President Obama and his family traveled to Florida's Gulf Coast on August 16, 2010 to soak up some sun. The family trip is part of an effort to encourage people to visit those beaches that are free of oil.
Best Western is also encouraging travelers to proceed with their summer vacation plans in the Gulf states.
Beaches along the coast in all states are open for business, and popular inland destinations such as New Orleans and Orlando foresee no impact on visitors. It continues to be safe to travel to all states bordering the Gulf.
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My parents forced me to hike as a kid. I had no choice. I had to walk up the mountain, or they'd leave me behind.
Their strategy might sound cruel but it worked. I've grown into an adult who loves spending weekends walking a trail, and now that I have my own kids I find myself bringing my own children--and using my parent's same no-nonsense approach. (It's frightening how we all turn into our parents.)
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Everyone in the travel industry is talking about it. Airlines are up this summer. If you didn't book weeks ago, you're going to be hard pressed to find any deals for July, or August.
So if you're traveling on a budget, does that mean you should opt for a road trip or train travel? Are these options cheaper?
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We did it! We successfully traveled I-5, from San Francisco to Seattle, for 9 days on $200 a day. In fact, we came in about $200 under budget for the entire trip.
How did we do it? Here's a rundown of tips and tricks we used to pinch pennies along the road.
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We spend the last two days of our budget road trip in Seattle--and we luck out because the weather is glorious. We meet up with friends and relatives but we also find time to get out and see some sights. The highlights:
1) Olympic Sculpture Park
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The drive between Portland and Seattle is short and easy, only three hours. But we decide to take our time and discover some of the attractions along the way. Here are the highlights from our day:
1) Lake Sacajawea, Longview, Wa.
My grandfather lived in Longview, an hour north or Portland, and he walked around this lake nearly every day. More than 100 different varieties of trees circle the lake and he could identify them all. There are also two fountains, an island with a Japanese garden, children's playgrounds, and several bridges, including one that's just for squirrels.
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On days 5 and 6 of our I-5 road trip, we spend two nights in Portland. We have family and friends in the area so a lot of our time is spent with them, but we still get out and explore the city--even though it's raining most of the time. Here are the highlights:
1) $2 Tuesday, Oregon Zoo
On the second Tuesday of the month, the Oregon Zoo charges only $2 admission for kids and adults. Perfect for our budget!
But you get what you pay for...
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We spent a lovely day driving through Oregon, covering over 200 miles. Here are a few of the highlights.
1) Oregon Vortex, Gold Hill
If you've driven I-5 through Oregon then you've seen the signs for the Vortex and House of Mystery. But have you ever stopped?
We did.
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We covered another 200 miles on Sunday, and I felt as if we zipped by many great stops: Castle Crags, Burney Falls, McCloud. We should have stayed a night in Shasta before continuing onto Oregon but our plan to meet grandparents in Portland and cousins in Seattle didn't allow us to dally. No matter, we found a few sweet spots.
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On day 2 of our trip we covered 170 miles, traveling from Sacramento to Redding. Many would argue that this is one of the most boring stretches of I-5 but we found plenty to do. Here are six highlights from our day:
1) California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento.
We started our day at this museum in Old Town. We took our kids here about two years ago, when my son was 3 years old and obsessed with Thomas the Train. Now that my kids are older, ages 5 and 7, they're actually interested in the stories behind the dozens of trains housed here.
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There's something about the weather that ev'rybody loves. They call it the Indian spring of Sacramento. And when the sun is up in the sky The wind is blowing by the riverside most ev'ry day. You're in Sacramento, a wonderful town. Sing, sing, sing, din-di-din.
--"Sacramento," Middle of the Road
Why is it that you always end up leaving for a road trip several hours later than planned?
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The Griswolds are on the road again!
Well, not quite. It's just my family piling into the car for yet another summer road trip. Yet while my husband isn't anything like Clark and would never crash the car through closed road barriers and sail us all through the air (we hope), there will certainly be some laughs on our trip with a 5- and 7-year-old riding in the backseat.
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It's a huge mistake so many parents make--they sign themselves up for the airline frequent flier program but they never take the time to fill out the forms for their kids.
Yes, it's a hassle, but you should take the time because you don't want to throw miles out the window.
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Budget Travel magazine has put together a list of 15 places all kids should see. This list is a great resource as you plan your summer travels.
You'll find an excerpt below and can find the full story by clicking here.
1) Ellis Island Museum, New York City: About 40 percent of Americans are descended from someone who immigrated through this station. Visiting is a powerful experience, thanks to the smartly curated exhibits--and you get a terrific view of the Statue of Liberty on the same ferry ride (ellisisland.org, free guided tours, audio tours $8).
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Last summer: My family drove to Venice, La. This is one of the first places to be affected by the oil spill and so I thought I'd re-share this post. At the time, the area was recovering from Katrina and now they're being hit with this spill.
If you look at a satellite map and zone in on southern Louisiana, you'll see that the Mississippi River branches out into several water channels. Before dumping into the Gulf of Mexico, the channels run through skinny fingers of land, and on the last day of our road trip we take Highway 23 down one of these peninsulas to Venice. A two-hour drive from New Orleans, the town is the most southern community on the Mississippi accessible by automobile and many refer to it as the end of the world.
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I like going to new places. Exploring an unfamiliar city gives me a rush.
But I'm learning that my kids are quite happy going to the same places again and again. They'd be happy going to Tahoe every summer, and my son would be quite content returning to Philadelphia again and again.
My son and I visited Philadelphia over a year ago. We spent a long weekend seeing all the sights, from the Liberty Bell to Betsy Ross's house. We had a fun time, but I never expected the excitement he expressed for the city when we revisited over spring break.
"When are we going to Philadelphia?" he asked repeatedly during our time in New York and Boston.
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1) Walk the Freedom Trail. Follow this 2.5-mile painted path and you'll pass by Boston's most historic sites including our country's first public school, Paul Revere's house, and the site of the Boston Massacre. You can pick up free maps at the tourist information booth at Faneuil Hall, where the Sons of Liberty once met.
2) Fill up on mac n cheese at the Quincy Market. Adult tastebuds will be tempted by the lobster rolls and clam chowder at this famous food market, but little tummies much prefer the creamy cheesy pasta served at MMMac & Cheese, where the stuff is made-to-order in a skillet.
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Last spring break, my kids and I took the Amtrak train between Oakland, Calif., and San Diego. We had a great trip and you can read about it in this past blog post.
This year over the kids' vacation we decided to try out a different mode of transportation -- the bus. We traveled between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and D.C. via Greyhound.
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A night at the theater is not part of the typical bargain trip to New York City. And when my kids and I visit the Big Apple next week over spring break, we'll be on a tight budget of about $200 to $250 a night.
Can we afford to catch a show?
Maybe if we get lucky.
Lottery Rush tickets for $26.50 are sold on the day of the performance for Wicked.
Here's how it works: Each day, two hours prior to show time (11:30 AM for 2 PM matinees; 12:30 PM for 3 PM matinees; 4:30 PM for 7 PM performances; 5:30 PM for 8 PM performances), people who present themselves at the Gershwin Theatre box office will have their names placed in a hat. Thirty minutes later, names will be drawn for 28 front-row seats at $26.50 each. This lottery is available only in-person at the box office, with a limit of 2 tickets per person, cash only. Photo-ID.
I think we might give it a try...
Next week I'll be taking a red eye flight to New York from San Francisco. I'm traveling without my kids so I wanted to spend as little amount of time away from my kids as possible and so the red eye seemed like the best option. But red eyes are brutal, especially when you have to attend an event, which I do, the morning you arrive.
For some advice on how to survive my flight, I pulled some tips from various articles:
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Last weekend my kids touched a banana slug, watched rock climbers scale unusual rock formations, and learned how to identify a redwood tree.
We spent the afternoon hiking at Castle Rock State Park, a woodsy area on the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about an hour and a half from our home in San Francisco.
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Why America's cities are great bargains for traveling families.
Known for their art museums, fancy restaurants, and sophisticated denizens, big cities seem to offer the ingredients for an expensive vacation. But actually, they provide the exact opposite. An urban escape can be an unbelievable bargain, especially for families. Here's why:
Cheap, yummy food is plentiful. It's easy to spend only $5 to $7 per person on dinner when you can choose from ethnic eateries, street vendors, and hole-in-the-walls. In Boston you can nosh on a sausage from Speed's Famous Hot Dog Wagon in Newmarket Square; in San Francisco and Los Angeles you can track down a taco truck; in Portland look for one of the waffle wagons; and in Philadelphia you can fill up with a cheese steak at Campos Deli or Geno's or Pat's Steaks.
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My father was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. How did he deal with the news? Well, he has changed his diet dramatically but he also decided to take the entire family to London around the holidays. He rented a house near Piccadilly Circus, and now he has put me on booking plane tickets for everyone.
The No. 1 rule when booking in December is buy early for the best deals. And so about two weeks ago, I couldn't sleep one night and I found myself searching Kayak, Fly.com, Travelocity, and all the popular sites for flights between San Francisco and London.
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February 26 2010 by Amy Graff
I have always wanted to visit Oaxaca, the southern Mexico state stretching between the mountains of Chiapas and the Pacific Ocean. The rich moles sauces, the colonial capitol, the ancient ruins, the lazy beach towns--all of these things have called out to me.
After a friend brought her two children to Oaxaca the city and told me about taking a cooking class, I started to think about bringing my kids. And then I read a story highlighting Oaxaca's many kid-friendly attractions in the San Francisco Chronicle and now I'm convinced I must go. When? Not sure. But it has officially been put on my "places to go list" and moved above Iceland, India, and Morocco.
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February 19 2010 by Amy Graff
Truckee was once a place you stopped to fill up your car with gas on the way to one of the many ski resorts that circle Lake Tahoe. But now skiers are staying overnight in this small town, located about 30 minutes from Reno.
With a handful of great places to bed down, a happening restaurant scene, and a main drag lined with old Western facades, Truckee offers more charming delights than you'll find at any of the ski resort villages.
My family recently spent two days in Truckee, and we discovered a great place were travelers can stay, play, and eat.
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February 5 2010 by Amy Graff
When you're shoveling snow outside your house, it's hard to think about summer. But if you want to visit a national park this summer--especially one of the popular ones such as Yosemite or Yellowstone--you might want to start thinking now. Lodging in and around the parks books up fast, and many travelers make reservations in January and February.
Jeffrey Olsen at the National Parks Service (NPS) told USA Today, "It's always best to book summer trips sooner rather than later. If you've decided on a destination, book it."
Browse park listings here.
January 22 2010 by Amy Graff
My memories of downhill skiing with my parents as a child are full of embarrassing moments. There's the time I skied into a tree. The end of my pole hit my eye and I had a shiner the rest of the trip (thank goodness for sunglasses).
There's the time I wet my pants on the chair lift. And the time I fell off the chairlift and a boy from my high school happened to be in the chair behind me. Ugh!
I never took to the sport, yet I was frequently dragged to the snow because my parents and brother loved to ski and they were good at it. I hated the cold, the scary downhills, the long lift lines, the crowded slopes.
I decided to introduce my kids to the snow through a different activity: cross-country skiing. It's mellower, less-intimidating, and a much friendlier sport for kids (and I like it).
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January 15 2010 by Amy Graff
Where will you be traveling in 2010? Lonely Planet has some ideas for you. The guidebook company released its latest title, Best in Travel 2010, a collection of the best places to go and the best things to do around the world for the year ahead.
Here's a rundown of the places LP says are hot! hot! hot!
Top 10 countries: El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname, and the USA.
Top 10 regions: Alsace, France; Bali, Indonesia; Fernando de Noronha, islands off Brazil; Goa, India; Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Cambodia; Lake Baikal, Siberia; Oaxaca, Mexico; Southern Africa; The Lake District, England (pictured above); and Southwest Western Australia.
Top 10 cities: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Charleston, S.C.; Cork, Ireland; Cuenca, Ecuador; Istanbul, Turkey; Kyoto, Japan; Lecce, Italy; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Singapore; and Vancouver.
Top 10 value destinations: Iceland, Thailand, London, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, India, Bulgaria, Kenya, and Las Vegas.
January 12 2010 by Amy Graff
With its cobblestone streets, antebellum architecture, and wind-blown forts, Charleston is one of the best-preserved cities in America. It's also a place that makes learning history fun for kids.
Over the Thanksgiving break, we spent nearly a week with relatives in Charleston, S.C. This Southern town first established in 1670 is beautifully preserved and full of history. It was captured in the Civil War without much property damage, so the old part of town has buildings that are hundreds of years old. While you might think history and kids don't mix we found that our children--ages 5 and 6--were actually quite excited about spotting a bison, stepping inside a former dungeon, and watching craftswomen weave sweetgrass baskets.
Here are 9 things to do with kids in Charleston:
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December 30 2009 by Amy Graff
One of my favorite books as a child was the National Geographic title, Explore a Spooky Swamp. It told the story of Willie and Isabella who go on a boat tour of the Okefenoke Swamp with a guide named Johnny.
Johnny shows the children tiny frogs, a snapping turtle, and a mother alligator defending her nest. They float under a canopy of trees laden with Spanish moss.
My father read me the book again and again, and I always dreamed of visiting the swamp. But I never knew exactly where this mysterious place was until I was looking for a place to stay overnight between Charleston and Jacksonville, Fl.--I wanted to break up the drive.
Looking at a map, I noticed this great big swamp in Waycross, Ga, about an hour outside of Jacksonville. It was the Okefenoke Wildlife Refuge, and it immediately click that it was the place featured in the book. The swamp was fresh in my mind because I still have the book and I had read it to my kids only days before. I booked a hotel and packed the book in my suitcase.
When we arrived in Waycross, my daughter was the one who first spotted the Okefenoke Swamp billboard advertisement with a huge alligator.
"I don't want to go! I don't want to see an alligator!"
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December 15 2009 by Amy Graff
Looking for stocking stuffers for the traveler on your list? Check out these wallet-friendly nifty products that are sure to bring a smile to their face.
1) Klean Kanteen
The environmentally friendly alternative to plastic water bottles, Klean Kanteen is made of 100% food-grade stainless steel that will last for years. It's lightweight, holds 27 ounces and has a wide mouth for ice cubes. ($17)
2) Monopoly Go
A compact version of the classic, this game board uses clips to attach movers, houses and hotels, which means that players can pause, fold and store their game until later.. Comes with a sturdy travel case and individual player wallets to store money and property cards. ($19.99)
3) Towel Lite
Hiking in Hawaii and suddenly come upon a waterfall with a perfect swimming pool? Dive in and then pull this soft, ultralight, highly absorbent, quick-drying towel from your daypack. It absorbs up to eight times its weight in liquid, yet 90% of the moisture can be easily wrung out to speed drying time. ($14)
4) Origami on the Go
This art kit by best-selling author Margaret Van Sicklen provides a solution to "Are we there yet?" with 40 travel-inspired projects--including Amazon River Turtle, Samurai Helmet, Stunt Plane, Mummy and Chinese Opera Hat. ($15)
5) Red Eye Pack
In-flight comfort packed into one and carry-on approved, this kit contains an eye mask, soft ear plugs, lip balm, a hydrating lotion towelette, dental refresher, chiclets for popping your ears, and a bookmark in a reusable clear zip-top pouch. ($18)
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November 11 2009 by Amy Graff
Lake Placid, N.Y.
This little lakeside village surrounded by the Adirondacks has hosted two winter Olympics. It's a great spot for sledding, ice skating, and skiing at the nearby Whiteface Mountain, where you can hit the slopes for $35 on select Sundays and $38 on certain Wednesdays. Play: At the Olympic Center, skate around the Olympic Speed Skating Oval where Eric Heiden won a record five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Games--costs only $5 for adults, plus a $3 skate rental. Eat: At the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery, the onion soup ($6), made with Moose Island Ale, is sure to warm you up. Also, try the steak salad ($11), and fish and chips ($10). Stay: The Best Western Adirondacks has an indoor hot tub and heated pool.
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October 19 2009 by Amy Graff
After road-tripping with my kids this summer for 17 days straight, I felt as if I had played every car game possible with my children. License plate bingo, I-Spy, 20 Questions--you name it, we played it.
We recently visited the California Sierra for the weekend--a four-hour drive from our home--and I knew that I would need to come up with something new for the car ride. On the Cookie magazine Web site, I stumbled upon a list of 21 road trip games to keep your kids from saying "Are we there yet?" Here I found a few new games to try. My daughter kept herself busy with "100." You pick one thing--red cars, trees, whatever--and try to find 100 of it. My son had fun playing "Castle in the Sky" and trying to pick out clouds and deciding what they look like.
And both of my children loved playing Slug Bug, which is actually a game I remember playing with my brother as a kid, but I had completely forgotten about it.
See a Volkswagen Beetle and call out, "Slug bug!" One point is awarded to whoever calls it out first, but beware--a point is deducted if one is wrongly called out. Traditionally, this game involves the administration of a gentle "slug" to the shoulder of another player as the bug is called, but depending on the energy level and age of your children, you may select to forgo this part.
Click here to find the complete list of road-trip games in Cookie.
A wild rumpus has come to San Francisco's urban jungle.
Last week, the Contemporary Jewish Museum opened a retrospective of over 100 works by children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, including rare and original pieces from his 1963 classic Where the Wild Things Are, the book about an angry boy named Max whose mom sends him to bed without dinner.
"There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak," which runs through January 19, 2010, features original watercolors and drawings from Sendak's books, rare sketches, never-before-seen working materials, and exclusive interview footage. You'll find a final drawing from Pierre, A Cautionary Tale with the mischievous boy standing in front of the lion who eats him; a photograph of Sendak's real-life German shepherd, Agamemnon, who was a model for the dog in Outside Over There; and a preliminary drawing of the Where the Wild Things Are wild rumpus scene in which Max tries to tame the monsters as a way to control his own anger.
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September 24 2009 by Amy Graff
This past summer, the media was convinced that families would stick to short, close-to-home vacations. "Weekend getaways" is the term journalists often used. But the results of Trekaroo's 2009 summer travel survey found that many moms and dads were taking off with the kids for more than five days. And while California and Florida were the top two favorite vacation spots, international destinations came in at No. 3. Canada was particularly popular with the family crowd.
Here's a summary of the survey results from Trekaroo, a Web site that's dedicated to all things related to family travel.
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September 9 2009 by Amy Graff
Whether you're spending a week on the beach in Hawaii or road-tripping across the United States, you'll certainly have more fun traveling with friends than going solo. But group travel can be stressful because the smallest misunderstandings can break up friendships. Here are some tips to ensure everyone returns home friends.
Assign responsibilities. If you're a big group, consider designating a trip leader (ideally the most organized person among your friends) who can take on such tasks as conducting a poll for trip dates, emailing out the final itinerary, and coordinating what people need to bring. This person can also dole out responsibilities to others. You might put one person on researching restaurants and another on planning optional group activities, for example. A great resource for coordinating the group is the website Triporama.com, which allows groups to create to-do lists, chat on private message boards, and build day-by-day itineraries.
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September 3 2009 by Amy Graff
My husband and I are about to take off on a week-long trip to Barcelona. We're celebrating our 10-year anniversary...and we're leaving the kids behind. Two grandmas and a grandpa will be watching our 4- and 6-year-old. This is the first time we have left our kids for an extended period of time--well, actually for more than two nights.
Surprisingly, both kids seem entirely comfortable with the idea. No tears...yet. In fact, every day my daughter asks me, When are you going to Spain? It seems as if she can hardly wait for me to step out the door. She's looking forward to all the ice cream cones her grandfather will buy her.
How can you help your kids feel comfortable with you leaving them behind? Here are some tips.
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When you're piling the family into a car for a road trip it might be tempting to opt for the roomier SUV parked in your garage. But if your family's fleet also includes a smaller car consider driving it instead because you'll pay less for gas. Your SUV might get 20 miles to the gallon while your little four-door sedan gets 30 to 35. You'll pay about $2.75 to drive 25 miles in the SUV and only $2 in the smaller car. If you're driving 1,500, you'll save $45 in the smaller car--and emit a lot less CO2. (fuel cost based on gas price of $2.30 a gallon.)
My kids and I recently visited Disneyland. At about 3 p.m., after riding It's a Small World three times, my daughter said, "Let's go back to the hotel and swim in the pool." After paying over $200 for admission for myself and two kids, I wasn't about to give up on Disneyland. But I realized that on a family vacation all children really need is a swimming pool and they'll be happy. When you stay in a hotel with a pool, it offers great free entertainment and you can easily skip out on some of the pricier attractions.
My husband got up at 5 a.m. on Friday morning to stand in line for the new iPhone 3GS. Now that's true love.
We decided to buy a phone before heading out on our summer road trip. We're driving the length of the Mississippi River, from the headwaters to the mouth, on $150 a day. An iPhone might seem like an extravagant tool for a budget-themed trip but my 4-year-old cell phone died and I was eager to try out the many iPhone apps geared specifically to road trippers.
Here are a few that I look forward to trying out this summer. Right now I'm limiting myself to the free ones.
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Why pay to feed for your kids when you don't have to? There are many restaurants dishing up free meals for children.
The best way to locate those places when you're on the road is by clicking on kidsmealdeals.com. You simply type in a zip code or a city name and the day of the week and presto you have a list of places.
In Austin, Texas, for example, you could take the family to the hip Japanese restaurant Zen and any kids under 12 years old eat for free. Or in New York you could fill up at the retro diner EJ's.
I remember the first time I traveled alone on a plane with both of my kids. My daughter was a toddler and my son a baby--and somehow I lugged a stroller, two car seats, a portable crib, a backpack carry-on and two rolling suitcases from the departures curb, where a taxi had dropped us off, to the ticket counter.
I attached one of the car seats onto my backpack while I carried my son in a front-carrier on my chest. I pushed the porta-crib and the other car seat in the stroller with one hand, and pulled the suitcase with the other hand. My 2-year-old daughter rolled the second suitcase.
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Pressed pennies--could there be a better souvenir for penny-pinching travelers? These coins that are flattened and imprinted by special machines cost about four quarters and one penny. And they certainly fit into anyone's suitcase. You won't be paying a fee for your extra heavy suitcase filled with your pressed penny collection.
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I have lugged my kids across the globe, from Paris to Bali, to Seattle and even Washington, D.C. Along the way, I know that our little family unit has irked other travelers. My son once accidentally spilled a cup of orange juice on the lady sitting next to him on the plane, and when my daughter was a colicky baby, she spent an entire night screaming in a hotel room. But while my kids are occasionally nuisances (aren't we all at times?), I always make sure that we are on our best behavior and do everything possible to not disturb others. Here are five things I have learned while traveling with my kids that all families should know.
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Pity the dad who opens his Father's Day gift to find a pinstripe shirt or a box of golf balls. Why not surprise the man of the house with a weekend getaway the entire family can enjoy? Here are a few ideas for travel adventures geared to dad.
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November 1 2008 by Amy Graff
Rule #6: Bells don't stand. They ring.
"What are you going to do in Philadelphia?" the man sitting next to us on the plane asked Dante.
"I don't know," Dante responded.
"You must see the Liberty Bell."
"What's that?"
"Oh you must see the Liberty Bell. It's the most important thing to see in Philadelphia..."
So of course, Dante became fixated on the Liberty Bell. When we woke up on Friday morning in Philadelphia all Dante could say was, "Liberty Bell! Liberty Bell! Liberty Bell!"
After breakfast, we walked right into Liberty Bell Center, where we shared the bell with another small tour group.
"Is that it, Mommy?" asked Dante, who was clearly disappointed by the 2,000 pounds of copper.
"Yes, that's it."
"What does it do?"
"Well, it stands for freedom."
"Mommy, bells don't stand. They ring."
"Uh...this one doesn't ring."
"Mommy, this is boring."
As we left the center, I realized we made a wise decision to visit the bell first. There was a huge line out the door and we had beat the crowds--but more importantly my son's expectation were now lowered. Everything in Philadelphia would seem extraordinary when compared to the boring bell that doesn't stand--or ring.
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October 18 2008 by Amy Graff
Rule #3: Always travel with a superhero.
Before we ran out the door to catch our flight to Philadelphia, Dante said, "I want my cape."
"Your what?" I asked.
"My cape."
"What are you talking about?" My brain doesn't function well at 4:30 a.m.
Dante walked me to his bedroom and pointed to the silky, red superhero cape hanging on a hook. "Sure. Whatever," I thought, snapping the cape around his neck.
At the airport, my superhero and I received friendly service and lots of attention. When we went to check in, the ticket agent directed us to the shorter business class line. "He's just so cute! We can't let Superman wait in line." At security, people helped us feed all of our stuff through the X-ray machine. "Oh, Superman let me help you. You need to save your strength." And as we walked to our gate, nearly every other person stopped to say something: "Can I borrow that?"; "I feel so much safer now that I know Superman is at the airport"; "It's a bird! It's a plane..." Dante confidently marched through the airport as if he were a celebrity.
On the plane, the special treatment continued: "Superman, you need to meet the captain of the plane after we land"; "Superman, you need an extra package of pretzels so you have energy to save people"; "Superman, would you like another glass of apple juice?"
When we arrived in Atlanta (a stopover en route to Philly), the landing was bumpy and the plane dipped and dived. I nervously gripped my armrests. "It's OK Mommy. I can save us," Dante reassured me. That's when I realized that I'm always traveling with a superhero.
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Rule #1: Never let a child pack his own carry-on.
I don't know what I was thinking when I allowed my 4-year-old son, Dante, to help me pack for our trip to Philadelphia. I divvied up the work, giving myself the job to pack the clothes and him the task to fill his carry-on bag.
While I was carefully putting together outfits for cold and hot weather and counting pairs of socks, he dumped his toy chest into his Scooby Doo rolling suitcase. Smurfs, Matchbox cars, random puzzle pieces--Dante mixed everything together.
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September 26 2008 by Amy Graff
I let my 5-year-old daughter, Paris make the call to her friend Tomo in Portland, Ore. "We're coming to visit you! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" Paris excitedly screamed over the phone. I could hear Tomo cheering on the other end of the line.
Before Paris starts kindergarten at the end of August, I decided to take her on a special getaway to Portland, Ore., where one of her best friends recently moved. We had a busy summer with little time alone together and Paris was anxious about going to a new school. She seemed to need a few days away with just the girls.
This isn't our first vacation together. She tagged along on my work trip to Waikiki, where we swam with dolphins, took a hula lesson, and ate lots of pineapple. I find that mother-daughter getaways renew relationships and create lasting memories. Paris is always saying, "Remember in Hawaii when we..."
Here are some tips on how you can plan a mother-daughter vacation and make sure things go smoothly on the road:
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September 5 2008 by Amy Graff
My daughter, Paris, and I spent last week there visiting friends, and we discovered a paradise for families. The city has it all--affordable housing (two-story Craftsman bungalow for $350,000!), public transportation, up-and-coming public schools, nearly 260 miles of bike routes, and more than 200 parks and public gardens, including 5,000-acre Forest Park, the largest U.S. wilderness park within any city's boundaries.
On our trip, I compiled a list of my top kid-friendly spots. Please add your favorite places in the comments section.
1) OMSI. At this amazing science museum, kids can shoot water rockets, fly paper airplanes in a wind tunnel, and build a block house and test its durability during an earthquake.
2) Oregon Zoo. Don't miss Lorikeet Landing, where you can feed the birds, and the Zoo Train, which takes you through the forests of nearby Washington Park, above the International Rose Test Garden, and back to the zoo.
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Last week, the kids and I escaped to California's Sierra for two nights. We stayed with friends at their cabin on Silver Lake, a quiet spot tucked behind Kirkwood Ski Resort. Here, we made homemade fishing poles from sticks, paddled a canoe to an island, and feasted on fresh rainbow trout. We also did a whole lot of nothing.
The trip was peaceful because we were amidst nature and even more so because we were without Internet or phone service. In fact, the cabin didn't even have electricity. After three technology-free days, I realized that a vacation is much more relaxing when you're not receiving calls from your boss or reading news stories online.
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Earlier this month, I talked about my family's Route 66 road trip on ABC's nationally syndicated TV show View from the Bay. You can watch the segment by clicking here.
For those visiting the site for the first time, here's a rundown of my five favorite posts from trip.
Route 66 Slideshow
It's an American Girl
Mediocre Music Makers, Erick, Okla.
Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
Angel's Barbershop in Seligman, Ariz.
Also, here's a quick recap of our journey with some money-saving tips for family road trippers:
On June 29, my family embarked on a great adventure--driving Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago. We took 15 days to do the trip and we gave ourselves a budget of $250 a day--a total of $3,750.
So, did we meet our goal? Barely. Our final total was $3,709.52 (Darn, I should have ordered that chocolate pie in Tulsa!) We had some help. My parents met us in St. Louis for two days and picked up the restaurant bills, and a friend sent $40 for a bottle of wine in Chicago. But generally we pinched pennies.
Here's what we learned:
1) Leave the SUV at home. If you own more than one car, opt for the auto that gets the best gas mileage. It costs less and it's better for the environment. (If we survived 15 days in a sardine can, you can too!)
2) Lighten your load. Carrying 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel efficiency by 1 to 2 percent. (My husband packed only one pair of shorts, one pair jeans, and a few shirts.) If you have cargo to haul, put it in the trunk instead of on a roof rack, which can decrease mileage by as much as 5 percent.
3) Inflate your tires. Under-inflated tires are a safety hazard and decrease fuel economy by as much as 2 percent per pound of pressure below the recommended level.
4) Drive gently. Excessive braking and accelerating reduces fuel economy, as does driving faster than highway speed limits. Teach your kids to read the speedometer; they'll enjoy making sure you stay under 70 mph.
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Our family trip to NYC was a huge success. If you're headed for the Big Apple with your kids, here are some things to do.
1) Slurp up noodles at Momofuku. Does bringing the kids to a James Beard-award winning restaurant seem unlikely? Well, it's doable at Momofuku, a happening noodle joint that's so loud your kids can scream at the top of their lungs and no one will notice. Kids can split a bowl of chicken ramen ($12).
2) Wave hello to Miss Liberty on the Staten Island Ferry. On board this two-level ferry, you pass right by Lady Liberty. The free 25-minute ride takes you between Lower Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island.
3) Hang with the teeny bopper crowd at Legally Blonde. Little girls will love this high-energy musical about the ultimate princess, Elle Woods, who wears only pink and carries her Chihuahua in a rhinestone-studded bag.
4) Shop for European yogurts at Zabar's. You'll find cheeses, meats, olives, candies, and all sorts of other food from all over the world in this store that takes over an entire block. Kids will love the selection of rich and creamy European yogurts and mom and dad will appreciate the low prices.
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Have I mentioned that I'm actually on a business trip in NYC?
Several months back I was invited to participate in a panel on leisure travel. Only a two-hour commitment? My hotel and airfare provided? I wondered, should I bring the kids and husband along for a long weekend in New York? Why not? I booked plane reservations for four.
My decision isn't unusual. According to the National Business Travel Association, 62 percent of U.S. business travelers said they add a leisure component to at least one business trip per year. Among those travelers, two-thirds say they bring a family member or a friend with them. Why? As the American workplace becomes more flexible about letting employees juggle their duties with family life, people like me are finding it easier to bring their spouses and kids wherever their jobs may take them. What's more, family business trips are a great way to save--since the company is usually paying for a few nights of the hotel and airfare for at least one.
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Sam Lowe
Cesar Millan
Chris McGinnis
Jason Fogelson
Bryson Forbes
Amy Graff
Karla Henriquez
President Obama and his family traveled to Florida's Gulf Coast on August 16, 2010 to soak up some sun. The family trip is part of an effort to encourage people to visit those beaches that are free of oil.
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