Welcome…join the conversation

My name is Mary and I have 4 kids under 9 (3, 5, 7 and 8)…

I started this blog to share my passion about travel. Just because we have kids doesn’t mean our sense of adventure must end. Having lived in Hong Kong, my husband and I cultivated our sense of adventure during our short 2 years there.

So far, we have taken our kids to Beijing, Shanghai, Hanoi, Syndey, Melbourne, London, various locations throughout Mexico, lots of places in the US and hope to travel more. Together, we can learn from each other and share tips and horror stories about travel with kids.

This site will only work as a community because only from each other will we learn how to do it best. Together, we can share our experiences and pitfalls to make the most of our adventures. Travel is a gift to our children and let’s learn from each other so we can open their eyes to the world.

Cheers…

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies and Festivities in Various Cities…

Looking for stuff to do with the kids over the Thanksgiving weekend? I found a bunch of tree lighting ceremonies and events that are FREE and should fill up those days over the Thanksgiving holiday:

Washington DC:
http://dc.about.com/od/hoildaysseasonalevents/a/ChristmasTree.htm

New York City:
http://gonyc.about.com/od/christmassights/p/rockcentertree.htm

San Francisco Bay Area (Union Square is the most famous and where we were engaged!):
http://www.lovetoeatandtravel.com/Site/Tips/Holiday_Gifts/tree_lightings.htm

Chicago:
http://gochicago.about.com/od/eventsfestivalsholidays/p/tree_lighting.htm

Alexandria, VA:
http://dc.metromix.com/leisure/community_event/alexandria-tree-lighting-ceremony-old-town/746611/content

Tampa:
http://events.heraldtribune.com/university-of-tampa-fl/events/show/83889856-hyde-parks-enchanted-tree-lighting-ceremony

Cincinnati:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081113/NEWS0103/311130027/-1/today

Cleveland:
http://www.newsnet5.com/holidays/10373931/detail.html

Dallas:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/events/2008/nov/28/121538/

Indianapolis:
http://www.indy.org/indianapolis/web/jsp/whattodo/detail.jsp?c=12334656:upcoming&p=1&x=1227456921845

St. Paul, MN:
http://outside.in/St_Paul_MN/tags/tree%20lighting

Atlantic City, NJ:
http://jerseyshore.metromix.com/events/community_event/tree-lighting-ceremony-at-atlantic-city/770250/content

Hawaii…on sale!

Budget minded travelers looking for a get-away to Hawaii, this was in last week’s Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122660823393725553.html

My kids “dream” vacation

According to my 8 year old, her perfect vacation would be:

“Somewhere hot with lots of beaches and lots of culture so I can try out different foods and their way of living. Being able to scuba dive or snorkel. If there are enough activities, I don’t care about television. Must have a nice hotel with room service. First class tickets on a short airplane ride. As long as the airplane has apple juice and snacks, I am happy as long as it is under 3 hours. For the plane ride, all you need is a pen/pencil and piece of paper or notepad. “

Christmas on the slopes…ski teams for kids

We are a skiing family. Since we live 3 hours from lake tahoe, we share a house with another family up there for the winter (a ski lease) and our kids participate on the Sugar Bowl Ski Team. It takes up our Christmas break/ski week and almost every weekend from December – early April. The kids have small groups led by coaches and our 8 year old is almost as good as us now after 3 years on team. The best part is the parents get to ski together while they are off learning and we put the 3 year old in a day care/mini ski club all day. It’s like having a ski date every weekend. It’s not cheap but it is a priority. Check out your local ski areas for similar teams, this seems to be a growing trend.

However, if you are not that hard core, I looked through some of the various ski web sites and this one seems to have the most deals for skiing:

http://www.snowventures.com

Buying Euros now – to save for later?

This may be the time to consider buying your Euros for future trips overseas.  We would love to do a trip to Europe but the weak dollar last year scared us. To lock in a rate now when the exchange rate isn’t as bad, may be worth it…read on:

http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2008/10/125_is_buying_you_a_euro.html

Additional Topics?

What else do you want to learn from other parents?  OR, is there anything more about these topics you would like to know…let me know and I will include a new post.

What was the worst thing that happened to you on a family vacation?

When our 4 month old son got croup on Fire Island, New York at 3:30 a.m.  When on this remote island there is a blasting horn that wakes up the entire community and fire engines came roaring to our house to take us to the nearest emergency room.  Ultimately he was fine, but we spent the rest of our vacation explaining to everyone that yes, we were the family with the sick son who woke up hundreds of new yorkers.

What is your favorite destination for a family vacation?

Akumal, Mexico (Cancun Airport)…a small holiday inn style hotel right on the beach that costs less than $150 a night.  It also includes a meal plan which we did not opt into.  Our room was located directly on the beach and had delicious food at the hotel, a babysitter at our disposal, and the best snorkeling on the coast.  The rooms were not fancy, but 6 of us (2 adults and 4 kids under 9) had adjoining rooms and we could sleep in while our kids walked out onto the sand to play until we were ready to go to a delicious breakfast in our pj’s. 

A refreshing change from Hawaii and filled with children of all ages from around the country.  Plenty of ancient ruins for the parents that kept our young children’s excited.

We used the travel agency Rascals in Paradise to find this amazing spot.

How have you managed to have sex with your significant other while on vacation with your kids?

Having sex with your significant other on vacation is hard with kids unless you hire a babysitter and rent an additional room…with sleep deprivation and kids running in and out of your room all night due to excitement about a new spot or jet lag, it only gets tougher.  Any ideas are welcome!

How to find a babysitter while away?

We are so careful to check references on babysitters while at home…calling previous employers…asking friends for feedback…but while away either domestically or abroad how do you scrutinize the person watching your kids?  Do you skip the night out with your partner or hope the hotel recommending someone has done their homework?

While away in Japan, we left our first child, then 2 months old, with the maid who spoke no english.  We didn’t carry a cellular telephone and she had no way of reaching us should something go wrong…would we have done this in the states?  NO WAY!!!  So why is it ok on vacation?

Hot Tips on Warm Weather Vacation Spots for Families

From the very experienced Tami Hodges of Rascals in Paradise, she recommends the following travel spots to escape the cold this winter that are great for families:

I love Costa Azul 1 hr north of Puerto Vallarta, better for older kids that want surfing lessons! It a small 21 room property in San Pancho, close to the famous Sayulita (for surfers)

upscale I also love the Kahala on Oahu, swim with the Dolphins, great beach and about 15 shuttle to downtown Waikiki- families love it!

Costa Rica is excellent active vacation…all about eco education, plant a tree, visit a local school, horseback ride…Tons of activities.

Jamaica at Franklyn D. Resort and Spa- It comes with a Nanny!! all inclusive that families rebook every year! She promises if you use them they get a special rate and upgrades.

and of course Australia!

Useful Tips for SAFE Travel Abroad

There is always much in the news about kidnapping in foreign countries, improper treatment by authorities, or other issues we don’t think about when planning a vacation. With kids there is so much more at risk than in college when I used to take a last minute drive across the border to Mexico in my convertable with girls packed in the back! (what was I thinking!?!).

I found these tips on the US State Department web site we should all keep in mind that includes handy numbers to keep and a way to register your trip with the state department:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html

A Deal at Disneyland…

is the mouse sick? There appears to be a deal going on now (which is important to me because I am taking my 8 year old for her birthday):

Book now to receive one free Disney Character Breakfast and special hotel savings when you buy a 3-night or longer Disneyland® Resort vacation package with tickets. Stay at one of the three Hotels of the Disneyland® Resort and be footsteps away from the entertainment of the Downtown Disney® District and the excitement of the Disneyland® Resort Theme Parks.

Medical Insurance Overseas

From my own experience, especially when taking an overseas adventurous vacation, I would make sure to have medical evacuation insurance (and check with your health insurance company to find out what is and is not covered).  My husband was involved in a terrible ski accident and because we weren’t covered for medical evacuation, so we had a terrible time moving him from a remote area of Japan (with 2 young kids in tow) and had to take a bus/train/ambulance and plane.  I found some useful links:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1215.html

http://www.hasbrouck.org/articles/insurance.html

The following is an awesome link if you travel a lot:

http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/why-you-should-buy-medical-evacuation-insurance.html?id=2446037

Is it possible to have an enjoyable family vacation when you are single?

Apparently it is…I ran across this cool web site dedicated to single parents who want to travel:

www.singleparenttravel.net

I also found an article loaded with tips for those going at it alone while traveling:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1000075,00.html