Ski resorts try hard to woo summer travelers, with jazz festivals, food festivals -- and, always, plenty of fun for families.

Okemo, for example -- an ultra- family-friendly ski resort in Vermont -- has a Family Adventure Retreat in August with two full days of activities (family yoga, biking hiking, wilderness challenge, lots more.) Deer Valley, in Utah -- famous among foodies-- also has a Summer Adventure Camp, for kids 12 months to 12 years old.

Meanwhile, in Colorado, Winter Park definitely goes the extra mile -- or rather 3030 feet-- for families in summer, with its giant summertime Alpine Slide.

• more about summer at ski resorts
• lots more summer vacation ideas

*Photo courtesy of Winter Park ski resort.

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I love this idea: kayaks with plexi-glass bottoms, so you can see into the sea you're paddling on. Turtle Bay Resort, on Oahu, is offering kayak tours over coral reefs, using new Peekaboo™ kayaks.

Turtle Bay Resort is on the beautiful and less developed north coast of the island: not even an hour from Waikiki, but a totally different Oahu. Turtle Bay Resort has 880 acres, five miles of beach, five different bays, pool with waterfall and slide, on-site snorkeling, horseriding, surf lessons... and now, eco-kayaking (but not on the big-wave bay you see above.)

• Read more about Turtle Bay Resort, and see photos
• Top Things To Do on Oahu
• more Hawaii resorts

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Photo courtesy of Turtle Bay Resort.

Once again, it's that peak summer travel season, when the line-ups are long, the flights are packed, and in many cities, rainstorms frequently cause delays and canceled flights (which are hard to re-book, because, um, the flights are packed.)

Check out some practical tips for Summer Air Travel, to reduce your risk of delayed flights and other summertime travel blues.

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Summer means high season for theme parks. Any theme park you care to visit will have fun on-site for little kids: a play area, for example, designed for tots.

But some places go much further: entire theme parks are dedicated to the younger set, such as Sesame Place, or LEGOLAND, or the classic Magic Kingdom in Disney World. Other parks create whole sections for their wee visitors, such as Seuss Landing at Universal Orlando.

Have a look at Theme Parks for Little Kids.

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