Most people hear about Salem, Massachusetts, early in their school careers (usually during a social studies or history class.)

1692.

The witch hunts.

The trials.

The accusations.

The hangings.

The hysteria.

It’s enough to make anyone shiver with horror (and perhaps a bit of eerie interest.)

This autumn, why not make a trek with your loved ones to Salem and enjoy one of the best family vacation spots in gorgeous New England?

There, you can experience one of the most memorable family vacations you’ve ever taken by exploring this old city on foot.

Take in the incredible architecture and ambiance which has been kept up-to-date by townspeople who are proud of their past.

In the evening, indulge in a horse drawn carriage ride or harbor cruise. Or take a journey back [...]

During our family vacation destination trivia tour, we’ve traveled from the northeastern part to the southeastern region of the United States.

Next up is a state with a young pulse and an historic past.

Can you guess its identity based on the following photos?

Still stumped? Try these fun facts on for size:

1. Author Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up in this state.

2. In 1904, this state hosted the World’s Fair. Iced tea was reportedly served during this even for the first time in recorded history.

3. The mule is this state’s animal.

4. This state was the birthplace of President Harry S. Truman.

5. In American Indian, this state’s name means: “Town of the Large Canoes.”

It’s the proverbial “gateway to the west”… none other than the Show Me [...]

If your household is like most, you begin planning for your next family vacation getaway almost as soon as the last one ends.

From a financial perspective, this makes sense (not to mention “cents”.) After all, the sooner you start discussing whether to head to one of the many Tennessee log cabins or a South Carolina resort, the sooner you can gauge how much money you’ll need to make your vacation dreams come true.

To start you on the road to family vacation getaway paradise, GuestQuest is happy to share a few tips on how to start saving right now!

1. Change is Good

How many times do you find spare change lying around the house or at the bottom of your purse? Set up a jar in your kitchen or family room and designate its contents as the Family Vacation Getaway Fund (FVGF).

Every time a member of your household has extra pennies, dimes [...]

It’s a reality of life—kids are tough to please.

One minute, they adore something… the next minute, they loathe it.

No wonder traveling with the whole clan can be such a challenge!

But never fear. There are ways to make sure that your children don’t cast a negative spell on your next family vacation getaway. Here’s how…

A. Enlist Their Help

Sure, you might want to lug your kids to a beach house in Maryland, but if they aren’t “buying in” to the trip, it could make for a “so-so” time.

Instead of dictating where you’ll spend your week while away from home, enlist your kids’ help in figuring out where to go.

Introduce them to the many vacation guides that they can find online through GuestQuest. That way, if they start complaining, you can always remind them that they were a part of the decision.

Obviously, babies and toddlers won’t be much help in [...]

In today’s global environment, it’s commonplace for employees to travel frequently for work.

If you have (or your significant other has) an upcoming assignment to an interesting locale, why not turn the trip into a family vacation getaway that both of you (and maybe the kids, too) can enjoy?

For instance, if you’re being sent to St. Louis for a conference at one of the many Missouri hotels, why not stay there for an extra day or two? Though your employer most likely won’t cover the cost for anyone you bring with you, it still can be a serious bargain.

Consider this hypothetical scenario:

Don and Dawn are a couple living in Salem, Massachusetts. Dawn is sent to Williamsburg, Virginia to meet with a client on Thursday, Friday, and Monday. Her company is paying for her airfare plus a room in one of those old, lovely Virginia hotels. If Don [...]

It may sound like an impossible dream, but you absolutely can have the best family vacation getaway of your life even if you’re bringing a brood of energetic youngsters with you.

Whether you’re heading to a South Carolina resort or taking a journey to Paris, France, you have the power to make your trip fantastic regardless of number of kids in your group.

What’s the secret? It’s quite simple: Have reasonable travel objectives.

Often, the biggest problem isn’t that your children are behaving like tots (e.g., crying at inopportune moments, pitching fits at airports, requesting potty breaks every 20 minutes.) The dilemma is that most adults expect too much of their youngsters. They want their family vacation getaway to mirror their romantic getaways to the Canadian hotels they took pre-parenthood… but that’s just not [...]