America’s Best Idea – the national parks – gets even better this summer with three fee-free weekends at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees*.
Mark your calendars for fee-free weekends this summer:
June 20-21, 2009 (Father’s Day weekend)
July 18-19, 2009
August 15-16, 2009
And to make the fun even more affordable, many national park concessioners are joining the National Park Service in welcoming visitors on this summer’s fee free weekends with the their own special offers.
Here’s a tip – many national parks never charge an entrance fee, so you can plan inexpensive visits year round!
For a list of family fun activities this summer, visit National Parks: The Place to Be for Family Fun.

*Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

India - This movie is about a great adventure between old man Carl Fredrickson, boy scout Russel, an adorable talking dog Dug, and a strange exotic bird named Kevin. This adventurous tale will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. Full of laughs and hilarious jokes that the whole family will enjoy. If you're looking  for any movie that will keep you entertained the whole time, Up is the perfect movie for people of all ages.

Eric - The movie starts with a young Carl and is both touching and sad.  Carl and Russel's adventures liven up the tale and the adventure begins.  The movie is a bit scary for young ones (under 4), but the older kids will have a blast.  Since it's Disney, there is a message and a happy ending.  I was entertained and enjoyed the film with my kids.

Now that Summer's here, if your family is like ours, there’s a good chance dad will be manning the grill on Sunday.  Here are a few tips to keep the food safe and everyone healthy.
While a rare hamburger has its appeal, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so medium does it.  Make sure the whole burger gets cooked to 160 degrees.  Chicken and turkey burgers a bit more, heat them to 180 degrees, and make sure there is no pink meat left anywhere.  And never partially cook meats to re-heat later.  This can create a breeding ground for bacteria.  Once you start cooking…finish it.
This may seem obvious, but wash the plate or platter you used to bring foods to the grill before you put the cooked meat back on it.  Or better yet, get a new plate.  Same thing with the marinade, don’t use the marinade you used for the raw meat once cooked.  This old marinade can still have the bacteria from the uncooked meat in it. 
These simple tips can keep everyone happy and healthy.

And speaking of memories, camping trips are the spawning ground for many great family memories.  Sleeping in a tent, eating S’mores, seeing wildlife, hiking to a waterfall and much much more. 

Anyone can camp.  Even the most un-outdoorsy.  Options range from hiking miles and staying in a tent that you carried with you, to sleeping in a “tent cabin” in a national park just 50 feet from your car.  A lot depends on the age and temperament of your kids.  When in doubt, always go easier.  Better for it to be easy and fun, then hard and miserable, especially for the kids.

Include the kids in the planning of the trip and invite their opinions about activities and locations.  The planning of the trip is half the fun and something you can do together and if your kids are involved in the planning, they’ll be more enthusiastic about the activities when they get there.  Lakes?  Mountains?  Beaches?  Bikes?  This will help determine where you go.  For the first trip, stay closer to home and limit it to a weekend to test things out.  Check out State and National parks within a 5-6 hour drive.  Once you pick an area, select the specific location.  For example, many parks have campgrounds with showers and bathrooms.  This is a great option for first-time trips (or the 100th time). 

Next, work on your gear list.  Think about the activities you have planned and work from there.  Clothing may take more thought than usual.  Beaches and mountains can often be much cooler than home so pack warm clothes.  Better to have a jacket and not need it, than need it and not have it.  We’ve hiked to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire in June in shorts, only to be greeted by a snowstorm!  Will you need a tent or tents?  Sleeping bags (half the fun is sleeping in sleeping bags so don’t miss out).  Stove, cooking items, utensils, flashlights (and extra batteries), head lamps are great to use instead of flashlights and kids love them (http://www.rei.com/product/744017).  Sunscreen and bug spray can make or break a trip, don’t forget them.  If you need to buy gear, www.rei.com and www.llbean.com are great places to start.   Make a checklist for your gear so you don’t forget anything (you will still forget things, but it will be less).

As for the menu, keep it simple.  If you are car camping and allowed to grill, hamburgers and hot dogs are a favorite (be sure the pack them in a good cooler).  Peanut butter and jelly is also good and easy.  Bring plenty of snacks like trail mix (nuts, raisins, M&M’s), dried fruit, and of course fixings for S’mores.

If you are in bear country (which is just about most parks these days), keep the food in the bear boxes provided.  Don’t store it in your tent or in your car in places like Yosemite, Yellowstone or the Adirondacks in NY. 

Pack some games and activities for the kids, and remember that books read by flashlight are somehow much more interesting.  Go easy on the scary stories, especially with the little ones.  When you get to your location, involve the kids in setting up.  They can pick out the tent site, help set it up.  Turn chores such as getting water, into a game.  Also, for safety, have them memorize the location/site number of your tent.  Make sure they know where the ranger station of office is and where your phone is stored.  Don’t over plan, just go with the flow and have ideas to stimulate your kids…and oh yeah…leave the DVD player at home.