Theme Trip
  • Home
  • Travel Ideas!
  • In-A-Day Activities
  • Special Needs
  • Dog-Friendly
  • Family Fitness
  • 50 Cures for Boredom
  • Unique Restaurants
  • Unique Hotels
  • Travel With Me Abroad
  • Events around the World
  • Travel Tips!
  • Gallery
  • Reviews & Giveaways
  • Contact us/Author Bio
  • Writer's Blog

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

Dude Ranch- Camps for the whole family

12/16/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
  Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have grown up in the old west, living your life in the saddle, waiting for chow to be served? If you have, a Dude Ranch vacation might be the perfect ThemeTrip for you.   There are quite a few working Dude Ranches in the US that cater to families and offer the experience of working with horses and enjoying the peaceful serenity of the great outdoors.
  Many Dude Ranches offer the kind of all-inclusive vacation that would fit well into everyone's idea of a perfect vacation. With choices of horseback riding, swimming holes, fishing, skeet shooting, and archery to name just a few, your vacation will allow everyone to find exactly what they are looking for. I went on their website to check out a few, to be honest, their list is so extensive listing them would be a chore. I entered ones with a spa and babysitting for mom,  fishing for dad, and western dancing for the grandparents and it came up with 18 choices. 
So, I turned to the Dude Ranchers' Association (DRA) to fill us in a bit more on what Dude Ranches offered and some recommendations. This is what she wrote...

"The term “family vacation” has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to the growing trend of multigenerational travel.  According to the US Travel Association
, 30 percent of all adult leisure travelers vacation is with children or grandchildren. The need for a multigenerational, all-inclusive vacation destination has become essential for families looking to spend quality time reconnecting with one another.


The Dude Ranch Association (DRA) represents more than 100 DRA-accredited dude and guest ranches in some of the most breathtaking areas in the U.S., ranging from luxury resort-style ranches to working ranches, all of which uphold the highest quality of services within the industry. Priced competitively with respect to other similar all-inclusive family vacation options, most events, meals and activities are included in the cost of your ranch visit. No matter which ranch you choose, a dude ranch vacation guarantees plenty of time to bond and spend time as a family, creating memories that will last a lifetime".

  Below please find a list of some of the DRA’s accredited ranches that are particularly well suited to multigenerational families.

Focus Ranch– Slater, Colorado
Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles love bringing kids to Focus Ranch as it offers an uncomplicated fun vacation with the added benefit of a little education. The horseback riding generates the most enthusiasm but the ranch also has numerous counselors that help organize and entertain the kids when off the horse. This may include anything from art work, fishing, building dams in the ditch, horseshoe competitions, nature walks, mountain climbing, swimming activities, and much more. Focus Ranch prides itself in knowing that the adults will not hear the phrase: “there is nothing to do”.


Lost Valley Ranch- Sedalia, Colorado
Nestled among the timeless beauty of Pike National Forest and the Rocky Mountains, Lost Valley offers an authentic Colorado dude ranch experience with activities suited to a range of interests and skill levels. Saddle up with their professional guides for an afternoon of horseback riding, soak up the sun by the heated Olympic-scaled swimming pool or learn the ways of the cowboy by helping the wranglers with their daily chores. Lost Valley also has a great child and teen program, two all-weather tennis courts onsite, guided hiking adventures and family-friendly evening entertainment. 

 Elk Mountain Ranch
- Buena Vista, Colorado
Remotely located in the heart of the Rockies, Elk Mountain Dude and Guest Ranch is secluded within the San Isabel National Forest near Buena Vista, Colorado. The Elk Mountain Dude Ranch experience is a one-week adventure encompassing the best of Colorado at very reasonable, all-inclusive vacation prices. Days at this dude ranch are filled with horseback riding, white water rafting, hiking, riflery, fishing, mountain biking and other activities set against a backdrop of unending vistas. It’s the ultimate in traditional western vacations – perfect for families.


Diamond D Ranch– Stanley, Idaho
The Diamond D Ranch is Idaho's premier all-inclusive guest ranch nestled in the Frank Church Wilderness and surrounded by the Salmon River Mountains. The ranch offer several activities for all ages including horseback riding, fly-fishing, hiking, gold panning, swimming, and many evening festivities. After an exciting day at the ranch, many guests enjoy cracking a window at night and listening to the sounds of the bubbling stream and the wind in the trees from the comfort of their cabin.

Rainbow Trout Ranch
 – Antonito, Colorado
Rainbow Trout Ranch is the perfect Colorado dude ranch for families. Offering exceptional horseback riding, superb fly fishing, awesome children’s programs, a fun teen ranch program, trapshooting,swimming, day trips to Taos, white water rafting and the chance to ride America’s highest and longest narrow-gauge steam train. Rainbow Trout Ranch dude ranch brings timeless simpler pleasures to life all in a spectacular setting.




0 Comments

Winter Wonderland Vacation-Europe

12/9/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
 If you live in Arizona like we do, the idea of a true winter-wonderland vacation may have crept its way into you mind on occasion. There are several fun tours and vacations that are made just for those who wish to be basking in the snow come December.
 
   Kea Adventure hosts a Winter Wonderland  in Sweden family adventure tour in Sweden that has not only Husky dog-sledding and night-time snowshoeing, but also has an Ice Hotel to visit and meet the Sami people and their reindeer. Don't forget the Northern lights!  This tour has all meals and activities included.

  Another great trip for the snow is in Austria. When we toured this beautiful
country, we were introduced to many unique flavors of Schnapps I never knew existed and one of the things they mentioned is that it is a perfect
drink  for keeping skiers warm. So many of the hotels have actual ski
out the door ability and upon returning a nice shot of schnapps can be available to keep you comfy.
 

  If you are looking for a unique winter vacation, consider the Viking Holiday River Cruise. Now, this is my idea of a true winter wonderland and something on my bucket list. From shopping at the holiday markets to decorating and cooking classes on board, it covers my winter to-do list. They also have this gorgeous video on their website that, every time I watch it, makes me want to take the trip even more!

0 Comments

Pilgrims in Plymouth Thanksgiving ideas

11/11/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
  What are your plans for Thanksgiving? If you don't have any yet, then maybe you might consider taking a journey back in time to the pilgrim days in Plymouth, Mass. Plymouth is just a 45 minute drive from Boston. Check out the Plimouth Plantation and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. Tour the Mayflower ll,  learn about the Grist Mill, and explore a 17th-century English Village. Don't forget to see Plymouth Rock and maybe enjoy a tour or two.

  Plimouth Plantation is a great stop for a Thanksgiving dinner.  They host a popular America's Thanksgiving Dinner features classic roast turkey and all the traditional New England trimmings.  Pilgrim role players and Native interpreters are the first to greet you at this very popular and, often, sold out event.

The Mayflower ll was built in Devon, England and crossed the Atlantic in 1967. It is a full-scale reproduction of the original Mayflower that sailed to Plymouth in 1620. 

The Plimoth Grist Mill stands on the plantation grounds and is a corn grinding mill built by the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony.


Plymouth Rock,
also known as "the landing place of the Pilgrims"  and is located on the banks of the Eel River.

Wampanoag Home site is a place to discover how the 17th-century Wampanoag lived, planted crops, hunted, and gathered. This location is considered to be an "outdoor living exhibit".

Lantern tours.  What a great opportunity to see Plymouth in a different light: lantern light. As you tour the historic district of Plymouth with your costumed Pilgrim guide, you learn about the Pilgrims, the Native Americans, the statues and the monuments, and learn the true and amazing story of how Plymouth Rock became a national monument. For more information check out the seeplymouth tours. 

Cranberry bog tour. This is a perfect time to see these colorful crops.Take a tour of the Bog Hallow Farms, one of the family-owned cranberry farms.  Maybe pick up some for your Thanksgiving Feast. 

0 Comments

Backyard Camping

8/19/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
  Certainly an oldie but goodie.  Vacationing on a budget can be a challenge. How about turning your back yard into a camp?  Pitch a tent (You can always borrow one if you do not have it or search the local charity thrift store), set up a mock campfire with a propane cook top, use some fold out chairs around it and let the creativity begin. 

   If you have an old campfire story telling book to read around the campfire while making aluminum foil surprise dinners and smores,  you can make the ambiance more real.  Invite a few of your kid’s friends for the campfire.  What about making the old fashion gods eye yarn craft to add in some crafts to your theme?

0 Comments
Forward>>

    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