Perlu Network score measures the extent of a member’s network on Perlu based on their connections, Packs, and Collab activity.
Kids Unplugged is a Family Travel site whose mission is to help families to discover all of the fabulous destinations that truly allow them to connect.
We arrived at the equator for an 8-day journey, ready to get wet, ready to live off the grid without wifi or television, and ready to sleep and eat on a small ship for the duration. After crossing the Santa Cruz highlands and stopping to see the famed giant tortoises, we boarded the Samba in Puerto Ayora, joining an expedition by SunWind Travel that would take us to lava fields and flamingo ponds, turtle nesting grounds and sea-lion nurseries, teeming reefs and quiet coves. The Galapagos are a birders paradise, and even if you didn’t start out that way, they will make a birder out of just about anyone: each island affords close looks at myriad species, including the famous finches and blue-footed boobies, as well as night herons, frigate birds, cormorants, countless sea birds, and the elusive albatross. A tour of Old Quito with one of SunWind’s expert guides will take you to see the ornate gold of the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús and other architectural treasures of Quito’s colonial past.
There’s so much to see and do, like hiking to Yosemite Falls and taking an open-air tram tour with park rangers to learn more about must-sees, like Half Dome and El Capitan. Dedicated in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant, Yellowstone is America’s first national park and offers a diverse landscape. Welcome to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, North America’s tallest dunes, towering as high as 750 feet. My multigenerational family recently took a road trip and traveled to the Great Sand Dunes (1 of 4 Colorado National Parks) for our visit, experiencing sand, surf, and lots of laughter.
Poured cement floors are sprinkled with shells and stones from nearby Lake Champlain, the unique chairs that grace the lobby seating area are handmade by Beeken Parsons down the street, which promotes a sustainable forest-to-furniture mission, and the eclectic on-site restaurant, Juniper, lists the names of small, local producers offering everything from cheeses to eggs to the ingredients in your pre-dinner cocktail on its tantalizing menu. The rooms are done in the same earthy color scheme of the lobby, with plenty of warm woods and lighting, rust colored throw pillows, and hip, retro-style touches throughout—including a cute, red alarm clock and bedside books sporting a bit of Vermont humor. As in the hotel’s public areas, our rooms were peppered with items made locally—lushly scented bath products are provided by Burlington aromatherapist Lumaroma, beds hold warm blankets made by Johnson Woolen Mills that are bound by a leather strap crafted by Queen City Dry Goods, handmade soaps nestle within small works of art inspired by the Scandinavian design heritage of AO Glass. On my way back to our room, I brewed two cups of Green Mountain coffee at the bar located at the end of the hall—each floor has one—before grabbing a quick shower, all the while looking forward to brunch in Juniper downstairs.
But in WOW camp, having two full days of instruction means the coaches can work from a student’s feet all the way up to her head, which is exactly what Amy did, beginning with the crunch of the snow beneath our boots. We learned how to moderate the weight we placed on our skis during our turns, making sure that although the majority of pressure was on the outside ski, the inside ski should also be engaged with its edge pressed into the snow. And for more information about Stratton’s WOW Camp, check out these posts by the other All Mountain Mamas: Taming the Wild (Skiing) Woman Within – Women on SnoW Camp at Stratton Mountain Resort Gaining an Edge at Stratton Mountain I was invited to participate in Stratton’s Women on SnoW Camp as part of my collaboration with Ski Vermont and the All Mountain Mamas.