The Travelers
Hal Fiske, his wife Kim Yen Nguyen, and their daughters Joy (4) and Grace (8 months).
The Plan
The Fiskes flew United Airlines to Hal’s hometown of Boston. After a week in Boston, the family drove for five hours to The Tyler Place Family Resort in Vermont (www.tylerplace.com) for the 50th wedding anniversary of Hal’s parents. The seven-day vacation ended with a champagne cruise while watching the sun set over Lake Champlain. The cost of the trip, excluding flights, was approximately USD 6,000 for the family of four.
Family-friendly Activities
Located on Lake Champlain, The Tyler Place is one of the Fiskes’ favorite vacation spots offering children of all ages fun daytime programs. Joy loved her Jr. Midgets Group where she participated in nature walks, gardening, swimming, horseback riding and fishing. Kids are supervised by the staff, so parents can enjoy a vacation of pure leisure. A friendly and experienced babysitter not only played with 8-month-old Grace, but fed, bathed and rocked her to sleep, giving mom and dad time to relax.
Parents can enjoy tennis, golf, rock climbing, yoga, mountain biking, antiquing and an assortment of water sports.
Kid-Friendly Accommodation
The Fiskes stayed in a country-style cottage with a lake-side view and separate rooms for the kids. The living room had no television, but had a cozy fireplace. All accommodation is within a 10-minute walk to the children’s centers, playgrounds, the gym and the Dining Inn. Despite the wide range of activities offered, the family spent quality time together in the afternoons, relaxing at the cottage, riding bikes to the lake and enjoying leisure boat rides.
The Best Part
One of the highlights was the "The Duck Man" mini-triathlon. Kim and Hal’s brother Jeff won the team prize after triumphantly completing the course.
The family also enjoyed a scenic drive to a beautiful hidden waterfall; the car snaked around winding country roads lined with green trees, passing red barns and fields of corn. After a delightful picnic, the Fiskes dove off the cliffs and swam in fresh, cold mountain water.
Food
Meals were delicious and included fresh salads and healthy vegetables. The buffet was different every day, but Kim looked forward to lobster night. No dinner was complete without a few scoops of Vermont’s famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
