Six Sensational Spring Getaways

Appearing in more than 50 major newspapers, Eileen Ogintz's "Taking the Kids" column is a past winner of the national Clarion Award from Women in Communications.

The meeting of a three-year-old, a cat and a goldfish pond started "Taking the Kids." The three-year-old, Eileen Ogintz' son Matt, pushed the hapless kitty into the pond at a Wisconsin cottage her family had rented for the weekend. "I thought the kitty wanted to go swimming," Matt explained. The furious owner insisted they pack up and leave immediately. The embarrassed parents drove home three hours to Chicago in a downpour.

Eileen Ogintz was a national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune then, covering news stories around the country. The travel editor, hearing her tale of woe about the cat and the goldfish pond, encouraged her to write a story about the trials of traveling with children. That story led to others. "We realized there were a lot of people like me, parents who wanted help planning trips now that they had kids." The award-winning syndicated column Taking the Kids grew out of those stories. Ogintz left the Tribune, after 14 years as a reporter, national correspondent and feature writer, to spend more time with her three young children and to launch the column nationally. The Taking the Kids series of travel guides for children, published by HarperCollins West, has followed.

"More people than ever are taking their kids places, whether they're going to Grandma's or a museum, to Disney World or on a business trip," Ogintz said. "Their time and budgets are tight. I give them the help they need to make the most of their family time." "Planning with the kids' interests in mind can make the difference between a great trip and one that's a disaster," she added.

Taking the Kids now appears in more than 50 major newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun-Times, Dallas Morning News and Portland Oregonian. The column won a 1994 national Clarion Award from Women in Communications, Inc. and appears on AOL's Family Travel Network and elsewhere on the Web.

Ogintz has traveled with her husband and kids across the country and abroad -- from London to Disney World to Disneyland -- skiing in Colorado to fishing in Minnesota, soaking up history in Washington, D.C. to sightseeing in Las Vegas, New York and Yellowstone National Park.

The fifth book of the Taking the Kids series, A Kid's Guide to Vacation Fun in the Rocky Mountains, was just published, as well as a book for parents, Are We There Yet?? on taking the kids and surviving. She was the recipient of a 1995 and 1996 Parents' Choice honor for the series, which also highlights the Southwest, Southern California, Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

Ogintz, who holds a master's in journalism from the University of Missouri, is a 20-year veteran of the newspaper business, reporting for The Anniston Star, The Record in Hackensack, N.J., and Des Moines Register as well as the Chicago Tribune, where she created the paper's family-issues beat. Today, she is regular contributor to numerous national publications, and has appeared on such television programs as "48 Hours," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America" and "Oprah." She created a course on the changing American family at Northwestern University and consults on work/family issues.

From their home in Connecticut, Ogintz travels with her husband, an executive in financial services, and their three children, Matt, Reggie and Melanie, who serve -- not always graciously -- as Taking the Kids' special team of experts.

Write to Eileen Ogintz in care of Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053.
Or e-mail Eileen at eileen@takingthekids.com

See recent posts by Eileen Ogintz

It’s not too late to plan a spring getaway and still get a great deal, whether you’ve got just a few days or an entire week to spend. To get you started, here are six great getaway ideas.

Play Ball!

I love spring training getaways in Arizona and Florida because the kids might actually get an autograph, plus you can sit closer to the action. Tickets are so cheap (lawn tickets to see the Chicago Cubs play at Mesa’s HoHoKam Park are just $8 apiece) that you won’t feel guilty if the kids—or you—can’t last all nine innings.

There are plenty of hotel packages (check Visit Florida or Arizona Guide) and plenty else to do whether you are in Phoenix (our pick: The Musical Instrument Museum, which features such iconic instruments as John Lennon’s piano) or central Florida (where you can explore the Everglades, the largest subtropical wetlands in the U.S., by airboat, kayak, or canoe).

Mickey, Spider-Man, and More

Orlando now has the distinction of being the first city in the country to welcome more than 50 million visitors annually. The weather is a lot more pleasant in spring than in summer. If you have young kids not yet in school, wait until after spring break, when the prices come down. There are plenty of new attractions, including Legoland and its soon-to-open water park. There’s also Disney’s expanded Fantasyland, which will include SeaWorld’s Turtle Trek 3-D (open later this spring) and Universal Studios’ Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction at its Islands of Adventure theme park. Whether this is your first or 10th time visiting Orlando, you can’t see it all—not nearly—so relax and enjoy yourselves!

For accommodations, opt for a house with a pool by renting directly from the owner on VRBO, or choose a hotel with a great pool complex like the new Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, which comes complete with a 10-acre lake, family-friendly rooms with bunk beds for children, and a second flat-screen television. (Rates start at $179 per day and include breakfast for a family of four.) The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is touting a Love Your Family deal that includes a 1,000-square-foot executive or grand suite with two bathrooms, $100 resort credit per stay for use toward on-site character dining, swan paddleboat rentals, unlimited beverage cups, souvenirs, and more. (Rates start at $399 per night.)

Hit the Slopes

These days there is as much to do off the slopes as on, no matter which destination you choose. Go to Park City‘s Utah Olympic Park and sign up for a bobsled ride on the Olympic track, or take the younger ones to the Alpine Coaster at Park City Mountain Resort. Interested in Vermont? Stowe, with its Ben & Jerry’s factory, is always a draw, but try out the smaller stops of Bolton Valley or nearby Burlington. Big Sky in Montana offers a zip-line high above the trees; spend the morning doing hands-on activities at the Museum of the Rockies in nearby Bozeman. Or go to Snowmass and learn about the Ice Age mammoths that have recently been discovered there. Need a rush? Go snowmobiling at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, Michigan. You can find plenty of kids-free deals, too: Ski.com can put together a well-priced package with air, lodging, and lifts.

Sun and Sand

Opt for a different kind of beach getaway and book an eco-adventure. Kayak with Baja’s baby whales with Sea Kayak Adventures, or explore Belize or Costa Rica with Wildland Adventures. See how the 1 percent lives by being waited on hand-and-foot at a private Bluefields Bay villa in Jamaica, where even a nanny can be provided so you can get to know locals in the small town. (It’s more affordable than you think; prices in the Caribbean typically drop in April.) Share a condo or villa with another family and you’ll save even more. If all-inclusive is your style, Beaches Resorts offer exemplary programming, including offerings for infants and toddlers—check out the Sesame Street-themed activities—as well as for tweens and teens.

Turn on the City Lights

There are great deals to be had in major and smaller cities, especially on weekends, when the business travelers are gone. Introduce your kids to New York City and explore Broadway, tour the 9/11 Memorial, or shop till you drop at the American Girl Store. Explore the biggest children’s museum in the world in Indianapolis. Or check out San Francisco; you can ride bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge, visit a fortune-cookie factory, talk to a farmer at the huge Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, or see how much fun science can be at the Exploratorium.

Across the Pond

See London all gussied up for the Summer Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Opt for a multiday London Sightseeing Pass; it saves you money and lets you bypass lines to many major sights. Encourage your teens to practice their French in Paris by booking a free tour with a local via Parisien D’Un Jour. Or make ancient history come alive in Rome (opt for a guide for the Vatican and Coliseum from a company like Nancy Aiello Tours—we thought they were great!)

Spring is a good time to visit international cities—fewer crowds and cheaper airfares! To save even more, consider trading your house on Home Exchange, or rent an apartment to experience a foreign city like a local via FlipKey (a SmarterTravel sister site) or Airbnb.

And above all, have fun!

For more Taking the Kids, visit Eileen Ogintz’s Taking the Kids website. Also follow “Taking the Kids” on Twitter, where she welcomes your questions and comments.

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