Taking the Kids: Getting moms and daughters out of their comfort zones together
Like Austin Adventures, there are a growing number of companies and resorts that organize such women's trips and do all the heavy lifting, whether you want an outdoor adventure (Adventure Women, owned by two sisters and their mom, to Wild Women Expeditions to Chicks Climbing and Skiing, which offers special women-taught courses for women) or a trip to explore a new place.
"Women lean to activities different from those that men may like, and feel safer in a group," said Marcia Miller, who founded You Go Girls!, which takes small groups to cities from New York to London.
Femscape Sojourns is run by a mother-daughter duo with the focus on experiences that introduce women travelers to local women. Latifah Al-Hazza, Femscape co-founder, said there will be special mom-daughter trips next year to Belize, London and San Miguel de Allende.
Some want a bucket list experience. Caitlin Weich of One Foot Abroad said most of her clients who want to walk the iconic Camino de Santiago in Spain ( a 30-plus-day trek walking 14 to 16 miles a day) are women, often hiking with daughters, sisters or friends.
Others want to share a passion. Sarah Bergman's travel agency, Park and Preston travel, sends many mom/daughter duos to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris specifically to run in races at the parks. "The most popular is the Disney Princess Half Marathon," she said.
They might head to a spa resort like Canyon Ranch before a wedding, travel agents say.
For busy moms and daughters, I love that Charlotte McGhee's company Whisked Away Surprise Travel curates surprise trips -- You choose your region, tell her what you want to do and get your destination and itinerary only a week in advance. She recalled one mom-daughter duo who went to Prague for a special birthday and to hear the symphony.
Resorts now are offering special women's weekends. A Montana Girls Weekend from September 18 to 22, 2020 at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, Montana. For example, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge offers a ladies only PJ Party weekend every year while The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs offers These Boots are Made for Wading, a three-day women's only fly-fishing retreat.
As for Steffi and Cindy Keene, they are busy planning another backpacking trip, hopefully this summer.
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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The Kid's Guide to Philadelphia, the 13th in the kid's guide series, will be out this spring.)
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