This place is special to me because two of my great-grandparents came to the United States from Poland (one as a child and one as a young adult). [Correction: Mom says I forgot one, so make that three!] I have always appreciated Polish food and culture. At a prior residence, we lived only two blocks from a Polish hall, where I would occasionally assist the volunteers making pierogi for special events. Fortunately, we settled in an area where Polish culture abounds. If you cannot visit such a place, I highly recommend that you bring the fun to your home, i.e. learn how to play the accordion. It's fun, catchy and hard to put down once you start playing! Trust me.

This place is special to me because my husband proposed to me by a brook off the beaten path at Neuschwanstein Castle. For the less romantically inclined, the Alps are breathtakingly beautiful, and offer hiking in summer and world class skiing in winter (note the Olympic Skistadion). Take the cable car up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest point which is snowcapped year round. The 3 castles in the area are tied to "mad" King Ludwig II, who grew up in Hohenschwangau, built Linderhof, and died before the completion of Neuschwanstein, which later became the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. For those wishing to see vintage household and work articles as well as learn how Germans lived in earlier days, visit the Freilicht and Violin museums.Cafes are dotted all over the area where you can partake of a favorite German custom - Kaffee and Kuchen. Have fun like I did and shop for touristy items such as a Dirndl (traditional German dress), Lederhosen, and a cuckoo clock, which are actually made in the Black Forrest. For the best experience, I encourage you to stay with locals, who rent out apartments in their homes.

I went to Savannah College of Art and Design years ago (earned my BFA in Computer Art in 1999!) in historic downtown Savannah, Georgia; during my four years there I fell in love with the South. Upon my return to southern California after graduation, Georgia remained as a murmur in the back of my mind; eventually, in 2012 my husband Josh and I moved our family to a rural area just outside the city.

Coming back to the city as a family opened our world up to all kinds of new adventures seen through the eyes of our hilarious kids, and I wanted to pull together all my very best don't miss places for you to have a fun family vacation in a spot that skews very much towards "visit these historic (translation: usually boring for kids) places". If you're a history buff, this map could be a great help in compromising! Visit a historical landmark, then throw in one of these kid-friendly locations to give them a brain break!

Here's my list of do not miss places to take your kids in Savannah, from left to right on this map:

1) City Market - Pizza at Vinnie Van GoGos, Ice Cream at Savannah Candy Kitchen. Because pizza and ice cream. Afterward, if it's a warm day advance token to Ellis Square and let the kids play in the splash pad that's technically a fountain (if it's flat and people run through it every day I'm sorry you built yourself a splash pad).

2) Free River Ferry Ride on River Street - If you take the ramp down to River Street at City Hall (I believe there's a Hyatt hotel right next to it), you can hop on the river ferry and take a ride on the Savannah River for free. Ride across the river during the holidays and you can see the gingerbread house display they put up every year in the hotel lobby across the way!

3) Savannah Bee Company store on Broughton Street - You get to visit the honey tasting bar (which will blow your mind), and your kids will get to play in what's basically a beehive themed fort. It's amazing.

4) Leopold's on Broughton Street - because ICE CREAM.

5) Forsyth Park - Travel down Bull Street from City Hall, and you'll run right into Forsyth Park. The last Saturday in April is Savannah College of Art and Design's Sidewalk Arts Festival, and they let kids participate in drawing on a sidewalk square with chalk for free!

6) "The Globe" at Derenne and White Bluff Road (Southside Savannah) - Every time we drive past this globe, my daughter Joy and I play a game where we try to guess what's inside it and what we would do if that's what was in there. (e.g. - "What if it was full of blue and green M&Ms?" "I would eat them all but I would share with you.")

7) Exotic Underworlds pet store (Southside Savannah) - this pet store is like a tiny aquarium. Tons of really cool fish and reptiles to see, and a huge tortoise that walks around free through the store.

8) Chatham County Aquatic Center (Southside Savannah) - this is the city's public pool, and it's super affordable to go play for a couple of hours in their gloriously heated pool. (Usually heated to around 88 degrees.)

9) Oatland Island - If you only take your kids to one place on this list, Oatland Island should be it. Like a zoo, this animal rehabilitation center has a long trail through the woods where your kids will see animals like a mountain lion, alligators, deer, foxes, and wolves. Phil's favorite exhibit for AGES was the wolves - if you're a detective you can find our Calvert family board on the wooden walkway near the wolf building.

10) UGA Marine Science Center and Aquarium - This isn't a full-size aquarium like the huge one in Atlanta, but there's still tons of great exhibits, a touch tank, and a beautiful nature trail outside. We discovered it when we received tickets to go during the library's summer reading program a few years back!

11) Captain Mike's Dolphin Adventure: There are a few different dolphin tours out towards Tybee Island in Savannah, but this is the one we've been on and can recommend. We went during the solar eclipse a couple of years ago and it was super fun!

12) The Crab Shack on Tybee Island is one of my happy places. There's nothing better than sitting in their outdoor area on the dock, looking out at the wetlands, eating a ridiculous pile of seafood. Wait, the only thing better is seeing random raccoons in the trees above and the cats that wander around outside helping to keep the pests away. And did I mention they have a gator pit? Full of live gators? THAT YOU CAN FEED FOR $2???

13) Fish Art Gift Shop - as you head out towards Tybee Island Lighthouse on Highway 80, you can't miss this shop. The outside of it is literally COVERED with all kinds of interesting sculptures for sale. Last time we were there we saw a life-size metal great white shark sculpture with a mannequin leg hanging out of its mouth. Inside, you'll find an entire section of gems, minerals, and rocks, and your kids will keep you there for an hour or more while they try to decide what they're bringing home.

14) Tybee Island Lighthouse - Don't skimp. Pay the money to walk up into the lighthouse. You won't regret it.

15) Marine Science Center on Tybee Island - If you're going to the beach on Tybee, this is an easy stop to make and another super cool and educational place to check out!

16) The Sandbox Children's Museum (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) - I included two locations in South Carolina because it's literally RIGHT THERE. And we went there a ton when we lived there. Plan to make a day of it, and let your kids explore the whole place on their time. If you do, make sure to bring a sack lunch! No restaurant or vending machines, but they do have picnic tables out in front. The age range on this museum I think tops out at about 7-8 years old, but I have heard they have plans to expand in the future to make more exhibits for older kids.

17) And if you're driving to Hilton Head Island, make a stop at Coligny Beach! After years of taking our family to Tybee, once I went to Coligny that quickly became our beach of choice for the free parking and the splash pad to rinse off in.

Want to visit these places in person? I created a Google map to share - you'll find exact locations of all these spots along with gobs of other gems that couldn't quite fit in my layout! Click here for more information on these places: http://bit.ly/SAVwithKidsMap

Imagine a medieval wonderland preserved throughout the ages. Now imagine eating delicious Polish donuts (pazcki). A place that displays its rich history with every brick and tile. A place that incorporates tradition into every cultural aspect. Who wouldn't want to see a city that has so many mysterious treasures? A fire-breathing dragon, an estate artfully crafted out of salt, and a haunted castle! Certainly a special place to explore!

How much do you know about the life of Walt Disney? "Walt's Pilgrimage" is a comprehensive biographical travel guidebook of Walt Disney’s life by Dr. Christopher W. Tremblay, Ed.D. Here’s a new promotional piece we created dedicated to sites related to Walt’s Midwest life in Chicago, Marceline, and Kansas City. Details include: The Walt Disney Birthplace, the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, Laugh-O-gram Film Studios, and little references to two of Walt’s most notable early creations!

Situated in the midst of hills and vineyards Stuttgart offers the most beautiful views over the city from higher vantage points – to experience a tour of Art + Music one can just stay in the center and take a walk. I have drawn some famous sites and some personal recommendations such as a trendy jazz club and the café Teehaus. Don’t forget to eat a an iconic bretzel with butter!

Highlights of special memories while living in Florence

This place is special to me because of it's rich cultural heritage and history. My map is inspired by Fraser's book Marie Antoinette: The Journey. These sites mark the dawn of the French Revolution, as well as the fall of the monarchy. Though some sites are marked by a statue and others repurposed, the architecture stands almost untouched by time. I love to imagine what everyday life was like for Marie and Louis, the nobles, and the commoners before those tumultuous times began. It's nice that tourists are welcome to mull over the history of the ancient city, and that we can drink the same tea and eat the same chocolates and pastries which delighted Marie Antoinette!

A look at the historical parts of Toronto that is full of culture, life and an overwhelming number of pudgy pigeons.

I visited Chiang Mai Thailand last December and I just instantly fall in love with this beautiful and relaxing city. I love the mountains, the trees, elephants, food and shopping! I use yellow as my main colour as the colour of yellow reminded me my favourite noodle soup from Chiang Mai: Khao soui (Curry noodle soup). I love illustrate map because it bring back the happy and beautiful memories if the subject is the country or city I've visited before or give me hope and expectation if the subject is the country I've never visited before.

This place is special to me because... it's my current resting place and I have learnt a lot about life here.

Plovdiv is special to me because of its mix of millennial history, culture and laid back style of its people. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, continuously inhabited throughout the centuries. Among the things to experience here are the ancient roman ruins that lie at the heart of the city, the atmosphere of the old town, the artistic and social places in Kapana district, the monuments and architecture of its recent history and the breathtaking views that open from the tops of its hills.I hope this map will make you think of visiting my hometown!

MAPPING SPECIAL PLACES. With a rich cultural, architectural, and culinary history, downtown Charleston—particularly the French Quarter—is one of my absolute favorite places on the planet! I love to wander the cobblestone streets and take in the beauty of the old buildings and ironwork. There are also alleyways and gardens around every turn...it's a never-ending visual feast of colors and textures that feeds my artistic soul!

“Queen of the Copper Camps”

Set in the Mule Mountains in Southeast Arizona near the border Bisbee boasts the longest highway tunnel in Arizona and what was (and may still be) the largest open pit mine in the world at 300 acres by 900 feet deep.

The Lowell area of Bisbee is slowly falling in to it.

There are also over 2,000 miles of mining tunnels under and around Bisbee.