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Mon, 03/24/2008 - 7:23pm
Around the world
What Did You Do On Vacation?
By Heather Kempskie
The Schwartz family is always up for an adventure. For years, this family of five has enjoyed trips around the country (and the world) soaking up the culture, enjoying the local cuisine and taking exciting excursions. Now, Mom, Nancy, and her 13-year-old son, Josh have taken on another sort of adventure: an Internet travel site created by kids, for kids.
At kidstravelwithjosh.com, kids are invited to post journals about their travel experiences. The site, which has won two silver awards from The International Academy of Visual Artists for creative excellence on the Web, is monitored by Nancy who serves as the editorial manager. Josh posts entries on his travels and is the main voice at the site. Here they share their passion for this latest adventure:
P&K: Tell us how kidstravelwithjosh.com came about?
Nancy: Josh has great taste and a wonderful eye for superior travel experiences. He's a great kid with friends who appreciate his opinions and often mention their travel plans to him, looking for insight and advice. Josh's advice (and that of other kids) would be an incredibly useful tool for everyone to use. So that’s how Kidstravelwithjosh.com came into being.
P&K: In your opinion, how do kids experience travel differently from their parents?
Josh: Kids love museums, as long as they’re interesting and modern. If the subject matter is brought to life in some cool way, the kids will be engaged and they will have fun. Now I realize museums have lots of old stuff, but I see a trend in museums to keep them as interesting as possible so kids end up loving the experience and not just thinking it was “OK”. Also very important is how a travel day is set up. My mom is good at scheduling our touring days up in a way that my little sister doesn’t melt down. That might include a big morning activity with a terrific lunch place in mind, followed up with another big afternoon activity (a tour, a hike, a museum, etc) with a great afternoon treat as a reward for Abby stepping up. Believe it or not, that always works!
P&K: What types of experiences are you hoping kids will write about in the journal entries?
Josh: Unique travel experiences, stuff that they think was cool will probably be of interest to other kids. Also funny stuff that happens on vacations is always fun to read. I hope this is a spot that users will use to document memorable times they had during a trip. Trips can include a scouting overnight, a cruise or a day trip to a local amusement park. Every young person’s impression of a trip is different and that’s what we want Kidstravelwithjosh.com to showcase. Kids will listen to other kids recommendations and criticisms of places, activities, etc. more than they will listen to adults’ viewpoints. So, to sum it up we want the good, the bad and the ugly of every kid’s trips.
P&K: What was your most memorable travel experience?
Josh: Whew, that’s a hard question to answer! I would have to say it was during our trip this past summer out west. We spent a few days in Las Vegas, then headed to the Grand Canyon. On the way we went on a tour of Hoover Dam-That was incredible! Oh, by the way a bridge is currently being built over the Colorado River right down the way from the dam. It is an incredible engineering project! But getting back to my most memorable travel experience, I would have to say it was visiting the Grand Canyon. We arrived a little before sunset and we took one of the park buses to a very popular spot to watch the sunset. It was indescribable in its’ majestic beauty. No photo can match the sight. The next morning my mom, my brother and I woke up at 4:30 and took the bus over to the same spot to experience sunrise at the Canyon. Also an incredible moment in time. Later that day my dad, my brother and I took a hike with a National Geographic guide about a mile and a half down into the canyon. Our guide (Mike) taught us so much about the rock formations and the animals and plants that live in the mountains that make up the Grand Canyon. That was also amazing! Hands down, my most memorable travel experience is the 40 or so hours that we spent at the Grand Canyon.
P&K: How about your worst?
Josh: It’s hard to come up with one because fortunately, we haven’t had that many bad experiences. I would have to say it was one that occurred a long time ago. I must have been about 4 years old and we went to Storyland in New Hampshire. We were staying in a first floor condo and I was out on the back deck. I looked up and saw a big brown bear looking at me. I ran inside and told my parents who immediately closed the deck door and then looked outside. They say it was a baby bear, but I will always remember it being a huge bear!
P&K: How has travel influenced you? What can kids gain from traveling (even if you don't travel far)?
Josh: Travel has broadened my view of the world. Because I love to travel, I am always eager to experience new sights, new foods, meet new people. I have learned to appreciate historical sites, architectural sites and natural wonders. I love to try new foods-I had great rattlesnake in Sedona, Arizona this past summer! I realize now that there are so many different things to experience that are unique to certain areas such as rodeos in Colorado, huge trees near San Francisco, fantastic snorkeling in the Caribbean. Kids can benefit by traveling in so many ways. For one thing, traveling as a family brings you closer to each other. You end up having great times together which turn into great family memories. What can kids gain from traveling? Let’s put it this way---There’s so much out there to see and do and taste and feel. It’s also important to get up off the couch. Travel is great because it will give you things to talk about. I have friends who are totally into sports, but they never do anything else. There’s so much more than Sponge Bob, video games and sports stats out there! Kids with certain interests can really have a great time traveling. For example, my family is into sports and we’ve been to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and (not too far away) in Connecticut is the Basketball Hall of Fame which was also fun to check out.
P&K: We know you plan to launch an international site. What can your visitors expect?
Josh: Our international section is being worked on right now. The idea came from a conversation I had with a friend of mine. He visits his family in China each summer and he was telling me about some of the really cool things they did. Then my mom and I started talking about expanding our current site. The international section will be a place where students can write about international school trips that they take with their classes like when the French club goes to France or the Spanish class goes on a trip to Spain. There are lots of Jewish Day schools that visit Israel and teen church groups that go on unbelievable humanitarian missions to lots of different places. KidstravelwithJosh.com will be a safe spot where parents, teachers and kids can feel comfortable writing and reading journal entries without any nasty stuff from the web/ internet getting in the way. We also have fun facts about different destinations and kids are able to upload photos of their trips.
P&K: Where's one place you haven't been to yet and can't wait to visit?
Josh: I can’t wait to go to Chicago. Chicago looks like a fun city with lots of great things to see and do and I would love to have some authentic deep dish pizza there. Internationally, I’m really looking forward to visiting Australia and New Zealand one day. It looks like a beautiful part of the world and I would love to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, which is hundreds of miles long. Anytime I see anything having to do with Australia, it makes me want to go there even more. No matter where I go, when my mom tells me to start packing I know I’m in for a good time!
To expand their geographic appeal, Kidstravelwithjosh.com is interested in connecting with teachers and parents living outside of the Northeast. Teachers who encourage their students to each submit a few travel journals, receive free gifts including gift certificates to Barnes and Noble bookstores. For more information, e-mail nancy@kidstravelwithjosh.com.
Around the world
What Did You Do On Vacation?
A Sudbury Mom and Son Team Wants to Know
By Heather KempskieThe Schwartz family is always up for an adventure. For years, this family of five has enjoyed trips around the country (and the world) soaking up the culture, enjoying the local cuisine and taking exciting excursions. Now, Mom, Nancy, and her 13-year-old son, Josh have taken on another sort of adventure: an Internet travel site created by kids, for kids.
At kidstravelwithjosh.com, kids are invited to post journals about their travel experiences. The site, which has won two silver awards from The International Academy of Visual Artists for creative excellence on the Web, is monitored by Nancy who serves as the editorial manager. Josh posts entries on his travels and is the main voice at the site. Here they share their passion for this latest adventure: P&K: Tell us how kidstravelwithjosh.com came about?
Nancy: Josh has great taste and a wonderful eye for superior travel experiences. He's a great kid with friends who appreciate his opinions and often mention their travel plans to him, looking for insight and advice. Josh's advice (and that of other kids) would be an incredibly useful tool for everyone to use. So that’s how Kidstravelwithjosh.com came into being.
P&K: In your opinion, how do kids experience travel differently from their parents?
Josh: Kids love museums, as long as they’re interesting and modern. If the subject matter is brought to life in some cool way, the kids will be engaged and they will have fun. Now I realize museums have lots of old stuff, but I see a trend in museums to keep them as interesting as possible so kids end up loving the experience and not just thinking it was “OK”. Also very important is how a travel day is set up. My mom is good at scheduling our touring days up in a way that my little sister doesn’t melt down. That might include a big morning activity with a terrific lunch place in mind, followed up with another big afternoon activity (a tour, a hike, a museum, etc) with a great afternoon treat as a reward for Abby stepping up. Believe it or not, that always works!
P&K: What types of experiences are you hoping kids will write about in the journal entries?
Josh: Unique travel experiences, stuff that they think was cool will probably be of interest to other kids. Also funny stuff that happens on vacations is always fun to read. I hope this is a spot that users will use to document memorable times they had during a trip. Trips can include a scouting overnight, a cruise or a day trip to a local amusement park. Every young person’s impression of a trip is different and that’s what we want Kidstravelwithjosh.com to showcase. Kids will listen to other kids recommendations and criticisms of places, activities, etc. more than they will listen to adults’ viewpoints. So, to sum it up we want the good, the bad and the ugly of every kid’s trips.
P&K: What was your most memorable travel experience?
Josh: Whew, that’s a hard question to answer! I would have to say it was during our trip this past summer out west. We spent a few days in Las Vegas, then headed to the Grand Canyon. On the way we went on a tour of Hoover Dam-That was incredible! Oh, by the way a bridge is currently being built over the Colorado River right down the way from the dam. It is an incredible engineering project! But getting back to my most memorable travel experience, I would have to say it was visiting the Grand Canyon. We arrived a little before sunset and we took one of the park buses to a very popular spot to watch the sunset. It was indescribable in its’ majestic beauty. No photo can match the sight. The next morning my mom, my brother and I woke up at 4:30 and took the bus over to the same spot to experience sunrise at the Canyon. Also an incredible moment in time. Later that day my dad, my brother and I took a hike with a National Geographic guide about a mile and a half down into the canyon. Our guide (Mike) taught us so much about the rock formations and the animals and plants that live in the mountains that make up the Grand Canyon. That was also amazing! Hands down, my most memorable travel experience is the 40 or so hours that we spent at the Grand Canyon.
P&K: How about your worst?
Josh: It’s hard to come up with one because fortunately, we haven’t had that many bad experiences. I would have to say it was one that occurred a long time ago. I must have been about 4 years old and we went to Storyland in New Hampshire. We were staying in a first floor condo and I was out on the back deck. I looked up and saw a big brown bear looking at me. I ran inside and told my parents who immediately closed the deck door and then looked outside. They say it was a baby bear, but I will always remember it being a huge bear!
P&K: How has travel influenced you? What can kids gain from traveling (even if you don't travel far)?
Josh: Travel has broadened my view of the world. Because I love to travel, I am always eager to experience new sights, new foods, meet new people. I have learned to appreciate historical sites, architectural sites and natural wonders. I love to try new foods-I had great rattlesnake in Sedona, Arizona this past summer! I realize now that there are so many different things to experience that are unique to certain areas such as rodeos in Colorado, huge trees near San Francisco, fantastic snorkeling in the Caribbean. Kids can benefit by traveling in so many ways. For one thing, traveling as a family brings you closer to each other. You end up having great times together which turn into great family memories. What can kids gain from traveling? Let’s put it this way---There’s so much out there to see and do and taste and feel. It’s also important to get up off the couch. Travel is great because it will give you things to talk about. I have friends who are totally into sports, but they never do anything else. There’s so much more than Sponge Bob, video games and sports stats out there! Kids with certain interests can really have a great time traveling. For example, my family is into sports and we’ve been to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and (not too far away) in Connecticut is the Basketball Hall of Fame which was also fun to check out.
P&K: We know you plan to launch an international site. What can your visitors expect?
Josh: Our international section is being worked on right now. The idea came from a conversation I had with a friend of mine. He visits his family in China each summer and he was telling me about some of the really cool things they did. Then my mom and I started talking about expanding our current site. The international section will be a place where students can write about international school trips that they take with their classes like when the French club goes to France or the Spanish class goes on a trip to Spain. There are lots of Jewish Day schools that visit Israel and teen church groups that go on unbelievable humanitarian missions to lots of different places. KidstravelwithJosh.com will be a safe spot where parents, teachers and kids can feel comfortable writing and reading journal entries without any nasty stuff from the web/ internet getting in the way. We also have fun facts about different destinations and kids are able to upload photos of their trips.
P&K: Where's one place you haven't been to yet and can't wait to visit?
Josh: I can’t wait to go to Chicago. Chicago looks like a fun city with lots of great things to see and do and I would love to have some authentic deep dish pizza there. Internationally, I’m really looking forward to visiting Australia and New Zealand one day. It looks like a beautiful part of the world and I would love to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef, which is hundreds of miles long. Anytime I see anything having to do with Australia, it makes me want to go there even more. No matter where I go, when my mom tells me to start packing I know I’m in for a good time!
To expand their geographic appeal, Kidstravelwithjosh.com is interested in connecting with teachers and parents living outside of the Northeast. Teachers who encourage their students to each submit a few travel journals, receive free gifts including gift certificates to Barnes and Noble bookstores. For more information, e-mail nancy@kidstravelwithjosh.com.
