Month: August 2009

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Blog

Sleep? What sleep? My new business launches in about a week

Sheila Scarborough, Liz Strauss and Becky McCray at SOBCon in Chicago, where it all started (photo courtesy Sheila Scarborough)Actually, it’s not that bad, but I’m certainly getting some of the frenetic startup-flavored experience as my partner Becky McCray and I prepare to launch a new online business next week.

I’ve been writing about tourism and the social Web on another blog for a couple of months (Sheila’s Guide to the Good Stuff) and now we’re preparing to open the digital doors to a learning community for tourism professionals.

We’d like to think we know something about travel, tourism and social media, so we’re sticking our flag in the ground at the intersection of all that and launching a paid membership site called Tourism Currents.

We’re really excited about bringing useful, practical information to a wide variety of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs,) Chambers of Commerce, PR professionals who work in tourism, heritage/preservation organizations, agritourism, festival planners – really anyone involved in destination marketing.

Continue reading “Sleep? What sleep? My new business launches in about a week”
Categories
50 State Series

Family travel in Ohio

Parade the Circle citizen's event in Cleveland Ohio (courtesy Kind of Bruin at Flickr CC)Every Tuesday (or Wednesday if Twitter crashes, which it did late yesterday as I was compiling this post) until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin , West Virginia , Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Oklahoma and now we’re moving on to….Ohio!

Their state tourism organization is on Twitter at @DiscoverOhio, plus there’s @OhioStateParks and state tourism e-info coordinator Roger Barker is @Roger_OHTourism.  Additionally, they have an Ohio Flickr Group for photo-sharing, an Ohio YouTube channel and here’s the Ohio Tourism Facebook page.

You know what’s really great? The links for all of those social media sites are clearly displayed on their main Ohio tourism Web site.  That is rather rare, unfortunately – so many state Web sites give no indication that they’re on social media, or the links are buried somewhere.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Ohio

***  From deef217 via @deef217 on Twitter  –  In Oct there is a very cool large farm outside Wooster which has an extreme corn maze and hay rides and fab pumpkins/decorations.  [Also] Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. See the moon rocks! Better fam friendly prices…go to a minor leage baseball game in Akron or Columbus. Cheap yet fab seats & kid giveaways often! How about a day of canoeing at Mohican State Park? Many fun memories as a kid!

***  From decillis via @decillis on Twitter  —  A trip to Ohio is not complete unless you’ve stopped in Columbus for Jeni’s Ice Creams (see @jenisicecreams.)

***  From Hancock County CVB (Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) via @VisitFindlay on Twitter  —  Mazza Museum at Univ. of #Findlay is world’s first teaching museum for children’s book illustrations. Awesome tours & activities! Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation does weekly and theme train rides on antique trains. Kaleidoscope Xmas Tree Farm boasts sleigh rides, live reindeer and super-fun people late Nov thru Xmas (fun people are available all year round, of course.) @artpartnership (The Arts Partnership) hosts KidsFest in July – draws families from many states for massive quantities of kid fun, freebies and activities. Findlay is visited by 30+ hot air balloons annually for #Balloonfest (w/ car & bike show, outdoor movies & balloon competitions.) How many costumed wiener dogs can you handle? National Dachshund Races in Findlay Sept 26-27. New this year – dog parade. Major cute!

***  From Craig via @Craigorama on Twitter  —  Take a canal boat ride on the Miami Erie Canal in Piqua, Ohio – Piqua Historical Area.

***  From Travels With Children via @minnemom on Twitter  — Columbus Zoo is nice. The Works in Newark is nice museum but not crazy-busy. We liked it. Driving part of the Old National Road and seeing the S bridges and Y bridge was exciting for our family. The Boonshoft Museum in Dayton has one of the most affordable museum memberships I’ve seen, with excellent reciprocity benefits. Columbus COSI (Center of Science and Industry) is great for families. We spent an entire day there. Good for all ages of kids.

Continue reading “Family travel in Ohio”

Categories
Photos USA

Photo of the Week: Lunchtime in Colonial Williamsburg

Chicken pot pie at the King's Arms Tavern, Colonial Williamsburg VA (photo by Sheila Scarborough)This is the chicken pot pie served at the King’s Arms Tavern restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

Don’t you want to jump right into it?

Anyone can eat at the taverns in the historic area (you don’t have to buy the admissions pass to the other exhibits, buildings and performances, although I’d certainly recommend that if you have time.)

Try Christiana Campbell’s, Chowning’s and Shields in addition to King’s Arms;  they all have children’s menus (and pssst….Tarpley’s store nearby has old-fashioned candies if you don’t want a tavern dessert.)

If you want to stay in Colonial Williamsburg and truly immerse your kids in Revolutionary history, always check on the Web site for special packages that usually include hotel, breakfast and passes for everyone.

For example, I love the interactive street theater of the Revolutionary City mini-plays that reenactors stage all over the historic area, all day. Your family can participate in them with the Revolutionary City Adventure package.

Mostly, just make an excuse to get ahold of some of that pot pie.

(This post is my contribution to this week’s WanderFood Wednesday on the Wanderlust and Lipstick blog.)

Categories
Book Reviews Tips USA

We have a Savannah guidebook winner

Yay! The comment left by Sara last week was the winning comment to win my copy of a great Savannah family travel guidebook.

She wrote:

“I am hoping to go visit my girlfriend in Atlanta. She has a three year old and I have a one year old. We want to take a long weekend to Savannah with the girls! This would be perfect!”

Have a great time there with your kids, Sara!

Categories
50 State Series

Family travel in Oklahoma

Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Oklahoma. I'm lucky my teen tolerated any cowboy hat pictures at all! (photo by Sheila Scarborough)Every Tuesday (this week I got a little behind so it’s Wednesday) until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.

Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin , West Virginia , Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon and now we’re moving on to….Oklahoma!

Their state tourism organization is on Twitter at @OklahomaTourism and they’re on Facebook at the Oklahoma Tourism Facebook page.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Oklahoma

***  From @OklahomaTourism on Twitter  —  Family-friendly places: Jasmin Moran Children’s Museum (Seminole, OK), Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse (Enid) and Oklahoma Aquarium (Jenks.) Oklahoma City & Tulsa Zoos are also among the top-rated. Families can order Exploring OK with Kids, a free magazine on TravelOK.com plus check out our Hot Deals section for attraction discounts/coupons https://www.travelok.com/hot_deals/index.asp.

***  From The Clarks via @Travel_Notebook on Twitter  — Just finished at Chickasaw NRA (National Recreation Area.) Great hiking and swimming, accessible to all ages. [More in their South Central OK blog post.]

***  From Lisa Gerber via @lisagerber on Twitter  —  OKC (Oklahoma City): Bricktown – ride boat, bowling and eat at Red Pin, or eat at Zio’s.  [See] Myriad Botanical Garden and Crystal Bridge Conservatory.

***  From Anne-Sophie Redisch via @SophieR on Twitter  — Children’s Cowboy Corral and interactive kids area [at National Cowboy Museum.) Got a kids’ website, too: https://cowboykids.nationalcowboymuseum.org. Indians, cowboys, rodeos….what’s not to like for kids.

***  From Sandra Sims via @sandrasims on Twitter  — I’ve always enjoyed Turner Falls in Davis OK. Great hiking and cold spring water for a swim!

***  From Robert Reid via @reidontravel on Twitter  — I grew up with talking buffalo at wonderful Woolaroc: https://www.woolaroc.org [Museum and Wildlife Preserve in Bartlesville.]

***  From Pam Baggett via @pambaggett on Twitter  — Area north of downtown OKC called The Paseo, the arts district, about 2 blocks of 20s & 30s Mediterranean facades. Artist studios & shops. Annual art event [there every] Memorial Day weekend called The Paseo Arts Festival. Children’s dance troupe performs Paseo weekend. Just remembered the miniature replica of Will Rogers home somewhere between Tulsa & Nowata. True name. [Also] I still remember trips to Turner Falls from when I was a kid. And that was a long time ago!

***  From Thomas P. Jones via @FreeWine on Twitter  — My favorite family trips are kayaking in Broken Bow, OK and Tahlequah, OK, or swimming at Turner Falls in Davis, OK.

***  From United Linen via @UnitedLinen on Twitter  — One of the best family things to do in OK is WOOLAROC in Bartlesville.

***  From Dara Quackenbush via @dquack on Twitter  — [My husband and biz colleague] Doug French went to the Cowboy Museum in OKC on his way back from Missouri. Just raved about it.

***  From Carmen Hill via @carmenhill on Twitter  —  Oklahoma City’s exotic animal park: https://www.tigersafari.us.

….And now, a massive effort by Becky McCray via @BeckyMcCray on Twitter (disclosure – she’s my business partner for Tourism Currents and also works on tourism issues with Oklahoma’s regional “Red Carpet Country” organization….)

The Honorary Northwest Oklahoma Twitter Tour Guide

***  Take the whole family swimming in the Gage, OK, pool.  It’s spring fed, with a sand bottom – https://redcarpetcountry.com/county-ellis.  Kids love to throw cow chips during the Beaver Cow Chip contest – https://www.beaveroklahoma.net. [There are] dinosaurs in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

Continue reading “Family travel in Oklahoma”
Categories
Asia

A magical visit to Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum in Japan

Ghibli Museum souvenirs (photo by Sheila Scarborough)The Disney release of the movie Ponyo (here’s an extensive fan review on the Ghibli Blog) has heightened interest in its creator, animation master Hayao Miyazaki, and his Japan-based company Studio Ghibli.

You can visit the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (a western suburb of Tokyo) to see a spectacular facility dedicated to the wonderful art of Miyazaki’s hand-drawn animation. Opened in 2001, it gives you a stunning peek into the mind of the reclusive Academy Award-winning artist.

My daughter, her cousin and I visited a few years ago and we absolutely loved it. Miyazaki calls it “the kind of museum I want to make….a building put together as if it were a film.”

In addition to the imaginative, swoopy, playful storybook architecture of the building itself, there’s the 80-seat Saturn theater with Museum-exclusive short Miyazaki films (in Japanese but I assure you, it doesn’t matter) exhibits and displays about art and animation, the Straw Hat cafe, a toddler playroom with a giant plush Catbus to jump on, and the “Mamma Aiuto” gift shop that requires sumo training to handle the large, polite but persistent crowds.

I don’t have interior photos or video because it’s not permitted by Museum policy (they want you to relax and enjoy, not record things.) You can buy a souvenir booklet in the gift shop, with plenty of pictures.  We loved the handcrafted fixtures made of stained glass, the stairway mazes, the water handpump on the patio, the many ceiling paintings and the bright colors throughout.

Your admission ticket, as seen in my photo above, is an actual piece of 35mm film from one of Miyazaki’s movies.

Continue reading “A magical visit to Hayao Miyazaki’s Ghibli Museum in Japan”
Categories
Book Reviews Tips USA

Savannah with kids – win my guidebook

Around Savannah (cover photo courtesy Gwen McKee and Kacey Ratterree)A thoughtful friend of mine in Savannah, Georgia picked up a book for me a few months ago, but I’m just now getting around to writing about it.

Around Savannah – Where To Go And What To Do With Children is a handy guide to family-friendly places all around the city, plus ideas for short trips nearby.

(For more ideas in the Peach State, see my travel with kids in Georgia post or this Budget Travel Trip Coach article for Savannah and Charleston.)

I’ve only been to Savannah once myself, but I was impressed by its lovely, walkable layout, “pocket parks” every few blocks in the historic area, support for the arts at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) / Telfair Museum of Art and FOOD….can you say Paula Deen?

Here’s what I like about this guidebook by Gwen McKee and Kacey Ratterree:

***  Lots of good specific information about each attraction, including all-important bathroom and food availability, plus hints especially for parents and suggestions of other sights nearby.  Warning – many outdoor places include the “bring bug spray” hint.

***  Fun quotes from the author’s and illustrator’s children (“I want to see all the birds and I like to fish.”)

***  Plenty of variety: historic sites like Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthplace, nature trails and parks, events like the November Savannah Children’s Book Festival,   special restaurants like The Pirate’s House (I’ve eaten there….fun Treasure Island tie-in) and gems like the Beach Institute African-American Cultural Arts Center and its incredible Ulysses Davis folk art sculpture collection.

Continue reading “Savannah with kids – win my guidebook”
Categories
Tips Trip Soundtracks

How to plan a tailpipe-kicking road trip

Route 66 in Illinois (photo by Sheila Scarborough)Epic Road Trips.

Yeah, I’ve done a few.

They are hard to avoid when you grow up in a Navy family, as I did, moving from state to state. When I joined the Navy myself, there were more cross-country treks between US East and West Coast duty stations (RIP my 1973 Gran Torino, the Road Trip CruiseMobile.)

Once kids arrived, long-haul car travel was severely curtailed until we passed the babies-can-scream-for-miles stage. Gee, they don’t like being strapped in car seats for hours, do they?  Especially facing backward.

Still, I would not be deterred from the call of the open road, so I planned and executed our family Great Road Trip of the American South (from Florida to northwest Arkansas and back) and a Mom-daughter Midwest Road Trip from Texas to Chicago and back when I spoke at BlogHer 2007.

Here’s how I do it:

1) Get the big picture with a map. I do use online services like MapQuest and Google Maps, but for big multi-state trips, a paper map is so much easier to spread out on a table and study with the family. I’ll run my proposed route through an online mapping site, get the computer’s idea for how many miles and how many days it will take, then look at a paper map. That’s usually when I’ll notice a state park or some other gotta-see near the route, and start adding detours.  I am all about the detours.

2) Lay out your proposed route as a rough itinerary. Depending upon the time available, decide how many miles you can comfortably drive each day, allowing for driver fatigue, bathroom breaks, serendipity stops and backseat temper tantrums that require a pull-off moment. Can you get on the road, breakfast eaten, by about 8 or 9 a.m., then drive till noon or one? After lunch, how much more can you keep trucking until it’s Hotel Time? Some days you’ll dawdle and won’t get too far because there are so many things to see, and other days will be “Get In, Strap In and Add Lots of Miles to the Odometer.”

3) Add waypoints to your rough itinerary; something like, “Day One – Hometown to X City – overnight in X hotel. Day Two – X City to Y National Park – overnight in park cabins (need reservations!) Day Three – Y National Park to Z Small Town With Awesome Drugstore Soda Fountain….” and so on.

4) Key To Road Trip Success – one sheet of paper for each day. This is what makes you a planning genius. Take one piece of unlined, blank paper for each day of the trip and write the day of the week and date at the top. Using your rough itinerary, lay out where you start and where you finish for each day, with approximate number of driving miles and driving hours. Based on where you’ll be that day, list the attractions that you’d like to see, scenic drives to take and unique local restaurants where you’d like to eat. THAT is when you discover that, say, Hellen Keller’s Alabama home at Ivy Green (or some other literary travel destination) doesn’t open on Sunday until 1 pm, and you’d planned to have your tour complete and be on the road from there by noon. Whoops.

Continue reading “How to plan a tailpipe-kicking road trip”