Two years ago, I took my toddler skating for the first time. Holding his hand as his feet wobbled beneath the blades of his skates, I felt a huge sense of joy in sharing the wonder of ice skating with him. Skating is fun no matter where you are, but if you’re looking for a “special” ice rink, here are three of my favorite places in the U.S. to skate with the family.

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My house in the Colorado Rockies sits at 7,000 feet. For me, driving on snowy roads, dressing for winter weather and acclimating to high altitudes is second nature. But when any sea-level house guests come to visit my mountain home in the cold-weather months, I usually email them a few tips to help them best be prepared for the thinner air and potential snowstorms.

Here is my advice for traveling to the mountains in the winter. Read More >

Winter is the time of year when families tend to focus their vacations on either embracing the snowy weather by heading up to a ski resort or escaping the winter chill with a tropical beach vacation.

While these trips certainly result in some family fun, I think that big cities, which are often overlooked in the winter months, offer some terrific vacation opportunities as well. Hotel rates are often lower during the winter months, and cities offer all sorts of seasonal fun.

Bundle up in your pea coat, mittens, and that brand new scarf you got for Christmas and enjoy what three of my favorite cities – San Francisco, Chicago and New York City – have to offer this winter!

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If your family is anything like mine, you love the start of winter. That first snowfall is magical, and the thrill of warm soup and hot chocolate has not yet worn off.

Fast forward to January.

You’re all freezing, your kids have lost one mitten out of each of three sets and your front yard snowman is looking kind of gray. Even worse, you have at least a couple more months to go.

But you don’t have to take the cold lying down. January’s a great time to travel. Fares are low because kids are back in school, and everyone’s back at work after the holidays. The airports aren’t crowded, and parts of the country (believe it or not) are sunny and bright.

Make a new year’s resolution to get the family together and take off for warmer climates like these.

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