Travel for Kids June 2025 - Travel tips
Tips for summer trips - before you go and while you’re there:
Paris in summer – Where to escape the crowds
Visit to Sagrada Familia Barcelona
National Gallery of Art Washington DC
Tips for Pompeii
New York City fun places to stay cool
Tips for California Redwood Coast
Family biking on trips
Also in this issue:
Eastern Sierra California
Summertime cooking with grandparents
Seasonal events - Juneteenth
Eastern Sierra California
Eastern Sierra in California is a family favorite for a summer vacation outdoors.
Stay in evergreen forests, hike in majestic mountains, bike around Twin Lakes, play in sparkling creeks, stand next to oldest living trees in the world, this area is a hidden gem.
Every summer when our kids were small, we camped or rented a cabin at Reds Meadow. It was an extended family activity with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and other families came too.
Wildflowers blooming in the meadows, rushing waterfalls with rainbows, ice cream bars at the resort store after a long hike, the night sky filled with stars, it was heaven.
Discover Mammoth Lakes, Reds Meadow and Devils Postpile, town of Bishop, ancient bristlecone pine forest, June Lake, and Mono Lake.
Read full story: Eastern Sierra California
Paris in summer - Where to escape the crowds
At the top of our newsletter, Mona Lisa, on display in Louvre museum is a lovely image, and she’s smiling.
But visiting the Louvre in summer, expect hour+ wait in line, just to get to checkpoint for reserved time and day ticket.
Same story for the Eiffel Tower.
Instead, here are four places to go in Paris with shorter lines and fewer crowds:
Musee de Cluny – Unicorn Tapestries
Jardin des Plantes – Carousel, zoo, museums
Army Museum – Armor and Napoleon
Chateau de Vincennes – Medieval castle, and park close by
Read full story: Paris in Summer – Where to escape crowds
Visit to Sagrada Familia Barcelona
Before you visit Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, find out about Gaudi’s inspiration from nature, and what is portrayed inside and outside the basilica.
For example, on Nativity Facade, look for Mary, baby Jesus and Joseph, six angel musicians, animals such as donkeys, dogs, lambs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, a sea turtle, land tortoise, giant chameleon.
Two central bronze doors are covered with red and green leaves, nestled in the leaves are bees, ants, ladybugs, butterflies, snails, frogs, birds’ nest, and flowers.
Eight basilica bell towers are decorated with bright colored ceramic mosaics. Fruit mosaics – peaches, cherries, figs, almonds, oranges, represent fruits for each season of the year. (Photo above)
Tip: Bring binoculars to see amazing details, some are way high up.
Read full story: Visit to the Sagrada Familia Barcelona
National Gallery of Art Washington DC
In Washington DC, make a beeline for National Gallery of Art when it’s humid hot outside, and not just because museum is air conditioned.
The museum is free, and filled with famous artworks by Van Gogh, Renoir, Leonardo da Vinci, and more.
Galleries have wide variety of art, such as painting of George Washington surrounded by and his family, portrait of Napoleon looking Emperor-ish, statues of the Medici brothers, paintings of pets, fun food by Picasso and Matisse, children playing in French gardens, fashion in 16th century Italy, paintings of Venice and Paris, self-portraits of Van Gogh and Rembrandt.
Read full story: National Gallery of Art Washington DC
Tips for Pompeii
If you’re planning to visit Pompeii this summer – buy your tickets now, if you haven’t already.
There is a daily limit of number of visitors per day for Pompeii. Kids under 18 are free admission, but need a ticket.
Pompeii is the most famous and largest archaeological park, but Villa Oplontis and seaside town of Herculaneum are also well worthwhile.
Visit Naples National Archaeological Museum before or after exploring the ruins. The museum has best preserved frescoes, statues, mosaics and artifacts from Pompeii and other sites.
More details what to see, including friendly guardian snakes frescoes.
Read the full story: Buried Cities Pompeii, Oplontis, Herculaneum
New York City: Fun places to stay cool
Visiting New York City with kids this summer, be prepared for hot weather.
Manhattan has lots of super parks with water play areas to cool off – Battery Park, Madison Square Park, four playgrounds in Central Park.
Also, Children’s Center at New York Public Library is air conditioned, and perfect multi-generational activity with younger kids. Sit down in comfy couches to read books together.
Read full story: New York City: Fun places to stay cool
Tips for California Redwood Coast
In northern California, on the Redwood Coast, kids can explore largest remaining groves of old-growth redwoods, tallest trees in the world.
Due to conservation efforts to stop destruction of ancient redwoods, that started more than a hundred years ago, today Redwood State and National Parks preserve coast redwoods for generations to come.
Find out about different areas, hiking, beaches, wildlife, how to identify coast redwoods and where to stay.
Read full story: Tips for California Redwood Coast
Family biking on trips
Traveling with kids, one of our favorite activities is to rent bicycles.
Not only is biking a wonderful way to explore the outdoors, but is also a fun alternative to “too many museums” in big cities.
As parents, we feel as if we’re ten years old again, biking in the freedom of long summer days.
Read our biking suggestions for USA and Europe destinations.
Read full story: Family biking on trips.
Summertime Cooking with Grandparents
Summer is a time for families to get together.
It’s always fun when grandparents share recipes and family cooking traditions with grandchildren.
“How do I know summer is here?
Summer smells like mango jam simmering on the stove, the first thing my Lola makes after she flies in for her summer stay.
This is from one children’s book about a grandmother from the Philippines who comes to visit.
More cooking stories about ice candy, mac n cheese, masala chai (spiced tea) and tomato dishes from India, flan and Cuban traditions, spicy sambal, Jamaican breakfast, berry picking in Alaska, Vietnamese dumplings.
Children’s books and recipes: Summertime Cooking with Grandparents
Seasonal Events
June 19 is Juneteenth, our newest national holiday, celebrating freedom of enslaved African Americans.
During the Civil War, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves January 1, 1863.
In Texas people kept their slaves, and it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 slaves heard the news they were free.
On Juneteenth, families, communities, cities celebrate with parades, with music, singing, dancing, fireworks, and fun food.
In our photo above is Opal Lee, “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Opal Lee is why Juneteenth is now a holiday in all 50 states of America.
In her 90ties, Opal Lee walked from Texas to Washington DC to get over 1.5 million signatures for a petition to present to Congress. In 2021, Juneteenth was declared a national holiday, and she was present at the White House.
Read full story: Celebrate Juneteenth