Exciting attractions, unique vacations and more in the PA Oil Heritage Region!

Oil Region Alliance

Recreational opportunities include over 60 miles of asphalt-paved trails, perfect for hiking biking or walking. TheAllegheny Riveris the perfect place for canoeing, kayaking, jet boating or fishing.

Gather up your family and a GPS and head to the countryside for a day of Geocaching while following the Allegheny Geo Trail. Coordinates can be found at www.geocaching.com.

The Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad will be moving through Oil Creek State Park from June through October. Enjoy a time back in history as you ride on vintage cars, including their plush Wabash Cannonball car. Steam trains will be in the valley on July 14 & 15, do not miss this exciting day, and bring the kids (regardless of age).

You will enjoy the amazing collection of over 100 antique automated musical instruments at the DeBence Antique Music World; experience the Native American’s history, culture and influence display at the Venango Museum. DrakeWellMuseumwill introduce, in late August 2012, the new hands-on museum telling the story of “There’s a drop of OIL and GAS in your life everyday!

Enjoy the walking tours available for Emlenton, Oil City, Titusville and Franklin; shop at the Galleria downtown Franklin after taking in a show at the Barrow-Civic Theatre. Hungry? Stop at one of our many fine restaurants for fine cuisine and local wines.

Make plans now to come and visit “The Valley That Changed the World”.VenangoCounty and the Oil Heritage Region are easily accessible from I-79, I-80 or SR322 and SR8. Make plans to stay overnight at our bed and breakfasts, hotels or campgrounds and enjoy a weekend of fun, excitement and relaxation.

Oil Region Alliance

1.800.483.6264

www.oilregion.org

Kitty Dunes Rentals Welcomes Families and Their Pets

Kitty Dunes Rentals: Family and Pet Friendly

For 40 years, Kitty Dunes Rentals has been offering Outer Banks vacations with a smile and friendly welcome. Kitty Dunes Rentals is the company for your vacation rental needs on the Outer Banks with everything from simple cottages to lavish accommodations, from Corolla to South Nags Head.

Step onto our beaches and experience the unique timelessness of Outer Banks beaches. Take a slow walk on the oceanfront at sunrise; barbecue with the family late at night; hide away with a book for some quiet time; with no deadlines, no boss and no work – spend your Outer Banks vacation with no itinerary, no rules and no “No’s”. Fido and Fifi will love our large selection of Outer Banks pet friendly beach rentals; be sure to bring along your family pets.

You’ve been waiting all year for the perfect Outer Banks,North Carolina vacation, so get started now by visiting kittydunes.com or calling one of our friendly reservation specialists at 888-860-3863. Kitty Dunes Rentals…because everyone needs a beach vacation.

Kitty Dunes Rentals

PO Box275

3620 N Croatan Hwy

Kitty Hawk,NC27949

888-860-3863

www.kittydunes.com

Rose Real Estate: Welcoming Families to Our Beautiful Beach

Rose Real Estate Welcomes Families! Vacation South Carolina

Play in the surf … Relax on the beach … Shop till you drop … Golf day and night … Dine on fresh local seafood … Dance the night away … Do nothing … Do it all … The possibilities are endless!

Rose Real Estate would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your family to our beautiful beach. Tucked away in quietSurfsideBeach, our communities are close to shopping, dining, entertainment, award winning golf and incredible water activities. Our properties offer everything from two bedroom villas to gorgeous five bedroom island-style homes.

Let’s not forget to include the family’s best friend! We have a large variety of pet-friendly properties that allow your entire family to have an unforgettable beach vacation. So come and join us and create your own memories that will last a lifetime!

Rose Real Estate

897 Melody Lane

Surfside Beach,South Carolina

800-845-6706

www.rose-real-estate.com

It’s easy to plan your family vacation, right?

Not so fast.

Families are diverse. Everyone has their favorite travel vacation destination. Teens may not want to go on a family vacation because they think they’re too old to hang out with the family. Ugh! What are parents to do?

Never fear, GuestQuest Vacations is here. We take the stress out of planning your family vacation.

5 Hot Tips to Help You Plan Your Family Vacation

"5 Hot Tips to Help You Plan Your Family Vacation" Photo credit: Irina Naumets

Don’t wait until the last minute

It’s not a good idea to wait until the last minute to plan your family vacation. Why? You could miss out on fantastic deals and specials that only last for a limited time.

Most families take a family vacation each year. Right?

Think about next year’s vacation a few weeks after you come home from this year’s family vacation. Why?

It’s a good way to jumpstart your vacation planning. This way you won’t stress out about it next year. You don’t have to book your family travel immediately but start thinking about it.

Do whatever you must to alleviate the stress of planning your family vacation.

Ask your family for travel ideas

Moms and dads involve the kids with planning the family vacation. As children get older, they may not want to keep visiting the same places over and over again. It’s fun to travel to a new destination.

Ask kids where they’d like to visit. It’s a great opportunity to education them about the U.S., Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Africa, etc. Children can only learn so much from books. By experiencing new places, they’ll have a better understanding of the culture and history of a location.

Visit family

How long has it been since your kids saw grandma and grandpa? Many parents retire to warm and sunny areas such as Arizona, Florida, California, etc. If it’s been a while since the kids visited their grandparents, book a flight or take a road trip.

Read the travel section of your local newspaper

Most newspapers have a travel section and invite readers to submit photos and travel articles. This is a great way to plan your family vacation. Find out where other families traveled and what they liked about their destination and accommodations.

Purchase or read travel magazines online

Thanks to the internet, most travel publications can be found online. Choose one or two magazines and read the travel articles and reviews. Keep an open mind when you read reviews which could be biased for one reason or another. You may want to participate in Twitter chats or forums to find the best family vacation destination.

What’s your “hot” tip for planning a family vacation? Share.

Free Download: Travel Brochures. Start planning your family vacation now!

Does your family travel throughout the year? Are you preserving your family travel memories? Let’s face it; kids don’t stay small and young forever. Before you know it, they’ll be teenagers thinking about which college or university to attend. Don’t allow your family travel memories to slip through your hands. Below are 5 ways you can capture your family travel memories. Revisit them anytime you want!

Preserve Family Travel Memories That Will Last a Lifetime

Preserve Your Family Travel Memories

1. Keep a journal. Not only is journaling relaxing, it’s a great way to capture your family travel memories. You don’t have to write pages and pages of your travels. Jot down the key points and funny moments of your family’s vacation. You could have each family member write in the journal or provide them with their own journal so they can write down the travel experience.

2. Bring a netbook, iPad, and or digital camera on your family vacation. Who doesn’t travel with some kind of electronic device? Most digital cameras are easy to pack and don’t take up that much space. You could bring your netbook or iPad with you on your family vacation to capture special ‘travel’ moments. If you do bring these items with you on your family vacation, make sure they’re insured. It’s better to be safe than sorry if they become lost or stolen.

3. Capture your family vacation by creating a scrapbook. Scrapbooking is fun for the entire family. In a suitcase, pack a scrapbook along with scissors and glue. While on your family vacation, purchase postcards, local guidebooks, or look for free travel information provided by hotels and resorts.

Not only is scrapbooking a good way to capture your family camping vacation, it will keep your kids entertained and occupied. Moms and dads who decide to have a romantic night out will be relieved to know their children won’t be bored while staying in the cabin The babysitter will be relieved that your children have something to do as well.

Tip #1: You can always purchase a scrapbook, glue, and scissors instead of packing them in your suitcase.

4. Purchase memorable souvenirs. Spend money on valuable souvenirs that you and your family will cherish. Souvenirs such as books, pens, clothing and accessories (T-shirts, scarves, brooches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.), and postcards, are great reminders of your fun family vacation.

Tip #2: Give your kids money to buy their own souvenirs.

5. Buy and hang a map in your child’s room or in the family/great room. Wouldn’t it be fun to ‘map out’ your family vacation? Purchase a map of the world and stick pins in the places you visited on your family vacation. It’s fun to see how many miles you traveled as a family around the world or within the U.S. And, maps are a great educational tool to teach kids about different parts of the world or U.S.

These are some ways you can preserve your family vacation. Make sure you do all you can to seize the opportunity to document all your family vacations. Remember, time flies when you’re having fun!

How do you preserve your family travel memories? Share.

Related Travel Articles

Family Vacation: 7 Rules for Family Travel (guestquest.com/blog)
Family camping vacations (guestquest.com/camping.php)

Discover Southern Charm in Alice Texas

Visit Alice, Texas and Soak Up the Southern Charm

Alice, Texas a charming Southern community home to more than 19,000 residents and a strong economy fueled by the petroleum industry. The city received its name in honor of Alice King Kleberg, the daughter of one of the founders of the King Ranch. Alice is the county seat of Jim Wells and is referred to as the “Hub City” because of its location between several major cities. Rail transport is available via the Kansas City Southern, while 14 ports of entry are reachable within 100 miles of the community—notably the deep water port of Corpus Christi. Alice International Airport offers general aviation services. Daily commercial flight services are provided at Corpus Christi International Airport.

Business of all types and sizes are regularly attracted to this prime location. Alice is diverse in the retail sector with a great deal of companies in the oil and gas-related field. Alice is home to a number of major drilling companies, oilfield services and a variety of manufacturers. It also boasts a strong agribusiness sector, which has been a major economic contributor since its establishment in the late 1800’s.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department maintains a number of park sites, game fields and facilities in the community. The department provides a calendar year full of family-oriented programming, including aquatics, athletics, senior services and a long list of exciting events.

The area is great for those who enjoy the outdoors. Hunting, fishing, camping and bird watching are among the many popular pastimes enjoyed in Alice. Alice has two golf courses, the 18-hole Alice Municipal Golf Course and the nine-hole Alice Country Club.

The Hub City boasts an excellent education system. Public pre-k to 12-grade education is supplied through Alice Independent School District. Alice hosts various day care and early childhood education centers, as well as three private parochial institutions, St Elizabeth School, St. Joseph School and Alice Christian School. Higher education is offered in Corpus Christi and Kingsville, along with the local campus of Coastal Bend College.

CHRISTUS SPOHN Health System operates a modern facility in Alice. The 148-bed hospital provides comprehensive medical and surgical services in a multitude of medical fields.

The city offers many retailers, an eclectic mix of restaurants and plenty of comfortable places for lodging. Recreation is a major draw, as are the local museums and historical sites.

Three museums offer a world of cultural exhibits, the South Texas Museum, the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame Museum and the Third Coast Squadron Museum.

Alice also features two statues-one of Jose de Escandon, the man who explored and settled the South Texas region, and the other of Lucien Flournoy, an active member of the community and the world’s tallest cement water tower, as designated by the Guinness Book of Records in 1976. Visitors can view the 165-foot tower, built in 1926-1927, in downtown Alice.

For more information on the City of Alice, contact the Alice Chamber of Commerce/Alice Convention Visitors Bureau at (361) 664-3454 or online at www.alicetxchamber.org

Traveling with the entire family can be an adventure in and of itself. Kids get tired and cranky as do moms and dads. Lighten up! Family travel is supposed to be enjoyable and fun. Follow the 7 rules for family travel listed below to make your next family vacation the best one yet!

Family Vacation – Don’t Break These 7 Rules for Family Travel 

Don't Wait to Plan Your Family Vacation

1. Choose a family vacation that’s right for the whole family. Before scheduling your next family vacation, vote on it. Gather everyone’s input and weigh the pros and cons of each travel vacation idea. If a vacation is vetoed, explain why. Kids need to understand that while their effort is appreciated, their vacation idea may not be feasible at this time.

2. Select the right time for a family vacation. It’s important to schedule a family vacation that works for everyone. If you kids look forward to summer camp each year, don’t schedule a vacation during this time. Gather the entire family together for a ‘vacation meeting’ and find out when everyone would like to go on vacation.

3. Pack lightly. There’s no reason to bring your entire closet with you on vacation. Besides, do you want to carry a ton of luggage? Remember this travel rule, “When in doubt, leave it out.” Smaller children should choose one or two stuffed animals or toys they’d like to bring with them. Books are always a good idea. Older kids will probably want to bring their iPod, MP3, etc. Try to convince them to leave their electronic gadgets at home. After all, it’s a vacation. Everyone is supposed to be relaxing and getting away from it all.

Tip #1: Don’t travel with full size personal care products – bring travel size products. Forget something? You can always buy it. If you can’t find your favorite products, try something new. Sometimes, it’s nice to ‘check out’ products that are popular with the locals.

Tip #2: Bring a digital camera to capture fun family vacation moments.

4. Make frequent stops on your road trip. Whether you travel by RV, car, minivan, or SUV, stop at rest stops and parks. It’s good to get out and stretch your legs – the exercise will do everyone good. Plus, smaller kids could become cranky from the long drives. The fresh air will tire them out which means they’ll sleep for most of the road trip.

5. Make copies of important travel documents. If you’re planning an overseas trip, make sure everyone has their passports. Make copies of pertinent travel documents such as credit cards, passports, driver’s licenses, itinerary, and other documents. Give copies to a trusted family member or friend (at home) and keep a copy with you when you travel.

6. Bring snacks. Keep children happy by packing their favorite snacks, but make sure you bring plenty with you. If you run out, you can always buy more.

7. Have fun! If children start to fight, whine, or complain, turn those frowns upside down with a hug and smile. Laughter really is the best medicine!

What are your family’s rules when you travel? Share.