Top 12 family destinations for 2012

From the sparkling sands and crystal clear blue waters of Fort Walton, Fl., (pictured), to a small little forested island off the coast of Washington state, these destinations are sure to offer families fun and adventure in 2012.

Here's a rundown of my top 12 family destinations for 2012. Please add your suggestions in the comments.

1) Bainbridge, Wash.
A short 35 minute ferry ride from Seattle, Bainbridge Island offers family the beauty and culture of the Pacific Northwest in a quiet waterfront setting. Nestled among forested hills and quiet harbors, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Bainbridge Island Suites is tucked in the Washington State wilderness, but is still convenient to many free local attractions, including walking along the beautiful Bloedel Reserve or biking through one of the surrounding state parks.

2) Bloomington, Minn.
Home to the Mall of America, Bloomington is the ideal destination during stormy winter months when it can be most difficult to find ways to keep kids entertained. Escape the rain and snow with a trip to Nickelodeon Universe, the country’s largest indoor amusement park. Budget-savvy families can take advantage of online coupon sites, like Groupon and Living Social, to maximize retail and local attraction deals. For free entertainment, BEST WESTERN PLUS Bloomington Hotel offers two indoor pools and a water playland for guests of all ages.

3) Clayton, N.M.
As the first town on the Santa Fe Trail, Clayton has a variety of free outdoor recreational and learning activities. See more than 500 real dinosaur tracks and fossils along the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail and get a rare chance to walk inside an actual volcano crater at Capulin Volcano National Park. The BEST WESTERN Kokopelli Lodge offers guests Southwestern hospitality with easy access to outdoor adventures, including hiking, swimming, fishing, golf, archery and tennis.

4) Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
Forgo the crowds and cost of Miami and find beach solace in family- and budget-friendly Fort Walton Beach. With sparkling sands and crystal blue water, Fort Walton Beach visitors can break from fun in the sun with visits to the Air Force Armament Museum and Indian Temple Mound Museum to see more than 6,000 ancient Native American artifacts. Located along the beachfront, the BEST WESTERN Fort Walton Beachfront hotel is centrally located near seasonal festivals, snorkeling and playing in the sand.

5) Fredericksburg, Va.
Cross off visiting America’s most historic monuments from the family bucket list with a trip to Fredericksburg, located just an hour outside of Washington, D.C. Take the family on a spooky historical journey with a Ghosts of Fredericksburg walk and visit Ferry Farm, George Washington’s boyhood home, which offers dozens of seasonal activities. The BEST WESTERN Fredericksburg hotel is located near fun family activities like canoeing down the Rappahannock River or taking a horse-drawn carriage tour of historic sites.

6) Helena, Mont.
Take a nostalgic trip to Helena’s famous Parrot Candy Store, featuring more than 130 mouthwatering types of candy and an old fashioned soda shop for a price reminiscent of the “good ol’ days.” Or give kids a hands-on science lesson at Exploration Works, which offers free admission on select days. The BEST WESTERN PREMIER Helena Great Northern Hotel is also steps away from the world-famous Great Northern Carousel.

7) Houston, Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but the cost of some of Houston’s best attractions is anything but. From the Downtown Landry’s Aquarium to the Space Center Houston, where visitors can watch astronauts and engineers in training, Houston is the ideal setting for families looking to have big fun without a big price tag. Located in the heart of downtown and within walking distance to more than a dozen kid-centric attractions, BEST WESTERN PLUS Downtown Suites is the perfect hotel for budget-conscious families seeking to discover everything that Houston has to offer.

8) Manchester, N.H.
The largest city in New Hampshire, Manchester is a bustling urban center in quiet New England. Children under 18-years-old can experience fine art by Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe for free at the famed Currier Museum of Art or enjoy tractor and pony rides at Charmingfare Farm. Close to the White Mountain Region ski area and Hampton Beach, The BEST WESTERN PLUS Executive Court Inn & Conference Center is a picturesque and affordable New England winter or summer getaway for the entire family.

9) Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Beloved by thousands of visitors and inhabitants alike for the unparalleled variety of its climate and landscape, the Okanagan Valley has something for everyone. For a special wildlife-viewing experience Vaseux Lake Provincial Park, hit the ski trails at Silver Star, Big White, or Apex, or step back into the Okangan’s history on the fully restored S.S. Sicamous Steam Paddlewheeeler. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint in style, visit the BEST WESTERN PLUS Kelowna Hotel & Suites, Okanagan Valley’s award-winning “green” hotel.

10) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
The birthplace of French America, Quebec is one of the world's most beautiful cities with the district of Old Quebec City recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Treasure. Home to the world’s largest winter carnival each February, the Quebec Winter Carnival, where a $13 (CAD) ticket buys access to all 17 days of the event. Quebec also hosts the Quebec City Summer Festival in July.BEST WESTERN Hotel L'Aristocrate is less than 15 minutes from the celebrated Battlefields Park, which hosts the winter carnival and summer festival each year.

11) Salt Lake City, Utah
With its gorgeous setting between the Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City is a prime destination for outdoorsy families looking for affordable skiing, hiking and biking. Take a break from the outdoor adventures and visit the new, state–of-the-art Utah Museum of Natural History opening in late 2011. BEST WESTERN PLUS Cotton Tree Inn is close to the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Energy Solutions Arena with kid-friendly concerts and fairs.

12) San Simeon, Calif.
Home to the famed Hearst Castle, San Simeon offers beauty and tranquility along California’s stunning Central Coast. As you wind your way down scenic Highway 1, take the chance to watch elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. Located just three miles from Hearst Castle, the BEST WESTERN PLUS Cavalier Oceanfront Resort is San Simeon's only oceanfront hotel and is a short drive to neighboring Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.

New Orleans' best cocktail: Pimm's Cup

Forget the Hurricane, an obnoxious, overrated concoction responsible for a lot of New Orleans' drunken madness. Instead try a Pimm's Cup, a fizzy, citrusy and all-around refreshing cocktail that's available in just about every NOLA bar.

The key ingredient is Pimm's No. 1, a gin-based English appertif containing quinine and a secret mixture of herbs (supposedly only six people know the recipe). Next something bubbly such as Ginger ale, 7-Up or sparkling lemonade. And then a slice of cucumber and sometimes strawberry and mint.

A farmers son named James Pimm first produced Pimm's No. 1 back in 1823. Pimm owned an oyster bar in London and he served the drink as an aid to digestion. Somehow the drink made it's way to New Orleans in the 1840s.

The bartenders at the historic Napoleon House make the best Pimm's Cup around. Grab a stool at the bar or gather around a table in the patio out back and order up this NOLA favorite.

Photo: tumblr.com/tagged/napoleon+house

Where the locals eat in New Orleans

I visited New Orleans with two foodies. These are the sort of women who can talk for hours about micro greens, meat brines, and pie crust recipes for hours.

On our first day we had lunch in the French Quarter at the touristy Acme Oyster House. The food was quickly declared salty and overpriced. We switched our focus to those places where locals eat and took a close look at the recommendations from a friend who lived in New Orleans for years. Over the next three days I ate some of the best food I've ever tasted in my life.

Here's where we ate:

Sylvain: Pan-fried pork shoulder comes with creamy grits. Buttermilk-fried chicken breast is accompanied by homemade pickles. Crispy duck confit is served with black-eyed peas. This is down-home food made with the best ingredients and served in a historic carriage house lit only by flickering candles. You might not expect to find a place like this in the French Quarter but it's right there on a quiet stretch of Chartres Street.

Lilette: This tiny restaurant tucked inside a former 1880s corner drugstore has the casual elegance of a French bistro with white tablecloths and black-and-white tiled floors. You could easily go here in nice jeans but you'll feel more comfortable if you dress up a little. Chef John Harris has earned all sorts of awards and glowing magazine reviews for his French-Italian menu. We sampled many dishes but our favorite was a delicate hearts of palm salad and a rich toasts piled with wild mushrooms and drizzled with white truffle oil.

Le Petit Grocerie: The food here's a little fussy. Exquisite little bites, beautifully assembled and displayed, on big white plates. But everything we tasted at brunch was delicious and flavorful. The fried green tomatoes, creamy burrata cheese, and country ham made for a brilliant combination. The buttery grits topped with sauteed shrimp and shitaki mushrooms melted in your mouth.

Cochon: Among locals and food snobs, this large, airy Warehouse District restaurant is the hottest spot in New Orleans. It's bustling and busy and downright noisy, and the food is great. As the name suggests, the menu focuses on pork and Chef Link gives it a local twist by mixing in Cajun flavors. Try the smoked ham hock served with red beans and the pork ribs accompanied by tangle watermelon pickles. And be sure to order the mushroom salad tossed with leafy herbs and deep-fried beef jerky (photo above). Yes, we were hesitant to order it but it ended up being the most delicious and unusual thing we ate on our entire trip.

What are your favorite local spots in New Orleans?

A Best Western grows in New Orleans' Garden District

The beauty of the Best Western Plus St. Charles is its quiet location away from the drunken madness of the beloved yet touristy French quarter. On a leafy avenue lined with century-old mansions, this hotel sits in the Garden District. Yards overflow with camellia bushes, ginger blooms, and jasmine vines, and streets move through tunnels of crepe myrtles and oaks.

You can easily walk to Magazine Street lined with antique stores, vintage boutiques, coffee houses, and divey restaurants dishing up jambalaya and grits. Be sure to stop by Tee-Eva's for crawfish pie and pralines. You'll also want to step inside Lili Vintage where a well-edited selection of cocktail dresses dating back to the 1930s hang on the racks.

Lafayette Cemetery is about a 10 minutes walk from the hotel. It's small but packed with over 1,000 family tombs, many of them above-ground and some dating back as far as 1833. The most famous cemetery residents are fictional. Anne Rice’s vampire Lestat has a fake tomb here. Consider joining a guide and taking a Save Our Cemeteries Tour.

Want to head downtown? Easy. Hop on the charming street car that takes you right downtown. You'll want the St. Charles Line and bring along $1.25 to pay your way.

And after you've explored the city you'll certainly want to return to your room, which is guaranteed to be clean and tidy. In the morning, a hot breakfast with fresh waffles and fruit is included in the price of your room.

Witchy destinations

Move over vampires...here come the witches!
Just in time for Halloween here are three destinations where you can find your inner witch.

1) Salem, Mass.--This 400-year-old town is best known for the 1692 witch trials where women accused of practicing black magic were tragically hanged. The Salem Witch Museum is the main attraction. In a former church, watch a spooky performance where life-size figures, lighting, and narration re-create the trials of many years past. You can also catch a reenactment of a trial at the Witch Dungeon and the Witch's Cottage. For a bite to eat try the roast beef sandwich or French onion soup at the Witch's Brew Cafe.

2) New York, N.Y.--No rich witch history in the Big Apple, but you can get your fix on Broadway by catching a performance of "Wicked." The Emmy Award-winning musical is based on a book telling the story of what was going on in Oz before Dorothy arrived. Also, stop by the Fat Witch Bakery in Chelsea where you'll find wickedly delicious brownies. The Java Witch with cappuccino chips is a favorite.

3) New Orleans--Steamy streets and Gothic buildings have long made this city the setting for scary tales. Learn about its history of voodoo and witchcraft on a walking tour guided by a practicing witch, and step inside Esoterica, selling witchcraft supplies. Cap off a night on the town at Marie Laveau's Voodoo Lounge, a tiny spot named after New Orleans famous voodoo witch whose crypt in New Orleans is supposedly the second most visited grave in the U.S. after Elvis's.

Get lost in a corn maze

Scary movies and haunted houses—they're overrated. At least that's how you'll probably feel when you're lost in the middle of a gigantic corn maze. It's the ultimate Halloween thrill. These labyrinths cut into fields of corn are cropping up all over the country and there's probably one within driving distance of your home. To find one near you log onto the Corn Maize Directory or The Maize.