We're taking a much-needed family getaway, and while I love spending time with all of us together, my husband and I could use a nice dinner alone. Do you have any tips for finding reputable babysitters in a unfamiliar locale? --Kathy Nieves, Raleigh, North Carolina

Finding a trustworthy sitter while traveling can be quite the challenge. Luckily, there are a ton of great services that can help parents get some much-needed private time. Some family-friendly hotels offer on-site child care, which can range from very inexpensive up to $50 or more for the day. If that is an option, ask to speak to the director of their child-care services to see what training, experience and certifications their staff has.

More often than not, however, the concierge should be able to offer you a list of local babysitters or the contact information for a local agency that can help pair you with a suitable sitter. You'll want to ask the concierge or agency how they compile their list of care-providers. Can anyone be added to their list? Do they do background checks on their recommended sitters? Do the sitters have CPR or emergency first aid training? What kind of experience do they have? Just because a hotel or agency provides you with the name of a person or organization doesn't mean that the providers have been properly vetted.

Not having much luck with your hotel? Try calling the concierge of a nearby luxury hotel prior to your trip and ask for their recommendations. They may be able to provide you with a list of local agencies or babysitters that will better suit your needs. Additionally, visitors bureaus can also often provide you with the contact information for agencies or reputable local babysitters.

Finally, there are several online sources that can help you find a babysitter near your destination. Here are just a few:

Babysitters4Hire.com

CareSquare.com

SitterCity.com

PhoneABabysitter.com

Yolanda Edwards | Travel & Lifestyle Editor

1. Even if I am booking with a travel agent (which I have to do when I am on a work trip), I always look at the flight options online. I like to know what airlines have the nonstop options, what their flight times are, and what kind of aircraft they are using.  That way, if I do that research before I get on the phone with the agent, I already know what is out there, and I don't just take what they offer. No one is going to care as much as you do!

2. Book your flights for the morning to mid-day. Don't leave in the afternoon. If you look at airlines on-time performance numbers, most of the time, their afternoon to evening flights are late. It's better to get up early than to sit for hours on the tarmac.

3. Check out the equipment you are flying before you commit to the ticket. I always prefer to fly on a bigger plane (757) rather than on the smaller ones, because chances are better that it won't be packed. Sometimes I check the seating assignments and see how booked up the flight is, and compare it to a different time, and take the less busy flight.

4. Fly with carriers that your friends love. Don't fly with an airline just because you have mileage with them, unless you have enough status that you get to cut the lines and upgrade easily. I have plenty of friends who fly across country on an airline they don't love, because they want to accrue mileage -- and they are miserable on board, and end up never using the free ticket, because it's never available.

5. Check out if they serve any meals (Continental still serves a hot meal for free), and how much it costs.  So many airlines are charging upwards of $6 for a snack, and you might want to plan ahead and pack your own.

We love this great airplane image from Flickr user The Shane H.

Elena North-Kelly | Home Assistant

My best friend lives in Seattle and whenever I visit, we like to catch up over the delicious Dungeness Crab Cake Sandwiches at Coastal Kitchen in Capitol Hill. Their menu is chock full of only wild and sustainable seafood. And it wouldn't be an authentic visit to Seattle without a strong cup of coffee from Victrola Coffee and Art, referred to by a regular as "the living room" of the neighborhood.

Find more Seattle travel ideas.

Even as travel enthusiasts, we always dread those horribly long international flights. And come meal time, the unidentified chunk of meat and bricks of carbs are enough to induce a hunger strike. Luckily, we're not the only ones who think this. A post on The Kitchn offers brilliant advice on what snacks you should pack to successfully stave off those grumbling stomachs.

Keep in mind that TSA regulations dictate that you can only carry 3 oz. or smaller containers of liquid/gel on the plane.

While grilled chicken and cooked rice are some food options that The Kitchn lists, we prefer to bring something more easy to snack on, like homemade trail mix or baby carrots with an amazing golden lentil dip. Delicious and simple. 

Now that the Inauguration hoopla is finally calming down, we've been thinking a trip to D.C. may be in order. We've been checking out tons of area hotels all this morning and fell in lust with Thompson Hotel's new uber-chic Donovan House. The hotel may not be the best "kid-friendly" spot (maybe a romantic weekend?), but it's worth browsing their Web site just for the pretty pictures.

Plus, check out all of our D.C. favorites!

We love food and we love travel. So when we found that Kerrin Russot's blog MyKugelhopf has managed to combine her passions of food and travel, we were more than ecstatic. (She was also recently announced the winner of the Best Travel Blog of the 2008 Weblog Awards! Congratulations!)

This Zurich-based New Yorker often documents her travels in Europe, and her latest visit to Paris had us craving for children's all-time favorite candy in France -- Carambar. This stick of hardened caramel candy, known for its yellow and red wrapper as well as a unique French riddle on the inside, can also be delivered to your home.

To try some homemade Carambar tarts, Kerrin provides a recipe for all who want to bring France into your home.

Melissa Biggs Bradley | Founder of Indagare.com

My children have to listen to me tell them how much better they have it than I did every time we go skiing. "I skied in sub zero temperatures on ice," I remind them. "Our ski boots had metal buckles." "There were no such things as boot warmers." My hardship list goes on, and they roll their eyes. It's true they've been spoiled since we ski every year at Deer Valley, but so have I.

Deer Valley was the first resort in the world to: 1.) build tissue boxes into the lift lines;  2.) limit daily lift tickets so the slopes wouldn't get too crowded; and 3.) post ski valets in the parking lots and hosts around the mountain to help young and old struggling with skis or just needing directions. In addition, with arguably the highest percentage of groomed trails of any American ski resort, Deer Valley manages to balance serious skiing with creature comforts and family focus. All of which means the ski experience is fantastic for kids -- and their parents.

Highlights
Ranked the #1 resort in North America by Ski magazine, Deer Valley has slopes for all levels. The kids' love the little touches like tree runs off even green runs like Ontario and Homeward Bound or the surprise of Quincy's Cabin where you can spy on a bear in the woods. This year, our kids who consider themselves old pros on fun runs like Bucky's Backyard and Ruby's Trail, discovered a new favorite off of Carpenter Express where a friendly Golden Retriever greeted them each morning for snow snuggles.

Recession Leads to Travel Deals: Travel companies are slashing prices on flights, cruises, and hotel rooms to get you to loosen your purse strings.

Online travel tools make it easier to visit New York City: The Big Apple has partnered with Google, Travelocity and others for a new NYC trip planning Web site that allows visitors to create and print personal travel plans and maps.

Airline frequent fliers may lose perks: Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways are looking to shorten the expiration time of frequent flier miles and take away some the flexibility of points.

Discounted rates and luxury perks at newer hotels: Booking a stay at the newest hotels in a city could mean that you're in for major money-saving perks.

This week we're bringing you the top picks for last minute ski getaways from CheapFlights.com's Carl Schwartz, their chief travel officer.

"Tahoe has some of the best family ski programs, great resorts, and reasonable roundtrip airfare," says Schwartz.

Lake Tahoe is home to seven ski resorts, but if you're traveling with kids, the North Star is your best bet. The resort specializes in courses designed for children, including one for toddlers ages 3 to 4, which teaches parents how to teach their children to ski. The resort also has 10 children's parks and a massive ice rink."

Check out Carl's Other Top Picks:
Bethel, Maine
Park City, Utah
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
Whistler, BC

My 7-year-old son wishes he could eat the "normal" everyday kid foods like pizza, mac 'n cheese or hamburgers. But he can't. He is diagnosed with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine after consuming gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. My husband and I love traveling, but it's hard enough as it is trying to explain what Celiac disease is to restaurant waiters and chefs in the States. Is there still a way for all of us to travel, even with a child diagnosed with celiac disease? - Alison Spicher, Eden Prairie, MO

We feel your frustration on coping with a child who has strict lifelong gluten-free diet, but fortunately, we have some great resources to make traveling easier. Celiactravel.com offers free restaurant cards that explain what Celiac disease is, and in 42 different languages. All you have to do is click on the desired language and print off the cards. They're handy and you can bring them anywhere you go. This way, you can still travel to exotic countries and not have to worry about restaurant chefs accidentally serving something that seems as minor as seasoning and causing your child to be sick.

Plus, we're big fans of the electronic version of the gluten-free restaurant cards that can be downloaded for your iPhone or iPod Touch, which eliminates the hassle of carrying around too many cards.

Read more on traveling with children who have food allergies.