New Mexico With Kids

Without fail, every time I mentioned our plan to visit New Mexico, the response was "Why, do you have family there?"  New Mexico has loomed large in my imagination for so long that I was shocked that so few people (at least in Seattle) had considered visiting the state.  

New Mexico has a lot going for it.  For starters, there's great food, warm weather, and one of the largest and best art markets in the country.  If you're the kind of person (like me) who is wants to experience something new on a trip, there's also a culturally diverse population with lots of opportunities to learn about Native American and Hispanic culture and truely interesting historical sites. But what truly makes New Mexico special (and what has inspired countless artists) is the beautiful natural scenery. Summer in Seattle this year has been cooler and more rainy than usual, so I have been looking forward to soaking up some sun, driving through the vast orange and yellow desert landscape, and then escaping into the relative cool of adobe buildings.

As with most trips, I rushed ahead and booked tickets without stopping to consider what we would find for the kids to do.  Wherever people live there are things for kids to do, and I don't mind taking on the extra work to manufacture activities or make museums fun in exchange for visiting the spot I have my heart set on. Still, once I started researching the details of the trip, I was thrilled to find tons of kid friendly activities that we would enjoy too!  We could have easily filled our nine day vacation with activities in and around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, but opted to add picturesque Taos to the itinerary too.

Packing the family has gotten easier as the kids get older (less diapers, less need for a midday wardrobe change), and we fit everything we needed into two carryon suitcases plus two "personal" bags.  The fact that warm weather helped a lot (with shorts and sundresses replacing pants and sweaters), but so did my instance on packing a little less on each trip. So far we have still returned from each and every trip with unused items, so I cut back a little more with each vacation. I plan to do laundry once, in the middle of the trip, and that should give us enough clean clothing to carry us through.

It is not as easy to get to New Mexico from Seattle as we would have hoped. The best route involved a connection in Phoenix and though we left home midday, we didn't arrive in Albuquerque until well after the kids bedtime.  Luckily both kids slept on the flight and were so excited to be "on an adventure" that they cooperated while we waited for our rental car and found our way into town.  

We stayed at the Casa de Suenos (house of dreams) but even at 10pm, Albuquerque was hot, and it took a while for the air conditioner in our room to cool things down enough to sleep.  The room itself was homey, and when the kids woke up the next morning, they were delighted to search the extensive grounds for fountains and grape vines.  We parents liked the reasonable price and the location, walking distance to "Old Town Albuquerque" 

I'll be sharing more of our trip this week, so please check back

Filed Under: travel-stories

5 comments | Posted on August 11, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Weekly Link Roundup: Why Travel is Important; Austin With Kids

Some weeks seem to be about quantity, this week is about quality. I hope you will enjoy these articles as much as I did.

One of the reasons we travel is to understand other cultures, I'm really enjoying this series of articles written by children in Columbia and translated into English. In each one, the author tells you what he or she thinks you should know about Columbia and his or her life.

Check out the discussion on The Perrin Post about whether international travel is the route to world peace. I shared my thoughts (in comments) on why I think travel is important for my kids as did Nancy Brown from What a Trip and Pam Mandel from Nerds Eye View. Check it out, and add your own thoughts.

Not buying the argument about how much impact travel can have on kids? Read this story by a high school student who won a Matador Travel Scholorship and spent a life-changing summer abroad.

Squat toilets are a whole different deal for women, especially with a baby in a sling. 'nuff said. If you're traveling to Japan, Russia or a developing country with a baby this is a must read.

Like many families, we sometimes travel with Grandparents (or even a babysitter) to make things easier, and give us the chance to have an occasional meal out in a nice restaurant. Orbitz's article: Tips for Making Group Travel Work serves as a good reminder about how important it is to set everyone's expectations up front about the trip. You can find our tips about Traveling with a Nanny or Grandparents here.

Rookie Moms has a great article about What to do in Austin with Kids. There's a whole week's worth of activities, and they look like so much fun I'd consider hopping on a plane right now if our summer travel schedule wasn't already so full.

1 comment | Posted on August 10, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Photo Friday: Sevilla's Alcazar with Kids

When we took the kids to Sevilla last fall, one of our top "sites to see" was the beautiful Alcazar The Alcazar was originally a Moorish fort, and served as a palace to Spain's royal family. It has been expanded several times, and with each expansion, you can see the different architectural styles of the time. Luckily, though, even during the times of Christian rule in Spain, the royal family chose to leave the original architecture in place, and the oldest part of the palace is one of the best examples of mudéjar architecture remaining today.

The kids didn't care about any of that though, what they loved was they way indoor and outdoor spaces were incorporated throughout the Alcazar with many of the courtyards using water to keep things cool. They were fascinated by the fish in some of the ponds, and the peacocks roaming in one of the courtyards. They were thrilled to see oranges growing on the trees in the garden, and entranced with the intricate designs that covered each wall. They explored the space in their own way, and if that included some joyous jumping from the steps, that was just fine with us.

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

Filed Under: museums-with-kids photo-friday things-to-do-with-kids

3 comments | Posted on August 7, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Tips for A Last Minute Getaway on a Budget

I was recently interviewed for an article on TravelMuse about Last Minute getaways. It's great article, and of course I have a few additional tips for making last minute getaways work.

Search out the Best Deal
If you have a trusted trusted travel agent they can be a great resource for information about the latest deals, but travel booking websites are a great resource too. I like the last minute getaways on LastMinute.com because they include both airfare and a hotel. Some include a rental car too. I also like TripAdvisor, Uptake, and SideStep because they let me search multiple sites to find the best deal.

Priceline, is a common recommendation for last-minute travel, but I don't recommend it for families. Priceline only guarantees a double occupancy room (one double bed or two singles). Showing up late at night to find out that the only room available has two twins and no room for a rollaway is no fun. Instead, you can use BiddingForTravel to find out what types of bids are being accepted for your destination.

Call the Hotel Directly
Once you have identified the hotel you want, and you know the going rate, it sometimes pays off to call the hotel directly. Not only can you reserve exactly the type of room you want (e.g. two queen beds or non-smoking) but sometimes with last minute reservations, you can also convince the hotel to lower the rate slightly or throw in extras like free parking or free wifi.

Find Off-Season Discounts
Off-season discounts include some cities (for example New York and Boston) as well as winter ski resorts (which often have hiking, mountain biking and other great activities for families). There are also some very good deals to be had in Las Vegas this year and on many cruises (especially re-positioning cruises)

This summer, with gas prices and airfares higher than ever, many hotels and attractions are offering discounted rates even during peak season.

If you are visiting a city, Sunday night tends to be the cheapest night of the week. A resort destination usually has the best prices midweek

Focus on Overall Price, Not one Aspect
There is so much news about high airfares and high gas prices that it can be difficult to look beyond those two costs. We try to look at the overall cost of the trip instead of focusing on one aspect of the budget.

Many hotels are offering lower rates to offset the higher cost of getting to your destination. There are still some airfare deals to be had too... my recent trip to LA to look at Unsafe Rental Car Seats was possible, in part, because I found a fare for $79 each way from Seattle.

Be creative about staying in vacation rentals, finding home-swaps, and self catering (instead of eating out for every meal). Having a kitchen and eating picnic lunches or cereal for breakfast can cut costs significantly and is actually easier for kids than being dragged through three restaurant meals each day.

The time a family spends together on vacation is precious. Being out of the house, and out of everybody's day-to-day routine helps the family connect in new ways. Five years from now the kids won't remember whether they ate mostly picnic lunches, stayed in a funky hotel instead of a five star palace, or took the bus everywhere, but the special moments you spend together are something that can last into adulthood.

Choose a few Kids Activities in Advance
I always rush at the last minute to find kids activities at our destinations, but it helps to hit the ground with at least one or two good kid-friendly activities in mind. Once you reach your destination, you can talk to other parents and find out about other local favorites.

Most guidebooks don't do a great job of providing activities (beyond listing an amusement park or water-park) so parents are often on their own. Our kid friendly city guides list activities and restaurants complete with printable maps making them easy to find. We don't cover every city yet, though, and I think websites intended for local parents, like GoCityKids are a great resource for traveling parents.

Have a Standby
Once you find something you like, it's ok to visit the same place again and again. When my husband and I feel like we just need to get out of town, we often get in the car and drive down to Portland with the kids. We love the fact that we have enough favorite restaurants and activities to hit the ground running, but there are also still new areas for us to discover. Knowing your destination can help you be more spontaneous. Our last trip to Portland was planned on the morning of our departure, and took less than an hour to organize. Everyone had a wonderful time, and we were glad to get out of town.

Filed Under: budget

3 comments | Posted on August 7, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Favorite Children's Museums and Science Museums

Lately, we've visited a lot of Children's Museums and Science Museums on our travels. The kids always seem to have a good time, but I'm finding that some are great while others are run down or filled with advertising instead of well-thought-out engaging exhibits.

I would love to know what you think... what are your favorite Children's Museums & Science Museums? Which ones don't meet the bar?

I'll start... my favorite Science Museum is OMSI in Portland (which feels disloyal since I grew up with the also fabulous Exploratorium in San Francisco). It's a fabulous space, the exhibits are fun for everyone from very young kids to adults, and there is even a decent cafeteria on site.

My least favorite Science Museum so far is the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. The building was high budget, but the many of the exhibits have paid sponsors and aren't that thrilling. The sand and water play area (which could be a lot of fun) is too high for my kids to reach. Worse yet, there are little ping-pong balls all over the place, and I'm always worried that little D will pick one up and swallow it

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

Weekly Link Roundup: SeaLife, Real Travel Writing For Women, and more

Travel Writer Chris Elliott and his kids were lucky enough to get a preview of the new SeaLife Aquarium at Legoland USA in San Diego. Check out his pictures of the new exhibit it looks like fun. I love the fact that the designers chose to feature local fish and sealife in the exhibits instead of exotic imports.

I'm loving this Huffington Post article by Kim Mance about Why travel articles targeted to women are so terrible and what's she's doing to change it. If you like what you see in this article, you should also check out Galavating, her new online magazine targeted to women.

I always love to read real-world advice from traveling parents about traveling with kids, so I was delighted to see two pices on Perceptive Travel debunking some of the advice you see in most guides about traveling with kids. Have baby. Will travel. But how? Here’s some free, highly prejudiced advice and Have Baby Will Travel Redux

When I was a kid, my parents always seemed to take us to vintage toy museums on our trips. A post on SoulTravelers3 about the Toy Museum in Sintra, Portugal, complete with pictures and even a video interview, brought back fond memories.

Here's a helpful article on traveling with an Autistic child

Thank You
Thank you to everyone who linked to our stories on Unsafe Child Seats in Rental Cars. I'm still sorting through all the comments on all the different articles, and one thing is perfectly clear... this problem isn't limited to one rental car agency or one location. Please think twice before putting your child in a rented car seat.

Several people also took the time to link to, twitter, and otherwise share the list of Women Travel Bloggers and I received lots of email from women whose work I hadn't read before asking to be added to the list. I've really enjoyed the opportunity to find out about their great blogs, and if you haven't already, it's a good time to revisit the list and see what's new.

I got a fledgling "Picture of the Week" post off the ground this week, and I want to thank Minnemom, Bloomsday-Ramblings and Travellious for joining in. I really enjoyed looking at their pictures, and I'm looking forward to seeing this feature grow each week.

After a slow start, there were some really terrific comments on All Inclusive Resorts with Toddlers. If you are considering this type of trip, check them out... there is nothing like advice from real parents.

1 comment | Posted on August 3, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Photo Friday: Umbria Picnic with Baby

When E was about one year old, we spent a week in the Umbria region of Italy. The area is dotted with ancient hilltowns, each with its own character and regional foods. One of my favorite memories, though, is the day we packed a picnic and took E out for an aimless drive. We ended up at this beautiful hilly spot, with a single picnic table. Still learning how to walk, E giggled as he tried to climb the steep hills and we ended up coated in bananas as we tried to feed our toddler at the picnic table.

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

Filed Under: photo-friday

3 comments | Posted on July 31, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Reader Questions: All Inclusive Resort With a Toddler and an Infant

I recently got this question from Felix:

My wife and I are debating taking a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in a couple of months with our infant and 3 1/2 year old daughters. Does anyone have any tips or experiences to share with me on how to handle the "all-inclusive" beach vacation with two young children?

I don't have tons of direct experience with this subject, so I'd love to see my readers weigh in. Have you traveled with kids to an all inclusive resort? What facilities did you look for? What problems did you encounter? What was great about it? Help Felix out by giving him your best advice...

21 comments | Posted on July 30, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Danger For Rent: Car Rental Agency Puts Infant at Risk

Safety is important to Barbara, so when she flew to Los Angeles with her 6 month old, she reserved a car at an agency that had made strong promises about their infant car seats. Exhausted after a long flight, she struggled for two hours to find a seat that could be installed safely in her rental car and finally drove away with what she thought was the best of the bunch... a dilapidated car seat so old that the manufacturer and California State Law both recommend that it be destroyed.

Child seats can save lives and prevent injuries. They have proven so effective that Californians are required to use them in their own cars and rental car agencies are required to provide seats in good working order to customers who request them. Most agencies charge $10 per day for the service, a hefty profit when you consider that seats can be purchased at retail for under $60 and can be used for up to five years by-law.

Even after agreeing to pay the daily rental fee, Barbara could not get the information or parts she needed to install a seat safely from Advantage Rent A Car. She repeatedly asked employees and managers for the missing parts and manuals, but the rental agency just didn't care. The on-site manager ignored her complaints, saying that liability prevented him from offering any help. Advantage Rent A Car's corporate office never responded to her letter of complaint.

This isn't the first time parents with young children were trapped at Advantage with no safe way to get to their destination. My regular readers will remember that we were confronted with a stack of dilapidated and unsafe car seats at Advantage Rental Car's San Diego location back in December. After ABC ran a story about our experience, Advantage promised that they had "performed a company-wide inspection of all ... car seats available for rental" and that "...only carseats that meet or exceed state guidelines are now available for rental". They also said that they had instituted tough new standards that would ensure it never happened again. We felt good about these changes and blogged about it. The irony is that Barbara read this story and chose to rent from Advantage because of their new safety policy. After a terrible experience and failing to get a response from Advantage, she contacted me.

Shocked to hear another story of blatant disregard for basic safety and California State Law, I flew down to Los Angeles to see for myself. Los Angeles International Airport is one of the world's busiest airports, and when I arrived, the agency was crowded with customers. Many were families with young children headed to Disneyland or Los Angeles beaches. Curious about the condition of the car seats, I asked to rent both an infant seat and a toddler seat. What I found was shocking and upsetting, especially after the company's strong promises about cleanliness and safety.

The first toddler seat I was given had been bagged as if it had been cleaned, but it was visibly soiled and covered in crumbs. I returned it to the agent, who agreed that it was filthy, and handed me another (bagged) car seat. When I opened the bag, I smelled a strong stench of vomit. The pictures I took show that the seat was visibly soiled too. Neither toddler seat had a manual or the "locking clip" that would be needed to install it in some cars.

Like Barbara, I found that none of the infant car seats had the base that is included with car seats sold in retail stores. Like many parents, Barbara had never installed a car seat without the base. Without written instructions, she followed the pictures printed on the side of the seat and installed it using the car's seatbelt. Each time she tried it, the car seat was impossible to keep level and slid around on the seat.

When Barbara did finally locate a seat with a base, it was so old that it did not even have a 5-point harness (standard on every car-seat sold by Babies R Us and other retail stores), but at least she could install it snugly in the car. She was shocked to find out later that it had been manufactured in 2000. California law mandates that it should have been retired in 2005.

The infant car seat I rented was newer. Only two years old, it was nonetheless filthy and missing original parts. A bracket stuck out where a sun canopy used to be attached. Though the car seat had clearly been used with a base (which would have included the latch belt recommended by most safety experts) the base was nowhere to be found. The manual and locking clip were missing too, and though I sincerely tried to install the car seat safely with what was available at Advantage, I ultimately failed. Like Barbara, I asked repeatedly for manuals and was told that they were not available (most car seat manufacturers make manuals available on their websites, and Advantage's internal guidelines tell employees to print a new manual for the customer if the original is lost). A quick search through the other car seats available showed that most were in similar condition, though I was able to find two that still had their manuals.

I finally told two different employees that I would put my daughter in the loosely installed seat, drive to the store to buy a new one, and return the car seat for a refund. Not only were they not upset that their equipment would put my daughter at risk, they gave me directions to a nearby store!

When I returned the car, I spoke to the assistant manager. She told me that I must not be installing the seat correctly and insisted that it could be installed securely without the missing base. When I asked her for information on how to do it, she walked away saying that my money would be refunded. I'm glad that I didn't have a tired infant with me like Barbara did, after two hours of failed attempts to safely install a car seat, a callous response like that would have left us both in tears.

Last week, I contacted the Head of Customer Service at Advantage Rent A Car and told her what I found. She sincerely apologized, saying that she thought they had addressed the problem and was as dismayed as I was to hear otherwise. She stated that she would follow up with the managers responsible for the Los Angeles location.

Please Spread The Word
I don't want any more parents to show up at a rental car location and feel trapped with no safe way to get where they are going. This is truly a topic where the network of parents can use the Internet and social media to spread the word faster and better than ever before. Help me get the word out to parents who don't know about the risk of renting a car seat. Tell your friends about it, and if you have a blog of your own, please share this story with your readers. During the coming weeks, I will follow-up with a few more stories on this... from my visits to other rental car agencies to stories from other parents. If you would like an interview or guest article on this subject, let me know and I will do my best to fill every request.

Related Links
Our December 2007 story on Advantage Rent-A-Car's Unsafe Car Seats
California State Law for Child Restraint Systems at Rental Car Agencies
Carseat.org information for parents and practitioners
DeliciousBaby: Safety Tips for Renting a Carseat
DeliciousBaby: Tips for Flying With Car Seats and Renting Car Seats

Filed Under: car-seat carseat safety

40 comments | Posted on July 27, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

Safety Tips for Renting A Carseat

Never rent a car seat, say carseat experts. But there are times when you cannot bring your own child safety seat. When that happens, you'll want to take special care to make sure your seat is as safe as possible. I've searched the web, talked with car seat techs, and visited a several rental agencies myself to put together these safety tips for renting a car seat. Please suggest others in the comments.

Before You Go

• Call ahead: Verify that the company will have a safe, clean seat available when you arrive. Ask them what their policy is on the age of rentals and whether the seats are inspected regularly for safety. If you will need help, ask whether there is a trained car-seat tech on site.
• Know the Basics: Most agencies will not help you install a car seat for liability reasons, so if you have never installed a car seat before, learn how before you go.
• Know The Law: Car seat laws vary state-by-state within the US and are different internationally too. Make sure you know the law at your destination.
• Don't Go "Off-Airport": Try to reserve with an "on site" agency. That way if you run into problems, you'll be able to walk to another agency and try again.

At the Airport

Have one parent wait at the airport with the kids while the other retrieves the car seat. When the rental agency is off-site there usually isn't a place to get the kids a drink or snack while you are waiting in line and installing seats. Also, if you run into problems, you'll feel less trapped if you don't have to load the whole family back in a shuttle and find another agency.

At The Agency

Don't assume that someone at the agency has inspected the seats to make sure they are safe. Looking over the seat yourself takes only a few minutes and could mean the difference between an unsafe seat and one that is in good condition.

• Inspect the Seat: Look for any evidence of cracking, twisting, worn harness webbing or broken buckles or other distress. Latch the seatbelt buckles and pull hard to make sure that they do not detach.
• Look for Latch: All carseats should have a "built-in" latch belt, and latch is the preferred way to install any seat.
• Check the Expiration Date: Find the "manufacture date" label on the side or back of the seat. To be on the safe side, don't use a seat that is older than 5 years. Most seats also have an "expiration date" stamped into the seat's plastic shell.
• Check The Size: Most car seats have height and weight information printed on the side. Make sure that the car seat is the right size to seat your child.
• Get the Manual: The car seat manual will help you install and use the seat properly. Most agencies attach the manual to the seat in a waterproof pouch, but some store them separately. If a manual is not available, you can ask the agency to download one from the manufacturer's website.
• Don't Be Shy: If the first seat you are given does not have a manual or is not in good condition, don't be afraid to ask for another one. In some cases you will be able to go in the storage room and choose your own. Look for seats that look newer (sometimes they are at the bottom of a pile or the back of the room).
• Check for recalls: Call the manufacturer or contact the Auto Safety Hotline at 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
• Get Help From The Right Person: Ask whether there is a certified car seat technician on site to help you install the seat safely. Don't assume that other employees will have the proper training to install your child's seat correctly.

Infant Car Seat Rentals

Infant seat rentals seem to be especially tricky because most agencies don't include the car seat base that parents usually use at home. To make matters worse, it's very difficult to install an infant seat snugly without the base.

• Don't Expect a Base: Most agencies I visited rent infant car seats without a base. If you have never installed an infant seat without its base before, make sure to review the manual for instructions. Also note that without the base, you will need to re-install the sat each time it is removed from the car.
• Look For Latch: Baseless car seat should include a latch belt (if not, it is missing part of its "original equipment")
• Bring a Level and a Towel: In many cars, a baseless car seat cannot be installed securely unless you use something to level and support the foot of the seat. Most manufacturers recommend using a rolled up towel and many car seat technicians recommend using a "pool noodle" as an alternative. Few car rental agencies provide these devices, so you may want to bring your own.
• Try a Toddler Seat:: If you cannot securely install the infant car securely, consider renting a convertible toddler seat instead. Most can be installed rear-facing and many are designed to seat infants as small as five pounds. Be sure to check the manufacturers instructions to make sure the seat will fit your child.
• Don't Wedge the Seat: Some agencies recommend that you scoot the front seat back until it hits the infant seat, wedging it between the front and back seats and therefore securing it a little more snugly. Car Seat manufacturers disagree on whether it is safe for the front seat to touch the child seat (some recommend that there be a few inches of clearance between the infant seat and the front seat), so check the manual. Using the front seat alone to level the seat seems risky though (especially if the driver or passenger adjusts their seat), so make sure that you follow the manufacturers instructions instead.

If You Can't Find a Safe Seat

• Visit another agency
• Send one parent to a nearby store to buy a carseat. You can often buy new for around $40.
• Call a baby rental gear company
• Call the local police station (in some cities they have seats on hand)
• Have one parent visit a local store, pick up a car seat, and return to the airport (Target, WallMart, BabiesRUs, and mall stores like BabyStyle or The Right Start)

Document What You Find

If you do find that the agency is renting unsafe seats, don't just walk away angry. Let the manager know what you found and ask that they remove any unsafe seata. Take a few moments to document what you find. You'll have more success complaining to customer service if you have:

• The model # and manufacture date of the seat (usually on a sticker attached to the bottom or back of the seat)
• A picture of any damage, or if you don't have a camera, a clear written description
• If the seat is marked with the agency's name, a photo of the marking.
• Write down the name of the agent or manager you spoke to and notes about what they told you
• It's helpful to have the dates of your rental and your confirmation number too

Filed Under: car-seat carseat safety travel-tips

7 comments | Posted on July 27, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us