With the exception of a short family trip to Orange County and Carlsbad, CA (where we'll visit LegoLand for with close friends) we're home bound until after Baby3 is born. I'm feeling a little stir crazy, so please let me live through you... Where are you going next and what will you do there?
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Posted on March 5, 2009 |
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This is a much delayed post about my trip to Arizona back in December. To read more about Arizona, see related links at the bottom of this post.
We started our final day in Phoenix with a visit to the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park. The museum showcases 1,500 year-old Hohokam village ruins and aims to educate visitors about Hohokam culture, it also gets high ratings from most guidebooks for being "kid friendly," in large part because the visitor's center has a number of hands-on exhibits. Unfortunately, we found that it was hard for preschoolers to participate in the exhibits because they were either high off the ground or required reading. Instead, we headed outside to visit the ruins themselves.
The highlight of the visit for the kids was the opportunity to grind corn the old fashioned way (after chasing off tens of aggressive pigeons - just as the Native Americans must have). I gave it a try too, and was surprised at what difficult work it was. Fine-Grained Corn Tortillas must have been a real luxury before the days of mechanized grinders.
The ruins themselves were a bit difficult for the kids. We were out in the hot open sun and with very little of the original ruins left, it was difficult to envision what the site would have been like. Still, for archaeological buffs, the excavated mounds and ruins must tell an interesting story about the people that once lived here.
Before we make the drive down to Tuscon, we decide to fill everyone up on Mexican food with the hope that the kids (but not the driver) will fall asleep in the car. There's just one catch... E thinks that Phoenix is the best place he's ever been in his entire life, and he's just not ready to leave. He dug in his heels as only a three year old can making us all miserable for what seemed like an eternity until finally hunger, or exhaustion or some well-placed bribe won out and he got in his seat (I've blocked the actual details from my pregnancy-addled memory). Sometimes there's just no amount of expectation-setting or perfect parenting that can avert a tired preschooler's meltdown, whether you're at home or not.
Luckily, I judge most days in large part on my stomach's well being. A nearby restaurant called "Carolina's" promised the lightest, thinnest homemade flour tortillas in Phoenix, and since I've never met a carb I didn't like, it seemed like a sure winner. Carolina's isn't a restaurant for someone who comes to Phoenix to enjoy the luxury resort experience. It's more the sort of place where you check twice to make sure your car doors are locked before you follow the crowds inside. Still, if good food is more important to you than presentation, this seems to be one of the most popular places in Phoenix to enjoy home-made Mexican food. I was so enamored of the rich, savory "Oaxacan" burrito - a blend of Beef Chorizo with Beans, Potatoes, Cheese that we made a second stop at Carolina's on our way back into Phoenix a few days later. The kids loved the light-as-air tortillas, smothered in butter and the rice and bean burritos. By the time we'd left, I'd almost forgotten (or at least repressed) the drama in the Pueblo Grande parking lot.
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Posted on March 3, 2009 |
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Some people purchase family travel insurance religiously for each trip, while others have never considered it, and I often get questions about whether trip insurance is a good idea or not. Because we tend to travel independently and rarely cancel, we use trip insurance only infrequently, and I have thought long and hard about when it is appropriate for us and when it is not. Here are my tips to help you decide whether travel insurance makes sense for your family vacation.
What Would Happen if You Canceled?
If you purchased deeply discounted airfares and your hotel rooms are can be canceled without penalty, you might want to forgo travel insurance and "self insure." Over the long run, the rare times when you pay out of pocket for a different airline ticket or a last minute cancellation may add up to less money than purchasing trip insurance for each trip.
On the other hand, if you've just booked a non-refundable all-inclusive cruise or resort package, you stand to lose a lot of money, and travel insurance might be a great choice.
Questions to Ask Yourself
How Likely are you to Cancel?
In our years of frequent traveling, we've only canceled a handful of trips, but every family's situation is different.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do You Need Medical Insurance?
Your home medical insurance may not give you the coverage you need while you are traveling abroad. Check your policy carefully to understand your coverage and limitations when you are traveling.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Lost Baggage
The standard coverage, should an airline lose your bag, is very low - and of course it doesn't cover you at all if your luggage is stolen out of a hotel room or rental car. Still, lost baggage insurance may or may not be a good choice for your family.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Other Tips
If you do decide to buy travel insurance, make sure that you thoroughly research the insurance company. Insurance sold by the same company you booked your cruise with, for example, probably won't help you if the cruise line files for bankruptcy. In other cases, unscrupulous or unknowing travel agents might sell you travel insurance that isn't travel insurance at all. Just as with everything else, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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Posted on March 2, 2009 |
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One of the things I loved about the Heard Museum was how nicely the designers integrated kids activities into the museum exhibits. This heart-wrenching exhibit about Native American Boarding Schools came complete with school desks, blue exam books, and pencils. D and E were content to sit and draw while I (for the first time in ages) explored the galleries, viewed multimedia exhibits, and read every last bit of text about this sad part of American and Native American History.
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Posted on February 26, 2009 |
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This is a much delayed post about my trip to Arizona back in December. To read more about Arizona, see related links at the bottom of this post.
We started the day today with a visit to the Desert Botanical Garden, a showcase for the wide variety of plants that grow in Southwestern deserts. A Botanical Garden might not seem like a great outing for kids, but D and E always seem to enjoy running around outside and they have been absolutely fascinated by all the cacti on this trip.
My husband stayed home with still-sleeping E, giving me D (and my parents) all to myself. D has been particularly attached to her dad on this trip, and while I'm glad to see her get so much of his time, I have missed her affection. It's a little tough when your 2 year old tells you "mom, you're not my best friend, daddy is my best friend." I'll admit that I enjoyed having her fawn over me, feed me snacks, and want me to carry her instead of constantly insisting on her dad - possibly even more than the garden itself.
The weather here has been unseasonably cold, and today was the first day that we were able to walk around outside comfortably in lightweight sweaters. Little D loved the small flowers nestled in amongst the cacti and rocks, and it was fun to seek out plants that might interest her. Chihuly Glass Sculptures also added an interesting dimension to the garden. Being from Seattle, I've seen lots of Dale Chihuly's work both in galleries and installed, and it has never really clicked with me. Somehow, though, the spiky, spiny, glass sculptures really worked in amongst the varied heights and shapes of desert plants, making this a nice opportunity to see a different side of his work.
When we finally finished touring the gardens, everyone met up for lunch at Scratch Pastries. This was by far the best non-Mexican food we had in Arizona, and made for a nice change of pace. I feasted on a duck sandwich while the kids devoured homemade crepes and quiche. The restaurant was just urban enough to feel like a grown-up treat, but with high-chairs and a reasonably kid friendly menu everyone was happy. The sparkling pastry case provided a great incentive for the kids to finish their lunches.
With a growup friendly meal under our belts, it seemed like time to do something just for the kids. They've cooperated so nicely with museums, gardens, and other adult attractions on this trip, but they need a little kid-time too. McCormick Stillman Railroad Park seemed like a sure-fire hit. The park turned out to be remarkably well designed. There is no admission charge, instead kids pay for rides on the park's miniature train and carousel as they go. A shaded play area with separate toddler and big-kid gyms was a huge hit, and several model train clubs house their scale-models here (kids and adults can view them for an optional donation). All this meant that the kids could explore different activities without going very far.
It felt like the kids ran through the entire park - I'm not sure they ever stopped running (at least not until D finally ran herself into exhaustion and needed to be put down for a nap). As their interest in one activity tapered off, they discovered the next one, and the variety kept them going for the rest of the day. The only drawback? E is determined to convince me to throw his next birthday party here...
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Posted on February 25, 2009 |
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For the past several weeks, Kim Mance and I have been hard at work recruiting speakers for TBEX'09 on July 26th in Chicago. I have to admit, even though we selected, emailed and talked with each of the speakers, now that I see the final list all in one place I'm feeling a little bit star-struck. If I were hosting a dinner party to talk about travel, blogging and... travelblogging these are exactly the people I would hope to invite. I simply cannot wait to be in the same room with everyone in Chicago.
Kim and I will be moderating panel sessions on issues like: the difference between travel journalism and blogging; keeping a lively travel blog; working with PR professionals and balancing ethics; and using your trip video footage to become a vlogger. If you want to join the conversation with the fascinating set of people who will speak at or attend the meetup, I hope you will RSVP for TBEX'09 here.
TBEX '09 Speakers
Wendy Perrin Condé Nast Traveler Magazine and The Perrin Post
Jen Leo Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal Blog
Christopher Elliott Elliott.org and Syndicated Columnist
Michael Yessis World Hum
Sean Keener BootsnAll Travel Network
Pam Mandel Nerds Eye View and BlogHer Travel Editor
Heather Poole Gadling and Should Be Writing
Christene Gilbert Almost Fearless
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates Farsighted Fly Girl
Craig Martin Indie Travel Podcast and Travel Talks.tv
Chris Christensen Amateur Traveler
Representative TBA Disney Parks
event sponsor___________________________
(Click here if you are a company interested in sponsoring this event.)
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Posted on February 24, 2009 |
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I want to thank everyone who entered to win a Baby Sherpa Diaper Backpack
The randomly selected winner was Nanette who said:
I absolutely love London and all of Britain for that matter and would love to return.
Nanette, please email me your mailing address and color selection, and I will send you your prize!
Didn't win this time? I have several more giveaways lined up for the next several weeks. Be sure to check back (or subscribe so that you don't miss a thing) - these are going to be some seriously over-the-top giveaways.
Many thanks to Baby Sherpa for generously sponsoring this giveaway.
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Posted on February 24, 2009 |
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Today is your last chance to enter our free Diaper Backpack by Baby Sherpa Giveaway. This is the same model backpack that I use on all my family travels.
If you have already entered, but want to add your recommendations to DeliciousBaby for more chances to win, now is the time!
Just visit this article: Diaper Backpack by Baby Sherpa Giveaway and follow the instructions.
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Posted on February 22, 2009 |
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If you are participating in Photo Friday this week, don't forget to link back to this post. Linkbacks help new people find out about Photo Friday keep the carnival growing from week to week, ultimately bringing more traffic back to you!
Looking back at old photos, it's always interesting which ones most vividly bring back memories, sensations or feelings from a trip. This picture brings back a particularly strong sense of emotion - of love mixed with satisfaction and pride. We're not doing anything in particular. We haven't visited a world class monument or had a life changing experience. Instead, we're walking down the street, exploring a Portland neighborhood we haven't been to before.
The kids are feeling satisfied after a particularly lovely morning. Instead of begging to be carried, or fighting over who would ride in the stroller, they reached out to walk down the street hand-in-hand for the first time ever. I remember E taking particular pride in guiding his little sister and D being thrilled to have her big brother's undivided attention. It's funny how satisfying these "minor moments" can be, isn't it?
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Posted on February 20, 2009 |
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This is a reader question from Kristen, a mom from Michigan who wants to know how to keep her active son from kicking the seat in front of him.
Hi Debbie, my son is about 2.5 yrs old now - we travel twice a year to see grandparents in Florida. The airplane routine is fairly familiar, but we continue to struggle keeping my son (a very active kid) occupied and happy on the plane - he's characterized by good behavior, but just cant stand sitting still for longer than an hour on a plane.
We used a car seat but found that his feet touched the seat back in front of him, resulting in kicking/pushing on the back of the passenger (embarrassing!). So then we purchased CARES
over a year ago because his feet wouldnt touch the seat in front, but we only used it once because my son seemed too short for it and it irritated his head/neck area which caused more fussing. In addition, it just seemed that the airplane seats are too concave and push his head forward (even I find the same discomfort because Im only 5' 2").
Here we are hoping that we can try CARES again on our upcoming trip in a few weeks, and hopefully my son will be tall enough to be more comfortable? If not, what is the protocol for taking the child out of the CARES harness during flight so he can get more comfortable? When he was in his car seat we never allowed him to get unbuckled. Our flight to Fla is during the day, so I dont expect him to sleep, but the flight home is always after his bedtime and I want him to fall asleep. With the car seat he was reclined a little (so after he was done kicking the passenger in front of him he would finally fall asleep), but with CARES he wont be reclined - unless I put his seat back a little? If I take him out of the CARES harness to lay in my lap, is that a violation of FAA code? Any advice/thoughts you have are helpful
Thanks! Kristin from Michigan
Kristen,
It can be difficult for even the most well behaved child (or adult) to sit still for several hours. Here are some ideas that might help:
You also asked about the CARES harness
The rules for keeping a child buckled in on a plane are the same as for an adult. You are always safest when you are in your own seat with your seatbelt buckled - and that advice goes double for children who are more lighter and more likely to be jolted by turbulence. That said, there is no requirement that your child use a five point harness in flight. Legally, you can remove the cares harness and use just the lap belt (but just as in a car, a 5 point harness is safer than a lap belt). It is also legally ok for the child to have their seatbelt off whenever the seatbelt light is turned off.
This is one of those times when you have to use your best judgment as a parent. On a calm flight, I often let D sit on my lap. When she's sleepy, she hides her eyes in my shoulder, or I cover her up with a blanket. Once she has drifted off to sleep, I transfer her back into her own seat, buckle her in, and place a pillow under her head. She thinks it is a huge treat to fall asleep in my arms, and she's much less fidgety than if I tried to have her fall asleep in her seat. E, in contrast, is perfectly happy to fall asleep in his own seat just like he does in the car.
Good Luck!
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Posted on February 19, 2009 |
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