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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER
FAMILY VACATION PLANNER
On Monday, June 22, National Geographic Traveler magazine launched its new online Family Vacation Planner (www.traveler.nationalgeographic.com/family), featuring the best family-friendly sites and attractions from each state in the country. The attractions are grouped by states and categories of interest: animals, culture, entertainment, history, nature, science and adventure. All have been chosen by National Geographic Traveler editors for their authenticity and lasting value. Here's a sample from each category:
Animals
Wolf Education and Research Center, Winchester, Idaho -- Meet a recently adopted pack of wolves and learn the story of the Sawtooth Pack, once a subject of study for noted biologist Jim Dutcher; take a guided tour of the facility to learn about the region's wildlife conservation challenges.
Center for Birds of Prey, Awendaw, S.C. -- Step into a feathery world at this 152-acre "campus" that showcases more than 30 species of hawks, eagles, owls and other birds of prey from around the world; see display aviaries and demonstrations of birds in flight.
Culture
Polynesian Cultural Center, Oahu, Hawaii -- Swing your hips during a Hawaiian hula session; get inked with a temporary Marquesas cultural tattoo; learn how to crack open a coconut; try Tahitian spear fishing; attend a traditional luau feast.
Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vt. -- Discover the latest about sustainable forestry and see how locally grown timber is used with conservation in mind; tour a dairy farm that follows eco-friendly practices; join in barnyard chores such as collecting eggs and grooming farm animals; enjoy a meal at the Inn restaurant that features farm-cultivated herbs and produce.
Circus World Museum, Baraboo, Wis. -- Learn the story of the Ringling Brothers at the site of their winter camp; watch skilled craftsmen restore the world's largest collection of circus wagons; become a part of the circus through face painting, magic shows and many other programs.
Entertainment
The New Victory Theater, New York, N.Y. -- Experience Manhattan's first theater geared toward families and kids; attend pre-theater workshops that highlight an activity related to that day's performance; watch great productions and performers, including Circus Oz, Cookin', Dance Cuba and A Year with Frog and Toad.
NCAA Hall of Champions, Indianapolis, Ind. -- Get a feel for college athletics through exhibits and films; read out the names in the Hall of Honor commemorating the greatest champions in all of college sports; try your hand at NCAA basketball on the old-fashioned court.
History
Old Montana Prison Complex, Deer Lodge, Mont. -- Walk through the prison that housed inmates, including members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Gang, until the 1970s; get a taste of the daily life of inmates and prison guards;, see prisoner items -- from shoes with concrete soles (for potential escapees) to graffiti and weapons made by the inmates.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, W.V. -- Travel back to the time of abolitionist John Brown and the Civil War as you wander through living-history museums and the John Brown Wax Museum; listen to tales about past residents during family programs; see how cheap candy was in 1850 at the Dry Goods Store; hike along trails and through battlefields at the scenic meeting point of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.
Nature
Project Oceanology and the Lighthouse Program, Groton, Conn. -- Board a ship to visit the New London Ledge Lighthouse; pull in a trawl net from the ocean to see its contents; spot seals that have traveled from Maine to Fishers Island Sound.
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, New Orleans, La. -- Stroll the Ridge Trail, a boardwalk running through America's largest urban wildlife refuge -- 23,000 acres of fresh brackish marshes, all within the city limits of New Orleans; see bald eagles, brown pelicans and other species that live in these pristine wetlands.
Science
Metreon, San Francisco, Calif. -- Stretch your mind at this confluence of fun and technology; play in an interactive area based on the kid favorite "Where the Wild Things Are"; get down to some serious gaming at the arcade; take in a 3-D IMAX film or see a more conventional show at one of the 15 screens in the multiplex.
Weather Discovery Center, North Conway, N.H. -- Sway in an extreme winds simulator; become a TV meteorologist; watch live webcasts from a station atop Mount Washington; discover how weather patterns form, and try controlling the weather yourself.
Adventure
Buffalo National River, Harrison, Alaska -- Kayak or canoe the lower river on a self-guided geo-float trip; raft the exciting white water on the upper river; trek to an Indian bluff shelter; reel in bass and catfish as you drift along.
Black Hills National Forest, St. Custer, S.D. -- Escape to this 1.2-million-acre woodland sanctuary for a camping trip or a day hike; scan the hills for elk, mountain goats and deer on the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve; hike to the lookout tower atop 7,242-foot-high Harney Peak and gaze into neighboring states.
* National Geographic Traveler experts are available for interviews. Contact Heather Wyatt if you have questions, need additional information or would like to schedule an interview.
National Geographic Traveler: All travel, all the time.
National Geographic Traveler is the world's most widely read travel magazine. Published eight times a year, Traveler is available by subscription (800-NGS-LINE) and on newsstands in the United States ($4.99) and Canada ($6.99). Its Web site is at www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler.
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Contacts:
Heather Wyatt
National Geographic Society
(212) 610-5535
NGTraveler@HwyattPR.com
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