7 Family Travel Ideas for Fall That Won't Break The Bank

As kids head back to school this week, the Fall travel season also officially begins. Autumn's pleasant weather makes it my favorite time of year to travel, but there are some other benefits too: destinations are less crowded and prices are usually lower than they are during Summer and Winter holidays.

We have a few plans of our own, five days in Chicago with my mom and the kids, a jaunt to Sonoma for a friend's wedding, and Thanksgiving with my brother's family in San Diego. (And of course I'll share all those experiences here). I'm still thinking about a longer trip later in the fall or in early winter, and I thought I'd share some of the ideas I'm pondering:

1. Fall Colors
   A trip to see the fall leaves in Vermont is the classic fall road trip, but you don't necessarily need to get in an airplane to see the fall colors. Here in Washington, we head to the Cascade mountains when it starts to get cold, and almost any of California's mountain towns have beautiful fall leaves too. For ideas in your state Google the state name followed by "fall leaves." For example, "New Mexico fall leaves."
2. Big Cities
   Hotels in major cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco offer great fall deals. For example, I just booked a centrally located four-star hotel in Chicago for just $157.50 per night. By waiting until fall to visit Chicago, I'll not only miss the summer heat and crowds, but the arts season will be back in full swing.
3. National Parks
   When I was a child, my family visited Yosemite National Park the week after Labor Day every year. The park was pleasantly quiet (especially when compared with the summer rush), but the weather was still warm during the day. Yosemite isn't alone. Any National Park makes a great post-Labor day retreat. For parents of young kids, the heat's retreat means you won't get all sticky hiking with baby backpack or toting a toddler whose legs refuse to carry him any further. Best of all, the competition for camping spots and hotel rooms is lower than in the summer months.
4. Repositioning Cruises
   Now is the best time to book an inexpensive cruise. In the Fall, the cruise lines move their big ships from summer destinations to winter ones. (They move them back in the Spring). The itineraries are out of the ordinary, filled with island visits along the route from the boat's summer home to its winter home, and costs can be as low as $60 per day. A repositioning cruise is perfect if your main concern is booking a ship with lots of kids activities and you don't have your heart set on a classic itinerary. This article on Arthur Frommer's blog is a great place to learn more about Repositioning Cruises
5. Europe
   Airfares to Europe usually drop in the fall, and this year they are expected to be about 20% lower than last year. Fall and early winter are also great times to get discounted rates on furnished vacation rentals. Thanksgiving dinner in Paris won't include turkey, but it will certainly be memorable and delicious.
6. Amusement Parks
   If you're looking for a more typical kid-friendly vacation, you can expect to find great discounts at the amusement parks. For example DisneyLand and Disney World both have fall resort packages that help offset the recent ticket price increases. Great Wolf Lodge also has fall offers as do many other kid-focused resorts and amusement parks. Look close to home too as many parks offer "locals only" discounts during the fall and winter months.
7. Skip Fall. Plan a Winter Holiday
   For families who don't celebrate Christmas, a Christmas-week getaway offers fewer tourists and lower prices than the rest of the busy winter-break season. Airfares and resort rates are both reduced during this time (with the resorts beginning to fill up again on the 26th). For those who do celebrate Christmas, consider celebrating in a country like Mexico, Spain or Italy where festivities take over entire cities. Masses are generally open to travelers, and a Christmas Mass in a beautiful old church would be an especially beautiful memory for parents and children alike.

Where Not To Go? I'll add one word of caution. Many resort destinations have great deals this time of year, but be sure to check your guidebook for seasonal weather information. Fall is hurricane season in many areas (for example Hawaii and the Bahamas). While you are unlikely to experience a hurricane, you might want to consider a different choice if heavy rain would "ruin" your vacation.

If you are planning to visit an all inclusive resort, call ahead to make sure that the kids activities you are counting on will be available during the quiet fall season.

3 comments | Posted on September 1, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Weekly Link Roundup: Backpacking, Family Travel Ideas, Eating Out With Kids

Wondering whether you'll ever get to camp or go backpacking again? Here's a lovely story about a Family's First Backpacking Trip With the Kids in California's Sierra Nevadas.

Didn't read enough travel horror stories last week? Here's a funny article about 5 Things I Learned When My Daughter Threw Up on a Plane. E threw up on me when he was about 8 months old, and while I won't share all the gory details, I will say that there are some great tips in this article.

Looking for some new travel ideas? Nancy Brown posted a few interesting family travel ideas this week, including a story about a family who visited Italy's Amalfi Coast together, a school trip to the Galapagos Islands, and a great hotel recommendation in Oregon. The TravelingMamas have some offbeat ideas for kids around denver with Tiny Town and the Big Blue Bear. You can find something fun to do with kids even in Iowa. Check out Minnemom's story about Dancing Tractors Are those ideas too offbeat? The first indoor legoland in North America just opened in Chicago

Once you are at your destination, you have to eat, and it's no secret that eating three meals a day in restaraunts with kids can be tricky. Backpack to Buggy, published some good tips about how to eat out with a toddler. You might also want to check one of my favorite posts on this topic, TastingMenu.com's Eating Out with Young Children or our own guide to Eating on a family vacation

4 comments | Posted on August 31, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Photo Friday: Rome's Churches with a Toddler

On my prior trips to Rome, the huge churches made me feel very small, but there's nothing like revisiting a place with a one-year-old to totally change your perspective. At each new church, E looked up at the beautiful ceilings and the splendor of the golden alters for only a few moments before he focused in on the marble floors. We spent our visits exploring the different textures, following the lines and patterns in the marble, and occasionally finding our way to a bench that enabled him to cruise along independently.

Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos:
Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is more Information about Photo Friday

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8 comments | Posted on August 28, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Book Review: Airport by Byron Barton

I love reading to my kids, and part of what keeps it fun for me (especially after the 200th reading) is finding books that I think are interesting and engaging too. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite travel related books here.

This book is from my personal collection and I do not accept paid reviews. From time to time, I might choose to review a book that a publisher has offered me, but I will always let you know when that happens.

When E and D were younger, one of our favorite books to bring on Airplane rides was Airplanes, by Byron Barton. As they grew older, the simple pictures and story line were no longer engaging enough to warrent carrying the thick board book, and we discovered the more grown up version... Airport, also by Byron Barton.

Like Airplanes, the storyline is simple, and the pictures are bright and engaging. The book aims to show everything that kids might be curious about (though, sadly, it omits a picture of airport security). It starts with the journey to the airport in a bus or car, continues with baggage check, the waiting area and boarding, until finally the plane takes off. My kids are particularly fascinated by a cutaway picture of an airplane showing the cargo hold, fuel tanks, the gally and the cockpit. They also love pictures of the parts of the airport they normally don't see, like inside the cockpit or the inside the control tower. The sweetest thing, for me though, is that E has made up a tune to go along with this book. When I ask him to read it to D, he sits down next to her and turns the pages... singing each one.

This book would be a great choice to help a toddler prepare for a first airplane ride, or for a child who is fascinated by airplanes.

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1 comment | Posted on August 28, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

New Mexico With Kids: A Visit to Taos Pueblo

When we planned this trip, we thought it was about scenery, artwork, and a little bit of history. Now that we're here, our kids have developed their own theme. They are fascinated with different ways of living. Through a reconstructed agricultural village, the "Mountain Man" Festival and an overview of different Indian Pueblos they've been most interested in homes and in everyday items they could relate to. So today's outing, a trip to Taos Pueblo turned out to be a hilight for all of us.

Taos Pueblo, just outside the city of Taos is an ancient Native American town that has been lived in continuously for 1000 years. It also a UNESCO world heritage site, and everything is maintained according to the community's traditions. Houses have no electricity or plumbing, so today most people live in modern houses outside the walls, occupying their ancestral homes for ceremonies only. The first thing the kids noticed, though, was the dogs roaming free and lounging in the sun. D wandered a bit, wanting to greet each one personally, but we gradually steered both kids towards the Pueblo entrance.

Taos Pueblo is made entirely of Adobe, and with no modern signs or non-adobe structures in site, it's easy to feel like you have entered a very different time and place. There's a noticible difference in teperature along the river bed, and one even a short visit you start to understand first-hand why civilization sprung up along waterways. Each of the two huge pueblo buildings is made up of separate homes, built side-by-side and sharing walls (but not entrances). In spots, the buildings are up to five stories tall, and some are entered only by climbing ladders on the outsides of the buildings.

Though there is a suggested walking tour, we wandered at our whim through the Pueblo. Many residents have set up shop in their homes, selling traditional arts or food. Our first stop was a drum shop, and after a warm greeting from the owner, our kids happily explored the sounds made by each of the different sized drums. Each drum was handmade out of a hollowed out cottonwood tree trunk and covered in cured elk hide. As we continued on our walk, we found other homes selling pottery, clay scuptures, and other traditional artworks. D was fascinated by the a clay workshop in one home, and the idea that the owner had made the scuptures out of "playdough" and then painted them. E loved the way the houses were "stacked" and wandered endlessly with his dad, searching for ladders.

A high-point for the kids, though were two riverside snack stops. At the first stop we bought bread that had been baked in a traditional wood-fired adobe oven. The kids have seen the ovens, called hornos, everywhere, and they were excited to eat something baked in one. As they ate, a few friendly dogs stopped by to pick up the crumbs. For D, that only made the scene more magical.

We sat in the shade, by the riverside and talked for a while with the baker. She has lived and worked in the city of Taos for years, but recently moved back to her traditional family home to save expenses and return to her roots. Life is both simpler, and more difficult. Like all the homes in the Pueblo, her home has no running water, and she rises early each morning to draw water from the river and bake bread to sell. She bathes in the river, and makes a trip into town on laundry day. Having grown up in this home, she told us that she now understands better the work her mom did every day with no electric appliances or running water to ease her workload. She's winnowed down her own possesesions too, finding that without the electricity she doesn't need so many gadgets, and knicknacks. For her, though, the ability to live, work and eat without worrying about electric bills, rent and taxes makes the hardship worthwhile.

A bit later, we bought some fry bread and took it to another grassy riverside spot. For me, the warm honey-drenched fried bread alone would be a reason to visit the Pueblo. The kids loved sitting in the cool grass to eat instead a restaraunt or hard park bench. E was delighted when a local 4 year old came up to play and "fish" with a stick and string along the river's edge. Like many city parents, we keep a fairly close watch on our kids when we are out of the house, and it was refreshing to watch the boy play freely in the open space. In view of his mom, but out of arms reach, he could search for snakes and imagine the fish he would catch to his heart's content. This was a great reminder for me that I need to find more spaces where my kids can explore without me getting in their way.

I need a little space for myself too. We have visited a record number of sites on this trip. For the first time since E was born, our ability to explore is as limited by our own energy as by the kids' attentions span (I'll add that to my list of "good problems to have"). The limited time we allowed for this trip also meant that we moved faster and visited more cities in less time than we usually do. As we settled into our cozy beds on our first night in Taos, I realized that the time has come to slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery and the company of my family instead of rushing from site to site. Today, we returned to the hotel for naptime instead of exploring Taos with D asleep in the stroller.

Touring the hotel grounds with E while D napped in the room wasn't exactly an enlightening cultural experience, but the rare one-on-one time was just what the doctor ordered for both of us. We picked up an apple from the gym and then cuddled on a lounge chair by the pool while E snacked. We found the game room, and I realized that E had never seen a pool table before. Too short to shoot on his own, he was thrilled to watch me hit the balls with a cueue and made a great pool partner, rolling each ball into a pocket after I hit it and laughing hysterically any time I hit the cueue ball into a pocket. Finally, after we'd exhausted the waterfalls, the koi ponds, the pool and the game room, we decided to get a snack at the "fancy restaraunt." I got a few looks as I walked in, but I knew that after so much activity and attention, E would be on his very best behavior, and he was. He was thrilled to get a big glass of undiluted Apple Juice (a rare treat at home) and cuddle on my lap until my husband called to say that D was awake.

The rest of the trip passed ueventfully, we explored Taos with more of a mind towards relaxation than discovery, we returned to Twirl's playground a few more times, and my husband had time to shoot some photos. All in all we had a wonderful trip. Sure, there were moments when we wished we had the freedom to explore Santa Fe's art galleries unencumbered or enjoy a nice dinner together, but it was amazing to see E's developing sense of exploration take hold and to watch both kids discover new places, people and things to do. Even after factoring in every moment of insane toddler behavior, I wouldn't trade this trip for anything, and I certainly wouldn't trade it for staying home.

Filed Under: travel-stories

3 comments | Posted on August 27, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

What Should I do in Chicago?

In a couple of weeks, my mom and I will take the kids to Chicago for 5 days. I've wanted to go for years, but never seemed to have time available in the fall or spring.

I feel like I already have a head start with the great suggestions from the guest post that Minnemom wrote recently about Things to do in Chicago With Kids and the recommendations readers entered in our City Guide to Chicago With Kids, but of course I want more!

8 comments | Posted on August 25, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

New Mexico With Kids: Santa Fe and Taos

When we planned this trip, we thought that the kids' tolerance for museums would lessen as the trip wore on. In reality, they've gotten better and better at finding ways to have fun in the museums while we've gotten increasingly burned out. Still, our tour through Santa Fe's Palace of the Governors was interesting and informative. We learned more about the history of this region and its role in trade with the West Coast. The kids enjoyed the various artifacts, but what really fascinated them were the trap doors in the floor and the hobby horses the staff gave them to "ride" through the frontier history exhibits.

The Santa Fe's plaza hosted art or music events during every day of our visit, and today we were particularly happy to see food stands set up along the edge of the Plaza. With the drive from Santa Fe to Taos ahead of us, the last thing we wanted to do was coop the kids up at a restaurant table. I'm a fan of food stands too... once you look past the hot dog stands and burgers, there is often an opportunity to try good local food that's less fussy than restaurant fare. Today was no different, after picking up a couple of those hot dogs for the kids I bought a greasy, spicy and delicious chicharrones burrito for myself. We all sat on a bench at the edge of the Plaza and watched people walk by as we feasted on our impromptu meal.

After lunch, we were off for one last run through the Labyrinth at St Francis Cathedral and into the car. E cried knowing that we were leaving Santa Fe and wouldn't be back any time soon. This was the first time we've seen such an emotional response from him. Usually he's just in each trip for the adventure, and happy just to be out and about, but he's starting to really connect with each of the places we visit, and he's starting to realize that each place has its own special features that cannot be found anywhere else. The two of us had a long (and mostly one sided) discussion in the car about how travel is wonderful because we get to experience so many new things, but also difficult because it is so hard to let go of each one. We talked about how we'll keep re-experiencing the trip through our our memories, stories, pictures and videos... and that idea seemed to really make sense to him.

The ride from Santa Fe to Taos was predictably beautiful, but what continues to surprise me is how living and vibrant this desert is. The landscape is dotted with low greenery and the occasional tree, and every time we leave the car we see small animals running at the roadside. It's a far cry from the New Mexico I pictured after watching movies about Los Alamos Labs in which military vehicles stream across a dusty, dry and desolate desert.

Despite our feelings about the bomb itself, my husband and I have always been fascinated by the group of scientists that gathered at Los Alamos to work on the first Nuclear Bomb. (A funny and fascinating book about this time is Richard Feynman's Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) ) My husband decided it would be interesting to detour to Los Alamos, so he and E stopped in at Los Alamos National Labs - Bradbury Science Museum while D napped in the car (and I did some reading). E enjoyed the break, and had fun in the science museum, though P said that the museum was a little too propaganda-heavy for his liking.

As we hit the edge of Taos about an hour before dinnertime, I realized that heading straight to the hotel would mean forgoing any kids activities until after dinner. We did a quick re-direct, and headed to Twirl, a local toystore with a huge outdoor play area. We have such wonderful independent toy stores in Seattle that I'm difficult to impress when we travel, but Twirl knocked my socks off. The outdoor playspace was so engaging that I never did convince D to go into the toy store with me. Instead, she played in a kid-sized stream, climbed and bounced on a huge climbing structure, played in a treehouse, dug in the sand and banged on a huge xylophone. P and I sat in the shade and relaxed, and I used Taos Plaza's free wifi to catch up on work. On weekdays, there's a kid friendly snack bar too, serving healthy snacks like baby carrots, apples, granola bars and more. The toy store specializes in toys, games, puzzles and crafts that you won't find in "big-box" toy stores like Toys-R-Us. Every item is hand selected, and I saw lots of my favorite brands (like Playmobil) alongside handmade clothing and toys from local crafters. Twirl was a fantastic find, and we were happy to make the $2 recommended "donation" to keep the playspace going.

We had dinner at Orlando's a popular local restaurant featuring classic New Mexican dishes. The kids loved the graveled outdoor patio, and sat (reasonably) quietly watching the other diners and snacking on chips and guacamole while we waited for our food. The "Frito Pie" (a local specialty) begged to be ordered, so I gave it a try. That makes two non-heart-healthy dishes in a single day, but after-all I'm on vacation. Frito Pie is a casserole-like dish made with chili, fresh tomatoes, and of course a hearty topping of crunchy Fritos. Orlando's rendition was hearty and satisfying, but the fresh tomatoes and onions made it light enough for even a hot day.

Finally satisfied that our day was complete, we checked in at our hotel, the El Monte Sagrado. When I booked the Monte Sagrado, a bargain rate, and difficulty finding rooms at my other top choices lured me into an end-of-vacation splurge. The Monte Sagrado isn't just the nicest hotel in town, it's meant to be a destination resort, an effort that seems somewhat successful. The lush grounds, complete with toddler-enticing waterfalls and fish ponds weren't enough to keep us in the hotel all day, but they did provide a welcome retreat for D's midday nap the next day. We found ourselves lounging around longer in the mornings and returning a little earlier in the evening too. Our room was spacious and we liked the hip-upscale interpretation of New Mexican decor (each room is decorated around a theme). The quiet and seclusion did us all some good, and P and I loved this little bit of luxury at the end of our trip.

Filed Under: travel-stories

0 comments | Posted on August 24, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Favorite Travel Stories: Airline Fees, Travel Gone Wrong, September Discounts

Airline Fees
Lately, "what's the next airline fee" is a popular question on on many of the blogs I read. You can read Wendy Perrin's thoughts (and mine) at What's the next airline fee and some unfortunate reality in this article: Air Canada Starts Charging Parents for Strollers and Car Seats It's important to read your airline's checked baggage policy before you book, so that you understand the total cost of your trip up front. We also like to avoid checking bags altogether when we can, and for our recent 9 day trip to New Mexico, we traveled with two carryon bags plus two personal items & no checked bags. Not only did we save the baggage fees (which would have added $60 to the total cost of our trip) but we avoided the wait at the baggage carousel and the risk of lost bags.

Horror Stories
Sometimes I worry that in my enthusiasm for travel, and my desire to inspire people to travel with their kids, I paint to rosy a picture of traveling with kids. It's no secret that there are days when it's practically impossible to get to through grocery store with my two kids, and of course there I don't have any meltown-averting incantations to use when we travel. Here are three great stories about trips temporarily gone wrong: Queen of Spain's Preschooler Thwarts TSA, Film at 11, Minnemom's Renaissance Festival on a Budget (or not) and SoulTravelers3 Crazy Travel Challenges

Offbeat Vacation Ideas
Two things I always love are a) offbeat vacations with kids and b) learning by doing instead of telling, so I was inspired by this story about Rafting the Lower Salmon River in Idaho with Kids Even Vegas with kids can be offbeat if you know where to go. The "Four Go Round The World" family stops off in Las Vegas for a few days, and finds great bargains and plenty of kid-friendly entertainment. In more offbeat travel news, it is corn maze time in many agricultural areas. I've never heard of this before, but it sounds like fun.

News
WestJet got a lot of negative press for (repeatedly) asking a mom to cover up while breastfeeding on a plane. The woman says that she was nursing discreetly, and the only people seated next to were her husband and daughter, so it's difficult to understand why the flight attendant felt compelled to insist that she cover up. This is a sensitive issue though, and if you are planning to travel with a nursing child, you may want to read our tips for nursing and pumping on an airplane

Rome is one of the most baby-friendly places we've visited but the lack of kid-centered attractions has long kept some families from visiting. Now officials want to build a Roman theme park modeled on Euro-Disney outside Paris. Here's my advice: there's no need to wait, Rome's piazzas, welcoming residents and kid-friendly food make it a great destination now. In fact, fares are as low as $599 Round-Trip from New York

September Discounts
September is a great time to travel with young kids. Older kids are back to school, so attractions are less crowded, but the weather is still good. We have our own short trip to Chicago planned this month, and I'm finding some great deals on hotels! MSNBC has a roundup of some other deals targeted at families with preschoolers

4 comments | Posted on August 22, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Photo Friday: New York Met with Newborn

Like most new moms, I felt trapped at home when E was a newborn. My mind works a little differently than most, though. I reasoned that if I were in New York with the baby I would be able to get out and about more easily than if I were trapped in my home trying to make carseats and naptime work in concert.

E did great on his first cross-country flight, a red-eye, though I didn't sleep a wink until we landed and checked into the hotel. When I look at this picture now, I see a mom who is absolutely exhausted, but happy.

Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos:
Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is more Information about Photo Friday

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6 comments | Posted on August 21, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

What Makes a Hotel Family Friendly?

It seems like almost every hotel claims to be "family friendly," but each has it's own idea about what that means... and sometimes that's different than my idea, for example, I'm sure my kids would love the bedtime cookies some hotels offer, but that's the last thing I need when I'm trying to wind them down for the day. Perhaps the sugar rush isn't as big a deal for parents with older kids though...

What makes a hotel "family friendly" for you? I'll start:

• A spacious room, preferably with a separate sitting area
• A refrigerator that allows me to stash a few snack items without getting charged a fortune for removing the 7-up
• A coffee shop in the lobby or nearby where I can grab some milk or a quick breakfast snack
• Free Wi-Fi so that I can get a little work done once the kids are asleep
• Thick Walls!

What are your favorite family friendly hotel features? Have you had an experience where the hotel staff went above and beyond the call of duty to make your stay with kids great? Let me know in comments.

8 comments | Posted on August 21, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us