Tag archives for Jenss Family Travels
If you’re one of the millions of parents who enrolled their kids in summer camp this year, the biggest decision you probably faced was whether to send them to a day camp close to home or an overnight camp farther afield. In the past, my wife and I always opted for the former even though our children are old enough to leave the nest, but this year we discovered an interesting option that combined the two: joining the kids at a sleep-away camp.
Passports: One Child at A Time
Posted by Rainer Jenss on May 10, 2012 
Almost a year ago, I joined 600+ other travel bloggers in Vancouver, BC for the annual TBEX Conference to network and get inspired by their stories. During a Q&A with one of the many presenters, a woman named Tracey Friley stood up and introduced the entire assembly to an idea she called The Passport Party Project.
Taste of Travel — Family Style
Posted by Rainer Jenss on April 3, 2012 
I take a deep breath, tell myself they’re just roasted marshmallows, and quickly put the stick in my mouth. “Ahhh…Just like I remember them,” I pronounce with a pursed grin. With the video camera now turned off and my wife and kids grimacing in disgust, I’m tempted to spit out whatever remains of the half…
Last-Minute Spring Break Idea: Arizona, Part 1
Posted by Rainer Jenss on March 13, 2012 
If you haven’t yet finalized your family’s spring break plans, chances are you might not be going to that beach resort, theme park, or cruise ship you’ve been contemplating for months now. Unless you don’t mind paying the big bucks to book last-minute deals to popular family destinations like Florida, the Caribbean, or California, you…
Disney World Q&A
Posted by Rainer Jenss on February 27, 2012 
As an out-of-towner, it’s not easy being in Orlando without visiting Disney’s theme parks, especially as a parent. During a recent trip to the area, I resisted temptation, mainly because my kids were back home in New York. But what if we lived nearby? Does Disney’s strong allure cast the same spell on Central Florida’s…
Celebrating Winter a la Quebec
Posted by Rainer Jenss on February 23, 2012 
Many of us in the Northeast, and across the country for that matter, have been wondering what happened to winter this year. Not that I’m complaining, but there’s been almost no snow and daytime highs have been well into the 40°s, and even 50°s in New York. So to get a taste of the season…
Southern Hospitality in Kaohsiung
Posted by Rainer Jenss on February 15, 2012 
It should come as no surprise that technology is changing the way we travel in the 21st century. The next big wave of innovation transforming how we travel is in social media. Sites like Couchsurfing.org — a worldwide network of three million wired nomads who offer up their homes (i.e. couches) for free to other…
How to Take a Career Break to Travel: Meet, Plan, Go!
Posted by Rainer Jenss on September 30, 2011 
Have you ever been tempted to leave your job and pack your bags to travel? My wife and I did just that for a one-year trip around the world with our two young boys back in 2009. We would eventually visit 28 countries before landing back in New York to resume our lives, forever changed…
Taking on Toyko
Posted by Rainer Jenss on September 17, 2010 Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. Now he’s writing a column that focuses on traveling with kids. This summer, my ten-year-old son Stefan was invited to Tokyo, Japan, to take part in the 20th anniversary of the World…
Kids Love D.C.
Posted by Rainer Jenss on June 30, 2010 Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. Now he’s writing a column that focuses on traveling with kids. Last week, I found myself in the familiar situation of being invited down to National Geographic’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., only…
Small Ship Family Cruises
Posted by Rainer Jenss on April 9, 2010 Last week Rainer Jenss reported on good cruising options for families. This week, he looks at some great small-ship cruises. This week, I set out to investigate some cruising options for families other than the mega ocean liners that dominate the industry today. If you’re like me and love the idea of traveling by ship…
The Top Family Travel Websites
Posted by Rainer Jenss on February 22, 2010 Last year, Rainer Jenss traveled around the world with his wife and two sons, and blogged about his experience here on Intelligent Travel. This year, he’s back with a new column that focuses on traveling with kids. This could be the toughest blog I’ve had to write yet. It’s Presidents Week and most kids across…
Jenss Family Travels: Living a Dream
Posted by Rainer Jenss on September 29, 2009 Rainer Jenss, his wife Carol, and their sons Stefan and Tyler, are just back from having spent a year traveling around the world, and we were able to follow along as they blogged about their journey for Intelligent Travel and National Geographic Kids. Now that they’re back and adjusting to a static existence, we asked…
Jenss Family Travels: Costa Rican Adventures
Posted by Rainer Jenss on July 8, 2009 Rainer Jenss and his family are wrapping up the final weeks of their around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. Of all the things we’ve experienced over the course…
Jenss Family Travels: Exploring Greece
Posted by Rainer Jenss on June 1, 2009 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. If you’re checking into this blog for some guidance about travel to Greece,…
Jenss Family Travels: European History 101
Posted by Rainer Jenss on May 15, 2009 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. It might have seemed impractical to give ourselves only two weeks to visit…
Jenss Family Travels: Out of Africa
Posted by Rainer Jenss on May 8, 2009 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. Nine months and six days after pulling out of our driveway to start…
Jenss Family Travels: Tanzania Camping
Posted by Rainer Jenss on March 20, 2009 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. Talk to anyone who’s been on a safari, and you’re sure to get…
Jenss Family Travels: Lessons From the Road III
Posted by Rainer Jenss on March 13, 2009 If there’s been an added benefit to home schooling the kids during this trip, it’s that Carol and I have had the chance to learn right along with them. I haven’t personally watched “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader,” but it sounds like a pretty clever premise for a game show to me, especially…
Jenss Family Travels: Terrific Tassie
Posted by Rainer Jenss on January 16, 2009 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. Ask most Americans what they know about Tasmania, and I’m guessing the Tasmanian…
Jenss Family Travels: Harris Hill Farm
Posted by Rainer Jenss on December 22, 2008 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. It’s nearly impossible to travel anywhere outside of a major city in New…
Jenss Family Travels: South Island Road Trip
Posted by Rainer Jenss on December 19, 2008 Rainer Jenss and his family are currently on an around-the-world journey, and they’re blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys’ Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. I realize I misspoke in my last blog post–we hadn’t quite yet taken…
Jenss Family Travels: Maine-Stays
Posted by Rainer Jenss on July 21, 2008 The words I dreaded hearing came less than one week into our yearlong journey. “I don’t want to go around the world,” Stefan proclaimed, just hours after arriving on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, aka Acadia National Park. Then, just in time to catch my heart before it splattered to the ground, came “I want to…
Jenss Family Travels: Where in the World is Swaziland?
Posted by Rainer Jenss on June 27, 2008 In just a few days, Rainer Jenss and his family will set off for a year to travel the world. They’ll be blogging about their adventures here at Intelligent Travel, and today Rainer offers up his itinerary for where they’re headed. Searching for Swaziland When putting together an itinerary for an around-the-world trip with the…
