Big families will appreciate the separate sleeping areas and full kitchens available at many locations. The big rooms allow families to spread out and relax. No more feeling cramped in a room, everyone has space to breathe. Vacations are so much better when everyone sleeps well.

We’re giving away three great Marriott Gift Cards. Enter here for a chance to win a $200, $100 or $50 Marriott Gift Card. What a great way to start planning your Summer vacation!

Be sure to check out Marriott’s Shop at Home site and Gift Cards.

Shop at Home

The same great, luxurious products you see at Marriott you can now order for your own home.

From beds, pillows, bedding, shower heads, robes, towels, home décor, you’ll love all the choices at ShopMarriott.com

Gift Cards

Short on gift ideas for your next celebration? What better gift to give than a Marriott gift card. Gift cards enable the recipient to enjoy adventure where ever they wish. Gift cards are good at any Marriott location worldwide. Anything charged to the room is also covered. Gift Cards are valid at most hotel food and beverage outlets; retail shops; spas and golf courses. Gift Cards are even good for merchandise purchased on ShopMarriott.com.

Gift cards are a sure gift to please. Best of all there’s no fees or expiration dates.

The Littleton Museum is a great educational outing for the family.  This year the museum is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary.  Children will enjoy the indoor exhibits and the outdoor period farms. Parents will appreciate the educational aspect and the free admission. I took the kiddos for a visit to check it out.

The indoor exhibits include the History of Littleton and a display of local photography art.  The History of Littleton chronicles the progression of the town of Littleton since 1859.   Learn about local history through artifacts and text.  My kids liked this exhibit but we found some of the artifacts weren’t labels and wondered what they were.  The kiddos weren’t too interested in the exhibit of photography art and we moved through it very quickly.

Once we completed the indoor exhibits, we moved outside to check out the 1860s farm.  The farm represents a pioneer homestead during Littleton’s settlement period.  The farm house was moved to the museum from it’s original location.

When we went into the farm house, they were all amazed that it was just one room.  A cute set of steps lead up to a single bedroom.

The kids found it interested that everyone slept in one room upstairs. We checked out the manual sewing machine and spinner. 

Moving back outside, my kiddos noticed right away that the fences to pen in the animals were made of wood and not wire. We checked out the pens, the barn, and the root cellar.  Since we visited in March, they did not have any crops crowing in the fields.

We walked around the empty field to get to the school house.  At this point I must stop to point out that if you visit remember to wear your old shoes, this is a farm and most surfaces were dirt and mud. I had to listen to The Boy complain about getting mud on his new shoes.

The 1860s school house is a cool log building.  My kids couldn’t get over how small it was and wondered how they fit 30 children in it. They didn’t realize that most schools didn’t have 30 students total.

We moved across the property to the 1890 farm.  We checked out the farm house which was  moved from its original location less than a mile away.  Right away we were amazed at the progress that was made in 30 years from the 1860s farm house.

The 1890 farm house had separate rooms, bedrooms, a kitchen and pantry.  There were wood burning stoves in several rooms and a big wood burning stove in the kitchen.  The 1890 farm house felt luxurious compared to the 1860 farm house.

Out buildings included a huge barn and a black smith shop.

When we visited there weren’t any crowds.  I would like to go back during the summer to see the fields planted.  I think the kids would enjoy seeing the staff and volunteers dressed in period appropriate costume perform the everyday activities of a 1800s farm.

The museum offers many events. Some of the upcoming events include:

Dairy Day -Learn how pioneers preserved their milk by churning butter and cranking ice cream. March 27

Sheep to Shaw – Come and see what happens to wool once it is sheared off the sheep.  They will have sheep shearing demonstrations every half hour.  Other demonstrations include washing, carding, felting, spinning, and weaving wool. April 17
Plowing and Planting – See teamsters and horses hard at work on the 1890s farm preparing their field using old techniques and equipment. May 15

How do you celebrate? Did you go to any parades?  Tell us about it!

Tours4Fun

So you’ve decided where to go on your family vacation.  You’ve found a hotel for your big family.  You’ve arranged air fare or planned the road trip.  Now what to do when you get there?

Tours4Fun is your answer for sightseeing tours, day trips, multi day tours, and travel packages.  Since 2006, they’ve been dedicated to providing  the most affordable and valuable tour packages.

Tours4Fun offers great packages to see all the popular travel destinations.  Check out their tours in Boston, DC, Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, and many more!  Going to Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Florida or Alaska? Take it easy and book a day trip, tour, or travel package through Tours4Fun.

Want to go to New York City but are overwhelmed with the choices of what to do?  Tours4Fun has great and affordable $10 New York Tour.  Yes, that’s TEN BUCKAROOS!  Tour includes:

• Statue of Liberty
• Wall Street
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Rockefeller Center
• NBC Studios
• Shopping district along 5th Ave
• Times Square
• Broadway Theatre District
• The United Nations
• Ground Zero

Don’t forget to become a member to earn points in their Rewards4Fun program.  Earn points that can be cashed in toward future Tours4Fun purchases.

To keep up on their latest specials, subscribe to their travel blog, follow them on twitter and fan Tours4Fun on Facebook.

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Family Vacations: Ideas by region -  Travel with Kids

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Boise: an Affordable Family Vacation - Traveling Mom

Disney ends free ticket program after 1 million volunteers sign up - Gadling

Big Families Can Enjoy Georgia’s 48 State Parks with Great Lodging Rates for Cottages Up to 3 Bedrooms. - Big Family Vacations

KIDS LOVE I-75 – Michigan – Detroit Zoo – Spring Break -  Kids Love Travel

Passive Aggressive Notes: Suburban Turmoil Edition - Suburban Turmoil

Family Travel Growth on the Web - Ciao Bambino

Top 6 Big Family Friendly Destinations

Need ideas to help plan your next vacation?  Need hotels that can accommodate your big family?

Check out these great cities with the most hotels on SixSuitcaseTravel that can accommodate families of 5, 6, 7, or 8.

1. Orlando – 39
2. Anaheim – 34
3. Tampa – 24
4. Houston – 19
5. San Diego – 19
6. Dallas – 18

St Patrick’s Day Parades

Next week is St Patrick’s Day.  Round up the children and go to a parade!   

According to Wikipedia these are the oldest and longest running parades in the US:

• Boston, Massachusetts, since 1737
• New York City, since 1762
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1771
• Morristown, New Jersey, since 1780
• New Orleans, Louisiana, since 1809
• Buffalo, New York, since 1811
• Savannah, Georgia, since 1813
• Carbondale, Pennsylvania, since 1833
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since 1843 
• Chicago, Illinois, since 1843
• New Haven, Connecticut, since 1842
• Saint Paul, Minnesota, since 1851
• San Francisco, California, since 1852
• Scranton, Pennsylvania, since 1862
• Cleveland, Ohio, since 1867
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, since 1869
• Kansas City, Missouri, since 1873
• Butte, Montana, since 1882
• Rolla, Missouri, since 1908

Want to go to a parade near you?  Check out St Patrick’s Day parades by state on this great site.

Bring disinfectant wipes to wipe down your rental car.

Recently on the Today Show- Secret Filth Exposed, they examined how many germs rental cars carry. 

The team rented 6 cars from the Miami International airport.  The cars were sent to a certified lab where the radio knobs, steering wheel, climate control buttons, window switches, gear shift, navigation system, floor mats, and car seats were swabbed.

The results?  Two of the six cars tested clean.  However in the other four, bacteria that included stomach and flu viruses and even strep throat were found.

How is this happening?  The car rental companies have downsized their cleaning staff so not every car is sanitized or fully cleaned before being rented again. There isn’t any law or regulation agencies to oversee the cleanliness of rental cars.

The Today Show warns that even though the car may look clean, germs can lurk on the most dirtiest locations of the steering wheel, handles, window switches and gear shift.

So bring those wipes and give your car a good wipe down.  No one wants to be sick on vacation!

Thanks to my friend Lanette for this travel tip.

Most of us with big families couldn’t afford these “great value vacations” even in a good year.

I know that many of you are one income families.  Many of us have had to tighten an already tight belt.  If a vacation is taken this year, it has to be realistic and cheap.

That’s why you should periodically check out our travel specials page.  I comb through our affiliate specials to highlight deals I think will help your family go on vacation.

Know of a gret deal?  Let me know.   Took a vacation on the cheap?  Let us know, be a guest blogger.