Yes, it’s midwinter, and time to plan a vacation to a sunny spot. Most of my vacations are fantasies; because we have young children rarely do we actually get away. But, young children can be fun to travel with, as they are amazed by new places and liven up our family experiences. I decided to check out what the library has to offer on advice on traveling with young kids. I also wanted to research some neat places to go. I found some great ideas and plenty of fodder to fill my vacation daydreams.

For the globetrotting family, 500 places to take your kids before they grow up, helps you plan those trips your family will remember for a lifetime, like Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, or volcano-touring in Maui, extremely exciting stuff. For easy-to-do day trips and low-cost alternatives, there is a great little series called Fun with the Family, published by Insider’s Guide that concentrates on states and regions in the US. Check out the ones for Florida, Georgia, and Virginia for local fun. I love the idea of those all-inclusive family-style camps I saw in the movie Dirty Dancing. I found many such places in the newly updated 100 best family resorts in North America, also published by Insider’s Guide. Maybe this summer we will try the High Hampton resort in North Carolina…I’ll swim with my kids, have great meals I won’t have to cook, and read a book while the kids are in “camp.” Now that’s what my dreams are made of!