On March 2nd at 7:30 PM EST, I will be on a virtual panel of bloggers and travel writers talking about Getting Started with Travel Writing. Some great travel bloggers are taking part, including:
Claire Walter an award winning author who also blogs at Travel Babel
If you have ever wondered how to get started with travel blogging or travel writing, I hope you will join us.
We will cover topics like:
How to Get Started - blogging and print
Motivation: How to Get it and More Importantly, How to Keep it!
The Ethics of the Pen
Make Yourself Stand Out in the Crowd (Tips, Tricks, and PR)
This event is free, but requires a reservation. Please send your RSVP to RSVP@viscape.com so we can save you a seat! Space is limited and registration is on a first-come, first serve basis.
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.
As we arrived at the Heard Museum, the southwest's premiere collection of Native American artifacts, we were surprised to see traffic control, crowds of visitors and even a few police officers stationed outside. "Must be some collection" we remarked! Serendipitously, we had timed our visit to coincide with opening day for Phoenix's new light rail system. The system connects several museums in Downtown Phoenix, and is hoped to help create a more a vibrant downtown culture in the urban and suburban sprawl that characterizes the area.
Mariachi Music outside the Phoenix Heard Museum
Normally I would avoid a crowded opening day event, so I'm glad I had been blissfully unaware of this one. As we entered the Heard Museum complex, we were greeted with light-rail shaped pins (anyone know a toddler who WOULDN'T want one of those?), games for the kids, fresh fry bread, and live Mariachi Music that was about 1000 times better than the standard Mexican Restaurant performance. Later in the day we also found Native American dance performances.
A live demonstration of Native American blanket making absolutely entranced E, and he was willing to sit for what seemed like ages in the cold weather watching as the weaver selected one color yarn after another and wove it through her loom.
When we finally proceeded inside, I was impressed at how engaging the displays were. Ancient artifacts can sometimes be hard to relate to, and the museum did a nice job of interspersing the artifacts with interesting tidbits of information and hands-on activities for kids.
One of the premiere destinations for visitors to Phoenix is the Heard Museum. The museum is reputed to have one of the best collections of Native American crafts in the southwest. I'm not a great judge of whether that is true or not, but it's certainly the most engaging displays we've seen. Though the museum has a large section devoted to kids, there are kid-friendly activities and crafts throughout the museum, making it easy to visit the collection.
Native American Blanket Weaving outside the Heard Museum
When the kids finally tired of looking at the artifacts, we headed over to the Fry Bread House (a short ride away on the light rail). The Native American owned restaurant serves fresh fry bead stuffed with chili, chorizo, or other savory fillings. It's not particularly traditional, but the rich, slowly cooked fillings and warm doughy fry bread made an absolutely delicious lunch. The kids were thrilled with rice-and-bean stuffed fry bread, and ready for a nap after so much activity and food!
With a full day of "cultural" activities under our belt, we spent the rest of the afternoon back at the resort splashing in the pool and enjoying the desert sun.
I'm excited to announce my latest giveaway, a Baby Sherpa Diaper Bag Backpack. I've used my own Baby Sherpa on our family trips for over three years now... ever since E's second plane trip (on the first trip I used my old carryon bag, a bag that just wasn't cut out for keeping baby gear organized).
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Baby Sherpa Diaper Backpack
What I love about the Baby Sherpa is the specialized compartments that make it easy to keep baby gear organized. There's an insulted bottle (or sippy) holder that Velcros to the outside of the bag, a huge insulated compartment, perfect for storing formula or expressed breast milk, and an integrated diaper bag that makes it easy to reach diapers wipes and a pad without digging through all your other baby gear. Perhaps my favorite features, though, are the bungee cord and carabiners on the back. I always seem to find one last blanket, jacket, or toy just as we are exiting the plane, and I love being able to attach them on the outside of the bag instead of stopping to reshuffle everything.
How To Enter
I will be giving the Baby Sherpa Diaper Bag Backpack away to one lucky reader. The winner will choose their favorite color. If you would like a chance to win, leave us a comment before 11:59PM PST on Monday Feb 23 2009 and tell me what destination you dream of visiting, but are afraid to tackle with kids. Please include your email address in the comment form (your email isn't shared with anyone, and I will not send you email unless you win).
How to Get More Chances to Win
There are several ways you can get additional entries in this contest. Each takes only a few minutes!
Subscribe to my RSS feed (either by reader or email) using the buttons on the top left-hand side of the page. Leave a comment telling me you did.
If you have a blog, write about this giveaway or any article you enjoyed on DeliciousBaby. Leave a comment telling me you did so and show me the link where I can find it!
If you like this giveaway, share it on StumbleUpon, Reddit, or Digg! using the links below, and leave a separate comment here with your Digg! or Stumble ID, so I can give you credit!
For each complete recommendation you add to our city guides, you will be given five additional entries. It takes only a few minutes, and it is a great way to share your favorite kids activities, restaurants, and hotels with other parents. To make a recommendation, just Click Here
Winners We will choose a winner randomly and announce the results here on Tuesday Feb 24 2009. Many thanks to Baby Sherpa for generously sponsoring this giveaway.
Share This Contest If you have family or friends who you know will love this giveaway, just click the "share this" link at the bottom of this (or any) post to email it to a friend.
Rules Please, only one comment per person per giveaway post (except as outlined above where the comment is related to an extra entry). Duplicate comments and Anonymous comments will be discarded. Please make sure that the email address in your comment form is valid (email addresses are never public). Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Sweepstakes winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three business days will be considered such Sweepstakes winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. To enter, you must be a U.S. or Canada resident, age 18 or older. Employees, partners and vendors of DeliciousBaby and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. All prizes will be awarded. No substitutions including for cash are permitted, except that DeliciousBaby reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize.
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!
E putting on PJs on a road trip
Most parenting experts say that routine is incredibly important for young children. When we're at home, I have to agree, but when we're traveling I'm always surprised at how much the kids delight in the deviations.
In this picture, I'm changing E into his PJs after dinner so that he'll know he should fall asleep in the car. Does he look upset to be taken out of his normal routine? Mad that he's naked outside an (excellent) korean restaurant in a random city? Of course not - putting on Pajamas in a parking lot is the funniest thing he's done all day.
Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos:
Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is
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Why would I take my kids on a daytrip to someplace as clearly inappropriate as a local brewery for a family outing? Does the fact that I'm pregnant and can't drink make me a better or worse parent? Before you judge me too harshly, take a look at this video:
The Redhook Brewery is located about 30 minutes outside of Seattle in a small town called Woodinville. The bottling operation for the entire company is located here, and amazingly the production line is so automated that it takes only 4 people to run. It's a far-cry from the place Laverne and Shirley worked. The kids (who skipped the beer-tasting portion of the tour) were absolutely fascinated, and we stayed long after our tipsy tour-mates continued on their way.
Redhook Ale Brewery's Bottling Line
After the tour, we headed back down to the brewery's kid-friendly restaurant where the kids feasted on hotdogs and chips while I devoured a salmon sandwich. During summer, the brewery opens outdoor seating at huge communal tables, making it even more family friendly.
Thinking about driving out for a day? Other family friendly activities in Woodinville include the
Related LinksRedhook Brewery Woodinville
Have you noticed that hotels are much more responsive to their customers recently? If you have complained, did the manager work harder than you expected to resolve your problem or diffuse the situation? I have... I call it "the Trip Advisor Effect."
If you aren't familiar with Trip Advisor, you might want to check it out before your next trip. The website allows real people to evaluate hotels they have stayed in, giving them both a star rating and a written review. When you search for a hotel, the best rated hotels show up at the top of the list, and the worst rated hotels show up at the bottom. The top spot is highly coveted and can mean a huge increase in business. In fact, some experts speculate that Trip Advisor is now a more powerful authority than all written guidebooks combined.
No hotel wants negative reviews to show up on Trip Advisor, and that's where the "Trip Advisor Effect" comes in. Hotel managers are more motivated than ever to make you happy before you get a chance to write that negative review.
On recent hotel stays, the rooms fell far below my expectations. Both were at national chains with good reputations and good reviews. In the first (at a hotel with the coveted #1 rating on Trip Advisor) the room didn't seem to have been vacuumed, the bathroom door didn't close, and the sink refused to drain. To add insult to injury, the housekeeper walked into our room twice without knocking (the second time as I was getting dressed). In the second case, the room was run down with frayed furniture and carpet that was so soiled that our kids socks were literally black after playing in the room for 30 minutes before bedtime.
When I complained to the hotels respective managers, I expected to be brushed off or given an evaluation form to fill out. After-all, that's what would have happened a few years ago. Instead they listened to my description of the problems and without hesitation offered to comp my hotel stay. Wow! I hadn't asked for so much as a free drink.
What should consumers do? Don't be afraid to complain if there is something truly wrong with your hotel room. Be calm, specific, and articulate. When it makes sense, take pictures to back up your claims. Ask to talk with the hotel manager before you check out. There is no need to make demands or threats (but be prepared to state what you would like if you are asked). Instead, explain what went wrong and give the manager the opportunity to make things right. This is a new age of consumer accountability when it comes to hotel rooms... the management just might exceed your expectations.
E hiking up the entrance ramp at Montjuic Castle in Barcelona
Castles and Palaces are mainstay attractions on any trip to Europe. What makes them great with kids? All those ramps and stairs! A good castle visit in the morning ensures a great nap in the stroller, during which we try to see a museum or enjoy a multi-course meal.
Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos:
Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is
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I wrote a guest post this week for the always fabulous Mr & Mrs Smith about what to see in Rome with kids. The article includes some of my favorite destinations and offbeat ideas about how to enjoy the city with kids, as well as some terrific hotel recommendations from Mr & Mrs Smith. If you want to feel inspired, go check it out!
About Me I'm Debbie, mother of three delicious kids and I write about traveling with little kids. That's my daughter in the backpack and my son in Paris on Halloween.
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priced at just $59.95 (that's $90 off!).
