We were guests of the Avia Napa on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view.
Families with kids have many hotel choices when they visit the Napa Valley. There are chain hotels, resorts where you can lounge all day by a pool, and bed and breakfasts where you might worry about your child's every noise. What appealed to me about the Avia Napa when I started my search for a hotel on this trip, was the central location in Napa's "downtown." We're out-and-about a lot when we travel, and generally don't use the amenities of a resort (especially during the winter). What's more, I like to be able to walk to breakfast and dinner, and sometimes feel a bit trapped by secluded resorts.
I try not to let a hotel lobby influence me. After all, you don't sleep in the lobby. What's more, we've all had the experience of checking into a hotel with a grand lobby only to find that the guest rooms are dingy. Still, this carving (hiding the hotel's elevators) was especially elegant.
The hotel knew we were coming, and we were greeted by the very friendly concierge. She had gone to the trouble of creating a list of kid-friendly ideas in Napa for me (some of which I hadn't located with my own internet searches.) In addition, there was a helpful stack of pre-printed Napa guides, each targeted to a different interest (eg. outdoor activities) at the registration desk where any guest could quickly grab one.
After the drive to Napa, who wouldn't need a refreshing drink? This self-serve Sangria is what every mother of 3 needs after the trek from San Francisco!
After squeezing all five of us into a small, city-center room in San Francisco, the rooms at the Avia felt very generously sized (according to the hotel website, our Double King Guestroom would have been 430 sq ft). We generally co-sleep with the baby when we travel, so we especially appreciated the large king sized beds vs. the full sized beds found in most double rooms.
The kids didn't care about that, though, they started plotting their escapades the moment we entered the room.
Our little engineers loved the bolster pillows and blankets - they were just perfect for building bridges between the beds
The bathrooms are beautiful, but if you need a tub, you must upgrade to a suite.
The hotel also includes free WiFi with every room - an amenity that I particularly appreciate, since it lets me work long after the kids have fallen asleep.
In the morning we enjoyed (at our own expense) the Continental Breakfast Buffet. At $12.95, it was a reasonably priced alternative to the neighborhood restaurants, and the quality and selection were terrific. Included were items like Lox and Bagels, charcuterie, yogurt parfaits, fresh fruit and more. For $15.95 guests can enjoy a full breakfast buffet that includes hot items.
Related Links
City Guide: Napa Valley With Kids
City Guide: Sonoma Valley and Petaluma With Kids
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Posted on February 9, 2010 |
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I paid my own way at Mrs Grossman's Sticker Factory. Whenever I accept a free product or service for review, I will always let you know. While I'm disclosing things, I should also let you know that if you purchase a product through an Amazon link on my site, I will receive a small commission.
I owe a huge thank you to Meg of Backpack To Buggy who sent me a very detailed list of suggestions about things to do and see while we were in Sonoma County.
The drive from San Francisco to Napa is about one and a half hours. That's not long at all, unless you happen to have a 7 month old who hates being in the car with you. Like we did. Too keep things calm, we planned lots of interesting stops and armed the "big kids" with their favorite road trip toy, the Aquadoodle Travel Doodle
(seriously, it's amazing how much mileage we get out of this simple toy).
Whenever we cross the Golden Gate Bridge we stop at the viewpoint on the Northern end of the bridge, in the Marin Headlands. It's touristy, sure, but on a clear day the view is unbeatable. This is a lovely area to hike if you have the time and inclination, but today we were off on our way pretty quickly.
I'm a sucker for factory tours, and I thought that a tour of Mrs Grossman's Sticker Factory would be fun for all of us. It turns out my kids have a fierce aversion to factory tours. I'm not sure why, but they refused to join the tour, and I practically had to drag them in to the Sticker Factory Shop. Sometimes I want to say to them "It shouldn't be this hard for me to get you to do something FUN!" I mean, really, stickers and preschoolers go hand in hand, at least in my house.
But perhaps this outing was more about me than I'd be likely to admit. I remember buying Mrs. Grossman's stickers as a kid and preserving them carefully in a treasured photo album. My friends and I would trade "rare" stickers with one another and compare collections regularly. Mrs Grossman's stickers were the gold standard. At that time, everything else looked schlocky by comparison. Looking back, I'm not sure what all the fuss was about, but I really enjoyed looking at the displays showing all the stickers the Mrs Grossman's made in those early years - they brought back memories of my Junior High friendships, the places we used to go for sticker shopping, and most of all, my big photo album full of stickers!
Once I finally got the kids inside the company's sticker store (and yes, I did almost find myself offering insane bribes to get them there), they were floored. They've never seen so many stickers together in one place. Every design needed to be inspected and evaluated. I told the kids that they could each choose two sheets of stickers (and then surreptitiously selected some interesting looking sets to be saved for restaurant emergencies.) At the cash register we noticed "mystery packs" which included $10 worth of stickers in a box for $2, and these turned out to be a huge hit when they were opened.
With the kids finally feeling comfortable, we wandered around peeking through windows and looking at the sticker warehouse and production floor. Not as good as a real tour, of course, but still interesting.
And then we all piled back into the car to make our way to "downtown" Napa, where we had a reservation at the brand new Avia Napa Hotel. Check back tomorrow for my review of the hotel and more about what we did in Napa with the kids.
Related Links
San Francisco With Kids City Guide
Sonoma and Petaluma with Kids
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Posted on February 8, 2010 |
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This is a guest post from Kaare Revill who has traveled extensively with her three kids: ages 6, 4, and 2. She was kind enough to share her best recommendations for a family visit to Estonia - a family-friendly European destination that most Americans don't know much about. She blogs at Abrilliantplace
Estonia is a small and beautifully forested country in Europe. Some people have never heard of it, and even if they have, most are pretty fuzzy on its geographical location. Its shores are washed by the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea; it is bordered on the east by Russia and on the south by another small Baltic country called Latvia. It's had a long history of foreign rule and a short, but successful history of independence. As a traveling American-Canadian family, many people have been bewildered as to why one would choose to go to Estonia. Let me say straight out that after having visited nearly every country in Europe, I think Estonia is one of the most child-friendly. With a multitude of outdoor and indoor playgrounds and activities, museums, historical monuments, unique shops and restaurants and natural beauty, we found plenty to keep us (a family of five, with three kids under 6) happy.
There are several cities in Estonia. While Tartu and Parnu have their own unique charm, Tallinn, especially Old Town Tallinn, holds a special place in my heart. There was nothing more magical for me than entering the thick stone 13th century walls, overseen by a multitude of towers and steeples, to meander down distinctive cobblestone streets with three small children in tow. We spent time in Tallinn in both the deep of winter and the long hours of sun in early summer. While Christmas-time certainly has great atmosphere and fun activities. If your goal is to spend time outdoors and see everything, then spring, summer or early fall is the time to go.
That said, I have so many favorite things that I'll break Old Town into kid-friendly routes to make it more realistic for little legs, and a parent's patience. While it's possible to take a large-wheeled stroller into Old Town (some restaurants and other buildings have stroller ramps), the sidewalk curbs and bumpy cobblestone streets make this something I wouldn't recommend.
Tallinn Estonia Sites in Old Town - West
Toompark - with lots of paths and a long narrow lake, this is a beautiful place to run wild, see occassional art displays and feed the birds.
Patkuli and Kohuotsa View Platforms - very touristy spots, but with lovely views of the city; perfect for those family pics.
Nuku Teater - the children's theater, which produces beautiful and professional puppet shows for children (there are plays and productions for adults as well). With a bathroom, cafe and free coat check, this is a place you could go see and show and end up spending an entire half day by itself. Next door is a shop that sells classic Estonian Kalev chocolates. Prices for kids are 90 EEKs and 25 EEKs for adults, and shows are less than an hour. Tickets can be purchased in advance from www.piletilevi.ee
Lodusmuuseum - If you're up for a bit of an educational adventure, this small, but packed museum Museum of Natural History covers everything from rocks and fossils to a diverse collection of stuffed animals and insects.
Le Bonaparte - Small restaurant/cafe with yummy quiche and croissant selection during the day. Note: leave strollers outside, hold kids’ hands to go up three or four very big steep steps. Opens at noon.
Suurtuki Playground - sandy and cement areas that have play sets for a varying range of ages and even exercise equipment (that the kids also like to play on) geared towards parents.
1/2 Day Outing in Old Town including Recommended Route and Directions
Start at the west side of Old Town Tallinn by the Balti Jaam (train station). It is possible to walk to this point from the cruise ports, but I wouldn't recommend it with small kids because there will be a lot of walking inside the walls. It is better to take a cab or use the great bus/trolley system. or take a bus (you can find the current bus schedule at soiduplaan.tallinn.ee ). If you have a car, park in the lot just north of the station, near the Kiosk. Be sure to put your paid parking ticket in your windshield (they can be purchased at any kiosk for about 9 EEKs per hour. Parking inside Old Town will cost you 72 EEKs per hour). Don’t cross the street here, instead walk south, past the kiosk and row of shops. You can either turn left after the row of shops and follow the crowd to the underground footpath, or walk past the bus stop to the light with a crosswalk. Cross over Rannamae; you’ll see the street Nunne and a green, tree-scattered area to the right of it. This is Toompark. This has lots of paths, a narrow lake, lots of grass and birds and freedom to run wild. This is a good place to find giant snow sculptures in the winter and occasional exhibits in the summer.
Once the kids have let out the excess energy chasing the birds, follow Nunne street toward the city wall. Near the base of the wall there is a wide set of stairs leading up to a path that turns into dirt and more stairs. This area gives a nice overview of Toompark, and is a very fun place to explore the walls and play soldier. Continue all the way up the narrow stairs (there are a lot and get steep so if you have a stroller just follow Nunne instead) to the very top. As you walk through a stone doorway, look to the left and you’ll see the bright red roofs and oddly shaped buildings of Old Town Tallinn. This is the Patkuli View Platform. I like getting pictures here as it tends to be a little less crowded than Kohuotsa, and it’s all Old Town buildings. Be sure to check the railings for sturdiness before letting the kids loose here. There is a nice souvenir shop here, but pricey. After getting some pics and browsing the shop (if the kids will let you), go out the narrow archway that looks like an alley. This street is Rahukohtu. Turn left after the archway and follow the narrow street till it tees. Turn right (this s Toom-Ruuti, but you probably won’t see a sign) and then take your first left, which will take you directly in front of a Baltic Amber shop (that will probably have its large 50% off sale sign outside). There are many beautiful pieces, but the sale is limited to a very small set of shelves. If you cross the street past the amber shop (called Kohtu) and veer a little left you’ll see another viewing platform. This is Kohuotsa. It tends to be a little more popular, but the view is of both Old Town and the city center. There are lots of good souvenir shops all over this area, so keep an eye out (especially on the smaller streets) as some can be hard to see.
After enjoying the skyline, go back to the street (Kohtu) and turn left. This will take you to Kiriku Plats, where you’ll see the white church with the green roof. There are good signs here. Turn left and go one block to Pikk jalg. This means long-legged street in Estonian. The Estonian street names tend to be literal and descriptive. On the right, you’ll see the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is the Russian Orthodox church. Both churches may be worth a look if you’re interested, but there really isn’t much for kids in either building, besides a brief experience. Check out Toom Kirik at www.eelk.ee .
When you see the Cathedral, turn left to go down Pikk jalg. It gets a little steep, but there are no stairs (so good for brave stroller drivers) and there are even hand-rails for the unsteady. When you pass under the archway at the bottom of the street, you’ll be leaving Upper Old Town. Here, you’ll meet up with Nunne (again) and Pikk. Pikk is the Estonian word for “long” and this street qualifies as it runs the entire length of lower Old Town.
After lots of stairs and exploring, little legs (and big ones) might be ready for a break. There are a lot of great shops in this area, but the kids would probably love a stop at the famous Estonian Kalev chocolate shop (Tel 667 9599, Lai 1, Tallinn 10133) on the corner of Nunne and Lai (a block to the left when you cross under the archway) and right next door on Lai (street named for being “wide”) is Nuku Teater. This is the best children’s puppet theater I have ever seen. It has many plays and productions for varying ages, but I love the children’s theater. All children’s productions are in Estonian, but if you go to see the shows rated for the youngest audience (ages 2+), it won’t hinder anyone’s enjoyment and will be a great introduction to the Estonian language and culture. The two I’ve seen are Tsuhh, Tsuhh, Tsuhh (or Choo-choo-choo, an animal train ride) and Ise, ise ka! (or Me, Me Too!, which is a story about a little pig exploring the world). Both of these shows are very visual and well done. The puppets are beautiful, well-made characters, the sets are fascinating, and the performance is professional and unforgettable. A word of caution: the theater does get dark, and if your kids have never seen puppets before they may be scared. A little pre-visit intro and preparation to puppets, costumes and non-verbal cues may help them understand the story and get excited and unafraid. These children’s shows are almost always at 11 or 12 noon and don’t show everyday. I recommend this because these two shows are very popular and regularly sell out. Afterward the performers typically come out and let the audience meet them and their puppets.
After the show, you could eat at the very child-friendly, but with limited selection, café past the ticket booth, or go four blocks further down Lai street (away from Nunne) to #29 Lai on the left. There will be a small sign for the Loosdusmuuseum (Museum of Natural History, which is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10-5, except on holidays. It’s 60 EEKs for a family or free with the Tallinn Card. It is not very big, but includes three floors of geology, marine and wild life and insect.
Now if you’re hungry (or hungry again), cross the street and angle a little to your right to go up Vaimu (which looks like an alleyway, but is actually one of the few ways to get to Pikk). When Vaimu tees, turn left and you’ll almost immediately see large steep steps leading into the very tasty Le Bonaparte restaurant and café (#45 Pikk), open the heavy door and try any of there delicious dishes. For a quick meal, I like the quiche or croissants.
Now, head back down Vaimu the way you came, turn right on Lai and make your first left onto Suurtuki. On this street you’ll walk right out of the city walls (complete with guard towers) and continue down Suurtuki. Further down, on the left towards the intersection (at the corner of Rannamae tee and Suurtuki) there are several play structures, some sand and even equipment for the adults to play on (or workout on, whatever).
Once everyone is ready for naps, just cross at the lights and turn left to walk a block to get back to the Balti Jaam car park, or continue further down the playground paths to get back to the bus stop near the Rannamae tee and Nunne intersection.
This is just one section of Old Town and there is a lot more to see and do, but take it easy. Pick and choose your interests and just enjoy the atmosphere and beauty of Tallinn Old Town. It’s something you, and your kids, will never forget.
Taxi Information
For taxis we used Tallink Takso OU most often. For non-Estonian speakers it's probably easiest to email a request to tellimus@tallinktakso.ee , or text 1921, but it also works to call +372 640 8921, just be very clear; for example, saying “thirteen, or one, three” is better than getting it mistaken for 31. It's about 48 EEKs to start and 10.90 EEKs per kilometer)
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Posted on February 7, 2010 |
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We've all heard people talk about trips that were "ruined" by bad weather, and of course you never know what might happen when you travel. Still, there's usually some way to salvage any vacation (in part by allowing enough time that a day or two of weather or illness doesn't derail your plan entirely).
This is one of my favorite photos from New York. A huge blizzard swept in during our vacation, shutting down the city almost entirely. Offices were closed. The museums were closed. Most shops were closed. Taxis stayed home and people went cross-country skiing down 5th Avenue. This "mountain" is right across the street from Saks!
Were we dismayed? No. We wandered the city checking out all the action, waltzed into a wonderful restaurant for dinner (most diners had canceled) and cuddled up in our hotel room. We'll have another chance to visit the museums.
A storm like this would have been debilitating for most cities, but not New York. The next day the roads were cleared and everything was up and running again almost as if the blizzard had never happened.
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Posted on February 4, 2010 |
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It's always a treat when we find a great coffee shop near our hotel. I love sneaking out to pick up fresh pastry in the morning, and I rarely have the patience for a full sit-down breakfast. Breakfast at Farm:Table exactly fit the bill. The menu is simple, but with items like "daily toast" and fresh made baked goods it feels special. There's a cozy table tucked in the corner that made the perfect spot to snack on our bannana muffins and olive oil bread. This coffee shop is so welcoming, it almost feels as if you are entering someone's home.
Next we hopped on a train to Golden Gate Park where we planned to visit the California Academy of Sciences.
Check out D's pants. These are her current favorites. They always draw attention whether we are at home or traveling, and they're certainly the perfect thing to cheer everyone up in foggy San Francisco. As I write this tonight she is wearing them to bed so that she won't forget to put them on in the morning!
As a child, I made several trips a year to the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The museum is part aquarium, part planetarium and part natural history museum. As a child, I loved the crocodiles in the main entrance, the calm aquarium, and the quiet library filled with kids activities. Since then, the museum has been torn down and completely re-thought and rebuilt. It reopened in 2008 to much fanfare, and this was my first chance to visit since the opening.
Wow! Was I impressed. What was planned to be a half-day outing turned into a full day as we explored different areas of the museum. There was a wide enough variety of activities that the kids were never bored. Still, we barely skimmed the surface of what was available to see, and I hope we'll return on our next trip to San Francisco.
We started with a visit to the 4-story Rainforest environment.
E has been obsessed with the Magic Treehouse books lately, and has mostly memorized Afternoon on the Amazon
, in which Jack and Annie visit the Amazon rainforest. When he saw the 4-story rainforest environment, he started jumping up and down! This was his chance to live out (and understand more deeply) the setting of one of his favorite books. As we worked our way up the ramp that circles the rainforest habitat, we were blown away by how much he remembered, including the names of each of the levels of the rainforest and many of the animals that lived in the forest. He was clearly reveling in the opportunity to see the plants and animals that had been mentioned in the book in real life.
The trip through the rainforest ends with an elevator ride from the top of the exhibition down to the basement aquarium - which houses a "flooded amazon forest" among other things.
We'll be visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium later in the week, so we didn't spend too much time here, but we loved the fact that so many tanks were at preschooler-eye-level (in contrast to the old aquarium which had lots of small tanks that were way up high. This darkened environment was a brilliant way to use the windowless underground space.
Our next stop was lunch, and the museum restaurant was so crowded that they were running out of food! We had a tricky time finding enough chairs for everyone, and I spent part of the meal standing, with Eilan on my hip, trying to spoon lunch into my mouth without making a toddler like mess on my own clothing. If I had it to do over, I would make advance reservations at the (fancier) moss restaurant or pack in a lunch.
We spent the afternoon on the museum's living roof and chilling out in the kid-friendly "naturalist center", with the kids doing puzzles while I leafed through children's books.
Finally, with the kids finally reaching their saturation point for quiet play and museum exploration, we visited the "Young Explorers" center. Essentially a preschool-aged indoor playground with a nature theme, this was just the thing the kids needed. There was space to play freely, lots of toys, and of course other kids of all ages. Sitting on the sidelines gave my husband and I a chance to chat too, and to relax a bit after a long day.
As we walked back towards the train station, we decided to stop at Park Chow for dinner. Park Chow is a neighborhood institution, and it's the perfect spot to have a family meal after a day in Golden Gate Park. At first glance, the menu might seem a bit boring, with American standards like hamburgers, spaghetti with meatballs and other classic dishes, but everything is so well prepared that even gourmets will be satisfied. To top it all off, the restaurant features several fresh homemade pies each day.
We were amazed at how well the kids did today, staying out all day (and in a museum no less), walking everywhere, and generally having a great time. There were some tricky moments, of course, but their enthusiasm at the Academy of Sciences was infectious, and we both really enjoyed reading the displays and trying to explain everything to them on their terms. This definitely raises the bar for what we'll attempt on future trips!
Related Links
San Francisco With Kids
Kid Friendly Itinerary: Golden Gate Park with Kids
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Posted on February 3, 2010 |
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We were guests of the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view.
Unlike most travelers, we arrived at the Hotel Monaco on foot. We will rent a car later in the trip, but for our two days in San Francisco, we will use public transportation exclusively. It's always a bit strange to show up at a nice hotel exhausted, disheveled, and carting all your luggage!
The Hotel Monaco is a few blocks from Union Square in Downtown San Francisco, making it a good launching point for a family adventure in the city. I have stayed at Monaco and other Kimpton properties in other cities before (at my own expense) and the hotels are usually a bit quirky and kind of fun. Most have special amenities for travelers with kids and travelers with pets.
The Hotel Monaco San Francisco was no different. There were goldfish bowls on the front desk and a dog bowl at the entrance. from the goldfish on the front desk to the game cabinet where the kids could check out games to bring to our room (they chose Candyland), then we were shown up to our room
With two double beds and a crib, the room was a tight squeeze for our family of five, but it was also comfortably appointed - with a nice desk, downy beds and a huge bathroom.
The kids thought the in-room goldfish was extra cute
But mostly they were thrilled with the contents of their gift bags: Crayons, coloring pages, a card game, and bubbles. We took those bubbles with us to Golden Gate park the next day!
We ventured out to dinner in Chinatown. With the Cable Car line just a few blocks away, this seemed like the perfect time to take a ride. Needless to say, the kids absolutely loved the ride. I, on the other hand was terrified - a little jolt would have sent them all flying. Here's a shot my husband took of me trying to hodl on to everyone!
Next time we'll be sure to sit inside.
We arrived in Chinatown just as most of the shops were closing up. That gave us little time to peek in and see what seemed like a totally different world (even compared to the Seattle's flourishing international district). A seafood shop sold live fish, shellfish, frogs and turtles. Produce shops sold fruits and vegetables in every imaginable shape and color. The kids were fascinated, but also tired and hungry.
Being here with the kids was an odd sensation. I have my own childhood memories of Chinatown and it's strange sights and smells. To be here at night was to remember eating bbq duck on the sidewalk while watching the Chinese New Year parade. The area hasn't changed much, and it was fun to explore, even briefly with the kids.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel where the kids took their first ever shower (our room was tub-less) so that they'd have an excuse to wrap themselves up in these cute kid-sized bathrobes. The shower was giggly, silly fun - and as often happens, it's this memory (not all the sites we visited) that will stick with me long after this trip is over.
Bedtime sweets are one of my pet-peeves, and when we're not fast enough to spirit the turndown chocolates away before the kids see them, we wrestle over saving them until morning. E's developing writing skills came in handy this time, and he felt confident that he really would get his chocolate the next day once everyone's treat had their name on it. On a funny side note, my kids no longer need aliases on this blog, because they have changed their names to Jack and Annie, the brother and sister in the Magic Tree House Book Series
.
E is all ready for bed, but D was a little to rambunctious and finally ended up drifting off to sleep in her daddy's arms and getting placed in the bed later.
Check back tomorrow to read about our first full day in San Francisco
Related Links
San Francisco With Kids City Guide
Hotel Monaco Review
San Francisco's Union Square with Kids
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Posted on February 2, 2010 |
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We were guests of the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room, and the hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view.
2009 was an exhausting year, in both good ways and bad ways, and we traveled less than we usually do. By year end, we were in need of an adventure, but we also needed to minimize planning and keep things simple. A Northern California road trip was the answer. Because I grew up in the area, we know our way around, but things have changed so much that we knew we'd enjoy exploring the area with the kids.
We started the trip with two nights in San Francisco, and then headed up to Napa, the Mendocino Coast, my parents house, and finally down to Monterey.
The short flight from Seattle to San Francisco was easy on us, and the kids. They're used to longer flights, and as they get older it gets easier for them to sit still and draw or write. Our load was fairly light - we store the extra car seats that we would use for our road trip at my parent's house, and for the first time ever we decided to travel without a stroller (baby Eilan is more comfortable in my Ergo). Still, the trip from the airport into the city proved tricky.
Three kids, two suitcases, 5 coats, a laptop bag, a backpack and a purse. Whew, it makes me tired just thinking about it - I can't imagine why we didn't pack lighter. The walk from the BART train station to the Hotel Monaco was just under 6 blocks, and Google Maps estimates the walk at 10 minutes. Google maps never tried to walk up San Francisco hills with three tired children under the age of 5. Carting everyone and everything up the stairs from the BART stations took 10 minutes.
This picture was taken about midway through the trek. Using the rolling bag as a stroller was a stroke of brilliance on my husband's part, wasn't it? (I'm sure Sampsonite's lawyers would have a heart attack if they saw this)
Moments later, we rounded a corner and saw this!
There's never been a better moment for a cupcake break. It was almost as if the gray San Francisco fog parted to let in warm Hawaiian sun. Refueled, we actually arrived at the hotel with smiles on our faces.
Check back tomorrow for more about our stay in San Francisco
Related Links
San Francisco With Kids
Cako Bakery Review
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Posted on February 1, 2010 |
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This shouldn't be too much of a mystery for all you seasoned travelers, but check back on Monday and I'll tell you where we were this December.
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Posted on January 28, 2010 |
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This is a review of a the book Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids
by Leslie Forsberg and Michelle Duffy. This book was generously given to me by fellow blogger Michelle Duffy, also known as Wandermom over on Wanderlust and Lipstick. Both Michelle, and her publisher Beth Whitman are good friends of mine, but of course the opinions expressed in this review are all my own. I also contributed a section on car seat safety to the book. If you buy a product by clicking through to Amazon from DeliciousBaby I will receive a small commission.
I first met Michelle Duffy by phone - or I almost did - she had emailed a request for interviews about family travel to a local moms group, and we scheduled a time after my kids would be in bed to chat. That night, a few months pregnant with baby Eilan and exhausted after a long day with the kids, I fell asleep in my daughter's room and the phone went unanswered. It was months before we managed to hook up again, and when we did I was interested to hear how the book was shaping up.
A key part of Michelle and Leslie's approach to the book was to interview countless moms about their experiences traveling with their own kids. That gives Traveling With Kids a broad perspective, especially when it comes to dealing with different personality types and challenges on the road. Short stories from real moms, sprinkled throughout the book, also make what could easily have been a dry and pragmatic handbook more engaging.
Traveling With Kids does a good job of covering the basics (while delving in deep on the important topics like surviving a plane flight). It can be tough to dive deep in a book covering this much ground, so Traveling With Kids provides websites and other resources for more detail where it is needed. For example, a section about traveling with breast-feeding when you travel gives practical advice about breastfeeding in different countries, adjusting to jetlag when you are breastfeeding, and traveling with baby bottles. Then it referres readers to La Leche League for more detailed information about breastfeeding in each country you might visit. You could imagine the book going deeper, and in some places recommending specific products or services, but I have yet to see a more thorough and helpful resource to help parents plan their first few trips with kids.
I recommend Wanderlust and Lipstick: Traveling with Kids to parents who are just getting started traveling with their kids, or who struggle with each trip and want some extra guidance. There are some great tips here, and I learned a few new tricks too!
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Posted on January 27, 2010 |
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This post includes a reviews of the Best Western Lakeway Inn in Bellingham, WA, the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, and the Bellingham Railway Museum . We paid for our own stay and museum admissions. Whenever I accept a complimentary product or service, I will always let you know.
We spend Thanksgiving almost every year with family friends who live in Bellingham, about two hours north of Seattle. We could drive up just for the day, but Bellingham is a lovely town, so we decided to spend the night and explore a little bit.
I won't bore you with the details of our Thanksgiving meal. The yummy food, the perfect turkey, the homemade fudge, etc etc etc.
We stayed two nights at the Best Western Lakeway Inn. The rooms are simple and clean, but what makes this hotel a favorite for us is the indoor pool. By Thanksgiving, the weather here in Seattle is starting to get cold, it the kids love the opportunity to splash and play in a warm pool on Thanksgiving morning.
The day after Thanksgiving, we explored Bellingham. The downtown core is easily walkable, and we all love the low-key, hands-on museums.
Our first stop was the American Museum of Radio and Electricity. At first glance, the collection of artifacts and inventions, which fills aisle after aisle and lines the walls from floor-to-ceiling seems a bit off-putting for young kids. Early experimental light-bulbs and the telephone used in first transcontinental call are interesting for history buffs, but for the under 5-set it's hard to understand what these things are and their tiny hands just want to reach out and touch everything.
A small hands on area got us on the right track. Rubbing balloons against a fake-fur covered wall generated just enough static electricity to make the balloons stick. It was so much fun, it made me wonder why every children's museum doesn't have a wall like this.
Some of the other experiments were a bit to abstract for my young kids, but they still enjoyed doing them - for example, turning this wheel generated electricity, and you could build circuits to do different things
The best part of the museum, though, was the opportunity to show the kids some of the antique music-players. They've heard about player pianos and record players, but it's another thing entirely to see how one works in person. The friendly staff was willing to turn on and demonstrate pretty much anything!
The American Museum of Radio and Electricity is small enough that we had enough time to visit another museum before lunch. The Bellingham Railway Museum, like most model train museums, was built by enthusiasts to house an intricate track and some antique railway artifacts.
At most museums, the track is behind glass, and kids can watch but not touch. At some, there's also a train table for kids, but not much else. The Bellingham Railway Museum museum, though not as elaborate as some of the train museums we've visited was the best for kids. In addition to the G gauge train layout (complete with stepstools for kids), there was a smaller, but still detailed, Lionel train layout. This layout had kid friendly controls, and between all the different buttons and levers there were lots of different things to do - meaning that many visitors could play with the layout at the same time. The museum staff was very friendly, helping the kids right derailed trains and showing them how things worked. E and D were thrilled beyond measure - with this much excitement, it's a wonder they didn't find their own electric train layout amongst their Hanukkah gifts this year.
Bellingham is a fun city to visit with kids, and a good stopping point if you are driving between Seattle and Vancouver. For more ideas, visit our guide to visiting Bellingham with Kids
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Posted on January 25, 2010 |
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