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Family vacation hot spots in Chicago - fox4kc.com

Lincoln Park Zoo. The largest free zoo in the country is a favorite ... into Lake Michigan, offering boat rides (power or sail), a Ferris wheel, the Chicago Children's Museum, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (which offers family shows in summer ...

Red Wing: natural beauty abounds - Post-Tribune

N o less of an observer of America's raw beauty than Henry David Thoreau became enamored with the Hiawatha Valley along the Upper Mississippi. The celebrated poet and philosopher visited in 1861 and climbed Barn Bluff -- popularizing this and other ...

Travel Shorts - Asbury Park Press

Ten million more people visited national parks last year than in 2008, but the numbers fell short of the all-time record for park visitation from 1987. More than 285 million people visited national parks and other units of the National Park Service ...

Briefly: March 6 - Abington Mariner

PLYMOUTH – The Greater Plymouth Food Warehouse will hold food drives from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 6, at Shaw’s in Carver, Stop & Shop (Plymouth, Manomet and Kingston) and The Market at The Pinehills in Plymouth. Food donations may ...

TheSpec.com - travel - BRIEFS - Hamilton Spectator

MONTREAL Two Montreal hostels have been singled out as "top-rated" by HostelBookers after getting positive reviews from customers of the U.K.-based website. Auberge L'Apero, near McGill University, was rated one of the top three hostels in North ...

Top 10 adventure vacations in the U.S. - canada.com

Are you a thrill-seeker looking for adventure this summer, without breaking the bank? Men’s website AskMen.com has come up with a list of its top 10 adventure vacations within the United States: 1. Surfing, scuba diving, mountain biking at Oahu ...

New Northern Outdoors Rafting Special for Ski Pass Holders Benefits ... - PRLog (free press release)

PR Log (Press Release) – Mar 06, 2010 – New England Ski Area season ... Outdoors offers year-round affordable, Maine adventure vacations and is the first and most experienced rafting adventure company in Maine. Summer season activities offered ...

Choose rental agency for Italian vacation based on location - Vancouver Sun

QIt will be our 40th wedding anniversary in 2011 and my wife and I wish to rent a villa in Italy. We have found a number of rental companies on the Internet but wonder if you could recommend one in particular based on its reputation of quality ...

Apple Vacations Kicks off its Spring SuperSale- Biggest Sale of the ... - Investors Business Daily

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., March 5, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Apple Vacations kicks off its national SuperSale on March 5. During this three-week sale, Apple Vacations offers its best prices for spring and early summer travel with exceptional savings ...

Archive for July 2006 - The Spokesman-Review

Tim Woodward. The Idaho Statesman columnist and reporter ... of my two-week vacation huddling in a “m’mahd,” a reinforced safe room, inside a home in Haifa, Israel, listening to the blare of air-raid sirens and distant, dull thumps as Katyusha ...

Resolved Question: If you could tell the girls that made the pregnancy pact?

What you tell them? As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies — more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year. Some adults dismissed the statistic as a blip. Others blamed hit movies like Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing young unwed mothers. But principal Joseph Sullivan knows at least part of the reason there's been such a spike in teen pregnancies in this Massachusetts fishing town. School officials started looking into the matter as early as October, after an unusual number of girls began filing into the school clinic to find out if they were pregnant. By May, several students had returned multiple times to get pregnancy tests, and on hearing the results, "some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," Sullivan says. All it took was a few simple questions before nearly half the expecting students, none older than 16, confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together. Then the story got worse. "We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy," the principal says, shaking his head. (Read "Gloucester Principal Stands by Story.") The question of what to do next has divided this fiercely Catholic enclave. Even with national data showing a 3% rise in teen pregnancies in 2006 — the first increase in 15 years — Gloucester isn't sure it wants to provide easier access to birth control. In any case, many residents worry that the problem goes much deeper. The past decade has been difficult for this mostly white, mostly blue-collar city (pop. 30,000). In Gloucester, perched on scenic Cape Ann, the economy has always depended on a strong fishing industry. But in recent years, such jobs have all but disappeared overseas, and with them much of the community's wherewithal. "Families are broken," says school superintendent Christopher Farmer. "Many of our young people are growing up directionless." (See the top 10 news stories of 2008.) The girls who made the pregnancy pact — some of whom, according to Sullivan, reacted to the news that they were expecting with high fives and plans for baby showers — declined to be interviewed. So did their parents. But Amanda Ireland, who graduated from Gloucester High on June 8, thinks she knows why these girls wanted to get pregnant. Ireland, 18, gave birth her freshman year and says some of her now pregnant schoolmates regularly approached her in the hall, remarking how lucky she was to have a baby. "They're so excited to finally have someone to love them unconditionally," Ireland says. "I try to explain it's hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 a.m." (Read "Gloucester Pregnancy Plot Thickens.") The high school has done perhaps too good a job of embracing young mothers. Sex-ed classes end freshman year at Gloucester, where teen parents are encouraged to take their children to a free on-site day-care center. Strollers mingle seamlessly in school hallways among cheerleaders and junior ROTC. "We're proud to help the mothers stay in school," says Sue Todd, CEO of Pathways for Children, which runs the day-care center. (See the people who mattered in 2008.) But by May, after nurse practitioner Kim Daly had administered some 150 pregnancy tests at Gloucester High's student clinic, she and the clinic's medical director, Dr. Brian Orr, a local pediatrician, began to advocate prescribing contraceptives regardless of parental consent, a practice at about 15 public high schools in Massachusetts. Currently Gloucester teens must travel about 20 miles (30 km) to reach the nearest women's health clinic; younger girls have to get a ride or take the train and walk. But the notion of a school handing out birth control pills has met with hostility. Says Mayor Carolyn Kirk: "Dr. Orr and Ms. Daly have no right to decide this for our children." The pair resigned in protest on May 30. Gloucester's elected school committee plans to vote later this summer on whether to provide contraceptives. But that won't do much to solve the issue of teens wanting to get pregnant. Says rising junior Kacia Lowe, who is a classmate of the pactmakers': "No one's offered them a better option." And better options may be a tall order in a city so uncertain of its future. — With reporting by Kimberley McLeod/New York Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html#ixzz0eRghRCug more

Resolved Question: Where to stay in the UK?

I am a CA college student planning a two week vacation for summer 2010. I want to go to the UK but can't decide where. I am a little old fashioned and don't much care for the fast-paced club scene. I am a fan of Georgian and Victorian architecture and I love 18th and 19th century literature. I suppose I'm looking for a scenic place much like the Lake District or Edinburgh, but am not quite sure. I have been to London and liked it very much but I want to see more historic sites. A place that is fun and has good shopping as well. Does anyone have any suggestions? more

Resolved Question: Advice for summer trip - Mallorca-Valencia-Madrid/Thailand/Istanbul?

ok, so here goes - I wanna workout a nice summer vacation traveling trip, i am 22 years old, and want the trip to be at least 1 month.. i am trying to decide where to go, and figure out how much it would cost me, and how much fun it would be.. mainly i want the trip to include - beaches, parties, sunshine, scenic nature(but not too hardcore traveling) some culture if possible(art, music, architecture..) i have thought of a few options - 1) making a trip to Palma de Mallorca, then going to Valencia, and from there maybe Madrid, or Malaga, basically having a good time in spain.. it would be excellent for me because i started learning spanish, and this way i would be able to practice it.. 2) Thailand - well i've never been to the east, and thailand sounds really cool, allot of fun and young people, plus the advantage that it's much cheaper than europe... 3) Istanbul - i've been kinda on the istanbul signal since i saw the movie Crossing the Bridge, about the different music in istanbul, and i think as a musician i would have allot of fun there.. so basically i would really appreciate any advice about this trip, about the places, the cost, and maybe recommendations for other places to go to... i should note that i am from Israel, 22yo, a musician and an art student.. thanks allot for your time and advice in advance, Avia.. more

Resolved Question: Important summer vacation question-where in the U.S. can I find the best county fair?

While we're on the subject, how about the most scenic hot-air balloon ride? more

Resolved Question: Have you ever been to Niagara Falls?

My husband and I are planning on vacationing there this summer. Also, could you tell me if you are required to have a passport if you visit Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. I've heard it's much more beautiful and scenic on that side. I'm really excited. Also, can you recommend things to do, places to eat, etc.Thanks Charlie, the info will be very helpful! more

Resolved Question: Scenic Route from Mississippi to Miami?

I'am taking a vacation to Miami this summer and I live in Jackson, Ms and will be driving to South Beach..I love to drive..its just a self control issue. I wanted to know a scenic route to take for seeing alot of water and beaches..any info would be helpful. more

Resolved Question: Road trip help???(texas)?

Me and some of my friends have decided to go on a road trip during the summer. We are starting in austin and have no clue where to start. We are students and broke. Not exactly, but we are looking for more nature attractions. We want to go through mountains and camp. Of course the girls want to go to the beach, so we where thinking of good routes with scenic views, rivers, mountains, good camping and fishing. That will land us not far from a beach. Please help, my first plannning of a vacation and don't want to screw up. I was thinking of going through colorado on the way to cali, or tennasee to florida. more

Resolved Question: Lovely vacation spots in Europe ?

thinking of Lucerne in Switzerland ....and Vienna for the Wachau valley ....and a cruise on the Danube ... Paris and environs.....have you any opinions to offer for those areas.... Chamonix, for a non-skier .... somewhere full of fluffy snow in the winter and lovely scenery in the summer ?? Thank you p.s. also shopping, little restaurants and pastry shops, but also countryside.and peaceful afternoons .....any train trips that are very scenic ? OH ! Forgot ! Small pretty hotels ? tnx ......xxxxx more

Resolved Question: Wife and I disagree on a vacation idea for kids?

I have an idea for a family vacation for next summer that we have a disagreement on. We have twin 8 year old boys. I think it would be fun to drive cross country using mainly back roads visiting the small towns and old roadside attractions. We would camp along the way in the national and state parks. I think it would be good for the boys to see the country before it becomes nothing more than chain restaurants and stores and to see how scenic the western US is. Also the boys and I are building a model railroad and I think it would be fun to visit the small town to get ideas. We would take our time and have plenty of stops along the way. She thinks the kids would be bored. What do you think, would two 8 year olds be bored with that? They want to go too. more

Resolved Question: Is it too dangerous to hike alone in the Appalachian Mountains?

In August I'm going to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and I plan on hiking part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail but I’m having second thoughts now because I was reading about Shenandoah and there’s been a lot of murders on the trail, including a really nasty one in the late 90’s that got a lot of media attention. It suggest to have a hiking partner on the website but none of my friends can come because they’re working and it’s my only week off this summer. I would feel safer if I could bring a gun, but Department of the Interior doesn’t allow guns in any of the parks … so much for the second amendment *rolls eyes* I really want to go because I haven't been on a vacation in a long time and I love nature, but I don't want to feel scared. Is it too dangerous to go alone? more

Resolved Question: Is it safe to hike alone?

Resolved Question: Cross Country Vacation by Amtrak's California Zephyr?

Has anybody travelled in bedrooms onboard Amtrak trains? We were thinking of taking a cross-country train vacation this summer. The two options are - California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco, or Southwest Chief from Chicago to L.A. Which one is more scenic and enjoyable?? Is it safe to do overnight journey on Amtrak trains? (I once took a Greyhound bus and didnt like it much...) Both me and my wife have never travelled in a train, so we are excited to do a trip like this. However price of a bedroom ticket for two for a one-way ride is almost $1500! more

Resolved Question: Where should my husband and I visit on our vacation in China this summer?

We just moved to Dalian, China. Neither of us has been to China before, and we want to see some interesting / scenic places. Our vacation dates are from July 22nd - August 4th.(Preferably somewhere not extremely hot during the month of July).Wow, someone's paranoid! (ahem, Mr. "I hate commies"). Yes, China has its problems, but I seriously doubt the poisoning was any more of a "diabolical scheme" than when U.S. produce companies failed to prevent the outbreak of Ecoli in their packaged spinach. It happens, and all countries need better systems to prevent it. Unfortunately there are just as many corrupt companies in our country (if not more). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS3mhjt7TrY more

Resolved Question: any suggestions on things to do while near fort worth for my vacation?

we are going to visit my boyfriends grandpa who lives near fort worth. (we are coming from kentucky) last summer we drove down to the beach from there and it was just too far to do so much driving. he wants to see the desert, but i think we would probably have to drive about 10 hours west to see anything like he is looking for. So are there any areas (scenic) that would be interesting to visit that wont take us very long to get to? To give you an idea of what he is hoping for... he wants to see sights like what you might see at the grand canyon, or arizona mountains... that red, rocky desert area. Is there anything close to fort worth that looks like that? more

Resolved Question: Which state has the most scenic driveable coastline?

Planning a summer vacation and need some recs for places to go. more

Resolved Question: I'm taking a trip to Michigan soon, I want to do something fun & have a great vacation, any suggestions?

My trip will be in the summer, and I would like to be near a lake or beach during my stay. I would also like to go dune buggy riding. What else would you suggest doing that is scenic or fun? more

Resolved Question: What mountain in North America that is near a major city has the most beautiful peaks?

Summer vacation is coming up and my wife wants shopping and I want scenic views. more