Are you the adventurous type? Do you absolutely love the outdoors? Would your “ultimate day” include canoeing, whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding or fishing? If so, make sure to check out these amazing outdoor packages currently available at Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM hotels.

• Escape Into Bass Country – There’s nothing more relaxing than hitting the open water and passing the day away fishing with friends and family. Head to Portage, Ind., and test your bassing skills before checking out the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. This package includes:
  • $50 gift certificate to the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World (per stay)
  • Complimentary gift bag
  • Complimentary upgrade

• Dam Release Whitewater Rafting – Get ready to get soaked! Paddle on over to Lehighton, Pa., and take on 17 rapids while screaming, laughing and having an excellent day. Enjoy 12 miles and five hours of Class III whitewater rafting on this exciting package.
  • Admission for two on the whitewater raft trip

• Escape in Town Trail Ride – Hit the trails by horseback in Shoreview, Minn., and encounter a true north woods experience. Begin at Bunker Park Stable-Anoka County Parks for a one-hour trail ride before taking the plunge on the giant weekend water slide, pool and whirlpool at the Country Inn & Suites Shoreview. This package includes:
  • $10.00 discount trail ride ticket

While the warm weather is still with us, why not squeeze in a vacation while you can? Late summer/early fall is the perfect time to spend a long weekend soaking up the sun or visiting family-friendly attractions. Here are some of our top picks for last-minute trips!

Sunny San Diego
Southern California is beautiful year-round, and San Diego has cultural attractions and sandy beaches to make everyone happy. The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, San Diego North is 7 miles from downtown and is a great home base for your trip.

Take a picnic to Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Zoo and 15 museums. The grounds of the park are free to explore, and you can choose to visit the attractions based on your interest and budget. The park also has miles of hiking trails, a miniature railroad and a carousel.

San Diego also has beautiful beaches close to downtown. Drive or take the ferry across the bay to Coronado and enjoy one of the wide, family-friendly Coronado Beaches. And while you’re there, stroll the charming shops and restaurants of this lovely seaside town.

Action-Packed Atlanta
This southern city is brimming with attractions and events for families or couples. And there are plenty ofCountry Inn & Suites By Carlson^SM locations to choose from, all convenient to major sites.

Enjoy the warm, late-summer weather by exploring Piedmont Park, more than 180 acres in the city center with a lake and walking trails. It’s adjacent to the Atlanta Botanical Garden where you can spot native birds and walk through the treetops on a canopy bridge.

Vacation is time for your family to relax, indulge and just enjoy life. So, who in their right mind—especially kids!—would want to watch what they eat while on vacation? While a family vacation should be a concern-free zone, it’s also important for families to eat well while on the road.

Here are five tips to keep in mind about healthy eating for your family while on your next road trip:

1. Consider “where” you stop. Let’s be frank: It’s challenging to eat healthy when on the road. With mainly convenience stores and fast food restaurants as your roadside options, it’s important to research ahead of time and find grocery stores where you can pick up whole or healthy foods—fruits, carrots, nuts, etc.—or supermarkets that feature a salad bar.
2. Drink lots of water. It’s very important to stay properly hydrated on long road trips, and drinking plenty of fresh water will help flush your body of toxins, keep your skin fresh and help you eat less. Water also helps to ward off travel lag and heat overexposure.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it jumpstarts your metabolism. Country Inns & Suites’ Be Our Guest Breakfast offers an array of breakfast options—for kids and parents—to start your day: yogurt parfait, warm oatmeal with fresh fruit and a variety of meat or veggie omelets.
4. Eat frequently, but watch portion size. Eating too many calories in one meal—even if they’re healthy calories—sends your brain the message that leaner times are around the corner, so those calories will be stored as fat. Instead, eat small amounts of healthy foods throughout the day to let your body know it’s OK to burn through those calories quickly.
5. Pack snacks. Often when traveling we don’t have access to food at regular intervals. Because our typical routines get out of whack, it’s better to have healthy snacks—especially for kids—than skip meals and indulge in a big slice of apple pie later. To keep your body humming, pack healthy snacks such as almonds, veggies, yogurt, fresh or dried fruit and hard-boiled eggs.

Getting sick at home is bad enough, but being sick on the road is never part of the itinerary. Away from our usual comfort zone, navigating an unfamiliar landscape while dealing with a bad cold or worse is enough to give anybody a headache. If the usual preventative measures—staying hydrated, frequent hand washing, taking vitamins, getting plenty of rest—fail, here are a few coping tips to get you over the hump.

1. Travel with meds. Depending on where and when you get sick, a pharmacy may not be around the corner, or open, in the middle of the night. Keep a small kit packed with pain relievers, cold/flu medication, antibacterial and cortisone creams, plastic thermometer and anti-diarrhea tonic so it’s handy. On the road, safe is better than sorry.
2. Don’t push it. If you’ve come down with something, forcing yourself to attend a meeting or stick to an ambitious touring schedule can just run down your immune system further. You may also be exposing your colleagues to whatever is bugging you.
3. Let yourself rest. Give yourself a sick day—you would at home. Sleep will help you get well faster and give your body the ammo it needs to fight off infections and viruses.
4. Push fluids. Water, juice, hot tea and soup will help flush your system and keep you hydrated.
5. Adjust your expectations. If you’re functioning but just not 100 percent, pick a few highlights from your itinerary and let the rest go.
6. Ask for help. The front desk staff at your Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM hotel will go the extra mile to be sure you have what you need in your room to feel better.
7. If you need a doctor, see one. Toughing it out isn’t always the smart way to go. Ask the front desk for a local recommendation.
8. Keep important phone numbers handy. Keep these in a prominent place in your purse or wallet in case somebody else needs to make calls for you. Include your emergency contacts, your doctor and a list of any prescription medications or allergies.
9. Know your benefits. As a precautionary measure, call your health insurance company and find out what your protocol is when you’re sick in the U.S. and abroad. For overseas travel, buying short-term supplemental health insurance can put your mind at ease.

Montana is a beautiful state with majestic scenery and great sites all over. From the elk, bison and bear in Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park, to the site of “Custer’s Last Stand” at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Montana has a rich variety of things to see. Head west and explore America’s distinct mountain and valley country.

But before heading off on your Montana adventure, make sure you add these must-see sites to your itinerary:

• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument – Take in the sites of one of the most significant battles in American history. At Custer’s Last Stand, in 1876, 263 soldiers were killed in combat with several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Admission is $10 per vehicle, and $5 for pedestrians and motorcycle riders.
• Billings – Bordered on the north by distinctive rock formations known as rimrocks, Billings was established in 1882 and is where Montana Territory began. Don’t miss the Western Heritage Center, Zoo Montana and MetraPark. After a long day of exploring the city, rest up at Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Billings, where you can curl up by the fire with a book from the Read It & Return Lending Library^SM, relax in the whirlpool or enjoy some fresh cookies before bed.
• Yellowstone National Park – Teddy Roosevelt declared Yellowstone the first national park in 1872. Home to hundreds of varieties of wildlife (elk, bison, grizzly bears and wolves), the park also includes geysers and hot springs, geological wonders that are more spectacular than words can describe. Drive through the park yourself or enjoy a guided bus tour. Prices range from $29 to $68 per person.
• Glacier National Park – Picture wide, open and rugged landscapes. Craggy peaks jut into the sky that the resident mountain goats climb. A gravity-defying two-lane road named, appropriately enough, the Going-to-the-Sun Road, stretches 50 miles while clinging to the edge of the world as cars—and bikes—cross over the Continental Divide. With wildflowers, alpine vistas and waterfalls along the way, prepare for an experience you’ll never forget.