January 2010 – Family Travel Blog

My travel goal: one new local place or event per month

I don’t know about you, but I’ve kinda run out of travel gas.

Not for me (I’ll jump onto a plane or into a car anytime by my own crotchety self) but the idea of a family trip these days makes me want to lay down and take a nap.

Squabbling siblings in the back seat.

One kid who tends to carsickness.

Flat wallet and no lottery wins in sight.

Living in a huge state (Texas) that takes 3-4 hours to get OUT of by car.

General post-holidays lassitude.

Bleh.

So, here’s my plan for getting some travel-ish action going with minimal mental effort on my part….I’m going to look at our Austin Big Weekend Calendar, pick one new place or event every month that’s close to home, and drag the family to it, arguing and barfing the whole way.

January’s almost finished, but for the next 30 days I’ve targeted the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (free admission in January) and either a Texas Roller Girls Roller Derby bout or a Texas Stars ice hockey game.

The wildflowers aren’t up yet (so at least one kid will say, “Why are we here looking at dead plants?”) and we’ve never gone to either a roller derby or ice hockey game (so at least one kid will say, “Why are we here watching a) women slam into each other or b) men slam into each other?”) but I don’t care.

That’s the plan to overcome travel ennui.

How about you?

(Update: My teen said this morning that since she and a friend saw the derby-based movie Whip It (set in Austin) she actually WANTS to see live roller derby. Who knew?!)

Video of the Week: Maui Ocean Center in Hawaii

My son and I really enjoyed a visit to the well-designed Maui Ocean Center during the So Much More Hawaii trip, but what made it super-special was our local blogger guide, Liza.

Liza writes A Maui Blog, and she and her family took us all around the island, including a drive up the Haleakala volcano (ooh, silverswords) and a scrumptuous meal at the Paia Fish Market, where my picky son actually devoured seafood! It was all mixed up in pasta, but still….

We spent hours in the Maui Ocean marine park, which has touch tanks, live coral, turtles, naturalist presentations and a focus on Hawaiian sea creatures and culture.

In the video below, we had just finished watching a live demo in the aquarium tank with a diver, narrated by a lively guide who exploded various myths about sharks and captured audience attention even in a packed room.

If you can’t see the embedded video box below, here is the direct link to the video on my YouTube channel.

Just So You Know Disclaimer: The state Hawaii Tourism Authority through Cilantro Media paid my way to Hawaii for the So Much More Hawaii bloggers tour, and also paid most of my expenses while I was there. I paid for Liza and her son’s entrance, my own and my son’s, and was reimbursed later. By the way, I used a military discount for one ticket, a AAA (American Automobile Assn) member discount for another, and Liza as a Hawaii resident could ask for “kamaaina” local rates. Always ask if there are available member discounts, at any tourist attraction.