About.com’s Travel with Kids editor and Family Vacations expert, Teresa Plowright, let everyone in on a little secret recently when she blogged about Disney World being free on your birthday. That’s right. Disney. FREE!

Of course, being a Mickey Mouse fan, I had to check it out, and sure enough, she was right. Disney is offering FREE admission on your birthday at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida or Disneyland® Resort in California during 2009. The finer points of the offer require that you register for your free admission (for you or on behalf of a child) and have proof of birth date upon admission.

If you want to save even more during your Disney birthday celebration, consider renting an Orlando vacation home nearby.

Posted: October 1st, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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If you love Halloween, you’ll love this! Prepare to be scared (or at least to have some fun pretending to be scared) when you visit Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party now through Halloween night at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom® Park.

You have to have purchase a special ticket to visit the Magic Kingdom Park in costume, and trick-or-treat for candy and goodies with some favorite Disney Characters, all in their finest Halloween outfits. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which includes a “Boo-to-You” Halloween parade and fireworks, takes place from 7 p.m. to midnight.

And, don’t be tricked into thinking there’s no where affordable to stay nearby. You’ll find a Disney Orlando vacation rental home to be a treat the whole family can enjoy.

Posted: September 22nd, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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In a special report for USA TODAY, Larry Olmsted recently wrote “Life on Vacation: Dive in to divine weather in Idaho.” Although he wrote about shopping for an Idaho vacation home in a town called Coeur d’Alene, he could just as easily have picked the destination of Twin Falls, Idaho.

We were fortunate enough to spend some time in Twin Falls this summer and found not only the weather to be beautiful, but the scenery to be breathtaking, and the people to be warm and welcoming. If you’re thinking about heading to Twin Falls, here are three things we’d recommend you absolutely not miss:

1. Watching the BASE jumpers from the Perrine Bridge, the only place in the U.S. that allows BASE jumping without a permit, every day of the year. The bridge stands 486 feet above the Snake River. Watch a jump!
2. Visiting the Shoshone Falls, which are spectacular along the Snake River. At 212 feet, the falls are higher than Niagara Falls (hard to imagine for those of us from the East, but when you see them, you’ll agree!)



3. Walking (or jogging) along the scenic path next to the Snake River.

While we found plenty to do and see in Idaho during the summer, we were told there’s also fabulous sightseeing and skiing in the winter. Yet another reason for us to book an Idaho vacation rental soon.

Posted: September 9th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
Comments: 1

Many of the vacation rentals we showcase on PickPackGo offer game rooms, but I never considered a game room a must-have when booking any of the vacation homes we’ve stayed in over the years. After all, most of the homes were close to beaches, theme parks, or a national park where there were plenty of other activities to keep us busy. I guess, I just never thought about the need for a game room. Until now…

This past weekend, the wedding we attended in Montana was at a vacation rental that included a game room, and wouldn’t you know it became the most popular room in the house for all of the guests under the age of 18. Not that we older folks weren’t invited in to join the fun, but it was clearly their area and they were in charge of who played what and when.

Watching them for awhile brought back memories of ping pong and air hockey tournaments that we had as kids. I’d never considered our basement a game room, but on rainy or snowy days, that’s exactly what it was…our place to play games.

As the kids we travel with get older, I can now see how a game room in a vacation home could be a huge asset. Not only would it be fun for the kids on rainy or cold days, but it might even provide a little healthy competition among the generations staying there.

Posted: September 3rd, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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With the “big kids” heading back to school, now is a great time for families with infants and toddlers to book vacation homes at popular vacation destinations without worrying about crowds.

After Labor Day, at Walt Disney World in Orlando for example, ride lines are shorter, reservations for character breakfasts are easier to get, and shows can be more enjoyable for little ones without the distractions of school-aged children.

Historic museums and national monuments, such as those in Williamsburg, VA, can also be less intimidating for toddlers after summertime’s heated rush.

In Carolina resort towns, including Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island, preschoolers can more easily accompany parents and grandparents as they practice their swings on some of the world’s best golf courses and tennis courts.

The Fall is also an ideal time for toddlers to travel by tricycle or training wheels around coastal towns, on boardwalks, and through mountain ski villages at a pace that’s right for the whole family.

When you inquire about and book a vacation rental this Fall, be sure to ask property managers about their specials and other local activities that may be perfect for your preschooler.

Posted: August 25th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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As an East coast local living in San Francisco, I always find myself nostalgic for the long warm summer days and the cool ocean breezes. Since I virtually grew up on the beach, having the opportunity to spend a week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with the family was a treat. I especially enjoyed the surf. There were some good deals on board rentals just down the street at the local surf shop.

Aside from the amazing stretch of spectacular beaches and warm waters (careful of those under toes, folks), there is a lot you can pack in to a week on the island. You can brush up on your history just down in Kitty Hawk at the Wright Brother’s National Memorial, the sight where the Wright Brothers designed and flew their first air crafts. You can even rent kites for the whole family and, if you’re there at the right time, join in the fun at the kite festival.

For those of you who can’t stop shopping, there are plenty of gift shops on the island to choose from, but if you want something unique, you can visit the historic light houses or even see wild horses on the beach.

All in all, The Outer Banks is a perfect family vacation choice for a summer vacation. But don’t pass up the opportunity to get great deals on the off season. There are plenty of great Outer Banks vacation rentals to choose from.

Happy Vacationing!

Posted: August 21st, 2008 under Family Vacation.
Comments: 1

After the Olympics in Beijing, baseball and softball will no longer be Olympic sports. But that’s OK for baseball, writes columnist Jim Souhan in today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Baseball already has high-level play featuring international superstars. It’s called the major leagues.”

Everyone knows Major League Baseball is one of America’s favorite pastimes, and that some stadiums are better than others to spend a day getting into the action.

According to fans, these are the top five parks to see a game:

1. Fenway Park (Boston)
2. Wrigley Field (Chicago)
3. Yankee Stadium (NY)
4. AT&T Park (San Francisco)
5. PNC Park (Pittsburgh)

With more than 30 Major League and 100 Minor League (Triple A, Double A, Single A) Baseball ballparks around the U.S., aren’t you likely to be near at least one during your travels? If so, check your schedule and theirs, stay a few days, sit back and enjoy a game!

Posted: August 14th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel.
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We were pleasantly surprised this week by an announcement that will have our family traveling to just outside of Yellowstone National Park this Labor Day weekend. I can’t wait because I’ve heard so much about Yellowstone, its animals and its natural beauty.

National Parks around the U.S. are ideal for hiking, walking and just viewing amazingly beautiful scenery with the whole family. While the U.S. National Park System includes many national parks, such as Yellowstone, it also includes a large number of monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails. In total, it comprises 391 areas covering more than 84 million acres in every state (except Delaware), the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Among the most popular destinations are: The Grand Canyon, The Statue of Liberty, Gettysburg, Alcatraz Island, Great Smoky Mountains, and where we are headed: Yellowstone National Park.

Like most National Parks, Yellowstone has an official Junior Ranger Program open to children ages 5 - 12. The goal of the program is to introduce children to the natural wonders of Yellowstone and their role in preserving them for the future. We’ll be sure to check it out along with the other “must sees” at the Park.

Now, about that lodging nearby…

Posted: August 12th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Earlier this summer, PickPackGo CEO Felix Lin talked with LakeFront Radio’s hosts about lake-front recreation and business. That show got our family excited about trying a new adventure. Instead of heading to a beach house this month with our friends, we thought we’d try a lake-front vacation home. Our destination: one of the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota, specifically in the town of Nisswa.

Flying to Minnesota is relatively easy from almost anywhere because the Twin Cities’ airport (in Minneapolis/St. Paul) is a Northwest Airlines hub. From the airport, our three-hour drive to Nisswa took us through some beautiful country with lots of farm land. As we drove I-94 North to State Routes 10, then 371 to Brainerd and into Nisswa, I continued to be surprised at how flat the state is. I imagined Minnesota would be hilly with all of those lakes tucked into small valleys. I was wrong.

I wasn’t wrong when I imagined the beautiful lakes though. They are everywhere you look. Big ones with vacationers jet skiing and powerboating and smaller ones with people kayaking and rowing. Our Minnesota vacation home was on a smaller lake, perfect for canoeing, swimming, playing in the sand and fishing from the dock.

There are a lot of perks to a vacation home on the Lake. We enjoyed being able to swim, as well as paddle into the water from our yard, so we could go exploring the local wildlife, which included seeing a large blue heron flying near the shore! We loved playing in the sand on the beach during the day, and at night, hearing the loons call while we hung out by the fire pit toasting marshmallows and making somores.

We also enjoyed shopping and eating (The Chocolate Ox is definitely worth a stop!) in the quaint town of Nisswa, and learning a little bit about its history. With its 10,000 lakes, Minnesota is an absolutely ideal locale for a lake-front vacation.

Posted: July 28th, 2008 under Family Vacation, Travel, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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Now that I have a growing family, I have become more cautious about everything, including traveling. What if our daughter gets sick before our vacation? What if there is a natural disaster where we are going? What if our luggage with all of the baby items we need gets lost? What if…

Fortunately for travelers like me, there is peace of mind available in the form of insurance. Through AIG Travel Guard, anyone renting a vacation home through PickPackGo is eligible to purchase a Vacation Rental Protection Plan.

Sometimes referred to as travel insurance, the Vacation Rental Protection Plan covers trip cancellation or interruptions, delays, baggage delays, medical expenses, emergency medical transportation and also includes travel and roadside assistance. The best part is that it’s really affordable. We can cover our vacation rental fees, car rental, airfare and other travel components for just 7% of the portions of our travel that we want to have covered by the plan.

When you have little ones, having some additional assurances after saving, planning, booking and looking forward to vacation is nice. After all, with kids, things rarely seem to go according to plan.

If you’d like more information about our insurance options through AIG Travel Guard, contact us.

Posted: July 23rd, 2008 under Family Vacation, Vacation Homes, Vacation Rentals.
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