El Chalten, Patagonia is one of the few places that have incredible hiking right in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site, which in and of itself is something beautiful … and awesome.

If you are an avid hiker and looking to take the ultimate hike, El Chalten, Patagonia is the place you should be.

One destination that I am very, very excited about reporting on is Troncones, Mexico.  This particular destination is miles from any of the white sand beaches but it is a very, very safe haven that is nestled between the jungle foothills and the warm tropical waters.

If you want to be by yourself or with your lover and are looking for a beautiful destination — Troncones, Mexico is definitely the place for you to go!

Not only that, but Halloween gets a family friendly renovation in Anoka, and the tradition gets much, much bigger and much, much better every single year! There is a Miss Anoka beauty pageant, the favorite Orange Tie Ball, a pumpkin carving contest, the Gray Ghost Run, a chili cook off, plenty of ghost tours, and the Grand Day Parade!

So what are you waiting for? Why not celebrate the spookiest day of the year in a family friendly fashion, at an all but month long event packed with tons of fun!

The golf here is world class, you can enjoy winter luges, and there is plenty of landscape to explore, whether you want to mosey or actually hike.

You can play billiards, take lessons in the tango, take it to the courts for tennis — just about anything your heart desires, while enjoy peaceful, 68 degree temperatures.

While Barbados is known for showers during the summer months, those are over and done with by the time the winter arrives. We are talking temperatures reaching the 80s here, people.

On the posh west side, you can find the best hotels — this is the side of Barbados known as the Platinum Coast, after all.

If you want simplicity, you can find that. If you want high class luxury, you can find that too.

The lift lines are not long, the runs are not crowded, and the views of the vistas are nothing less than panoramic. Coming from a summit of over ten thousand feet, they should be absolutely stunning!

The resort features over a thousand acres, sixty four ski trails, and twelve miles designed for perfect cross country skiing.

Given the fact that Solitude is only about thirty five miles away from the Salt Lake City International Airport, it is a very convenient destination as well.

Whistler, in beautiful British Columbia, is one of them. It is one of the biggest skiing destinations in all of North America, but in spite of that fact, many skiers do not even try the slopes there.

What this means for you is that you can really have a chance to enjoy the beautiful location. It is quite close to Vancouver, there are one hundred different trails to explore, and in addition to traditional skiing, you can try fresh track, dog sledding, heli-skiing, snow shoeing, and ice fishing.

You can start out by planning before you ever go on your trip. For the kids who can read, get them some books detailing some facts about your destination. For those who cannot read, then just read to them a little bit. This is especially good if you are traveling to an historical site or a foreign country. Any pictures of the place are a great idea as well. This endeavor can also reduce any possible feelings of culture shock.

Next week, we will talk a lot about family friendly accommodation and lodging, not to mention things you can do to make flying with the kids a whole lot easier.

Lots of things have changed in terms of family vacations — we are more given to driving SUVs than station wagons these days — but lots of things have stayed the same as well. Even if your kids have DVDs they can watch in the backseat, iPods, and a Nintendo DS, traveling can still be pretty hard work.

So, over the next series of posts, we are going to take a look at some of the things you can do to not only plan for a family holiday, but also to make the entire endeavor easier and free of stress — at least to an extent!

9. A lot of times, your children can “gimme” your bank account to death. “Gimme five more dollars, dad!” “Gimme some quarters for the pinball machine, mom!” Rather than letting your kids “gimme” you right into the poor house, start out the trip by giving each of your children a set amount of money to spend. If you are going to an amusement park featuring characters, you can also invest in an autograph book for the kids, because not only will they have fun going around and getting the autographs of the characters they love, but they automatically get a worthwhile souvenir as well.

10. Last but not least, do not feel the need to spend every single day going to see those expensive attractions. Spend a day swimming in the hotel pool or at the beach. Go to some museums or take the family shopping.