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Family Travels on a Budget

Travel with kids: theme park family deals, cruise ships for kids and best cruise lines for teens and other cool places to visit, including adult getaways

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Home » Interests » Page 3

Ultimate Girls’ Getaway: Why weekend cruises are perfect for BFFs

October 8, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 27 Comments

The beach at CocoCay in the Bahamas, where RCCL cruise ships stop

When life at home gets crazy, a girls’ getaway is the cure! And what’s better than a cruise, where all the planning, cooking and cleaning is done for you? My husband knows this and sent me on a fabulous girls’ getaway cruise with a dear friend. You know the kind of friend who you can […]

Filed Under: cruising, Girlfriend Getaways

14 kid friendly hikes in the US for active families to explore

August 27, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 8 Comments

When looking for active family vacations, kid friendly hikes are a great option. Whether planning full-on hiking vacations or adding day hikes on kid friendly hiking trails, family hiking trips are a great way to get outdoors and be active. Even better, most family hiking trails are free or low cost, making hiking with kids […]

Filed Under: Adventure

Busch Gardens Meal Deal: Is it worth it?

August 11, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 14 Comments

The German Sampler at Busch Gardens Virginia

We are avid fans of Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA. The park is consistently rated the most beautiful theme park in the country. Their food, especially the ribs at Trappers Smokehouse, is really good. And, the portions are huge!   Post Updated June, 2018 In years past, Busch Gardens offered a meal deal: A full meal, […]

Filed Under: Destinations, Food, Interests, Other Theme Parks, theme parks, Theme Parks and Zoos, USA, Virginia

Looking for adventure: Vacation ideas for families

August 5, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 3 Comments

Adventure travel ideas for active families

With adventure vacations continuing to grow in popularity, it’s no surprise that families are looking for adventure travel ideas, too. And, the tourism industry has taken notice. Wherever you travel, adventure vacation ideas for families are sure to be available. You don’t have to look too hard to add excitement, maybe some hiking, biking or […]

Filed Under: Adventure, Interests

Ricketts Glen State Park: PA’s answer to overcrowded national parks

July 25, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 9 Comments

Over the past several years, national parks have grown quite popular for vacationers. Of course, the Grand Canyon, the Smoky Mountains and Yosemite have long been popular — and for good reason. But, the growing popularity of national parks across the country has led to overcrowded national parks and the related problems. I think we […]

Filed Under: Adventure, Pennsylvania

Visiting Carowinds? Everything you need to know!

July 10, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 2 Comments

Updated June, 2022 People who live in North and South Carolina know that Carowinds is an awesome theme park! It’s got loads of coasters, Planet Snoopy for the kids, and even Carolina Harbor — an amazing waterpark — included with the price of admission. Special thanks to Carowinds for providing free tickets for this review […]

Filed Under: North Carolina, Other Theme Parks, South Carolina, Theme Parks and Zoos

Cheap family vacations insider tip: Visit public parks!

April 15, 2019 by Karen Dawkins Leave a Comment

public parks add great value to budget travel

When planning a vacation to major cities like New York or San Francisco, famous public parks fall naturally into the vacation plan. Can you imagine visiting Manhattan without seeing Central Park? Or my favorite, Bryant Park! In San Francisco, The Presidio and the Yoda Statue rank up there with Golden Gate Park and its famous […]

Filed Under: Kid Fun, Planning Tagged With: budget travel

Beach Bag Essentials: Everything you need to pack the perfect beach bag!

April 2, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 11 Comments

A day at the beach always brings big smiles, unless you forget something really important! Nobody wants that, so we made a checklist to help you remember all the beach bag essentials to make packing for the beach easy! This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (at no additional cost to you). Click here […]

Filed Under: beach, Beaches, Packing, travel tips

Vacation with teens: Nine ways to connect wherever you go

March 28, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 5 Comments

Plan vacation to include fun things to do with teens and reconnect with yours

A trip to the beach is easy with little kids. Pack sunscreen, a bucket and shovel and let kids play till they can’t play anymore. Teens, not so much. A day or two on the beach, maybe, but they aren’t likely to find building sand castles for a week as entertaining as little ones do. […]

Filed Under: Alabama, Teens and Tweens

Complete Outer Banks Vacation Planner: Sun, sand, and sea (and more to explore!)

March 5, 2019 by Karen Dawkins 3 Comments

Sun, sand and sea at the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a popular vacation destination for families who want to enjoy sun, sand and sea. A successful vacation takes just a bit planning, though. This guide walks you through everything you need to plan a wonderful Outer Banks vacation. We’ll cover: Outer Banks accommodations, OBX attractions in each region […]

Filed Under: Adventure, Beaches, History, Kid Fun, North Carolina, Travel guides

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Meet Karen Dawkins

An avid traveler, I enjoy discovering new places: history, culture, and adventure. I love it all! Well, not bugs. I don’t like bugs very much, so I probably won’t visit a bug museum.

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