Kids. Whether you have them, have one on the way, or are simply young at heart, you’ll go loco for Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa. Squeals of delight pervade the family-friendly property, a sprawling all-inclusive resort with a private beach hugging the Caribbean Sea.

This wasn’t our first trip to the strikingly beautiful – and incredibly friendly – Riviera Maya. But what set this visit apart was the discovery that this area is not only a romantic retreat and a party haven for singles and couples alike, but it also provides an ideal setting for families, especially when your vantage point is Dreams Tulum.

Resort to Luxury

The resort offers a wealth of luxury accommodations set amid manicured gardens; sensuous spa services; seven international restaurants serving gourmet fare, six lounges offering unlimited premium brand beverages, and a lively events calendar with more than enough varied activities to fill your days, nights and memories. With impeccable quality and services, it’s no wonder that Dreams Tulum earned the Elite Recognition Award by Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

Catering to Kids

Here’s what’s not immediately clear….of its 431 rooms, the resort boasts 180 that connect. A huge convenience for parents traveling with kids. More obvious is the Mayan-themed Explorer’s Club, as much a treat for grownups as for their children, ages 3 – 12. Parents can truly relax during spa treatments and other adult activities, knowing their kids are safely ensconced in a wonderful world of tribal adventure, enjoying supervised activities based around nature, science, exploration and creative arts. There’s a playground, splash fountain, climbing wall, game room, big screen movies under the stars, a weekly camp-out and more.

Iguana See Tulum

One of the resort’s key features is its proximity to the area’s renowned archaeological sites and natural wonders. Tulum held a mystical power over the ancient Mayan civilization which built its world famous pyramids here. Hire a guide for insights into the culture. You’ll witness first-hand the remains of mansions and temples and glean why they go hand-in-hand. Our guide explained, “The higher you are in society, the closer you are to the temple and therefore the closer you are to God.” You’ll also learn about how and why human sacrifices occurred; morbid, perhaps, by American standards, but sacred to the people of this land.

Be on the lookout for animals great and small: monkeys, deer, raccoons, and the ubiquitous iguana, sure to steal your creature-loving heart.

A River Runs Through It

A most extraordinary natural occurrence here is the cenotes (pronounced Say-NOTE-Ayes), refreshingly cool underground rivers. These wells, found in the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula, are filled with turquoise and green crystalline waters that attract snorkelers and divers from around the world. Adventure-seekers will thrill to ziplining through the jungles with a jolting cenote-dunk finale.

Xcaret Captivates

At Xcaret (pronounced Esh-Car-ET), you can get up close and personal with colorful native birds, butterflies, jaguars, monkeys, bulls, and curious animals whose Mexican name has no American counterpart. Don’t miss the horse show, which, according to the narrator, “…demonstrates the cheerfulness and risky temperament of our people.” Shows are non-stop at this magical eco-park, but the most magnificent in all of Mexico is Xcaret’s “Mexico Espectacular” – a larger-than-life extravaganza with fire-throwing, flying men, music and pageantry in a heart-pounding, emotional portrayal of the traditions, history, diversity and mysticism of Mexico.

If You Go:

For more information about Dreams Tulum, visit www.dreamsresorts.com/dretu/. Inquire about the “Kids Stay Free” – and “Babymoon” (for expecting parents) – specials. Learn more about Riviera Maya at www.rivieramaya.com.

Written by Lisa Codianne Fowler; Reprinted from Jan/Feb 2012 issue of What’s Up Ocala magazine, also online at whatsupocala.com

Thanks to Vacation Rental Pros for sharing the really cool infographic below about some of the fun things to do in St. Augustine. It’s displayed as an image; you can also view (and share!) the live source here: Things to do in St. Augustine.

Elegant and edgy, Charleston is sure to capture your attention… and your heart. Less than 300 miles from Ocala, it’s a short trek to a magical getaway. Think gardenia-scented antebellum charm, toss in windswept shoreline, culinary delights and lively nightlife, and voila! You’ve got all the ingredients for a deliciously-varied vacation.

Simply Historic

Charleston’s famous Historic District is replete with stately mansions, historic churches, intriguing museums, antique shops, world-renowned restaurants and unbridled grace, history and tradition. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride along cobblestone streets or go on a guided walking tour at dark through Charleston’s most haunted sites. Embark on Charleston’s finest home tours for a taste of what it was like to live in the low country during the Civil War. Referred to as the Holy City, it provided a haven to those who fled religious persecution. Church spires line the cityscape, and represent a myriad of faiths.

Surf’s Up!

Known as “The Edge of America,” Folly Beach is a seven-mile-long barrier reef located just eight miles south of Charleston — the closest beach to the city. Calm and relaxed, Folly Beach is arguably the best beach in South Carolina and one of the most in-demand surfing spots on the East Coast. It’s is a great place to splash in the waves, collect seashells and see the Morris Island Lighthouse. A fishing pier and sun swept views make it one of the last authentically rustic beaches in the area. If you’re a history buff, Folly abounds with Civil War historic and cultural sites. Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms are more upscale and boast warm waters and gentle surf… ideal for a relaxing swim.

Southern Comfort

Charleston is known for seriously great Southern dining, with festive dockside oyster roasts, high-end restaurants, outdoor cafés and fresh-from-the-dock seafood. Old-fashioned favorites such as low country boil, she-crab soup and pralines share center stage with New Southern Cuisine; young local chefs are earning raves for imaginative dishes like deep-fried pig ear appetizers and grits with foie gras. Just north of the historic downtown near the College of Charleston, the Upper King area is a bastion of urban cafés and edgy boutiques. At the tip of a peninsula, the city’s historic downtown only covers a small geographic area, but it’s so densely packed with museums, restaurants…See More and bars, you could easily spend a week or more here.

Seeing Stars

Charleston’s too-quaint-to-be-true cobblestone lanes and antebellum mansions almost seem made for the movies. So it’s no surprise that several famous films have been set here; The Notebook, The Legend of Bagger Vance and The Patriot, among many others. The opera Porgy and Bess, about poor African-Americans struggling to exist in 1920’s Charleston, gave the world the song “Summertime”, among many others. Modern-day musicians include pop-folk singers and country rockers. Step out on the town to also discover a variety of jazz bands and classic quartets who play live on any given night in the city’s many fashionable bars, lounges and hotel lobbies.

If you like theater, you’ll love Charleston. In 2010 it was listed as one of the country’s top 10 cities for theater, and one of the top 2 in the South. The most famous of them all is The Dock Street Theatre, America’s first. Home of the Charleston Stage Company, it’s South Carolina’s largest professional theater company, presenting a full season of plays, musicals and theatre-for-youth productions.

Check out Charleston, a beautiful Southern Belle with a trendy twist. It’s just miles away but worlds apart. For more information, call 843-853-8000 or visit www.charlestoncvb.com.

Words by Lisa Codianne Fowler

Reprinted from What’s Up Ocala Magazine (c) 2011

A Zen parable says: “When a fish swims, it swims on and on and there is no end to the water. When a bird flies, it flies on and on and there is no end to the sky.” Here on this ancient island, one enters into a Blue Zone.

…from Angkor Wat to Zanzibar

“We shall not cease from exploration and in the end of all the exploring, will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time.” ~ T.S. Eliot

On a tour through China a few years ago, my guide made continued reference to World Heritage Sites, specifically, UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In a perfectly British accent he would inform us, “the Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1987”, or, “the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace were inscribed on the World Heritage List of culturally protected monuments by UNESCO in 1998.” A few days later, more of the same: “The Terracotta Warriors here in Xian are also protected by UNESCO as World Heritage,” he told his mostly Western group.

Well, ignorance finally gave way to frustration as my intellect demanded to know precisely what a World Heritage Site was.

“Mr. Chang, you have referred to certain unique places as being UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Might I inquire, has this something to do with the United Nations, and what exactly is a World Heritage Site?” From the look of astonishment on my distinguished guide’s face, one might have surmised that I had asked him to reveal to me personally the secrets of the unexcavated Tombs of the First Emperor Qin!

“Mr. Michael, you don’t know what a World Heritage Site is?”

Let me first tell you that this was not my first trip abroad, nor was it even my first trip to China. In years of travel I had already seen most of the world save Antarctica. Filling two passports by studying and working abroad. So I was not stranger to a strange land. Yet, this continued reference bugged me. Why hadn’t I heard this before? U.N.E.S.C.O, that’s the U.N., right?

Slowly I began to consider that perhaps I had been mistaken. Yes, I had traveled the world many times over, this was true. But had I actually experienced this world? With this breakthrough question from Mr. Chang came awareness, a sacred “ah ha” moment. And I wasn’t even in Sedona!

Being domiciled in London during the mid-1980s as an international bond dealer for the largest investment bank in the world lifted my capacity for worldwide travel to a new dimension. This was the job to have, except for maybe playing left field for the Boston Red Sox. And London was the place to be, if you didn’t mind the food, the weather and the lack of nightlife.

As do most, this expatriate engagement afforded first cabin travel through free and not so free societies, carte blanche. Having responsibility for the major central banks on six continents and their investments in United States government bonds, one can imagine the lifestyle. Distinctive destinations, demanding deals, deluxe dinners and even a few dazzling dates, was all part of the daily grind. I loved it. It seemed my dreams had come true. Or had they? Mr. Chang had unknowingly unlocked a vault to self-inquiry. Had I really experienced different cultures? Could I understand foreign perspectives and lifestyles en masse?

Certainly, I could spend the companies’ green and do the trade; that was the assignment. That is what I was paid to do, as it were. But, this was not my original plan. No, this was not my original plan at all. Mr. Chang’s gentle probe had, by implication, made this definitive.

“No, Mr. Chang, I do not know what a World Heritage Site is.” But how could I not know? I wondered, as I waited for his reply, bewildered and bothered by my lack of what seemed like rudimentary knowledge for every traveler. Mr. Chang knew what a World Heritage Site was and he had never been outside of the People’s Republic of China.

Some of us dream of far away places from an early age. We imagine what it would be like to view the Pyramids from the Giza Plateau; walk the Great Wall in Mongolia; make the long hard climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro to see if the frozen lion from the Hemingway Masterpiece is really there, or even trek the trail of the Incas for the Summer Solstice at Machu Picchu.

My first fascination with the world came in a third grade geography class, while reading about a far away land called Tierra del Fuego. Upon learning that this meant “land of fire” (I had not yet obtained proficiency in Spanish), I was THUNDERSTRUCK! Land of fire – EGAD ! Where is this place? At the end of the world came my answer. How do I get there? Perhaps by joining La Legion Etrangere. No, too young… won’t pass muster. Got to find another way.

Well, instead of doing long division, I would plot my way to Tierra del Fuego on the world map above the classroom chalkboard. Later, I would pay dearly for my deficiency in division, but managed to magically recover with the advent of the handheld calculator a few years later.

Notwithstanding, my fascination with far away places did not diminish with time. I probably could have taught a college level course in geography by the time I reached tenth grade. After all, I had never missed a Jeopardy question in that category. Evidence enough.

Yes, I was obsessed. Maps, travel guides, glossy brochures, adventure books, airline timetables and National Geographic magazines, of course. Anything that would satiate my desire for more knowledge of the wide world, I collected and devoured. Inventing my own private game of geographic solitaire, I would consistently grow my factual database.

Name four cities in Morocco – FAST. Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat and Fez. Of the ten major rivers in the world, which one flows east? Easy. The Niger. Name the highest capital in the world. Tricky. Lhasa, Tibet maybe? But this becomes an age-old geo-political question. I’ll leave that to those who know. (Correct answer, by the way, is La Paz, Bolivia at 12,400 feet.) And on it went.

As a teenager, I would often take the subway to Logan International and act as if I were a first class passenger headed to Rome, Moscow or Shanghai. At the check-in counter, I would participate vicariously as I watched a bona-fide flyer present his credentials, ticket and checked bags. Yes, I would even walk to the gate (one could do that in the 1960’s). Everything in proper sequence. Everything except wheels up, of course. That would have to wait, but my day was coming. My day was coming soon.

In the late 1960s, up until the early 1980s, one could still circumnavigate the globe in either direction on one carrier. Hearing the radio advertisement with the announcer’s booming baritone beckoned my soul. For me, this was not unlike listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing “A Mighty Fortress is our GOD”, when he commanded… “Take PAN AM’s Fight 2 ‘round the world… New York, Paris, Istanbul, Bombay, Rangoon, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York.” Call Pan Am became my imperative. Indeed, I did call and even booked Flight 1 and Flight 2 from time to time, just in case. Yes, just in case, I stood ready. However, for me, it was always a delayed departure.

Nearly two and a half decades — and visits to hundreds of exotic lands — later, I achieved my moment of clarity. It came, from Mr. Chang.

“Mr. Michael, UNESCO is the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is headquartered in Paris and was created in 1946 to promote world peace. UNESCO is one of 17 specialized agencies, all autonomous organizations affiliated with the United Nations.

A World Heritage Site is a natural or a cultural (man-made) site recognized by the international community as possessing outstanding universal value and coming under a collective responsibility of the member states for its protection from a rapidly developing world.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chang.” This gracious and completely thorough answer bestowed an elevated consciousness upon this well-traveled American, who paradoxically, became enlightened once again by distant destinations and their denizens.

On August 7, 1999, 38 years after successfully completing Sister Mary de la Salle’s third grade geography class, I disembarked at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The Land of Fire.

James Michael Flanagan has flown nearly two million miles to more than 100 countries on six continents, and Antarctica experiencing some 350 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – from Tibet to Timbuktu – along the way. Among his numerous travel-related roles, including sharing enrichment lectures and cultural insights, he is the intrepid Director of Adventure Travel for Grand Incentives, Inc. michael.flanagan@gmail.com

Postscript: As of November 2010, there are 151 member states that comprise the UNESCO Convention and a total of 911 registered World Heritage Sites. Of these, 704 are cultural (man-made), 180 are natural and 27 are mixed sites. Ever been to The Statue of Liberty? Grand Canyon? Yosemite? What about the Eiffel Tower? Chances are, you’ve already seen more World Heritage Sites than you realized. Click here to discover them all.

From Big Ben to Buckingham Palace and Sherlock Holmes to Shakespeare, London is drenched in majesty, history and lore. Explore its endearing customs and age-old traditions. Witness the pomp and circumstance of the Changing of the Guard; sip traditional afternoon tea; ride a double-decker bus, take in the theatre and a pint at the pub. You’ll not want for diversity in this colorful metropolis.

World-Class Culture

London is one of the greatest cultural destinations in the world. With 70 large museums, more than 30 major art galleries and almost 150 theatres, not to mention hundreds of years of fascinating stories behind its monuments, palaces and historic houses, this capital city is the perfect location for a culturally enlightening vacation. The crowning glory of Trafalgar Square, London’s National Gallery is a vast space, filled to the rafters with Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. In this iconic art gallery you can find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci and Renoir, as well as the renowned English artists, Gainsborough and Turner. The National Theatre, in addition to stellar performances on stage, hosts music concerts, lectures, backstage tours and exhibitions. Fans of the Bard should check out the Royal Shakespeare Company, which frequently stages seasons in London, or head to Shakespeare’s Globe, a magnificent open-air playhouse. The Royal Opera House is home to the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera and Royal Opera House Orchestra.

To the Palace, Please

Buckingham Palace is a symbol and home of the British monarchy, an exquisite art gallery and an awe-inspiring tourist attraction. Behind the gilded railings and gates is not only the weekday home of the Queen of England and Prince Philip, but also the London residence of the Duke of York and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. The State Rooms of the Palace are lavishly furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection – paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, and Vermeer; sculpture by Canova and Chantrey, splendid examples of Sevres porcelain and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world. Though the Palace is only open to visitors from late July to September, you can see the ceremonious Changing of the Guard on alternate days year-round.

Dear Abbey

An architectural masterpiece, Westminster Abbey is the tallest Gothic building in the British Isles. The structure was deliberately designed in the shape of a cross, its pointed style strongly influenced by contemporary French cathedral architecture. More than 3,000 people are buried or memorialized inside these walls, among them, some of the world’s greatest kings, queens, scientists, musicians and poets. The Abbey has held every English coronation for the last 900 years. Today it is a living church dedicated to daily worship as well as a living pageant of British history for visitors to explore. If you “time” it right, you’ll likely hear the resounding gongs of Big Ben echoing throughout the city streets; the name “Big Ben” refers not to the famous clock tower, but to the 13-ton bell hung within.

Hop-on, Hop-off

Bright red double-decker buses seem to be everywhere in London, offering a variety of mix and match tours. These guided excursions are an ideal way to get an informative, entertaining and comfortable overview of the city. Depending on your choice of routes, you can visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, see the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London and even take a narrated cruise on the scenic River Thames. By the time you’re done, you will probably know more about London’s  history than some of the locals!

Hit the Streets

London may be one of the world’s most easily navigable cities, either by foot or via the Tube. Be sure to explore Covent Garden, a delightful jumble of eclectic shops, eateries, cultural venues and entertainment, from street performers to live performances at its plethora of theaters. Piccadilly Circus is the London equivalent of Times Square; a busy, colorful junction and popular gathering spot. From here it’s a short walk to Soho, Trafalgar Square and the fashionable shops of Carnaby Street. Discover more fine finds at the upscale shops along Oxford, Regent and Bond Streets, replete with designer couture. Don’t miss Harrods, the world’s most famous luxury department store and a destination in itself!

While you’re out and about, climb aboard the London Eye for a breathtaking experience. The world’s highest observation wheel, it presents panoramic views of the city and more than 55 of London’s most famous landmarks. It’s a thrilling way to start or end your Dream Vacation in this marvelous city.

The great land of China has an unrivaled allure. Forever linked to its ancient civilization by venerable treasures such as the Great Wall and Yangtze River, it also boasts the modern, towering skylines and bright city lights of Beijing and Shanghai.

A land of poets, painters and pure romance, Paris is one of the world’s most beloved cities. Stroll the shady tree-lined streets of the Champs-Elysées. Sip café au lait at a sidewalk bistro as a mime captivates passers by.

Of all the countries in the world, there is perhaps none more magical than Italy. This dream destination is blanketed in a rainbow of colors; from lush vineyards and snowcapped mountains to golden sands and deep blue seas.

On Bradenton Beach at Anna Maria Island, this is a segment of the “Gulf Beaches Story”. Watch the entire video of Bradenton Beach at videoofannamariaisland.com with host Lisa Codianne Fowler; produced by Charles Robert Neuf.