Tag: family vacations

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Tips

Aaarrgh, where did summer go?

D'oh! I forgot to travel! (courtesy kjarrett at Flickr Creative Commons)It’s embarrassing to be a travel writer who forgets to travel.

I looked up this morning and school was starting; where did the summer go?

We took a short road trip to Houston, and the kids visited the nearby Schlitterbahn water park a couple of times, but that was about it.

What’s up with that?

I didn’t have plans for anything elaborate this summer, not with gas at $4/gallon and air travel such a misery, but I did intend to take a series of short one- or two-night family road trips.

As my teen would say….FAIL.

Still, I’ve been at this travel business for awhile, and I’ve learned that the vast majority of the planet will still be there when I get around to getting into the car or onto a plane.

Summer is beastly hot anyway, at least here in my home state of Texas, so another way to look at it is that the best season for travel is coming up right now.

Plan now for fall travel

Every year at about this time, it dawns on me that I should get ahead of the game for fall family travel.

When the kids come home with those enormous mounds of paper from their school, pull out the 2008-2009 school calendar and starting noting holiday/teacher workday dates (or look it up on the school Web site, of course.) Get those puppies down on your family calendar NOW, and start planning some short weekend fall getaways.

If your school observes Columbus Day, (October 13th this year) that’s an oft-forgotten holiday that’s good for a short trip.

Veterans Day in November works well, too; perhaps visit a nearby battlefield or historic fort?

It’s certainly not too late to lock in some Thanksgiving or even Christmas plans right now, because I assure you, airfare is only going to go up. Book now.

Get out of town, or out of the country, for Thanksgiving

Sometimes, holidays are even better when your family can enjoy them away from home.

Continue reading “Aaarrgh, where did summer go?”

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Blog

Gone fishing….for a new blog

Holy Cow sign (courtesy jcolman at Flickr CC)I’m going to put this blog on a short hiatus, for just this week, while I clear out some backlogged deadlines and work on something exciting….

The new template/layout and whole new URL for the Family Travel blog on BootsnAll.

We’ll be called the Family Travel Logue, and the design will be similar to other BnA Logues like the EcoTravelLogue, the HawaiiLogue and the ItalyLogue (did you soccer fans know that the popular The Offside blog is a Boots blog? Now you know….)

I’ve been wanting to do this for months but keep getting jammed against the stops with other assignments, so now it really is time to move on it. With only 24 hours in the day, though, I have to stop work somewhere to get it done.

Thanks for your patience; we probably won’t have the new site up by the end of the week, but I’ll be blogging from here until we do.

Categories
Europe

High above Paris: a meal in the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower, Paris France (courtesy wallyg at flickr’s Creative Commons)The Eiffel Tower; an instantly recognizable symbol of Paris.

My young son doesn’t remember much of France, but he sure knows the “Eyfee Towee.”

Want to make your visit to the monument more memorable?

Have lunch or dinner inside the Tower (which is particularly spectacular at night.)

On our last trip to Paris, we had dinner at the moderately-priced (for Paris) Altitude 95 restaurant on the first level (Étage 1) of the Eiffel Tower, with a lovely view of the Place du Trocadero.

You can just show up and hopefully get a table; that’s how we did it, but that’s rolling the dice a little too much with kids and we got lucky.

I recommend making reservations ahead of time online, or by calling 33-01-45-55-20-04.

The menu is wide-ranging, but pay attention to prices and don’t “order like an American” ’cause this ain’t Chili’s; a Coke at Altitude 95 is €4.50 (almost US$7.00!)

View of the Seine from inside the Eiffel Tower, Paris (courtesy wallyg at flickr CC)

There is a children’s menu for those under 12 years old.

For a really swank dining event, there’s also the Restaurant Le Jules Verne, on the second level.

You can also buy snacks, salads, hot dogs, pizza, pastries and ice cream at Les Buffets snack bars, although there are usually lines and there’s a bit less ambiance.

Bon Appétit!

Related posts:

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Categories
Blog

Family Travel blog recognized by Real Simple magazine

Real Simple magazine logo

It’s quite an honor to be noticed….

The March 2008 issue of one of my favorite lifestyle magazines, Real Simple, includes the Family Travel blog in its list of The Best Blogs.

Thank you! That’s a pretty nice 2-year birthday present, don’t you think?

I’m in august company with some heavy travel hitters:

There are a variety of topics on the “Best of” list; I saw my own personal favorites Zen Habits, Kathy Maister’s Start Cooking and personal organizing with 43 Folders. Even though I’m a bit constrained by budget, I also plan to check out the perfectly-named Blogdorf Goodman (written from non-fashiony Youngstown, Ohio!)

That’s a serendipitous moment in blogging — toiling away, hoping you’re being helpful to someone, and big ol’ Mainstream Media actually stops and takes a look. 🙂

For my fans at Real Simple and wherever else you are, I do appreciate it very much.

Categories
Tips

Make travel plans now for March Madness

Get more information about March Madness: NCAA Tournament Travel Deals

the Univ. of Florida men's basketball team in March 2007 (courtesy HalfCrazyGirl at flickr's CC)Many of you know that I’m a basketball fan, especially college basketball during the annual spring NCAA tournament.

If you want to know how a formerly disinterested spectator became an enthusiast, the Gainesville (FL) Sun newspaper carried my op-ed about the descent into March Madness.

For those families who also follow hoops and would like to travel to see some great college basketball games this spring, time’s a’wasting.

The April 5 and 7, 2008 Men’s Final Four Division I event is in a fun city for travel with kids (San Antonio, Texas) in the Alamodome, but it’s already sold out.

The Men’s East Regional in Charlotte, NC and the West Regional in Phoenix, AZ are also sold out, but there are still tickets for the Midwest Regional in Detroit, MI and the South Regional in Houston, TX.

These cities still have tickets for the men’s opening or early rounds, and might make a good family sports trip: Dayton OH, Anaheim CA, Birmingham AL, Raleigh NC and Tampa FL.

Get hot — the 2009 Men’s Final Four is in Dayton, Ohio, so plan now.

The Women’s 2008 Division I college tournament also has tickets available, and yes, you’ll see some equally exciting b-ball. The Women’s Final Four in Tampa, FL is sold out, but there are still seats for the Regionals in New Orleans LA, Spokane WA, Greensboro NC and Oklahoma City OK.

Women’s opening and early rounds are in Albuquerque NM, Baton Rouge LA, Des Moines IA, Stanford CA, Bridgeport CT, College Park MD, Norfolk VA and West Lafayette IN.

For those who plan way ahead, the Women’s Final Four is in St. Louis, MO in 2009.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, March Madness, NCAA college basketball, Final Four

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Uncategorized

Things to do, places to go 11.29.2007

Welcome to the first iteration of the regular Thursday Family Travel feature “Things to Do & Places to Go.” I plan to run this weekly, as a worldwide overview of family-friendly events in the near term, and then some a few months down the road.

This time of year, there’s so much going on that I had to pare it down to this weekend and then a little of early January.

Coming up this weekend/soon:

  • It’s almost the end of whale-watching season in Hermanus near Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Welcome the holiday season in Houston, Texas with choirs, fireworks and a tree-lighting. November 30, 2007. Here are some more tree-lighting events.
  • Admire the luminaria displays starting this weekend, through December, at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Enjoy an ethnic holiday festival with examples of Christmas cheer from around the world, at the Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, Nebraska. November 30, 2007.
  • It’s an Old-Fashioned Cowboy Christmas in Medora, North Dakota. November 30-December 1, 2007.
  • See Santa Claus at Germany’s biggest theme park, Europapark (near Rust in Freiburg, close to the French border) on December 1, 2007. We visited Europapark and loved it; check out my FT post on European theme parks.
  • Marching down Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, VA, it’s the Hometown Holiday Parade on December 1, 2007.
  • There’s a lighted boat parade sponsored by the Fell’s Point Yacht Club in Baltimore, Maryland’s Inner Harbor, December 1, 2007.
  • The San Diego, CA Maritime Museum has a Family Fun Day this weekend, getting underway December 2, 2007.
  • Celebrate Saint Barbara Day in Bulgaria (she’s the saint who protects children from disease.) December 4, 2007.

Coming up in early 2008:

  • New Year’s Day Polar Bear swims are always a hoot (my brave husband did one at Easton’s Beach in Newport, RI one year.) Check out the Coney Island, NY plunge.
  • Three Kings Day Parade and concert events, January 4 & January 6, 2008, sponsored by El Museo Del Barrio, New York.
  • The Winter Flower and Train Show ends January 6, 2008 in Chicago IL.
  • Prague Winter Festival, Czech Republic, January 2-7, 2008. Classical music, opera and ballet in ornate venues. Includes Bambini di Praga children’s choir.
  • Illawarra Folk Festival, Bulli, New South Wales, Australia, January 17-20, 2008. More than 400 folk performers and 150 events, including a children’s festival.
  • Shindig Set Dance Festival, Tralee, Ireland, January 18-20, 2008. Great Irish music, storytelling, singing, Guinness and workshops for dancers.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel

Categories
Florida USA

Non-Disney fun in Florida

A Florida fruit stand at Crystal River, near Homosassa Springs State Park (Scarborough photo)I’ve recently had the pleasure of writing a series of educational travel articles for the Education.com Web site.

The latest one gives families some things to do in Florida that do not involve Mickey Mouse or any other Orlando theme park:

Non-Disney Fun in Florida.

Ideas and links include saying hello to a manatee at Homosassa Springs State Park, and seeing the “Real Florida” of freshwater springs, sinkholes and the Cracker farmhouse belonging to the author of “The Yearling.”

Previous Education.com articles include All the Little Houses: Following in the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Check it out….

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, Florida

Categories
Blog

Travel links round-up

I want to thank all of the blog carnivals that included my blog posts in the past few weeks — we’re all over the blogosphere.

This week’s Carnival of Cities on the IgoUgo travel blog featured Family Travel’s Get rubbed the right way in London, about the London Brass Rubbing Centre.  They also included a Perceptive Travel blog post about the amazing Renninger’s Flea Market down in Mount Dora, Florida (near Orlando; it would make a fun side trip from you-know-where.)

I enjoyed a quick “trip” to India from this carnival:

  • “India:  Alfa King writes from his home in Mauritius, but his mind is squarely in India as he demystifies Divali so we too can enjoy the Hindu holiday with a delicious gâteau batate.
  • Goa, India:  Blogger Sidhusaaheb, on the other hand, is actually in India, where he introduces us to Goa through the city’s often overlooked villas.”

The Principled Discovery blog hosted the 97th Carnival of Homeschooling; it featured the Family Travel post about 7 museums where history lives (a worldwide tour of living history museums.)

Principled Discovery did a great job of taking lots of submissions about all aspects of homeschooling and turning them into sort of a “curriculum.”  I liked the ones on art and music in education:

On November 1st we went Blogtipping, and I posted about three blogs that I’ve found and enjoy.  The Blogtipping Guru himself, Easton Ellsworth, was kind enough to mention it on his Business Blogwire blog.  Thanks also go out to November tippers  Sizlak, Sandy Renshaw, Drew McLellan, Melonie and Rob O.

The Carnival of Family Life – Bonfire Edition commemorated Guy Fawkes Night, and also featured the FT post Is there any doubt about car seats and air travel?

Finally, I’m a little late, but my “frustrated traveler” post entitled I’m paying HOW much to be unimpressed? over on the Perceptive Travel blog was featured in the Customer Service Carnivale “Gumbo Edition.”

For travelers who drink all of that bottled water, I was struck by a post on the Customer Service Carnivale that was written by Charles H. Green, Customers and Bottled Water: It’s the Coverup Not the Crime.  Charles says, “One of the trickiest problems for customer service is when marketing has sold a product as something it really isn’t.”

Thanks for all of the great links and carnival action.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, blog carnival

Categories
Blog

Nov 1st travel and family Blogtipping

Tip your blogs, not your cows (courtesy Easton Ellsworth)

This is a minor miracle — two months in a row when I’ve remembered to enjoy Blogtipping on the first day of the month.  The wonders of a decently-maintained calendar….

I don’t exactly follow creator Easton Ellsworth’s format for this bloggy activity (he writes Business Blogwire on Know More Media) but I still have fun telling you about three blogs that I think you’ll enjoy:

**  Rick Steves’ Blog Gone Europe.     You didn’t know that Rick blogs?  Well, neither did I until recently, but I’ve always been a fan….his guidebooks (especially those with tips about how to best attack art museums in Europe) simply SAVED me with my itchy kids. Now he’s blogging, most recently about his trips to Greece and Turkey where he deals quite frankly with some controversial topics.

**  Family Hack.     Michael and Hannah run a beautifully laid-out site with marvelous photos, and they provide all sorts of “hacks” (tips to do something more easily) for busy families.  I am not crafty, but am seriously considering making their Decapitated Teddy Bear Flash Drive.  They have a dynamite Travel category, too.

**  Nerd’s Eye View has “a camera, a passport, a ukulele.”     Written by fellow writer, adventure-seeker and Primo Nerd Pam Mandel (who is also the BlogHer Travel editor) these are the thoughts of a great writer, a pretty good ukulele player and a wonderful photographer.  She’s particularly interesting lately because she just landed a guidebook-writing assignment for….Hawaii.  Think that’s paradise?  Track her hair-tugging over it under the Aloha Oy category on her blog.

Happy November blogtipping; now it’s time to put away the witches and ghosts, and pull out those paper kid-handprints-made-into-turkeys.

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, blogtipping, blogging

Categories
Philosophy

A year ago this week in Family Travel

Now that I’ve been blogging here for well over a year, I’ve built up a nice little archive. It’s fun to go back in there, shove things aside and poke around.

I wrote a post last October that rings true today: Slow Travel & Getting Local This Fall.

It’s easy to get into too much of a rush to “pack it all in” when we travel, and one way to avoid that is to get out there and investigate your own backyard.

Draw a two-hour-drive circle around your hometown and see what falls into it, then load up the family and head for that place that you’ve always meant to visit.