Category: Travel

Feeding the sharks at the Shedd Aqaurium: a review of our extraordinary experience

Feeding the sharks at the Shedd Aqaurium: a review of our extraordinary experience
Welcome back to Shark Week on Tween Us, designed to get you in the spirit for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, which starts on August 10th. Today’s installment is my very favorite.  We were lucky enough to go as a family to feed the sharks at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. My daughter and... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
August 6, 2014 at 9:52 am • 

Expert advice about Disney World and tweens from an author of the Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World

Expert advice about Disney World and tweens from an author of the Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World
Liliane J. Opsomer, one of the authors of the fabulous The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and The Unofficial Guides to Walt Disney World with Kids, shared some of her best tips and tactics for navigating Disney World with kids. I was able to ask her specifically about how to make the most of... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
April 14, 2014 at 8:10 am • 

9 things you can do now to prepare for a trip to Disney World or Disneyland

9 things you can do now to prepare for a trip to Disney World or Disneyland
Spring Break is just around the corner. Really, it is. I know it feels like this winter will never end, but keep hope alive. I’m surviving by making plans to head to Florida. I’ve heard of many people opting for the latter and it seems like Disney World and Disneyland are prime destinations. Many spring... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
February 24, 2014 at 6:22 am • 
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A look inside the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs

Be sure to bring your camera if you visit. There are all kinds of opportunities for fun photos, including the rings.
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado is where America’s best athletes train in hopes of bringing home the gold. It’s also open to the public and you can check out a movie, take a tour and see the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, all for free. Travel &... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
February 7, 2014 at 12:19 am • 

6 Holiday family travel tips from Colleen Kelly of PBS' "Family Travel with Colleen Kelly"

6 Holiday family travel tips from Colleen Kelly of PBS' "Family Travel with Colleen Kelly"
Colleen Kelly is both a mom of two and a travel guru who has visited more than 20 countries. Those two roles come together in her new PBS show, “Family Travel with Colleen Kelly,” the very first family travel show to ever go national. As a family travel expert, she circles the globe to helps her viewers get the most... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
November 22, 2013 at 6:03 am • 

The Field Museum transports visitors back in time with 1893 Chicago World's Fair exhibit

The Field Museum transports visitors back in time with 1893 Chicago World's Fair exhibit
Chicago is full of cultural wonders, and the Field Museum’s latest exhibit shows visitors that it has been that way for a very long time. Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair takes visitors back to 1893 to the World’s Columbian Exposition. Taking place just 22 years after the Great Chicago Fire, it was a significant... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
November 2, 2013 at 6:50 pm • 
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Favorite Chicago places to visit: My tween's take on the best of the Windy City in the summer

Favorite Chicago places to visit: My tween's take on the best of the Windy City in the summer
ChicagoNow bloggers are banding together today to give our readers the best of Chicago in the Summer. We will be sharing our favorite places, events, and summer activities all around Chicagoland. Get ready to experience the most comprehensive list of summer hot spots brought to you by true Chicagoans. I wanted to do a tween... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
July 12, 2013 at 7:51 am • 

48 hours in Colorado Springs: 8 fun family activities

<a href="http://www.cograilway.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Pike's Peak Cog Railway</strong></a> It's a bit expensive at $35 for adults and $19 for kids, and the fact that they sell oxygen containers in the gift shop and advice you purchase them for your ride is a little disconcerting, but this rail ride is worth it. Katherine Bates wrote American the Beautiful after making it to the top of Pike's Peak and this railway shows you exactly why. My tween was excited to spot a <a href="http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/Pages/Marmot.aspx" target="_blank">yellow-bellied marmot,</a> to be able to see to New Mexico and Kansas and to get a donut at the summit. I like to say that she's diverse. Get information on rates and times <a href="http://www.cograilway.com/ratestimes.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. Advanced <a href="http://cograilway.com/reservationsweb.htm" target="_blank">reservations</a> are highly recommended, particularly in the summer. Note that you need to arrive half an hour before your departure time, which may just save you from having to tear out of the Air Force Academy like we did when I randomly double checked our Railway reservation. Your haste may also mean you forget the Air Force sweatshirt you bought for the ride knowing that the top is always very chilly. Please be smarter than I was
The wild fires raging in Colorado are close to Colorado Springs, which my family discovered two weeks ago s a wonderful family vacation destination. We hope that The brave firefighters will be able to quickly extinguish the flames that have scorched close to 16,000 acres, destroyed 360 homes and claimed at least two lives. Our... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
June 14, 2013 at 12:40 am • 

Book offers nearly 200 suggestions for fun Chicago activities with tweens and teens

Book offers nearly 200 suggestions for fun Chicago activities with tweens and teens
Tweens are often the forgotten age group, and that is particularly true when it comes to finding activity suggestions, as parents looking for fun things to do with the tweens know all too well. Thankfully, author Melisa Wells has filled the void for families living in or visiting Chicagoland with her book, Chicken in the... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
May 24, 2013 at 6:44 am • 
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Travel tips: Hidden gems near Chicago tourist spots provide free family fun

<strong>Tried & True: Skydeck Chicago, 103rd floor of the Willis Tower</strong> The Skydeck is open every day and you can enjoy spectacular views of the Chicago skyline, and also see four states. Step out on the glass "ledge" which extends out 4 feet from the building, and is 1,353 feet in the air.
Chicago welcomed more than 43 million tourists in 2011 and while there are some spots on the tourist track that are absolutely worth the trip, they can be pricey. After living in Chicago for a decade, I’ve discovered some family-friendly hidden gems that are within walking distance of major attractions. Best of all: they are... Read more »
By Shannan Younger,
January 26, 2013 at 3:21 pm •