My earliest experiences exploring a major city were in San Francisco. I grew up about 20 minutes south of San Francisco. On weekends, my parents would often take us up to "the city" to explore attractions like the Steinhart Aquarium, Chinatown and the Exploratorium. As we got older, the excursions included eating "exotic" new foods at Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Vietnamese, and Russian restaurants. It was a great feeling to return "the city" this week with my two kids to rediscover San Francisco.
Our first stop was the recently restored Ferry Building The ferry building marketplace is the center of a transit hub that connects all of San Francisco's neighborhoods and the surrounding bay communities (perfect for our transit loving toddler) It's also a marketplace for specialty food producers, restaurants and cafes, and food-related shopping. We grazed our way through the building (what child wouldn't want to snack at a chocolate shop, a cheese shop, and more) and devoured some delicious sandwiches at
Mastrelli's Delicatessen. The beautiful Saturday Farmer's market was just closing up out back, and we let the kids run for a while we browsed beautiful local produce and gourmet meats. What a great way to unwind and recharge after our plane flight!
It was cold and threatening rain, so we decided to save a ferry ride for another trip, and instead took a short streetcar ride to
Pier 39. While everyone knows about San Francisco's hill-climbing
Cable Cars, most are not as familiar with its
historic streetcar system . The electric rail vehicles serve Market street and the waterfront… a perfect route for tourists. Cars were taken from historic streetcar lines around the world. We rode a beautiful Italian car from Milan complete with "Uscita" (exit) signs over the doors for our short ride to Pier 39, and of course the kids loved every minute.
Pier 39 would normally be too touristy for me, but with the kids it was fun to relive my memories of awe at fire juggling, cotton candy, and the opportunity to look for a pearl in an oyster. Little D was entranced with the stairs and ramps, running back and forth to visit them all as we slowly made our way to the pier overlooking the sea lion filled docks. Every winter, hundreds of Sea Lions winter at Pier 39, slumbering, swimming, and lumbering around the docks. We have few opportunities to see animals more exotic than squirrels and birds in their natural habitat at home, and the kids were totally entranced, wanting to watch the sea lions from both the upper and lower viewing decks and mimicking their sounds.
We finished the day with a great dinner at
Shanghai 31, an upscale (but authentic) Chinese restaurant. They accommodated our tired kids with grace, keeping hot dishes away from them, rushing out noodles and steamed rice, and not flinching as D insisted on climbing the steep staircase at the entrance for the 100th time.
Related Links:
San Francisco Family Travel Guide
Planning a Day on Your Family Vacation
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Posted on February 1, 2008 |
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Here's a picture of baby E at 6 months old sleeping in a British Airways Baby Bassinet. We're on our way to Paris, our first international trip with baby. E slept quite well in this cozy little box with the soothing hum of the airplane in the background.
The cot can be used only in a bulkhead row, and only once the flight is airborne. For older kids, the airline provides a seatlike contraption for baby to sleep in.
Related Links:
Flying With Babies, Toddlers and Kids
Paris Family Travel Guide,
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Posted on January 31, 2008 |
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We're back from our trip to San Francisco safe and sound. Unfortunately both kids got sick as soon as we returned home (if they were a little older, I'd think they were avoiding school)
I'm a little behind in writing up our experiences, but we have some great stories to tell as well as some very exciting news that I expect to announce next week!
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Posted on January 31, 2008 |
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Anyone who has met E knows how fascinated he is by doors. He loves to open and close any kind of door, and we often have to wait while he opens doors for strangers, watches automatic doors close after us, or figures out how a lock works. In school the teacher has appointed him “door monitor”… smart teacher, he’d be there opening the door anyway & now that it’s his “job” the other kids don’t tousle for a turn. In Barcelona, he was so obsessed with all the keys needed to get into our apartment that we finally went to a locksmith and bought him a key blank of his own.
So today, when E found the emergency information for our airplane, complete with pictures of all the exits and details on how to open each one, he was obsessed. P had to read the card to him over and over, pointing to the exits that each picture referred to and describing all the scenarios (landing on water, landing on the ground, etc).
Better yet, when we checked into the hotel tonight, the (very friendly) receptionist gave him his very own room key. We rigged things so that he could open the room door himself, and he could not possibly have been more proud.
People like to joke that my son has a fine future ahead of him as a doorman. I’m cool with that, a good doorperson in Manhattan gets to meet lots of fascinating people and can make upwards of 100k per year. I’m just hoping he’ll get a family discount at that fabulous Manhattan hotel for his mom.
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Posted on January 28, 2008 |
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I challenge myself to do something new (and ideally better) on each trip with the kids. For this trip, I challenged myself to pack only carry-on baggage. We’ve always tried to travel light (whatever that means for a family of four with two kids in diapers) but this time I wanted to avoid the whole bag check/baggage claim mess altogether.
Planning for the torrential rains in SF this week made things a little more difficult. We needed rain gear, sweaters, and extra clothing in case anyone got soaked. I'm happy to report that I fit everything we needed for the kids and me into one rolling bag plus the large purse I normally use as my carry-on. P packed his carry-on with his stuff and a few odds and ends for the kids (sippy cups, snacks, etc) that didn’t quite fit. We'll event have a little extra space on the return flight once all those diapers are used up.
What a great feeling! For the first time since D was born, we breezed through the airport and were in the city in record time.
Related Links
Packing Light with Babies, Toddlers, and Kids
Packing Lists for Families with Babies, Toddlers and Kids
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Posted on January 28, 2008 |
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Spring and summer travel planning is starting already, and there are some helpful articles this week.
There's a great post on Rookie Moms this week on spending A Week in Portland with Baby. If the article inspires you, check out our Portland City Guide too. Portland is such a kid friendly city, we're excited to make a few more trips there once the weather warms up. (Portland's Jamison Park wading pool pictured)
Gadling has a great article, Winter Road Trip Safety: Create A Car Kit and Stay Safe. I've finally got a good emergency kit to keep in my suitcase. This is what I need to do next.
A great article by Aliza Sherman Risdal about how to make
business travel with baby work.
The Orbitz Travel Blog has a nice article about a
family spring break in Puerto Vallarta. It's been freezing in Seattle this week, and the idea of escaping to the sun (instead of foggy San Francisco) sounds wonderful!
Travel + Baby = Toronto offers a great roundup of things to do in Toronto with baby. While you're visitin the site, check out their beautiful baby slings.
Frommers offers tips on buying discounted advance tickets to shows and sporting events when you travel
Smart Traveler Uses Internet to Buy Reduced Price Tickets
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Posted on January 25, 2008 |
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When we were in Rome, our morning ritual was to walk down to the Campo di Fiori market and stop in at the "Forno" (literally translated as "oven," the Forno is the neighborhood bakery).
After a few days, everyone knew us, and would present E with a piece of pizza as soon as we walked in the door. E was suspicious for the first few days, but quickly figured out the magic of Italian pizza and urgently dragged us through the market each day to the bakery. No stopping for fresh fruit or anything else until he had his pizza in hand.
Rome with Kids City Guide
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Posted on January 24, 2008 |
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I received this question from Jenny, who lives in China with her 3 month old baby.
Hi! This website is great as my husband and I are expats living in China right now and just had a baby 3 months ago. We love travelling and hoped to keep travelling even with our new son, but our friends told us it was almost impossible. We are planning on returning home to Hawaii for a month in February and I'm really worried about the jet lag. Currently he is on a great schedule, sleeping 11 hours a night and I'm so scared to ruin it all! My question is if he wakes up in the middle of night to eat and I've fed him following his usual 4 hour schedule during the day, should I feed him again at night? Even though I know he's eaten enough during the day? Will that cause him to set himself on a new schedule to eat during the night? Thanks so much for the info and your great site!
Here is my response:
Wow, a 3 month old who sleeps 11 hours at night! You are a lucky mom.
You should set your expectations now that your son will wake up hungry the first few nights (frankly, I wake up hungry the first few nights when we travel) It's ok to feed him if he's hungry. If you're worried that he's getting too used to the night waking, you can start to cut back gradually after a few nights. Every child is different, and I'm betting that you'll figure out what feels like the right pace for him.
Most likely he'll gradually adjust his sleeping and eating on his own (especially since he is such a good sleeper). Take him outside during the day a lot to help him reset his internal clock & try to keep his routine similar to the one you use at home so that he knows when it is nighttime.
Expect that it will take several days for him to return back to his normal schedule and routine once you return home as well.
Hang in there. Sleep training isn't truly "done" for quite some time. Travel, teething, illness, rolling, crawling, and walking all cause temporary disruptions, so try not to get too hung up on this one disruption.
Have a great time in Hawaii!
Do you have a question about traveling with kids? Send me email: debbie at deliciousbaby dot com
Related Links:
Jet Lag with Babies, Toddlers, and Kids
Naptime and Bedtime on your Family Vacation
Filed Under:
jet-lag
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Posted on January 23, 2008 |
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Today I've been working on booking a hotel for our trip to San Francisco. I'd claim that I waited on purpose, hoping to get the best rates, but the truth is that I'm a busy mom and a procrastinator. Lucky for me, it's also the time of year when booking late can also mean great rates.
It can be tough figuring out where to stay in a strange city, especially with kids or a small baby, but over time I've developed some tricks for finding family friendly hotels wherever I go.
1. Find Reliable Hotel Reviews
Of course the first step is to look for recommendations from sites like DeliciousBaby.com that list family friendly hotels. Too often that information is not available, especially in off-the-beaten path destinations or in countries where English is not the primary language (which is why I decided to start this site).
Next I look for reliable reviews. My favorite sources are TripAdvisor and Fodors. Watch for the code words "large rooms" and "central location" as well as general comments about the quality, cleanliness, service, and amenities.
2. Choose a Neighborhood
By this point, I usually have a longish list of hotels. The next step is to choose the area I want to stay in. My guidebook comes in handy here, and I try to pick a neighborhood that has lots to do and is centrally located. Within the neighborhood, I choose a hotel that is located close to restaurants or a retail area and close to public transportation. Ideally, it's also within walking distance of one or two activities we plan to do.
3. Get Specific about Family Friendly Features
Once I've narrowed things down to a few hotels, my next stop is the hotel website to get the specifics.
The first step is to figure out the room size, often there is a picture that gives you a sense of the size, or the square footage is part of the room description. If you're looking at hotels in Europe, you can convert easily between square meters and square feet on Google!
Type
50 square meters in square feet into the Google search box, and you'll get back one result, 50 (square meters) = 538.195521 square feet
Next look to see whether the hotel lists and "family friendly features." It's good to know what they offer, but don't get too caught up in what might more of a marketing gimmick than a well thought out plan. Figure out what resources you'll need & if you can't find information about them in the hotel description, send email to the hotel (you can generally find an email address on the website)
Here are some of the features you might choose based on your family's needs:
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Adjoining rooms
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Crib or Rollaway bed (don't forget to factor in any extra charges)
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A suite or a separate sitting area; possibly with a kitchenette
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Refrigerator (or a mini bar that lets you remove items to make space for snacks)
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Room service
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Babyproofing kits or babyproof rooms
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A kid friendly restaurant (or a coffee shop)
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Pool
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Organized kids activities (mostly available at resorts, but some city hotels have cooking classes and other activities)
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Babysitting
WIFI (don't forget to factor in the cost when you price hotel rooms)
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Access to a laundry room
4. Consider a Bed And Breakfast in Rural Areas
Parents may assume that B&B's with their quiet atmosphere, cozy rooms, and thin walls are off limits for families. In more rural areas, where hotels are few and far between, this can really limit your vacation options. Look for B&Bs that have one or two separate cabins. The cabins often have a kitchenette and more than one room. Be sure to ask what the policy regarding children is before booking. If you have small children, you can also email the B&B in advance and ask them to remove any fragile decorative items from the room before you check in.
Related Links:
Planning Your Trip
Hotels and Vacation Rentals
DeliciousBaby City Guides
Filed Under:
hotels
travel-tips
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Posted on January 21, 2008 |
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We're headed to San Francisco next weekend! We'll spend a few days visiting with my parents on the peninsula and a few days in the city. If you have any great activities or family friendly restaurant ideas in the area, please send them my way!
I never need to talk up a visit to Granny and Poppa with the kids… I mentioned it quickly to E last week & he's already packing a suitcase with his favorite toys. I asked him if he needed clothes & he brought me one of his shirts and a suitcase of my own and said "you bring clothes!" I also mentioned that we'd be riding a cable car in SF (and showed him a couple of pictures online) and he could not possibly be more delighted. He's probably thinking he'll get to hang off the outside.
To make things easy on ourselves, we keep an extra set of car seats at my parents house. In the long run, it's cheaper than renting them, and we don't have to worry about a repeat experience like the one we had with
Advantage Rent A Car. We also keep a few other odds and ends at the grandparent's and borrow a pack and play from my parent's neighbors. All that goes a long way towards enabling us to
travel light. I've challenged myself to see if we can travel with no checked baggage for this short trip. I'm not sure whether we'll make it, but the idea sure is appealing. If we do, it will be the first time we travel with carry-ons only since little D was born.
Related Links:
Top Tips for Traveling Light with Kids
Packing Lists and Tips
Preparing the Kids for a Trip
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Posted on January 19, 2008 |
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