacation with a side of volcanic activity, the Garcia family has just the place for you. Read on for their family travel tips…
THE TRAVELERS: Writer Nancy Garcia and her daughter Melissa, age 14.

THE TREK IN A SEC: This Pleasant Hill duo spent 12 days on the Big Island of Hawaii, seeing the active volcano and visiting friends.
Read the rest of this entry »

Ahhh, camping in Yosemite! Here’s the scoop on Tuolomne Meadows, lake dipping and rock climbing from this week’s family travel experts, the Youngs of Oakland

THE TREK IN A SEC: This Italian, Chinese and Hawaiian family of five - including 5-year-old triplets - makes a regular trek to Yosemite in the summer to enjoy their Kelty tent, fireside smores, the stars and all that Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows have to offer.
Read the rest of this entry »

Gone somewhere wonderful with your family? We’ve been running family travel tips on everything from Vancouver hikes to Cote d’Azur parasailing, Roman pizza and Ohio rollercoasters. Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Send us a jpeg of your family on vacation, and tell us about your favorite hot spots - hotels, cafes or cool outings that thrilled both you and your kids.

Contemplating an exotic Asian trip? Yearning for a way to blend philanthropy and wanderlust? Here’s the scoop on Myanmar from this week’s travel experts…
THE TRAVELERS: Parent educator Ksenija Soster Olmer, civil engineer Miroslav Olmer and their daughters Solana, 18, and Naya, 15.

THE TREK IN A SEC: This Orinda family of four spent two weeks traveling in Myanmar (Burma), wandering through gorgeous pagodas, admiring floating gardens and colorful tribal markets, riding elephants and relaxing on deserted beaches. But the high point of the trip was visiting orphanages in the highlands for what would become the family’s philanthropic mission, the Hungry Duckling Project.
Read the rest of this entry »

Paris, anyone? This week’s travel experts are a pair of Lafayette retirees whose ideas for doing Paris on the cheap were so fantastic and so kid-friendly, we just had to share. Best of all, these intrepid travelers have a thing for YouTube, so you can catch Rick Steves-like glimpses of their travel finds.

THE TREK IN A SEC: This Lafayette duo spent six glorious weeks living in Paris, which gave them “oodles of time to explore off the beaten path,” says Steve. “Anyone for a canal ride under the streets of Paris?”

THE TRAVELERS: Early retirees Steve, a Lindsay Wildlife Museum volunteer interpreter, and Patty Tanenbaum.
Read the rest of this entry »

Contemplating a Midwestern road trip? Got some Indy 500 fans on board? Here’s the scoop on where to go and what to see, from this week’s travel experts, the Van Bonn family.

THE TREK IN A SEC: This Dublin family did a two-week Midwestern road trip that looped from Illinois down to Kentucky and back, and combined Indy race cars, monster rollercoasters, good old-fashioned Americana and a family reunion.

THE TRAVELERS: Joe Van Bonn, a foreman iron worker on the Golden Gate Bridge, his wife Eileen and their sons, Danny, age 9, and Patrick, 6.
Read the rest of this entry »

Contemplating a trek to the French Riviera? Here’s the scoop on where to go and what to see on the Cote d’Azur, from this week’s travel experts, the Friedman/Fahr family.

THE TREK IN A SEC: This Orinda family spent eight days on the Cote d’Azur on the French Riviera, combining fun in the sun with historic day trips to villages along the coast and medieval cities in the hills.

THE TRAVELERS: Dr. Jeffrey Friedman, TV personality and public relations consultant Robin Fahr Friedman, and their children — Alexander Friedman, age 18, Tyler Fahr, 15, and Jordan Friedman, 10.
Read the rest of this entry »

The desert is not exactly a desirable vacation spot in the summertime, but in the winter and early spring, the air is crisp, the temperature comfortable and places like Joshua Tree National Park come to vivid life. One of our favorite Times writers, Laura Casey, who writes about everything from slot car races to a blog on edgy art exhibits, visited over winter break. Read all the details about Laura’s rock climbing foray in the Times’ travel section, but here’s a quick hit for families contemplating a similar adventure with their teens.

THE TREK IN A SEC: Known for its Dr. Seuss-esque plants with spiny tops, this California national park draws bird watchers, wildflower lovers, happy hikers and folks like Laura, who spent a week scaling the massive rocks.
Read the rest of this entry »