When on vacation with children of all ages, it's always a good idea to have a backup plan when the weather refuses to cooperate with your outdoor plans. Even if the day's events go as planned, a movie is always a great evening activity in any town. For families that may be vacationing in my hometown of Winston-Salem, NC I can highly recommend the Grand 18 Theatre.

The Grand 18 is the newest theatre in Winston-Salem and it definitely raises the bar for its competitors. First, it's the largest complex with 18 screens of which one is an IMAX screen. The high-back seats lean back and the armrests fold up and out of the way when you want to snuggle up with your spouse or let the little ones lay their head in your lap after a long day.

One thing that I find very family friendly is that they offer booster seats for the little moviegoers. Not only does it help with their viewing position, but it keeps the seat bottom from flipping up. At other theatres, I have to carry in my child's booster seat. Boosters should be a standard fixture in all theatres.

Concession prices are high as expected with any theatre, but they do offer a kids combo that includes a kid's size serving of popcorn, gummi bears and beverage. Now, what's not advertised is you can have an Icee instead of a fountain drink with the combo at no extra charge. If you prefer to "sneak in" your own snacks, the Grand 18 does not perform a bag check like I've experienced elsewhere. However, a McD's take out bag will get you stopped at the podium.

So, whether you need a Plan B due to inclement weather or want to end the day on a high note take in a movie at the Grand 18.

During a recent trip to visit the grandparents, I took my daughter to the New England Aquarium in Boston. The Aquarium's warm interior made it a great escape from the wind and cold outside.

I was shocked at the admission prices, but maybe that's just from living in the South for so long. However, with families trying to make ends meet in this economy, a family of four would have to plunk down about $80 assuming the children were between the ages of 3 and 11. If you live in the area or know someone that does and they have a library card, they can get you advance tickets through their local public library's website for $10. They have to pick up the tickets in person at the library. This is what we did and had no difficulties using them at the ticket office.

Without even paying for admission, you can watch the harbor seals swimming in their tank outside the Aquarium. Once you enter, you are met by a large exhibit with several species of penquins.

The Aquarium's layout is an unusual one with a cylindrical main tank in the middle of the floorplan and a spiral ramp circling around it and climbing upwards through the Aquarium's multiple exhibit floors. As you start at the bottom of the ramp, there is an explanation of the species of marine life that you will find at the depth. As you climb upwards, you can exit the ramp and explore a particular floor that has smaller exhibits focusing on the species found at the depth you are on. I found this design very well laid out, and the spiral ramp made the Aquarium both stroller and wheelchair friendly, as well as easy for those who don't do stairs very well.

On each level, we encountered Aquarium staff who were eager to tell you additional information about what was in the smaller tanks and point out creatures you may have missed. It was obvious that they enjoyed sharing their knowledge with the visiting public. There were also a couple of "touch" tanks featuring stingrays and tide pool creatures, which both children and adults were enjoying.

Upon reaching the top, we had an impressive view of the center tank much like you would have if walking along the top of a coral reef. Our timing was perfect as we walked in on the beginning of a live show being given by one of the staff members. The staffer explained how big the tank was, what species of marine life could be found and pointed them out as they swam by. When the show was over, the staffer remained on the top floor to answer any questions.

Other than feeling the admission prices were high, I would definitely give the New England Aquarium 2 thumbs up. All of the exhibits were open, the facility seemed clean and staff were visible and helpful.

Having rode several sections of the New River in Virginia, a friend of mine suggested I try a new trail that actually fed into the New River. Almost 2 years later, we finally set a date to ride the 25-mile section between Cass and Marlinton, West Virginia. Since this was a new trail for me, and I did not know anyone else that had been on it, I opted to leave the wife and child at home and make this a "boys weekend out" trip.

Being similar in nature to the New River Trail (former railroad converted to biking/hiking trail) the trail is a level grade the entire distance with a width wide enough to accommodate riding 2 abreast. Since we rode the first weekend in October, we were treated with some colorful fall foliage but the trade-off was cold temperatures in the low 40s and then a light rain the last 10 miles that made our journey miserable. However, the weather is not to blame for my mediocre rating of the Trail.

Unlike the New River Trail, the Greenbrier is a very shallow and slow-moving river. Most of the way, it almost looked stagnant. Well, at least that's how it was during our visit. I missed the sounds of the river running over rocks like I've experienced on the New River.

At milepost 65.5 (we started at Cass - MP 80), we got to experience going through Sharp's Tunnel and cross the trestle going over the Greenbrier River itself. Now, if you don't want to pedal the distance to see these features, you'll need to start out at Clawson (MP 62). Something else to keep in mind in regards to distance is the infrequency of restroom facilities and potable water along the Trail. If you're traveling with children, this is something not to be overlooked.

Our endpoint was Marlinton where we spent the night at a very basic B&B that caters to visiting cyclists. Dining options were very limited. We had lunch at a Subway in the local convenience store and ate dinner at a small pizza/sandwich shop a few blocks down from the B&B. For a more traditional hotel selection and plethora of restaurants, check out Lewisburg.

Overall, the Greenbrier River Trail is an easy ride for the whole family, but I think the New River Trail is more family friendly with its number of camping sites and bathroom facilities along the trail. Off the trail, the towns around the New River Trail offer more lodging and dining choices than Greenbrier. If I were to return again, would I bring the family? Probably not.

The New River Trail is an old abandoned railway where the tracks have been removed leaving behind a great trail bed for hiking or walking. The section of the New River Trail between Gambetta Road (MP 42.3) and Fries Junction is an easy ride for families at only 5 miles round-trip. It's also a great route for introducing the kids to their first ride off the beaten path.

Just outside Galax, follow Gambetta Road (off Iron Bridge Road) until you reach the trailhead. If you want to plug in an address into your GPS, try "2182 Gambetta Road, Galax, VA", which is one of the houses just before the trailhead.

You'll ride towards Fries Junction under a canopy of trees alongside Chestnut Creek. About a mile and a half into your trek you'll encounter an old railroad tunnel that you'll ride through. The tunnel is dark, but just a few pedal turns in and you'll see the light on the other side, so a headlight really isn't necessary. A few tenths of a mile later, you get to cross the New River across a long train trestle, which brings you to Fries Junction. If you bear left and ride along the New River for another tenth of a mile or so you'll find a primitive campground with picnic tables right at the river's edge. A fantastic spot for a picnic lunch. Yes, there are restroom facilities at Fries Junction.

If you'd like a glimpse of what you'll see along the route, check out my YouTube video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8SZJMjxZHc

On 7/2/11, we made our second trip to the Virginia Creeper Trail. This time, my daughter was able to ride her own bicycle instead of a tandem bike with Dad. We ride the 17-mile segment from Whitetop to Damascus, which seems to be the most popular run with visitors.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is an old railroad line where the tracks have been removed and transformed into an excellent trail for biking or walking. Most of the distance, its width can comfortably accommodate 2 bikers riding side-by-side. Almost the entire run is shaded by a canopy of trees, which makes for a comfortable ride even on a hot, humid day.

Now, don't let the distance scare you because you are coasting down the first 10 miles, and the last 7 miles are a casual pedal. We saw children as young as 5 on their first 2-wheeler pedaling with confidence, seniors taking a leisurely cruise and families pulling toddlers in bicycle trailers. I do not recommend you bring a child who is still using training wheels, or has difficulty riding in a straight line on 2 wheels.

We rode the Creeper Trail at an average of 10 mph, so if we didn't stop we could finish in about 90 minutes. However, being surrounded by the beautiful scenery you just have to stop for photos, dip your toes in the cool waters of the Whitetop Laurel River and stop for your own picnic lunch or a burger, hot dog or sandwich at the Creekside Cafe in Taylor's Valley (approx. 11 miles from Whitetop along the Trail).

Bring your own bike or rent one from one of several bike shops in Damascus. The shops also offer shuttles to the start of the Trail at Whitetop, which is a 30-minute ride. We use JC's Outdoors (jcsoutdoors.com) and were able to make our shuttle reservation online. Everything was in order when we arrived, the shuttles departed on time, and the van's A/C worked. This was not the case when we used Adventure Damascus on our prior trip. Nothing's worse than riding in the back seat of a 15-passenger van on a winding road with no air-conditioning.

If you want to stay overnight, Damascus has some cottage and cabin retreats along with a small RV Campground, but there are no hotels. If you are looking for a more traditional hotel setting, stay in Abingdon just 15 minutes away. On our first visit, we stayed at Damascus Cabins (damascuscabins.com) and were very pleased. This last time, we stayed at the Quality Inn and Suites in Abingdon. While I highly recommend the hotel, the town offers little for families to do, so we would probably stay in Damascus when we return.