Experts’ picks for winter adventures
When it comes to making travel plans, the options can be overwhelming. Three intrepid family travel experts add to the mix with their top picks for a memorable, winter season adventure.
Winter on the ranch
Vista Verde, a luxury Colorado guest ranch, is a winter wonderland for families with kids of all ages, advises Nancy Schretter, the founder & managing editor of the Family Travel Network.
“There are so many fun things to do there — from snow tubing and cross-country skiing to snowmobiling, snowshoeing and fat tire biking in the snow. They also have a great kids program,” she said.
“We went horseback riding along snow-packed trails and riding in a one-horse open sleigh ... something I always wanted to do,” added Schretter, who writes about travel from her home in Virginia.
Downhill skiing and snowboarding are available at nearby Steamboat Ski Resort and one of the ranch’s vehicles will take families there, notes Schretter.
More more information, visit
www.vistaverde.com or www.familytravelnetwork.com.
Go for a Greek getaway
“People tend to stay close to home with kids. But, I firmly believe in opening their hearts and minds early with further flung travel,” says Becca Hensley, an Austin, Texas-based parent and travel and lifestyle writer. “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have support though. You’ll manage to relax, spoil yourself and hang with the family in style if you book a villa with Greek-owned White Key Villas.
“They’re congenial and involved — and they love kids and catering to families,” adds Hensley. “With more than 200 handpicked villas to choose from, in destinations from Paros to Patmos, the homes are all privately owned, and vary in size and orientation. Costing the same as villas in Hawaii or the Caribbean, the Greek villas come with outstanding staff support, VIP experiences and special treats for children.” For more information, visit
www.whitekeyvillas.com or www.beccahensley.com.
Consider Costa Rica
“It’s my favorite destination for families who love nature and wildlife,” says LiLing Pang, the co-founder and CEO of Trekaroo, an independent family travel community.
“This Central American country is safe and easy to negotiate even for those who do not speak Spanish. In a week, you could be bird watching and zip-lining in the Monte Verde cloud forest, surfing and boogie boarding along the white sand beaches of the Guanacaste region, and watching playful monkeys and sloths in the rainforest,” offers the Californiabased mom and entrepreneur. December through May is the dry season in Costa Rica, adds Pang, which makes exploring that much easier.
For more information, visit
www.VisitCostaRica.com or www.trekaroo.com.