Resources
Heading to the grocery store without a list is like traveling without doing your homework. At the end of your shopping trip you'll end up with a lot of things you needed, buy a few impulsive items that you wonder what to do with when you get home, as well as completely forget the 2 key ingredients you really needed to make dinner. Traveling blindly is the same - you'll still see and do a lot and maybe even do a couple of things that were unexpected, but you run the risk of returning home having missed interesting sights or wasting precious time and money figuring out what to do. In my opinion, gathering information is key to having a successful trip! An easy way to get started is to head to your local library and take out all the books you can on your desired locations. Besides the adult travel books, the children's section also has many helpful books that your whole family can look through to get ideas about what to expect. Watch travel shows to become inspired, listen to cds or podcasts and ask other travelers for helpful hints or hidden gems. Visiting travel websites, discussion boards and travel forums can also glean valuable information from people that have already been there and done that.
Here are a few links to other sites that may prove useful for planning your trip;
More links to Websites that can help you with your planning;
Carry-on allowable limits by airline
Travel Advisories (Canadian) -- Travel Advisories (US)
Tourist Visa Requirements (Canadian) -- Tourist Visa Requirements (US)