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Family Getaways at Great Wolf Lodge- Now on Sale!

It’s the beginning of January.  School has just resumed and life is beginning to get back to normal.

Until it hits.

It.  Cabin fever.  When everyone in the house begins to get a bit snippy because they have loads of energy to run off but it’s so cold outside that only the most bundled up remain outdoors for more than a few minutes.

So take this tip now, before you need it and book a stay a one of Great Wolf Lodge’s 10 locations- at great savings if you book  soon!

Visiting Great Wolf Lodge

The girls and I spent a few days at the fabulous Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas) in November.  This resort has thought of everything.  From the wrist band door keys with the ability to charge items to you room (no carrying -and losing- keys & wallets at the pool!) to the out of pool activities like MagiQuest, the Scoops Spa for girls and an arcade filled with games, your family has lots of room to run off all that energy. 

Great Wolf Resort Grapevine

Rooms at Great Wolf Lodge are spacious and made with families in mind.  You’ll find microwaves and mini refrigerators in the rooms to help keep down the cost of dining.  You’ll also find fun activities going on in the lobby and the Cub Club, an experience for parents to enjoy with their children. And, unlike many resorts, you’ll find that parking & wifi are included in your resort fee.Kids Camp Room at Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine, TX

Each Great Wolf Lodge has it’s own deal and each for a limited time. Click the image below to be taken to the deals page- and make plans for your family to avoid cabin fever!


Groupon: Save on a trip to Great Wolf Lodge this Winter!

Disclosure: Family Rambling would like to thank the Grapevine, Texas CVB for hosting us at the Great Wolf Lodge.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive (Doing Good Edition)

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

This week the 4th annual Passports with a Purpose fundraiser began and, as usual, there are dozens of incredible prizes.  From clothing and electronics to short breaks and week-long tours, you’ll find plenty of items to bid on.

PwaP is the brainchild of 4 Seattle travel bloggers who wanted to build community among travel bloggers and to give back to the places we, as travelers, visit.  It’s so easy to enter to win one of the prizes. Visit the Passports with a Purpose Donate page. Each $10 donation gives you one “ticket” to be applied to the prize of your choice. You can donate as much as you want and apply everything to one prize or spread it around. Donations are tax deductible.

Top Picks for Each Category

These are my own top picks- but be sure to peruse the entire list.  You never know what you might find!

Clothing

Icebreaker Realfleece 260 jacket

The Icebreaker Realfleece 260 jacket collection is made from midweight 260gm pure merino, and is available in styles for both men and women.  (available only in Continental USA)

Electronics

Kindle Keyboard 3G

Kindle Keyboard 3G. Free 3G access, practically worldwide. The perfect travel companion for the traveler.  (available only in North America)  Disclosure:  this is the prize I donated.  You can see why here: IrelandWithKids

Gift Certificates

$500 BedandBreakfast.com Gift Card

Bid on a $500 BedandBreakfast.com Getaway Card. It’s good at over 4,000 B&Bs, has no blackout dates, never expires or decreases in value.  (available Worldwide)

Hotel- North America

A Week at an Authentic Montana Dude Ranch

A week for a family at Lone Mountain Ranch, Montana’s premier luxury dude ranch. All-inclusive.  (available Worldwide)

Hotel- World

4 nights in Pisa “Behind the Tower” apartment

Modern apartment sleeps 4: kitchen w/ sitting area & pull-out couch, large bedroom, bathroom. Linens, cleaning, internet included. Perfect city break!  (available Worldwide)

Other

A Glorious Week in Provence

A week in a villa in St. Remy de Provence, with meals in top resturants, private guided tours, massages and much more.  (available Worldwide)

Tours

3 Day Big Sky, MT and Yellowstone Family Adventure

Lodging at BucksT4, a luxury tour of Yellowstone, adventures at Big Sky Resort, & a day out for mom and dad at Moonlight Basin (babysitting included) (available only in Select the shipping region (ideally Worldwide))

Travel Gear

f-stop Mountain Series Kenti Camera Backpack

An f-stop Kenti is ready to go wherever you want to be for amazing photos. Able to carry two DLSRs in comfort on the trail or in town.  (available only in Continental USA)

Just click the handy button to the left to be taken directly to the Passports with a Purpose donation page. Have fun perusing all the great prizes, make a donation and mark your selections. I also hope you will consider supporting PWaP’s amazing sponsors this year

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers. Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose). If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive (Christmas Edition)

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Travel Tip: Take Your Family to the Christmas Capital of Texas!

Santa on the North Pole Express in Grapevine, Texas

If you’re looking for a place to escape with the family to reconnect and experience a “down home” Christmas, plan a getaway to the Christmas capital of Texas:  Grapevine.  Never heard of Grapevine?  It’s a suburb of Dallas and if you’ve ever flown in to DFW, you’ve been in Grapevine!

Everything is bigger in Texas…including Christmas! Come and celebrate the Christmas season in Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas. Grapevine is the essence of holiday décor as the city becomes blanketed with millions of lights, a multitude of decorations, animated characters, a myriad of holiday events and a whole lot more! With all of this plus great shopping for everyone on your list, Grapevine truly is the “Christmas Capital of Texas.” Enjoy these great events around town:

You’ll find hotel packages to fit any budget and enough Christmas spirit to inspire even the most tired of spirits.  A Christmas in Grapevine will make memories to last a lifetime.

Make Holiday Memories at Gaylord Hotels

Nativity in ICE

Nativity scene at the end of ICE

If you can’t make it to the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, you can still make memories at one of the other Gaylord Resorts!

Though each hotel has a different “flavor”, you’ll find the incredible ICE carvings at each one, as well as fun, festive activities like Gingerbread decorating with Gingy, Shrek Feast, fun in the SNOW with Po (Kung Fu Panda) and the Rise of the Guardians Scavenger Hunt.

Visit GaylordHotels.com and pick your hotel: The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine (Dallas), The Gaylord Palms in Orlando, The Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, or The Gaylord National in Washington, D.C. and get ready to make magical memories with your family this Christmas!

Win A Luxe Getaway to Tuscany

Who wouldn’t like to present their spouse with a dream vacation for Christmas?  With a week left to enter, the Take Me To Tuscany Sweepstakes from Travel Zoo offers you  a chance to win a 5-star vacation for two at the Ferragamo family’s luxury vineyard in Tuscany.

Prize includes round-trip coach airfare for two (2) from winner’s nearest major airport and six (6) nights five (5) days at II Borro Estate in a one bedroom apartment in medieval village (swoon).

What are you waiting for?  Take Me To Tuscany!

 

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers. Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose). If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Travel Tip: Use Airfare Watchdog to Find the Best Airfare Deals

With so many options for buying airfare online, it can be difficult to find “the best deal”.  When I am planning a trip, the first website I visit is Airfare Watchdog to sign up for fare alerts from my home city to the destination I plan to visit. 

When an attractive fare comes in, it’s easy to check for availability- but it also alerts me to check other airlines that fly the same route as price cuts by one airline often lead others to compete on that route.

Christmas By The Numbers at Gaylord Hotels®

I’m a huge fan of Gaylord Hotels.  I’ve visited the Opryland multiple times for conventions, the Palms for the magical ICE and will get to experience the Texan during an upcoming trip.  The only Gaylord property I’ve not visited is the National.  I absolutely loved this infographic showing “Christmas by the Numbers”: 6 million twinkling lights; 89,420 feet of garland; 7,794 guest rooms; and 9 degrees in ICE.

Christmas by the Numbers at Gaylord Hotels

Click the image above to be taken to view a web-based infographic with clickable links for more information!

As the holidays draw nearer I know the Gaylord Hotels will be publishing some great “stay & play” family rates for ICE at all of their locations- it’s a fun family vacation for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Win a Weekend Getaway to Omaha

If you haven’t visited Omaha lately, you’re in for a surprise!  Spend the weekend exploring a city filled with history, artistry and adventure. Explore jungles and deserts, shop distinct boutiques and hop aboard history.

Click the image above to enter

Prize includes:

  • Two Night Stay at the Ramada Plaza/Coco Key Water Resort
  • $100 Restaurant Gift Card
  • Four Passes to Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
  • Four Passes to Lauritzen Gardens
  • Four Passes to Joslyn Art Museum
  • Family Pass to The Durham Museum
  • Family Pass to The Omaha Children’s Museum
  • Four Full-Day Bike Rentals from the Omaha Visitors Center

Enter the Vacation Fun Omaha Weekend Getaway.

 

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers.  Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose).  If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

 Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Travel Tip:  Need Comfy Shoes for Home & Travel?  Consider Crocs!

Crocs have come a long way from the ugly, clunky (though apparently super comfortable) shoes you first think of when you hear the word Crocs.  The fall line has beautiful equestrian style boots, warm flats with suede uppers, hiking boots, dress casual shoes for men, winter and rain boots for the kids…  You won’t believe they are Crocs!

Looking for Comfort That Fits Your Style? Shop Crocs.com

Columbia Travel Deal with Maupin Tours + the Chance to Win a Free Trip!

Maupin Tours has put together an amazing 9 day/8 night travel package to scenic and exotic Colombia! This adventure showcases Bogota, Pereira (the Coffee Triangle) and Cartagena, with hotel stays, most meals, guided tours, transportation around Colombia and airfare included.  Imagine horseback rides through a cloud forest, sightseeing at a historic salt cathedral and plenty of cultural fun in shops, museums and galleries!  For more information and pricing, visit Next Trip :Columbia.

In addition to offering this travel package, Maupin Tours is doing one better. Between now and December 14, 2012 at 11:59 pm PST, enter to win a chance to travel to Colombia for free. That’s right, they’re giving away an 8 day/7 night package for free! All you have to do is visit this site and enter for a chance to win!

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers.  Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose).  If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Travel Tip: Bring Baby Wipes

My girls are long past the “baby” stage, but a packet of baby wipes accompanies us on every trip we take.  Well, to be more precise, we use Kirkland (Costco) Moist Flushable Wipes , but, essentially, the same thing.  As any parent of babies and toddlers knows, you don’t just use baby wipes for diaper duty.  Nope, you use them to clean sticky hands, wipe down table tops, quick-clean messy faces, wash goop off car seats, clear small spills….   The list goes on and on.

I use the Kirkland brand for a couple of reasons: 1) They come in bulk and, when I buy them from Costco, they are under $2 per solo pack & 2) The solo packs are easy to pack and don’t take much room.  As my youngest prefers to “feel clean” after she poos- and hotel toilet paper usually leaves much to be desired- these accompany us on every trip, both in the car and in the luggage.

If you’re traveling with kids, a pack of wipes should never be far away!

Halloween Deals at The Sanctuary in NYC

Halloween is my favorite holiday… If it’s yours, this deal may be just up your dark & spooky alley.  Note:  This is not a deal for families with young kids, but teens would probably love it!

Halloween is a time for sweets, spookiness, and fun. At the Sanctuary Hotel we offer all of that, plus luxurious accommodations that will make this Halloween a memorable one. The Haunted Hotel package includes:

·        Tour of the city in a hearse, highlighting everything from haunted buildings to where famous mobsters got whacked.

·         A basket of sweet treats from Dylan’s Candy Bar in your room

·         A classic horror film screening in the hotel lobby on Halloween Eve, complete with popcorn and candy

Stay dates: October 29 to November 4. Rates starting at $554 per night for up to 2 adults and there is a 1-week cancellation period. This package is subject to availability and does not reflect taxes. Gratuity not included. This exclusive offer includes complimentary continental breakfast buffet, free WiFi and passes to Equinox gym. Only valid when booking online at sanctuaryhotelnyc.com.

Win a Taste of ‘The Great River Road’

The Mississippi River flows from Minnesota to Louisiana, before exiting into the ocean.  Along the way, it passes through or past 10 states- each with their own terrific tastes and cuisines.

Click Image to Enter Contest

Food is a distinctive part of the culture along the Mississippi River. Now, you can take home one of 10 gift baskets full of delicious food from each of the 10 states along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway to sample for yourself.

My understanding is that there are 10 prizes- a basket filled with goodies, one from each state.  Yum!

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Friday Finds: Helping make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Travel Tip: Pack a Bandana

Yes, a bandana.  It’s one of those things that you never think to pack, but can always use because it’s so versatile.  A few uses:

  • Head covering
  • Head band
  • Tourniquet
  • Soak in water and wrap around neck to cool off
  • Washcloth
  • Tie to a stick and fill (like Tom Sawyer)
  • Personal “table” cloth
  • Dish rag
  • Wrist guards (great if you’re dealing with bushes and branches)

Do you have any other uses for bandanas?  Let’s hear them!

Halloween with Shrek at Gaylord Palms

The Halloween candy is already lining store shelves, so it must be time to begin thinking about dressing up, trick or treating and getting scared….  Shrekless.  Having attended the ICE Shrek the Halls celebration last winter, I know the Gaylord Palms can throw an event like no other!

Gaylord Palms Resort invites guests to come out and experience Halloween a little early this year during Scared Shrekless Family Fun, an interactive experience featuring beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.’s Madagascar franchise and this summer’s hit film Madagascar 3:  Europe’s Most Wanted, along with friends from the Shrek and Kung Fu Panda franchises. 

Package guests can dress up in their most spooktacular costumes; trick-or-treat around the resort’s 4.5 acres of gardens; participate in a kids’costume contest with prizes; make ooey, gooey Swamp Sludge; dive into fun at the Madagascar Crack-A-Lackin’ Pool Party and much more ghoulish fun!

Scared Shrekless Family Fun at Gaylord Palms offers families a safe and weather controlled environment to celebrate the Halloween holiday. Overnight packages begin at $179 and are available on October 13 and October 27. For more information visit www.DreamWorksExperienceatGaylordPalms.com or call 407-586-2000.

Package Includes:

  • One night room accommodations
  • Trick or Treat Bag welcome amenity
  • Costumed trick-or-treating around the resort atriums, with candy passed out at each stop by favorite DreamWorks characters from movies such as Shrek, Puss In Boots, Madagascar 3 ‘Europe’s Most Wanted’ and Kung Fu Panda
  • Learn to make Swamp Sludge at our Halloween craft station
  • Kids’ Costume Contest with prizes
  • Madagascar Crack-a-Lackin’ Pool Party
  • Puss In Boots Quest for the Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt
  • Special wake-up calls by DreamWorks characters

See website for terms and conditions

Can’t make it to Florida?  You can find Halloween fun at the other Gaylord properties, too: Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Gaylord National near Washington DC, and the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine (near Dallas).

Win a Getaway to Stillwater, Minnesota

When I lived in St. Paul, I loved taking day trips to Stillwater.  The river town, on the banks of the St. Croix River, is the birthplace of Minnesota.  Victorian mansions sit high on the bluffs, overlooking a bustling Main Street filled with quaint shops, boutique B&Bs and tempting restaurants. I love that this getaway package gives you the option of where to stay.

Click the image to enter the contest!

This package for two includes:
• $300 voucher for overnight lodging of choice at any of Stillwater’s hotels or B&B’s
• Breakfast each morning at your lodging property
• Paddlewheel Cruise with lunch on the St. Croix River
• Trolley Tour of Historic Stillwater

 

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers.  Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose).  If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Join SniqueAway for Exclusive Travel Deals

We all want great travel deals to incredible locations filled with breathtaking scenery that will take our cares away- if only for a few days.  But finding those amazing deals can be frustrating and, quite often, you’ll find that the “great deal” wasn’t so great after all.

Not long after it launched, I was invited to join SniqueAway, a vacation company owned by Trip Advisor.  It’s easy- and free- to sign up and then you can choose to receive daily or weekly emails of hotel deals in amazing destinations.  Deal destinations span the globe, so you’re sure to see something that will inspire you to get away!

On sale for the next 4 days:  The Resort at Paws Up in Montana.  {sigh}  And coming up in another day- a luxury London package.  {double sigh}

Sign up for SniqueAway and get ready for your next great adventure!

Win an Orlando Family Vacation

Click the image to enter to win!

Your chance to win an Orlando Family Vacation for four people including:

  • Round trip airline tickets to Orlando
  • Four-night accommodations at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort including VIP seating in Studio Nick for the Double Dare Live show.
  • Two-day tickets to your choice of Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando or SeaWorld Orlando
  • Round trip ground transportation from Orlando International Airport to the hotel

Fine print: No purchase necessary. One entry per person per day. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 9/30/12. Entrants must be at least 21 years old and be a legal resident of USA or Canada. Void in Quebec and Puerto Rico.

 

 

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers.  Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose).  If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

 

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

Travel Tip:  Lock Your Suitcase- and Know When It’s Been Opened

I know many people (even members of my own family) who don’t lock their suitcases when they fly.  “You can’t lock them,” they say.  “The TSA might need to check them”.  Now, obviously, these people may not travel often so they may not know that there are luggage locks that can be opened by a special tool the TSA has.  So, please- lock your luggage!  It goes through dozens of hands between drop off and pick up.

I really like the TravelSmith SearchAlert Combination Lock because it tells you when your bag has been opened.  Yes, the TSA is supposed to put in a note telling you your bag has been opened.  But they don’t always do that- as I learned on our return from Ireland this year.  When we arrived in our hotel, I opened one of my bags to see how my Mead fared in my Vinnibag (inflatable travel wine bag) only to find it missing- and no note in my bag.  Opening my other bag, I found the wine, and a note from the TSA stating that my bag had been searched.  But, because my wine a had been moved and I had the SearchAlert lock, I knew that both bags had been searched.  (Thankfully they didn’t put my Mead in someone else’s bag!)

Families Fall into Savings with staySky Hotels & Resorts in Orlando

Offering a diverse portfolio of Orlando properties, staySky Hotels & Resorts feature multi-bedroom suites, all designed to meet the needs of families, groups, meetings and extended-stay visitors. Guests enjoy superior service, fantastic amenities and excellent locations for outstanding value.  Great for families, you’ll find full kitchens, food courts and relaxing Jacuzzis.

Families fall into savings at each of staySky Hotels & Resort’s seven Orlando properties while enjoying rates starting at $59 per night, and all-suite accommodations. Book online now thru Dec. 20, and take advantage of a $50 excursion credit offered Florida Dolphin Tours good toward thrilling experiences, from swimming with dolphins or manatees, to a Disney character meal or visiting Kennedy Space Center.
 
All centrally located, staySky Hotels & Resorts give guests easy access to popular attractions including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando.
staySky Hotels & Resorts Rates Through Dec. 20, 2012

Enclave Suites                                                                                    Rates from $59

Palisades Resort                                                                               Rates from $99

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Universal                               Rates from $99

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Lake Buena Vista                Rates from $99

Coral Cay Resort                                                                           Rates from $99

Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa                                    Rates from $119

Damai                                                                                            Rates from $199

To book “Fall Into Savings,” visit www.staysky.com/fall and enter promo code FALL2012 or call 1-866-455-4062.

50 Days of Prizes to Celebrate KOA’s 50th Anniversary

We enjoyed our first stays at KOA Kampgrounds this year- and can’t wait to do more!  This fun Facebook contest has you “toasting” marshmallows for entries. 

Click the image to go to the contest!

Prizes include:

  • RV Expedition having an approximate retail value of $4,000
  • KOA Cabin Expedition having an approximate retail value of $4,000
  • Gas gift card having an approximate retail value of $100
  • Cabela’s gift card having an approximate retail value of $50
  • KOA Rolla Roasters having an approximate retail value of $15
  • Free night of camping having an approximate retail value depending on campsite

FYI: One entry per person, per day.  Contest ends September 10, 2012.

 

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers.  Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links- which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!)- or sponsored material (which I will disclose).  If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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Friday Finds: Helping Make Travel Easier and Less Expensive

 Friday Finds is your weekly spot for travel tips, money saving travel deals and travel contests to enter. Get Friday Finds delivered to your reader or inbox!

London Olympics: The Parties, Viewing Events & How to See a Few Sports Without a Ticket

The Olympics began today in London.  If you’re there, but without a ticket to events, Frommer’s published a great slideshow on where to catch some events for free (or super cheap), some fun locations with super big screens to watch events and some great parties to attend.  If you’ll be in London during the games- or you just want to know what’s on- it’s well worth watching!

Tower Bridge over the Thames River, London.  Photo by Richard Chivers/London Media Centre

via Take advantage of London 2012 Festival events. – How to Do the Olympics Without a Ticket Slideshow at Frommer’s.

Galleria Shop & Stay Package at Westin Galleria in Dallas

I really like these “shop & stay” packages at the Westin Galleria Dallas!  It’s like staying free!  Plus you’ll be doing your shopping at Dallas’ premier mall- the Galleria!

The first package is $550 and includes deluxe accommodations at The Westin Galleria Dallas for one night, a $500 gift card to Galleria Dallas and overnight valet parking with unlimited in and out privileges; the second package is $1,000 and includes deluxe accommodations at The Westin Galleria Dallas for one night, a $1,000 gift card to Galleria Dallas and overnight valet parking with unlimited in and out privileges. Upgrades to the Westin Galleria’s executive club level are also available for an additional $100 per night.

Both packages are available on Friday and Saturday nights, and each package is based on space availability and single or double occupancy.  The packages can be purchased through August 26.

The Westin Galleria Dallas is located at 13340 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75240. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.thewestingalleriadallas.com or call 1-866-716-8137.

Win an IllinoiSouth Getaway

Click the image to enter the giveaway at VacationFun.com

This southern Illinois getaway includes:

  • One night at the DoubleTree Hilton Collinsville/St. Louis
  • Breakfast for 2 and a $50 gift card to Porter’s Restaurant
  • Donated tea from the Oatman House Tea Room
  • 4 passes to Splash City Family Water Park
  • 4 rounds of golf at Arlington Greens Golf Course

Friday Finds are tips, deals and vacation contests that I believe are of interest to family travelers.  Advertisers may purchase a listing in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds; I verify that the deal is available when the article is posted. Some links may be affiliates links, which means that I receive a small commission if you make a purchase at the site (no additional cost to you!).  If you are interested in information about being listed in Family Rambling’s Friday Finds post, please send me email: jody (at) familyrambling (dot) com.

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