Tag Archives: vacation

Your Family Vacation Survival Kit Is Here!

We asked a BFC mom of twins for tips she’s learned while traveling and planning her family vacation. Here’s a top 10 list to help guide you on your next family adventure!

  1. If driving or flying have lots of snacks, drinks, games, coloring and some shows downloaded on a device in your back pocket. My kids love to play the license plate game on road trips, which includes looking for license plates from various states and making it a bingo game!
  2. See if the hotel you’re staying at has a Kids’ Club (and then maybe change the hotel if it doesn’t ;)). Review the itinerary of the Kids’ Club with your kids to determine if/when they want to go to make it exciting! 
  3. Research the area you’re staying and have each family member write down the top 5 things they want to do. Review with the family and cast a vote to identify the top 3!
  4. Research and book restaurants that guarantee a kid’s menu.
  5. Check with a hotel or concierge if there are sitter services available for a date night — even better, book a BFC Travel Sitter to help! Then the kids can enjoy a fun night of room service and movies.
  6. Always look for the game room in a hotel or if you’re doing a property rental check to see if there are games there.
  7. Identify where the nearest doctor and pharmacy are in case of a last minute need.
  8. Review what hotel activities are available (bingo, pool activities, games) and make a list with the kids of some of their top ideas they want to do in a day.
  9. Bring toys or treats to add an element of fun each day. Something for the pool, the beach or outdoors that can go along with the theme of the day.
  10. If the kids meet friends while away re-establish the idea of a penpal

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted & FULLY VACCINATED on demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!

Your Ultimate Lake Vacation Travel Guide

Take advantage of the warm weather while it lasts by gathering the troops and heading to the lake! Bell Family teammate and blogger, Mandy, writes about her experience with her family at Chautauqua Lake in New York and shares tips on best times to visit, where to stay, things to do and more! Check out the recap below and read the full write up on her blog.

Need help with the kiddos on your next family trip? Hire a Bell Family Travel Sitter to tag along and make the trip a breeze!

Where to Stay

  1. The Hotel Lenhart – Bemus Point – Owned and operated by the same family since 1880. This hotel is old, if you prefer lots of modern amenities it may not be for you.  
  2. Hotel Athenaeum – Institute – Located inside the Chautauqua Institute, this is a beautiful historic hotel with access to all the Institute has to offer.
  3. Webbs – Mayville – This long-time hotel features an on-site restaurant, indoor pool, and a few shops onsite.
  4. Chautauqua Harbor Hotel – Celeron –  This newly built hotel offers a restaurant, bar, and swimming pool.
  5. Chautauqua Visitors Site – You can also check out this site for cottage rentals around the lake as an option. 

Things To Do

  1.  Chautauqua Marina A great place to rent equipment for all of your water activities.
  2. Midway State Park – A small amusement park that’s been open since 1898, this is a must visit if you have kids (or love acting like a kid).
  3. The Lawson Center – A historic marina turned boat museum, this is an interesting stop.

Places to Eat

  1. Andriaccio’s – For Italian or pizza around the lake.
  2. The Village Casino – What used to be a bath house, is now a restaurant right on the water in Bemus Point. You can dock your boat right out front, and have food delivered to you, as well as dine in or on the front deck.
  3. Andriaccio’s – For Italian or pizza around the lake.

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted & FULLY VACCINATED on demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!

Time for a Staycation

Being cooped up in your apartment can leave you stir crazy, especially if you spend daytime there during the week (looking at you moms and dads at home with kids). One night when I couldn’t sleep, I did some research on staycation spots near NYC, and here is what I found.

1. Upstate New York
This Inn seems perfect once it gets a bit cooler, think fire place, hot beverage or red vino, and maybe some hiking in the good ole outdoors. The rates seem really reasonable too, around $160 a night.

2. Long Island
For food.
For wine.
For stay.

3. North Fork
This place seems the place to be in October, as I can’t find a hotel or bed & breakfast available for under $700 a night. It may be worth waiting till off season.

For additional things to do in North Fork check out Conde Nast Traveler.

And for future trips around the city check out Timeout New York!

Family Vacay Time!

Everyone can appreciate the joys of a family vacation. They are normally stress-free, hassle-free, and sleep-free. Okay, maybe only one of those are true (cue the no sleep for parents), but one thing that is guaranteed is an album full of new memories!

I remember the family trips I went on when I was a kid. It usually involved us piling in the mini-van at 4 a.m., but my sisters and I were so excited that time meant nothing. Given that there were five girls my parents had to herd together, road trips were pretty much our only choice of transportation. Could you imagine taking five kids under the age of 10 on an airplane? No thanks!

A few of our family vacay destinations included Atlantic City, Orlando, Niagara Falls, and New York City. We also took a handful of trips to Tampa, FL to visit our Grandpa who lived there. To this day, I think my sister’s and I miss the massive pool he had in his development!

With Summer right around the corner, we wanted to share a great article we found on parents.com, that highlights “Top 12 Family Vacation Destinations.” Rounding out the top five are:

1. Pretty much everything in Orlando, FL
(Magic Kingdom Park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Wizarding World of Harry Potter)
2. The Strong Museum, Rochester, NY
3. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, SD
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC, TN
5. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, NE

For the full list, check out the online article here.

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Written by our Marketing & Social Media Coordinator, Taylor Bell!