by Giselle Bello

Family travels and vacations can lead to unforgettable memories and some great bonding time. Yes, that includes even the rainy days at the beach and the long hours in the car on a roadtrip! But when it comes time to pick somewhere to go, where should you head off to? There are plenty of gorgeous destinations all across the country. To narrow things down, here are the top destinations for families as rated by 2013 travel awards for Family Fun magazine.

These results were gathered from surveys conducted nationwide. Over 2,000 moms with kids from ages 3 to 12 rated different popular destinations. Because local knowledge is usually the best, respondents had to vote on travel destinations from their own geographic region (diving the country into West, Midwest, South, Northeast). Check out the website if you want to see the full results, with the top destinations in different categories (for example, natural destinations and amusement parks) and top destinations for each region.

And finally, presenting the ultimate, top 10 family destinations!

1.  Yellowstone National Park (MT, WY, ID)

2.  Acadia National Park (ME)

3.  Carlsbad Caverns National Park (NM)

4.  Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)

5.  Mount Rushmore National Memorial (SD)

6.  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (MI)

7.  Yosemite National Park, (CA)

8.  Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park (FL)

9.  Glacier National Park (MT)

10. Pearl Harbor Visitor Center (HI)

Photo Credit: Scott Catron

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I’m here to help all my fellow procrastinators. Like me you leave everything to the last minute and spring break plans are no exception. Along with having to battle every beer guzzling frat head for a vacation rental this year we’re also going to have to fight the bible thumpers because Easter is at the end of March as well. With these tips though I’m sure you’ll find somewhere perfect.

Be Flexible

It’s a no brainer that the more flexible you are with your dates the easier it will be to save money. For cheaper plane tickets you want to fly out either before our after the weekend rush. The top four days to fly out are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. 

Trade the Beach for the City

This time of year college students flood the beach scene. For less crowds and cheap hotel rates try a city like Chicago. Great food, great music, and great culture. Chicago has the feel of a big city like New York but with the charm of the Midwest. 

Choose Alternative Airports

If a secondary airport is close to your final destination consider flying into it. This can yield drastically cheaper airfare. Also when you see a good airfare deal snatch it up. It won’t be there when you come back.

Consider Europe

Europe is in the middle of a recession and it’s their low season. Plane tickets are 30 to 40 percent cheaper than they are in the summer and it’s easier to find deals on luxury hotels. It you have a full week on your hands I would highly consider it. Also for all my ladies 25 and under, use studentuniverse.com to find INSANE DEALS!

Become a Techie

There are tons of apps on smartphones that allow you to find deals and organize your trip. You can use Expedia.com’s ASAP (A Sudden Amazing Price) to catch flash sales on airfare and hotel rates or utilize the free planning tools that Hotwire offers. There are tons of apps our there to help you with your itinerary. With Red Week you can find timeshare offers. The sky’s the limit so get out there and do some research.

Become a Snow Bunny

It’s the end of the year for the ski season so if you opt for cold weather you’re in for some deals. Cities like Denver, Salt Lake and Vancouver offer marked down profits due to the season coming to a close. If for some reason your city isn’t experiencing snowflakes try hiking.

Good luck with your travel and remember the procrastinators of North America meeting has been moved to tomorrow. 

Also use sites like Kayak and Cheapoair to find deals on airfare and hotels.

Photo Credit: Dynamite Imagery | freedigitalphotos.net 

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The country of Thailand offers a wide variety of amazing beach getaways. Just check out the movie, “The Beach,” if you have any doubts about their beauty. The movie is also great for a few important warnings and travel tips for the country’s infamous Full Moon parties. 

If you are looking for a tourist heavy party place or a quiet getaway, Thailand offers both. 

I had the chance to visit one of the quieter islands, Koh Samet, recently. From first- hand experience, I can suggest that you take a trip to Koh Samet if you need to escape the hustle and bustle of the bigger cities like Bangkok. 

Koh Samet is a lovely and scenic, laidback adventure paradise. So laidback, in fact, that there’s a section of the beach that’s used solely for meditation. The beach and water are very clean, which can’t be said of the beaches in the infamous mainland tourist trap of Pattaya. And in Koh Samet, you won’t have to worry about a huge crowd of tourists cramping up your space, even on a busy Saturday.

While vacationing in Koh Samet, you must see the evening fire show. Out on the beach, in front of a popular restaurant and club, Thai and Cambodian dancers perform magical fire shows in a vaguely Polynesian style. 

After the fire show and dinner, you can head over to the club area that is decorated with neon lights… for a reason. In the open-air clubs, you can cover parts of your body in glow-in-the-dark paint. Warning: watch your clothes; the paint is hard to get out, especially after it settles into your clothes.

After you wake up from a night of partying and drinking large buckets of alcohol, you can participate in such excursions as: snorkeling, jet skiing and tours of near-by islands. 

If you come to vacation in Thailand, take a few days to visit one of the many scenic beaches. Islands like Koh Samet are close enough to Bangkok to travel to easily, but far enough from the big city to experience paradise. 

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As an American expat living in SE Asia, I haven’t used US currency in a very long time. I actually forgot what it looks like. Just recently I had the chance to see Mr. Benjamin, Mr. Washington, and even some Jacksons again. What place in Southeast Asia allows for the use of dollars? A few places, actually. But today, I’m talking about none other than Cambodia, more specifically, Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

Transportation

A group of friends and I were heading to Cambodia. Some of folks were there to run the famous Angkor Wat Marathon, others, such as me, went to Siem Reap for a relaxing vacation. Siem Reap is definitely a tourist spot, but if you hop on a Tuk-Tuk or grab a bike you can see for yourself what the residential side of Cambodia looks like. Watch out for the cows though.

Prices

One thing that you’ll notice about Siem Reap is… everything is cheap, really cheap. Also, American dollars are commonly used, with Cambodian riel (KHR) given as change and used for transactions of less than one dollar US.

 

Some draft beers are 50 cent. Yes, 50 cents. Which is incredible. Also the hotels, very nice looking hotels, have very good nightly rates. Look for a hotel that is about twenty US dollars a night. You won’t be disappointed. Some hotels are cheaper than twenty dollars too. 

Nightlife

For those looking for a nightlife, you can find it on Pub Street, where, guess what, a lot of nice pubs line the street. You can hear the music flowing out of the pubs, from live music to club music; it’s all there on this one street. 

Culture

While in Siem Reap, one place everyone must visit is the beautiful Angkor Wat. This is one lovely place for your eyes to see. As you come upon the front of the temple, you’ll be greeted by a huge moat and long walkway that leads to the temples. 

Another great place to visit is Angkor Thom, (shown in the photo above). Angkor Thom made its way into a few Hollywood movies, most recently Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie. There you can see the huge trees meandering through the temple.

Language

You don’t have to worry about learning the native language (Khmer) as English is widely spoken in Siem Reap. 

If it’s not already there, add a visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia to your bucketlist. When you get there, grab a bicycle, take a spin around town, and enjoy what Siem Reap has to offer. You won’t be disappointed by this SE Asian gem.

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