Villa Roma offers special weekend packages throughout the year which provides great opportunities to save on trips to this Catskills resort. One of its most popular offerings is the “All American Weekends” package, which has great deals for families who want to escape for the Memorial Day and Independence Day holidays. These summer holiday weekends will offer live music, an outdoor barbeque on Sunday, May 27th, and a fireworks display on July 4th. This is all on top of the many activities always available at Villa Roma such as horseback riding, four pools, go karting and a bowling alley.

Kids’ programs at Villa Roma allow children and teenagers to participate in activities with their peers. The groups in the program are determined by age, so teens ages 13-17 in particular can enjoy the rock climbing wall, bocce tournaments, sports, and nature trails. At the Game Room, I enjoy playing pool, ping pong, or just hanging out in the Teen Lounge.

I live in the New York City metropolitan area, so we can easily reach the resort by car. The upcoming summer holiday weekends sound like an especially cool time for us to return this year.

Please visit www.villaroma.com or call 1-877-256-7502.

It’s that time of year – for juniors in high school to start visiting colleges that they may want to apply to during the upcoming fall and winter. Now that I’m a freshman at Boston College, my first visit two years ago to my future “home” seems so long ago already. It was an exciting time yet nerve racking too!

In hindsight, with all the college road trips we made to Boston during that time period, it would have been great if Sonesta Hotels’ newly launched “Sonesta Club U” had been around. Instead we stayed at a hotel OVER the Massachusetts Turnpike that my mom couldn’t stand. The zooming cars below kept her up all night and she was always getting lost trying to get from the hotel’s parking lot to the entry to the “Pike”!

The Sonesta Club U program is available in all of the hotel brand’s U.S. locations: Boston, Miami and New Orleans. The way the program works is this: it’s for parents and teens during their college search as well as once they are in college. Sonesta Club U includes: discounts on parking; 20% off overnight accommodations; maps and information about area colleges; lists of area resources for students (where to buy things in Boston for equipping your college dorm room); and preferred Sonesta hotel reservations options for graduation dates for its members.

My Mom and little brother recently visited me at college and stayed at the Royal Sonesta Cambridge hotel as part of the Club U program.  There is no comparison to how much we loved this resort-style hotel compared to the one we stayed at two years ago! First of all, Ethan and I felt like we were on a cruise instead of at a hotel. I liked the cool lounges to hang out in; Ethan spent a lot of time in the big atrium-style, indoor pool; and my Mom loved the chai lattes at the hotel’s Art Bar. That night, Ethan and my Mom hopped a nearby “T” (trolley/subway system in Boston) and were at a Boston Celtics game in minutes.

When they come to drop me off in the fall at college, my Mom, brother and I want to take advantage of the free bikes the hotel offers. Since the Royal Sonesta Cambridge is right on the Charles River, there’s a bike path with really great views of Boston – perfect for picture taking too.

For more information on Sonesta Club U and to register (for free): www.Sonesta.com/ClubU.

Few know about this weird and wacky destination, but that’s no reason not to stop by! This two story high palace is dedicated mainly to cheeses, but also features candies, jellies, meats, wines and more! Local farmers use the Mars Cheese Castle as a way to sell their delicious fresh produce, and visiting is a wonderful experience.

My favorite part about visiting the Mars Cheese Castle is… the cheese! Some of Wisconsin’s finest cheddars can be found here, sitting in perfect rows next to various cheeses from around the world. It’s hard to decide on any one; all are good! I would highly recommend the cheddar curds and onion cheddar cheeses in particular. While in Wisconsin, you may as well try the local delicacies.

If cheeses aren’t really your thing, and you have a sweet tooth, then trying heading over to the candy instead. I have never found a greater selection of candy anywhere in the states thus far. They have all the best European candies, along with some classic American favorites. Try the Sea Salt Chocolate. Although the name is strange, the flavor will send you back for another bar! The Haribo Goldbears are also delicious. These little gummies are originally German, but have finally made their way to the states.

Do you like chocolate? Licorice? Cheese? Salami? Have you been looking for something you can’t find anywhere else? No matter your age, you will find something at the Mars Cheese Castle perfect for you!

Basketball and hockey are two important sports in my family and it seems we are always busy with something sports related. I usually spend my time on a basketball court or in the stands at a hockey arena. I live near the wonderful city of Boston – so watching the Bruins, Red Sox, Celtics, or Patriots games are a ritual at my house. However, I can’t argue because I am probably the most passionate fan in my family.

In my spare time I love to bake cakes, cookies, brownies, and anything sweet I can find around the house. My dream is to travel the world studying the art of making pastry and deserts, and then to one day open my own bakery!

I always love to see a new movie in the nation’s largest IMAX dome theater.  The last time I was there, I saw Born to be Wild, the true story of people who helped orphaned elephants and orangutans.  It was interesting, but I wish there was more information about the animals’ lives before they were rescued.  I can always hope for a sequel.  For space addicts, they’re also showing Space Junk, but I’ve seen my share of space movies already.

I also like to return to the Skyscraper exhibit.  It has a lot of hands-on activities.  My favorite part of it is Walk the Steel, where you get to climb across steel beams 18 feet in the air.  The harness gives you a bully-sized wedgie, but it’s worth it.  There are also pieces of the actual World Trade Center in this exhibit.

World Trade Center beam

For animal lovers, there’s a huge exhibit on animals, called Eat and be Eaten and also an exhibit with sea creatures, called Our Hudson Home.  You might want to pick up a schedule when you first get to the Science Center, so you can check the times for when you can actually touch some of the creatures.  I’m not a big animal person, but when I saw the giant roaches, I couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

In Wonder Why, you can climb across a rock wall and make a giant bubble wall.  You can also “see sound” by watching the sound vibrations make little beads move.  While you’re on the fourth floor, make sure you try out the Touch Tunnel.  It’s pitch black so you have to feel your way through the tunnel maze.  Sometimes, they add lightning and thunder to scare you.

When you pick up your event schedule, check out all the Live Science demonstrations, and make sure you make it to a few.  My favorite was when I got to be a surgeon and operate on a banana in the Infection Connection.  Hanna Banana was a very odd looking banana with some health problems.  While you’re there, you can watch the surgery on a huge, flat screen TV that probably cost a lot of money.  After surgery, I got to be a lab scientist and find out which fake patient was sick by running tests on specimens.  The lab closes early, so go there first.

So, next time you’re bored and looking for somewhere to go, check out the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey.  With all its hands-on activities, it’s much better than your traditional museum where you just look.  http://lsc.org/

And if you have extra time, don’t forget to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island across the river.

The season began May 1^st, and will be open until October (weather permitting). To book online for a reservation, click here. Or if you are like me, you can enjoy the views safely from inside the tower, and stand over the thick glass which imitates the experience… on a smaller scale.

The Grand Canyon

River rafting in the Grand Canyon will take your outdoors experience up a notch! The caves, rocks, and of course river will all grab your attention in a very different way. When you’re there, you feel apart of nature and can easily forget about any ‘digital age’ that exists beyond the river.

Niagara Falls, Canada

THE falls is like nothing you’ve ever seen before! Day or night – whenever you look at it, gallons upon gallons of fresh water are rushing over the falls. There are a number of different tour boats that take you close to the action! Summer time is great for the falls because you’ll cool off as the mist hits you gently.

The Gulf of Mexico

Where else can you see natural water – this blue? It’s amazing and makes me want to swim all day! The photo below is taken from Cancun, Mexico where there are long stretches of beaches waiting for you to relax and explore the blue waters.

Every summer vacation presents itself with photos and memories, but some will stick in your mind more vividly than the rest. If you’re lucky enough to make it to any of the places listed above – pack your camera and be ready for jaw dropping scenery shots!

On the drive up we stopped by a Native American trading posts in the town of Cameron, where we bought some Native American artwork. The trading post sells all sorts of souvenirs, including pottery, blankets, rugs, jewelry, instruments, and even head dresses, all made by the resident Navajos. We wanted to buy our souvenirs here because the money went to support the Native Americans who live in the nearby reservation.

When we finally got to the National Park my Dad, who used to work for National Geographic, raced right by the Grand Canyon because he was determined to take us to see the National Geographic Visitor’s Center before it closed for the day! It has a gift shop, park information, and an IMAX movie that shows the history of the canyon.

Now that we’d seen it on film, the next day we woke up early to see it for real. Our plan was to go on a half-a-day hike about halfway down the south rim. Once again we were taken by guides from Just Roughin’ It, who also led us through the Superstition Mountains in Tempe earlier in the week. This guiding company also does multi-day hikes, where you actually camp out overnight in the canyon, but we didn’t have enough time to do that. Maybe next time.

When we met our guide, we hopped onto one of the park’s free busses and rode over to the trailhead the South Kaibab Trail. From the top of the rim, we worked our way down about 2 miles into the canyon, occasionally stopping for pictures, until we got about halfway down to Skeleton Point, where we stopped for lunch. After we got back up to the top we said good-bye to our guide and spent the rest of the day going along the canyon to get a view from the rim from a few different view points. After seeing the canyon from the rim I was able to really appreciate how amazing it is, just like the rest of the state of Arizona!

Holland has been connected to the flower industry for a very long time, originating in the 17^th century when flowers were used to keep households smelling nice. Today, Holland is the biggest flower exporter in the world, with a distribution system that keeps it ahead of competition from other countries. The culmination of Holland’s flower interest is undoubtedly the Keukenhof gardens, spanning sixty-nine acres of landscaped bulb gardens, with four and a half million tulips.

The garden overall contains nearly 7 million flowers, all planted by hand, along with 2500 trees in 87 species. The smell of the flowers is overwhelming, filling the air with scent. Besides the natural decoration, the beauty of the place is further accentuated with numerous sculptures decorating the paths. There are many pavilions, and even a playground. For lunch, there is a large cafeteria, where flowers can also be purchased.

This year, the Keukenhof is open from the 22^nd of march  to the 20^th of may,  including Sundays and holidays. The park opens at 8 in the morning, and closes at 7:30. You can purchase tickets at the Keukenhof website at http://www.keukenhof.nl/.  This is an experience that you will never forget, and an excellent place to photograph some of the worlds finest flowers.

When we were younger we would go up to Sandusky (where Cedar Point is located) for the day. Below is a picture taken in the ‘90s. The green roller coaster behind us is the Raptor – built in 1992. I’m probably upset that I’m not tall enough to ride it yet!

As we grew up we started spending the weekend there in the hotels. We would also invite our cousins to join us! Standing on the beach are all the cousins. Behind us is Breakers hotel (where we stayed) and Top Thrill Dragster – 420 feet tall!

There always seems to be more things to do – like rent jet skies, which is what the life jackets are for in this picture below. Every year we return to Cedar Point we create new family memories (and hope to ride the “new ride” for that year!)