Show 11: The Family Vacation

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: The start of the holiday season for many of us means planning family travel. Are you headed out of town for the holidays with your family? Or will your clan enjoy a "stay-cation" this year? Where do you go and how do you get there safely, affordably and with the least amount of headache while keeping everyone happy? Host Shana Sheehy explores these questions and more with our guests Scott McMurren of Alaska TravelGram and Erin Kirkland of AKontheGo.

Plus, one travel agent and a two local moms share their tips for taking the kids to three Alaska family favorite destinations -

Hawaii: Kelsey, a Hawaii-based travel agent from Travel-Hawaii.com recommends these kid-friendly hotels: Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu (great pool with slides, lagoon, kayaking); the Grand Wailea or the Westin Maui in Maui (great pools); the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Kona (take a train or boat to your room, water activities for kids); Sheraton Kauai (great beaches).

Mexico: Kristi, a local mom, shares her experience traveling throughout Baja with her family. They rented a car and a casita and explored on their own.

Disneyland: Local mother, Kristiann, shares her experience of taking the kiddos to Disneyland, and recommends staying on the property and attending the Character Breakfasts offered at the resort. As a bonus, she cites the food allergy-friendly menus available throughout the park's dining options.

ADDITIONAL LINKS MENTIONED ON THIS PROGRAM:

• TravelChannel.com - Family Travel
• TripAdvisor.com
• Alaska's Public Use Cabins
• DNR Public Info Center
• AK State Parks
• NewParentsGuide.com - Family travel resources and baby gear rentals

FEATURED STORIES: What do you get when you combine the family vacation with humanitarian work? It's called "voluntourism" and contributor Jessica Cochran reports on the Larson family's trip to Africa to volunteer at the Malawi Children's Village. While the Larsons planned their own journey, organizations such as Cross-Cultural Solutions help individuals or families arrange short-term voluntours throughout the world.

Producer Sarah Gonzales brings us the first installment of "When I Was Young" - a new feature in which people of all generations recall their memories of childhood. Five members of the Chester Park Co-op, an independent Anchorage retirement community, remember traveling as kids, and with their own kids.