I shop at the local farmer’s market and I always look for “locally-grown” produce at the supermarket, yet I can’t say that I’ve ever felt a particular connection to the food we eat. Ironically, my family and I felt that connection for the first time 2,000 miles from home.   There’s something uniquely gratifying about waking up on a misty morning to a rooster’s crow, tumbling out of bed, slipping on some rubber boots, and heading down to the barn to feed pigs, milk a cow, and collect eggs. An hour later, as you pour thick, fresh milk into a cup of local coffee and dig into your scrambled eggs …

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”  Nelson Mandela For children, learning a foreign language expands their horizons, gives them a leg up later on in life, and improves their overall linguistic abilities, even in their own language. I love our schools but, unfortunately, they are falling short when it comes to foreign language instruction.   Although studies have shown that when it comes to foreign language acquisition, the earlier the better, many of our local public schools start language …

If the thought of cramming yourself, your significant other, and your children into a three-foot-tall fabric shelter and wiping yourself with a leaf doesn’t sound like “fun!” to you, you’re not alone.  As much as I love hiking and being in nature, when it comes to getting some shut-eye, I like to be off the ground, with walls and preferably some kind of plumbing nearby.  According to the Urban Dictionary, “famping” is defined as fake camping; renting a cabin or cottage in the wilderness or "up north".  It’s not roughing it enough to be camping but also not nice enough to be considered "…

I’m writing this week’s column sitting on the breezy patio of Mango Moon, a charming boutique hotel outside Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.  It’s no easy task, as the sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean keep pulling my eyes away from the computer screen.  Hard to believe this was Plan B. It sounded perfect. After a week of hiking, zip-lining and horseback riding with friends at Arenal Volcano, we would travel to the off-the-beaten path Caribbean Coast for surfing and snorkeling. Months ago, I’d booked seven nights at what seemed like the ideal accommodations: a…

Every year around this time, I get antsy with anticipation. After months of cultural estivation, fall brings with it not only cooler weather, shorter days, and the chance to pull out a sweater, but international family cultural fairs and festivals that remind me of why I love the D.C. area.  This year, sadly, two of our favorites have closed their doors.  The Kennedy Center’s Open House, which had been ongoing for 26 years, was cancelled due to decreasing attendance and competing fall events, according to a Kennedy Center spokesperson. The 40-year-strong International Children’s Festival at …

“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain What seemed like a good idea at the time: going up to San Francisco from our home in L.A. to spend a weekend with my husband’s high-school friend and his new girlfriend, turned into a mortifying nightmare in practice. Part of the appeal of this trip was that the girlfriend in question worked for the Ritz Carlton and had gotten us a room (notice the singular article) for a fraction of the normal price. For struggling students, this seemed like a fantastic …

Although we’d never admit this to the kids, we always try to learn something new on our family vacations. Sometimes this means learning a new skill, such as surfing in Southern California, pottery-making in New Mexico, or using a crossbow in the Loire Valley.  One of the greatest learning experiences we’ve had while traveling has been to visit animal rescue centers. The staff members and volunteers we’ve encountered have been universally friendly and knowledgeable and were willing to spend time with us talking about the animals, their care, and the dangers they face. Inevitably, we learn …

When it comes to car electronics, we could almost be categorized as luddites. Our kids do not have handheld video games and we don’t own a portable DVD player. So we’re pretty much left to our own devices for entertainment.  This state of affairs was my husband’s idea. He has fond memories of his own childhood car trips. Growing up in the age of eight-track players looping endless hours of Johnny Cash and the Carpenters in a wood-paneled station wagon, there was nothing to do but stare out the window, talk to each other, play a game, or read a book. Although I was skeptical of this approach …

Whether going to camp, vacationing with a friend’s family, or staying at a relative’s house for a week or two, many kids are spending time away from their families for the first time this summer. For both parents and kids, this amount of freedom is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.  I put my 11-year-old son on the plane to Europe by himself last week.  He was headed to Belgium to spend ten days with cousins. As I tossed and turned while waiting to hear that he landed safely (he did), my mind was reeling with flashbacks of him tasting his first solid food as a baby, learning to …

At the end of every school year, the kids and I sit down and make a comprehensive list of things we want to do over the summer. It’s a great resource to come back to when we plan our day over breakfast each morning.  I was recently cleaning out my desk and found a list from several summers ago. The list includes the old Children’s Museum in DC and Cherry Hill Farm (two of our all-time favorites which no longer exist and which we still miss bitterly). As my kids have grown and their interests changed over the years, so have our lists, but we have some perennial favorites that pop up every …

I get a real thrill out of saving money on vacations. Just the thought of snagging a killer rate on a great hotel makes me giddy. It also makes it possible to travel with three children. To save money on hotels when we travel to big cities, I usually rely on Hotwire and Priceline, two websites that do not disclose the hotel’s name until you’ve actually paid for it.  And it’s not refundable. If you’ve never used these sites, the idea might make you sweat a little, maybe even a lot. They’re not as much of a gamble as you might think, if you do a little research and use the sites wisely. Hotwire…

Living in suburban DC, we think nothing of trekking into town with the kids to visit museums, take in a show, or go to a festival.  Over time, we’ve established a good routine, including which metro to take, where to park, where to eat, and where to go when things get rough (i.e., a favorite ice cream or hot chocolate shop).  Navigating an unfamiliar city with small children, however, can seem overwhelming.  My husband and I have traveled to many cities with our three boys and have learned some valuable lessons along the way.  I also talked to three local travelers who shared tips on what …

I am a firm believer in experiential travel.  That is, when you travel, try your best to immerse yourself in the local culture and try new things, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.  When my sister Marie called to tell me she was going to be in Charleston on business and suggested we get together, we both immediately thought of Miami Beach.  Neither of us had been there and it seemed like a nice place to spend a sister weekend. Maybe it was an omen but we had more than the usual number of pre-trip conversations about what to pack.  Besides bathing suits, we each packed a …

Last 4th of July weekend, my husband John and two boys (Jacques, age 7 and Julian, age 10) took off on an epic 60-mile bike journey along the C&O Canal from Poolesville, MD to Harpers Ferry, VA.  Built in the 1800's to transport goods between the Midwest and the Washington area, the Canal was ultimately not an economic success.  Today, the path and the surrounding areas are national parkland and an incredibly beautiful place to visit and ride bikes. This Father’s Day, I sat down with John Worth at our breakfast table and asked him some questions about his trip. What made you decide to go bike…

I love this town! Where else can you hear Cuban jazz in a beautiful sculpture garden, meet Chinese opera singers, take a tango class, and learn to make Colombian art?  This summer promises to be sizzling with free international family fun in the district.  Here are some highlights: World Children's Festival (June 17-19) Held on the National Mall every four years, this festival brings together children, educators and leaders from around the world.  It will feature children’s workshops and hands-on activities on the environment, Internet safety, multimedia, arts & crafts, tap dance, yoga and …

Next weekend, we’re headed up to South Jersey for my husband’s family reunion.  The kids will meet some of their relatives for the very first time and John and I will catch up with some that I haven’t seen since our wedding day eighteen years ago.    Last summer, we took our three boys to my native Belgium for the first time.  There, they met their great-aunts and uncles for the first time, as well as distant and not-so distant cousins at a family reunion my cousins graciously organized in their home.  While we adults drank wine, feasted on local cheese, charcuterie, and salad, and caught up …

Picture yourself waking up tomorrow morning, grabbing a cup of coffee, and shuffling over to your computer to check your email before you start your day.  Now imagine there’s a message saying you had won airfare for four, plus $5,000 in spending cash to one of seven exciting destinations. Would you even believe it? Peggy Florenzo almost didn’t either when she received the email almost a year ago. “My mom came this close to deleting it but she researched it and said it wasn’t a fake,” said 11-year-old Timothy. Timothy had been playing games on the website for the popular book series, “The 39 …

You’ve had a full day of excursions. You’re bushed!  Ah, time to review the highlights of the day over a cup of complimentary herbal tea, indulge in the chocolate that was thoughtfully placed on your pillow, read a few pages of a novel, and snuggle into the soft clean white sheets of your bed. Does this sound like your last hotel stay?  No?  Did yours look more like a scene out of The Gremlins, with little creatures jumping on the beds, having pillow fights and fighting over the chocolates?  My friend Paige and I are passionate about family travel to the point of obsession. The other day, we …

What better way to celebrate the end of the school year, baseball season, Girl Scouts, and all the rest of the end-of-the-school-year madness than a family weekend getaway!  If, like the Fleischmans, your family loves hotels and loves water, then you’ll have a tough time choosing between Great Wolf Lodge and the Cambridge Hyatt, two nearby resorts that offer up some good family fun in and out of the water.  Leila (13), Eleanor (11), Peter (9), and mom Susan Fleischman recently visited both properties and shared their insight with Mount Vernon Patch. First, some basic facts:   Great Wolf Lodge…

Have you ever wondered what it’s like inside the majestic embassies that line Massachusetts Avenue?  Now is your chance with Passport DC, the month-long celebration of international culture that will take you on a global journey though Washington, D.C.    Now in its fourth year, Cultural Tourism DC’s Passport DC explores the international and diplomatic community that is a vital part of D.C. culture through street festivals, open houses, embassy events, special performances, and much more. All Passport DC events are open to the public and most are either free or a low cost.  Highlights …