The Sheaffer family travels - with their kids. Read travel tips, destination reviews, and get travel product recommendations.
When we first researched the eight cruise ports on our 12-night European Capital Cruise with Princess Cruise Line, I wrote "not as excited about this port" about Oslo. How wrong I turned out to be! In a word, Oslo was outstanding. Breathtaking in beauty. Vibrant in culture. Rich in history. Gorgeously green. Oslo's population struck […]
When we first researched our 12-night European cruise and saw The Netherlands on the itinerary, I envisioned us going to Amsterdam. As it turned out, however, Amsterdam was 90 minutes from Rotterdam, our port city. After having several friends recommend that we try a smaller town rather than the hustle-and-bustle of Amsterdam, we considered visiting […]
Visit Bruges (pronounced Broozh) in the summertime and you'll feel like you've walked right into a storybook. This fairy tale city in northwest Belgium is completely charming. To put it succinctly, Bruges is clean, serene, and pristine. Our family instantly fell in love with this sweet and magical city with a population of 119,000 (though […]
Our family recently went on our first cruise together aboard the Caribbean Princess by Princess Cruises. My husband and I honeymooned on a Princess cruise 22 years ago, but have not been on a cruise since. This time, we were sailing with our four children - ages 7, 12, 15, and 17. The European Capitals […]
If you have ever wished that you could step inside Willa Wonka's Chocolate Factory, visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania is probably as close as you can get. Founded in 1903 by Milton S. Hershey, the town was originally designed for factory workers. Milton Hershey, however, had much more than economics in mind. Hershey envisioned a community where […]
"How do you like living here?" I asked an acquaintance nonchalantly during a summer visit to the Historic Triangle in Virginia. She leaned in conspiratorially as her face broke into a genuine smile, "THIS is the very best place to raise a family. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!" Her reply didn't surprise me […]
Hidden away in the rolling green hills of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, you will find an amazing outdoor theatrical production with stunning scenery, a talented cast of 125+ people, live animals, and engaging special effects. The Great Passion Play, which has been called "America's #1 attended outdoor drama," follows the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. […]
Butler County is in West Central Pennsylvania, about an hour north of Pittsburgh and two hours south of Erie, Pennsylvania. The county actually encompasses a very large area and includes a number of small towns, which weave into each other seamlessly. As you drive through scenic rolling hills, you may find yourself in Cranberry Township, […]