Theme Trip
  • Home
  • Travel Ideas!
  • In-A-Day Activities
  • Mobility Assist
  • Dog-Friendly
  • Family Fitness
  • Unique Restaurants
  • Unique Hotels
  • Travel With Me Abroad
  • Events around the World
  • Travel Tips!
  • Gallery
  • Contact us/Author Bio
  • Author's Books

Travel Ideas!

Explore our unique Travel Ideas to create your own crazy family adventures! We search out the odd, the fun, the unusual, and the very best vacation ideas so you can theme your next vacation.

Travel ideas are posted a few times a year. Check back or enjoy browsing our extensive archives for other great ideas. 

In-A-Day activities

South Dakota Discovery

5/26/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
South Dakota's Mount Rushmore is a stunning granite sculpture of four of the past United States Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. This 60-foot sculpture is absolutely stunning, but it is not the only amazing site to be seen or toured in this area.
If you are planning on taking a trip to South Dakota, some of there other stops you might want to consider are:

Black Hills: Granite-core mountains in the Great Plains that Rise 7,244 feet make up the Black Hills. Many of the treasures of the Black Hills are not visible on its surface. With some well-versed guides you can get a fulfilling Black Hills experience. 


Badlands: Badlands National Park, with 244,000 acres, is a , dramatic natural barrier sculpted into stark pinnacles and gullies by the natural forces of water. While some may say it is not "beautiful", its beauty is in the stark and dramatic work of Mother Nature.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead: Visit the place where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote many of her "Little House On The Prairie" books!  Enjoy a good old-fashion fun-filled day with covered wagon rides, exhibits, activities, and even a 1880's school session.


Jewel Cave National Monument:  Jewel Cave is currently the third longest cave in the world. This stunning underground world of cave formations also has some unique recreational opportunities such as a hiking experience. If you have never experienced viewing a cave, it is a memory not soon forgotten.

Deadwoods:  The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874 set off one of the last great gold rushes in the country, and this year is also when Deadwoods were born. What started as a small gold camp became a town of outlaws and gamblers. This location is where the term "Dead Man's Hand" took root. Now it is a gaming place with 80 gaming halls at which you can try your luck.
You can also visit Calamity Jane's resting place as well at the Mount Moriah Cemetery.


Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota:  During the summer months, the "world's only Corn Palace" has free guided tours of this unique place. The murals, as well as the designs covering the building, are made by local artists, change in theme every year, and  are made from actual corn and other grains.

2 Comments

Unique Summer Camps for Kids

5/19/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
 I remember going to a Blue Bird camp when I was a kid and having fond memories of hanging out, doing crafts, and sitting around the campfire. Today, however, kids have so many different options. Check out the unique new camps we found.

Fashion Camp- Kids learn how to drape, create, sketch, and sew. They have classes for kids, teens, and adults as well! 
check out fashioncampoc(dot)com 

Olympic Sports Camp- With over 90 sports and activities offered, this would be a great camp for sporty youths. With real coaches and over 40 acres to explore. Located in Ontario. Check out olympiasportscamp(dot)com 


Spy Camp- Where campers receive training in martial arts, code breaking, surveillance, and more! This camp is a role-playing adventure.  
Check out lohikan(dot)com


Wizards and warriors camp- Instead of playing video games, kids can be part of a game.  Solve ancient mysteries, find treasures, and defend your clan.  Check out swordsummercamp(dot)com 

Stand up comedy Camp-  If your youth has a sense of humor and wants to know how to bring out that talent, you might want to consider a comedy camp. Learn about improve acting, and comedic acting. Checkout the Kids N' Comedy website.


0 Comments

Temecula Wine Tasting

5/9/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
  I know this is a bit early since we are not quite in summer yet, but if you want tickets and accommodations for either the Crush Fest in September, or the Harvest Fest in November, it is best to get them now.   This year, September 13th is the scheduled date for Crush and November 1-2 is the scheduled dates of the Harvest Fest.  The Harvest Celebration is a theme in itself.  Over 35 wineries will be participating in this year's event.  Temecula is a lovely, hidden gem in the wine world. Nestled only 45 minutes from San Diego in a valley of wineries, you can achieve the peace of a tranquil vacation along with some of the most amazing wines.

  Last year we chose the Grapeline wine private tour and, although they do have a group tour bus that will pick you up at several hotels and is cheaper, if you have at least four people, you might find the private tour to be an acceptable price.  Our whole group felt this tour company was fantastic!  They show up on time with water bottles a plenty in the van and you set out to explore their recommended list of wineries. You can alter, of course, but they have a pretty good grip on the best stops. Our tour guy was engaging and wiling to go the extra mile, carrying our wines and storing them to take back with us as we sipped wines from place to place.  For the harvest celebrations, they sell one or two day passes for a stop and taste, and most of the stops also have nibbles to go with the wine. Some wineries have bands on site and others just an amazing view.  We chose the two day and it was just the right amount of time to see plenty of places.

  You can choose to stay in a home rental and many can be found on VRBO or else there are several hotels including the South Coast Winery Resort and Spa, which is a bit bigger of a hotel and has a spa, or else the charming and more intimate Inn at Europa Village that has a lovely view and a charm that adds to the wine touring feeling. Always ask about a grouped package since both Go Grape tours and some of the hotels sell ticket packages. 

Crush Fest is Sept 13, 2014
Harvest Fest is Nov 1-2 2014

Picture
Picture
4 Comments

Where Waterfalls and Waves Await

5/5/2014

10 Comments

 
Guest post by Kara B. Wilson

Whether you want to go on a beach vacation to unwind under the sun, participate in
exciting excursions, or experience a different scene that has cultural flavor and fun, Cabarete is the place to visit. Located on the Atlantic side of the Dominican Republic, Cabarete touches the sea and El Choco National Park’s mountains and lagoon. Once a quiet fishing village, this sand and surf paradise is now known for its ideal wave and wind conditions. People come to Cabarete from all over the world to surf, kiteboard, sea kayak, windsurf, and scuba dive. It’s also a great place to relax in the sand with a
Presidente beer or a tropical drink, enjoy a spa day, or take a Spanish class. 
 
One of the most memorable adventures that you can have while staying in Cabarete, is visiting the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua. Though you need to be in decent shape to hike up the falls, you can opt to go up to the 7th, 12th or 27th waterfall. No matter what you decide, a helmet, lifejacket, and a trained guide are mandatory. The guides are friendly and lend a hand as you hike toward the falls, ascend wooden ladders, climb up slick rock surfaces with the aid of knotted ropes, and swim through cave-like passageways. How do you get down? You let go of your fears and harness your adrenaline by jumping off each waterfall. Some have rock-formed chutes that you can slide down, but many others require you to leap into the air and splash into a teal pool below. The highest waterfall is the 8th one and is roughly 26 feet high, which is almost as tall as a three-story building. But, by the time you get back into town, you’ll be excitedly telling people you practically jumped off of a waterfall as tall as askyscraper. And, you will have definitely earned a nice dinner and a few drinks that night.

Cabarete has an interesting assortment of open-air restaurants offering Dominican, Spanish, Italian, American, French, Japanese and Caribbean cuisine. At night, these laid back restaurants turn into lively bars and clubs that spill onto the sand. Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, pop, and electronic music play as Dominicans, backpackers, and expats from around the world mingle and dance under the coconut
trees. Don’t be afraid to jump in when there’s karaoke, learn a few moves on the dance floor, or meet some of the interesting people who have made this beautiful place their home. Cabarete is meant to be thoroughly enjoyed.



 
10 Comments

    Categories

    All
    Adults
    Couples
    Culinary Tours
    Family
    Holidays
    Kids
    Ladies
    Men
    Mens
    Multi Generational
    Outside The Usa
    Popular Favorites
    Teens



    Archives

    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Before accessing ANY third-part links, please read our disclaimer on the home page of our website.  Thank you!

    RSS Feed

    Hypersmash.com
Proudly powered by Weebly