Last week, while a few of my fellow travel writers were sharing their favorite family destinations for 2013, my colleague Eileen Ogintz was shepherding her own family through the Bahamas.

That made me a little jealous, but also eager to talk with Ogintz –a syndicated family travel columnist, author, and creator of TakingtheKids.com – as I wanted to pick her brain about the trip. And as soon as she put her bags down, she graciously permitted me to do just that, as well as get some of her picks for 2013 family travel.

Shermans Travel: So where in the Bahamas did you all go?

Eileen Ogintz: I loved where we were. We stayed at Fowl Cay Resort which is on a tiny island in the Exumas. It’s owned by Sandals but couldn't be more different, except that it is all-inclusive. You get a fully-stocked villa – there are just six – and a boat to tool around the cays. With snorkeling gear you [can] see swimming pigs, amazing tropical fish, and even can swim with nurse sharks.

Shermans: How about the service?

Ogintz: The resort is a place to be together with no stress, since everything is taken care of--from fresh muffins in the morning to a picnic lunch for you to take with you, and dinner every night. It is pricey, but probably no more so than any other luxury Caribbean resort.

Shermans: For families ready to embrace the cold, what’s a good vacation option?

Ogintz: Snow sports! January is Learn a Snow Sport Month and I’ve done a guide about that.

Shermans: Okay. Are there some old favorites families should rediscover?

Ogintz:  I'd say Yellowstone National Park but instead of doing it on your own, do a guided trip with Austin-Lehman Adventures which has been guiding trips in the park for more than two decades and will show you places you'd never find on your own.

Shermans: How about a national park that may not be on everyone’s radar?

Ogintz: An amazing place we visited last summer was Camp Denali, deep in Denali National Park, where you stay in little cabins and can see Mt Denali – the lodge just celebrated its 60th anniversary and is one of the most iconic places I've ever seen. And because the lodge is now within park boundaries – they were changed in 1980 – the guides can take you on adventures.