You can read their page on children, travel and homeschooling here.

Then, be sure to visit the rest of their blog and read their advice, tips and tricks on traveling the world.

ExtendedWorldTravel.com

This A-Z Guide offers insight on how to organize overnight youth bike trips. I imagine it might also be downsized for families as well, or at the very least, you can find oodles of resources for your family at their website. The 88 page guide was created by over fifty bicycle experts from around the United States. The mission of Adventure Cycling is to inspire individuals of all ages to travel by bike. The book helps bike riders to explore America for fun, fitness and self-discovery.

I have not yet seen a copy of the guide, but I visited their website here to learn more about the guide.

At the site I found a PDF sample of a preview of the guide.

They also offer some free resources as well. Here are a some of them:

Bike Bits It is a free biweekly email newsletter that features brief articles of interest to recreational cyclists, upcoming events, and bicycle industry news. It’s a quick, informative read, distributed to thousands of cyclists across the nation every two weeks.

THE CYCLISTS’ YELLOW PAGES
It is  a worldwide resource for anything bike-related. The Cyclists’ Yellow Pages includes state and country specific listings, bicycle tour books and maps, non-profit groups, and much more.

HOW-TO DEPARTMENT
There are a bunch of great articles in our How-to Department that talk about touring basics, including hints on technique, shipping bikes, purchasing new wheels, and much more.

LIBRARY ARCHIVES
This online archive library of bicycle travel includes: feature articles, technical how-to’s, and columns from Adventure Cyclist magazine; clip-art; press releases; and Bike Bits e-newsletter.

JOURNAL LINKS
Anyone can enter their trips, as far back as 1975, and add their thoughts and experiences so that others may learn and understand how satisfying bike travel can be.

RIDE REGISTRY

You can enter your own ride and review others’  experiences. Each description includes a trip summary, a favorite experience, and miles traveled. It is a great source of inspirational words and insight.

The Vermont-Ecuador Semester: Late August-December 2007
The Vermont Semester: January – June 2008

Imagine, a whole semester of experiential learning in nature. Rivers and mountains, forests, plants and wild creatures will be your teachers. You will practice sustainable living, work on local farms and experience different kinds of agricultural approaches. You will learn about ancient traditions and crafts. You may sew your own tent, build a canoe, create an adobe lodge and weave a traditional basket. You will ski, canoe, bike and climb mountains and glaciers. You will study Spanish while living in Ecuador. Throughout the semester you will live in a small community, learning to listen, understand and respect each other for who you are. For four to six months, 12 students live and travel with their teachers, who have vast experiences and knowledge of wilderness and sustainable living. Kroka Expeditions is a Vermont recognized Independent School where students receive full high school credit, which is transferable to schools in the United States. A non-profit school, Kroka Expeditions is dedicated to helping young people develop a strong sense of character, place and responsibility. In addition to the semester programs, Kroka runs summer camps and trips which combine technical instruction for all levels with the art of wilderness living and a healthy dose of outdoor fun and play. Kroka Expeditions is committed to assisting participation for all interested children, regardless of family income. For more information please call Kroka Expeditions at (802) 387-5397 or e-mail us at lislkroka@gmailcom . You can also visit us on www.kroka.org .

“Let nature be your teacher” -William Wordsworth

This is a very cool book that accompanies the Discovery Planet series this month.

Here is the book’s description:

A visual odyssey that will change the way we see our planet, this remarkable book, companion to the acclaimed Discovery Channel/ BBC series, is an enduring and awe-inspiring record of one of the most ambitious natural history projects ever undertaken. Using the latest aerial surveillance, state-of-the-art cameras, and high definition technology, the creators of Planet Earth have assembled more than 400 stunning photographs of wondrous natural landscapes from around the globe, including incredible footage of the rarely spotted, almost mythical creatures that live in these habitats. Many of the images reveal inaccessible places that few have seen and record animal behavior that has never been filmed or photographed before. With the help of this highly advanced technology and the world’s premier wildlife photographers, the book takes us on a spectacular journey from the world’s greatest rivers and impressive gorges, to its mightiest mountains, hidden caves and caverns, and vast deserts. Planet Earth captures breathtaking sequences of predators and their prey, lush vistas of forests viewed from the tops of towering trees, the oceans and their mysterious creatures viewed from beneath the surface, and much more–in a magnificent adventure that brings unknown wonders of the natural world into our living rooms.

You can view images from the book here:
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10815/10815.gallery.html

Understanding how to write a good story is an extremely effective way to express a point of view. Young adults writing stories become empowered; they deserve to be and should be heard.

Lightning Bug has been deliberately written with a focus on fostering inspiration, finding voice, developing structure and encouraging an interest in writing. The site is intended to be a writing companion, a resource to draw on as you craft a narrative. It is intended to be useful to confident literate young writers, and to those less sure of their writing abilities.

http://lightningbug.com.au/

John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
February 25th, Duluth, Minnesota
http://www.beargrease.com/

“Trail Mail” One of the Few Places in the World Where You Can Have Your Letters Carried by Dog Sled!Again this year, the 2007 Mushers will be honorary United States Postal Carriers.

Here’s how it works:

1) Write a letter to a friend and/or loved one.
2) Order your “Trail Mail” envelopes online or by U.S. mail ($5.00 ea.).
3) When you receive your Trail Mail envelopes (they’re really cool!), place your letter inside, seal it, affix adequate postage, and return to:

John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
Attn: “Trail Mail”
P.O. Box 500
Duluth, MN. 55801

4) Your letter will be carried by dog sled during the 2007 race and then delivered to its final destination by the US Postal Service.

IMPORTANT: Deadline for returning Trail Mail to the Beargrease office is one week (7 days) prior to the race.