Tag: holidays

Categories
Book Reviews Philosophy USA

My top US road trip guidebooks

Although significant travel events have been a bit scarce around here lately, mine is a road-tripping family at heart.

Whenever it’s time to plan one, there are a few guidebooks that I turn to again and again, because they are well-edited, accurate and it’s easier to skim through them than it is to plow through a jillion websites of dubious vintage.

You’ll notice that none of them are kid-specific;  I like the unusual, unknown and offbeat, and my children usually do, too. Plus, hey, I’m driving, so I get to pick.

Other than my other favorite tips (see my earlier post on how to plan a tailpipe-kicking road trip) here are my favorite references….

***  Road Trip USA – This is a top reference for me because Jamie Jensen’s Road Trip USA finds the most wonderfully obscure stuff. The book covers 6 major routes, and if my trip area isn’t included it doesn’t do me much good, but I always check it first (and the Road Trip USA blog, of course.) The series now has books for certain routes, like the Pacific Coast Highway.

***  Off the Beaten Path travel guide by Reader’s Digest – Yes, the old fogies at Reader’s Digest have one of my favorite guidebooks. Off the Beaten Path is packed with useful information about unusual sights that I don’t find anywhere else; I always check it for each state that I’ll visit.  Worth tracking down a copy, along with Most Scenic Drives in America and See the USA the Easy Way (great loop tours.)

***  Insiders’ Guide: Off the Beaten Path – from Globe Pequot Press, these are easy to find in the travel section of any bookstore. Super-detailed and usually written by locals, the Missouri and Kansas versions were invaluable to me when I drove from Texas to Chicago and back for BlogHer a few years ago, exploring the “Square States.”

***  1,000 Places to See Before You Die – Overly dramatic title, but I do find good things here, arranged by state.

***  Anything Frommer’s – my favorite general guidebook. I always have the current edition for wherever I’m living (currently Texas.)

***  RoadFood by Jane and Michael Stern – because, well, food. Must have. Preferably not from yet another Chili’s, although they’re fine in a pinch.

***  For any particular city where I’ll spend significant time, I look for the TimeOut guides. Very British, very detailed, very thorough. Can read them over and over during subway rides and never be bored.

My biggest guidebook surprise over the last decade?

The quirky and detailed Lonely Planet Guide to Louisiana and the Deep South, used to death during our Great American South road trip from Florida to Arkansas and back. At the TBEX travel blogger’s conference recently, I had the pleasure of telling the US Lonely Planet editor, Robert Reid, how much I used and adored this guidebook.

What are your road trip planning favorites? Please let us know in the comments.

Categories
Asia Europe USA

My top 3 family travel secrets

Yokohama's Minatomirai waterfront (courtesy POHAN on Flickr CC)Which places in the world are not as well known (nothing is really a “secret”) for fun travel with kids?

I was recently tagged to answer this question by the globe-trotting SoulTravelers3, in a blog post about her family’s travel secrets.

The whole meme was started by Tribase in this post – I’m supposed to tag three more bloggers but sorry, don’t quite have the bandwidth these days to figure out who hasn’t already participated.   Still, I’m happy to play here….

You know how tough it is to pick just three? Sigh.

And of course I feel compelled to cover the planet….here goes my best shot:

In the United States

My choice is Memphis, Tennessee.

Go here for coupons/discounts from the city’s CVB (Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) because remember, a CVB’s whole job is to ensure a happy visit.

Memphis is big enough to have a variety of things to do, but not so sprawly as to wear everyone out.  Amenities and lodging are reasonably priced, and so is good food.  Summer is hot and muggy, but there’s always the Memphis in May festival.

We’re big music fans in my family, and the Birthplace of the Blues offers many ways for even young children to learn more about this country’s musical history and offerings.   For starters, the popular Beale Street historic district is actually pretty open to kids (I call it a civilized Bourbon Street) and when we visited, the guys at the door at several venues let the whole family in to listen to live music as long as it was fairly early in the evening.  There’s also the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studio (where Elvis and many others were launched) and the Center for Southern Folklore.

Before we arrived I showed my preteen an Elvis documentary (to try to explain the hype) then took her through his home at Graceland.  Believe it or not, she’s now an Elvis fan and the envy of her friends because she’s been to Graceland. Boring and weird Mom wins again!

Take the kids to see the formerly segregated Lorraine Motel (an important US civil rights landmark) where Dr. King was killed – it’s now part of the acclaimed National Civil Rights Museum.

Other kid-friendly places include Mississippi River attractions like the Mud Island River Park (including the Mississippi River Museum and a scaled down version of the river that begs for barefoot splashing) plus the Memphis Zoo, a children’s museum and in season, Redbirds minor league baseball at the downtown AutoZone Park.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn at Peabody Place, which was perfectly located downtown and was also attached to a small mall that occupied certain wiggly toddlers when needed.

In Europe

In a previous blog post here (titled Wonderfully off the tourist beaten path: Wadden Sea / Waddenzee Islands with kids)  I’ve written about the tongue-twisting but lovely Dutch islands of Texel and Terschelling.

They are only a short drive and ferry ride away from Amsterdam, but they’re very laid back, very Dutch and very nice for a beachy getaway.  Settle in, get some bikes for everyone (of course – it’s the Netherlands) and relax.

Here is the related Dutch tourism Web site about the islands – check it out.

If you can figure out how to pronounce the island of Schiermonnikoog, more power to you.

In Asia

I love the buzzy energy of Tokyo, and it’s a perfect destination with preteens and teens, but a bit too mind-blowing for little ones.  The crowds that older children find exciting are simply overwhelming when you’re two feet tall.

That’s why I like Yokohama, the seaside city south of Tokyo.

Make no mistake; it is Japan, so it is crowded, but somehow the location near the sea makes it feel more open.  There’s a big mall/hotel highrise called Landmark Tower (with a Pokemon Store – yay!) and it’s surrounded by an amusement park and wide pedestrian seawall.

This Frugal Traveler article in the New York Times about exploring Tokyo through its ramen shops mentions the terrific Ramen Museum in Yokohama, where you can get lots of different kinds of ramen to eat and walk through a sort of living history museum.  Super for families!

Here’s one of my very early posts on this blog: Kids in Tokyo – Escape to Yokohama.

There are my three family travel secret places; please share yours down in the comments!

Categories
50 State Series

Family travel in Wisconsin

biker-statue-in-sparta-wisconsin-courtesy-mykl-roventine-on-flickr-ccEvery Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly travel ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

We’re going in alphabetical order but starting with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming and now we’re moving on to….Wisconsin!

The Badger State tourism folks aren’t on Twitter or Facebook yet (so you Wisconsin-ites might want to give ’em a nudge!) but I did find the Madison, Wisconsin tourism office on Twitter at @Visit_Madison.

The waterpark-heavy Wisconsin Dells are on Twitter – @WisDells – and cheeseheads can rejoice because so is the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board with @WisCheese.

Racine and the Wisconsin Dells are on Facebook.

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

Twitter Travel Tips for Wisconsin

From Tom Pearson via @tom_pearson on Twitter  —  “Peninsula State Park, Door County….easy hikes, observation tower, golf, bike/scooter rentals – good times.  Scroll down this Door County site to see [October] Fall Festival – BIG weekend up there. You gotta check out Al Johnson’s Swedish rest. in Sister Bay – grass roof with goats on it to keep it in check. Major tourist attraction. Also [The Cherry Train on Washington Island] – ferry ride over, cool train tour + [at the end of tour, for the adults] a shot of angostura bitters at the Prohibition-cheating Nelsen’s Hall.”

From @WisCheese via Twitter  —  “[Dairy to visit] Babcock is a favorite – Delicious fresh cheese you can watch being made and famous ice cream! https://foodsci.wisc.edu/store.”

From Kathy and Travis Nelson via @EngagingIreland and @Kathy_SixEight on Twitter  —  “This page has lots of family fun ideas in & near the Mad City of Madison. Has anyone mentioned Circus World Museum in Baraboo (my hometown?) [Nope, but I found it. Thanks, Kathy.] “

From Ellen at @neithernor on Twitter  —  “Jelly Belly Factory in Pleasant Prairie; Paul Bunyan’s restaurant in Minocqua; can’t go wrong w/ Milwaukee Public Museum.”

From Rob Gardner via @LocalFamily on Twitter  —  “Go to Monroe WI [in Green County] about hour from Madison. The whole town’s great; watch them make cheese at Roth Käse.”

From Jeanine Barone via @JCreatureTravel on Twitter  —  “I love Door County; perfect for bicycling on quiet roads. This site has family fun section: https://www.doorcounty.com/plan/ideas/family-fun.aspx.”

From the Wisconsin Dells via @WisDells on Twitter  —  “Activities that are always a hit are WI Deer Park or Timbavati Wildlife Park at Storybook Gardens. Kids can pet & feed the animals. [Here’s a list of Dells animal-related attractions.]  On Jun 20, 2009: Waterslide-athon at Noah’s Ark Waterpark benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities®. Kids help other kids.”

Facebook Travel Tips for Wisconsin

I didn’t really get much feedback on Facebook for this state (other than the same Dells links that I listed above.)

From the BootsnAll Travel Network:  Family-Themed Day Trips Around Milwaukee

Thanks so much for the contributions – the next state in the series is West Virginia.

Send your “Wild and Wonderful” highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or my Facebook page (tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

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

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own Wisconsin suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

Categories
Tips

How to take your first road trip with a newborn baby

Teensy newborn in a car seat (courtesy chimothy27 at Flickr CC)I’m thrilled to report that Sean Keener, the CEO of BootsnAll (the travel network that hosts this blog) and his wife just welcomed their new son Kai into the world.

Here’s his announcement tweet about it, which of course made me bawl.

They’ll probably be thinking about taking at least a short trip soon, because boots are made for….well, you know….

When my daughter was born, I could not WAIT to get out of the house after a couple of weeks. Part of the urge was to prove to myself that motherhood wasn’t going to mean the end of travel until the kid was older, and part of the urge was to do something besides baby care plus trying to figure out how to shower and sleep occasionally.

I also wanted to see if I could nurse a baby while traveling (answer = oh yes.)

When our new baby was three weeks old, we drove from the Washington DC metro area to New York.  My Mom was rather aghast that we would venture out so soon (not done in her day) but I itched to pack my suitcase.

Here is what I learned about road trips with newborns:

  • You will be terrified because the baby is so tiny and you feel so clueless. Within reason, proceed anyway.
  • New York was a pretty far drive for us with a wee one in the back seat who has to face backwards, as infants do until a year or so.  There was a lot of crying and yelling until I sat in back with her and soothed her to sleep. We made it to NYC and back, but a shorter trip would have been better.
  • You are going to fill up the car with a ton of crap that you don’t need, if it’s your first baby.  Then you’ll worry about having all that in the car and whether it will be stolen, so you’ll schlep it into the hotel room. Then you’ll have to schlep it back out to the car.  You’ll learn.
  • You do need a few of those removable window screens/sunshades for your car windows.  Babies seem to yell a lot about direct sun.
  • You will overdress the kid, if it’s your first baby.
  • A newborn can sleep in a drawer, as long as it is well-padded. Don’t bring a giant portable crib contraption when they’re that tiny.  We used a Moses basket with a little mattress till our daughter outgrew it.
  • There are stores where you are going. Really.  You do not have to bring everything!
  • Lots of large, gallon-sized Ziplock bags can corral any number of stinky messes, like that cute onesie that baby immediately poops upon.
  • Do not buy a pink, googly-looking doofus diaper bag that Dad is embarrassed to tote around.
  • Have a nice big mat for changing diapers. Some changing surfaces are pretty, um, questionable in terms of hygiene.
  • A newborn child is not walking, crawling or even turning over yet, and therefore does not need shoes, or even socks if it is warm. Duh.
  • Moms need to wear tops that are easily accessible for nursing. My one-stop shop was always Motherwear.com. They can be pricey because they’re built with special features, but there’s a sales page and believe me, they wear like iron through every sort of barf, milk, spills….I’ll spare you any further liquids details.
  • Get a sling and carry that baby. You’re going to want the freedom of walking around (interacting with adults! Yay!) while the baby hangs out/sleeps in the sling. You do not want to wrestle up and down stairs and around sidewalk foot traffic with a stroller.
  • Don’t plan to do anything but walk around, maybe have one semi-nice meal if the baby’s quiet and take a luxurious shower at the hotel.  You’ll spend the rest of the time changing diapers, nursing, changing diapers again, walking, sitting, nursing and probably changing another diaper. BUT,  you’ll get to do it with different scenery than your home, which is nice.
  • Always check to see if the men’s bathroom has a Diaper Deck or other diaper changing table before Dad marches in there with baby. If it doesn’t, complain to the restaurant/shop manager. Dads have duties, too.

We still talk about the epic trip to New York to this day, although that daughter of mine will head to college this fall.  We learned that we could still travel, the baby was fairly adaptable, and if we scaled way back on expectations, we could have a really nice time and get a break from routine.

Did I miss any newborn road trip travel tips? Let us know in the comments!

Categories
Florida USA

Things to do and see in Florida besides Walt Disney World

Kids finding treasures on a Florida Gulf Coast beach near Naples (courtesy tlindenbaum at Flickr CC)Although I’m from a Navy family and feel as though my home is “anywhere on Planet Earth,”  I was actually born in Key West, Florida.

Therefore, as an official Conch, I do feel an affinity for the Sunshine State.

This is where I recommend taking kids in Florida if I didn’t want to deal with theme parks and Disney (although here are my tips for the Walt Disney World parks, if you insist.)

Gulf Coast beaches

No, they are not all oil slicks. Once you’ve been spoiled by Florida beaches, it’s hard to put up with grungy sand or chilly water elsewhere (except, yes, OK, I’ll admit maybe Hawaii gives them a run for the money.)  The Atlantic coast has pretty good choices in Daytona, Cocoa Beach and Jacksonville/St. Augustine, but my vote goes to the Gulf Coast because the water’s warmer, the sand is usually nicer and the wave action is gentler for younger kids.

Try Clearwater/St. Pete for lively urban beaches, nearby Caladesi Island State Park for isolated beauty or Siesta Key near Sarasota, an all-around winner.  The northwest Florida Panhandle and Pensacola have lovely sand and clear, warm water; sometimes I roll my eyes at the occasional tacky commercialization there, but my kids LOVED stuff like mini-golf. Shut up, Mom.

Clear, cool freshwater springs

They are all over the state and they’re marvelously refreshing – a real Old Florida moment when you jump in! For example, Wakulla Springs State Park is perfect for a stop-off between Tallahassee and Jacksonville.  The park is home to a massive freshwater spring, one of the delights of northern Florida and a great excuse to go swimming.

Take one of the glass-bottom boat tours to get crystal-clear views of spring wildlife below the boat. The comfy Lodge in the middle of the Park was built in 1937, and still welcomes guests for meals or an overnight stay.

The Everglades

Truly a U.S. national treasure and a World Heritage Site, the enormous 1.5 million acre “sea of grass” boasts nine distinct habitats and teems with hundreds of species of mammals, birds, and fish.

There are ranger-guided tours and activities, mangrove coast boat tours and tram tours on a fifteen-mile loop; check individual sections of the Park for specific activities. Miles of both land and water trails tempt walkers, hikers and canoe/kayak enthusiasts. The December through April dry season is the least humid, most bug-free time to go, but is also the most crowded, so reserve early.

Gainesville and funky Cedar Key

In addition to the University of Florida Gator hoopla in Gainesville, there’s also the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History.  Join the other lepidoptera fanatics of all ages walking gently through hundreds of colorful butterflies.  You can also observe human researchers at work, but it’s more interesting to watch baby winged ones struggle valiantly to escape cocoons.

Just south of town is Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.   Sweeping open prairie grasslands and marshes contain wild bison and horses.  Look for hundreds of bird species (including Sand Hill Cranes) from the many marked trails.  There’s even the hulk of an 1800’s steamboat from the days when this was Alachua Lake.

Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico.  The Old Florida atmosphere makes this a perfect day trip from Gainesville.  Nope, that tiny public beach is not what you came for.  Wander the art galleries, chow down on fresh seafood, then kayak out to Atsena Otie Key offshore, just before the vermilion sunset.  Check with Adventure Outpost in High Springs for guided kayak outings here and all over north central Florida.

The Florida Keys and Key West

You don’t have to drive all the way down the Overseas Highway to Key West (although “Cayo Hueso” it is more kid-friendly than you’d think) but there’s something about the Keys that makes everyone kick back a little more and relax. In Key West, the whole family will enjoy the hokey-but-thorough Conch Train Tour, but hit it in the morning for cooler breezes and smaller crowds.

After the tour, you’ll know where to return later on bike. Spare yourself the headaches of driving and parking here; the main attractions lie within a few square miles.

Kid-friendly places to visit include the live-action fun at the Shipwreck Historeum, the small Aquarium, Mallory Square festivities at sunset and treasures at Mel Fisher’s Maritime Museum. There are also local sailing trips and day trips to the nearby Dry Tortugas.

Older kids who are writers or history buffs (or who must live with annoying parents who are) might like Hemingway’s House or President Truman’s Little White House.

What are your Florida favorites?

Let us know down in the comments!

Categories
Texas USA

Driving backroads beats the tar out of the Interstate

Long stretches of farm land near Nome, Texas (photo by Sheila Scarborough)Those who drive long stretches of most US Interstate highways know that, while you’ll get there faster and there might be some good places to pull off, it will be a mostly boring trip.

Fast, efficient, but boring.

If you decide to jump off on a backroad (see William Least Heat-Moon’s Blue Highways) for at least part of the journey, it might add time and you might not see anything, either.

But the chances are good that you WILL make some sort of discovery, the kind that leaves everyone in the car grinning with delight (well, except your teenagers, but they’ll smile inwardly and appreciate it later. You know; years from now.)

That’s what I did driving from Beaumont, Texas back to my home in the Austin area after my high school reunion festivities; I pulled out the map and said, “Please, let there be some road that goes roughly in the correct direction but is not Interstate 10.”

Continue reading “Driving backroads beats the tar out of the Interstate”
Categories
50 State Series USA

Family travel in Montana

Rafting on Clarke Fork rapids, Montana (courtesy wordcat57 at Flickr CC)We took a long hiatus while I worked on my social media for tourism startup, but every week or so until we run out of states, I’ll be posting about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states plus the territories, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction website, 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,  Ohio, North Dakota,  North Carolina, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada, Nebraska and now we’re moving on to…Montana!

The state has a foothold on all the major social media channels: they’re on Twitter as @VisitMontana, they have a Montana tourism Facebook Page, a active Montana YouTube channel and a nice Flickr Group for Montana photos.

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

Twitter Travel Tips for Montana

***  From Lisa Bergren via @TheWorldCalls on Twitter – Bigfork is a picturesque, historic lake town with a kid-friendly Summer playhouse, condos on the bay, water sports. #Montana Also just posted a family-friendly hike in Glacier Park:  https://theworldiscalling.com/2010/05/family-hike-to-grinnell-lake

***  From Heidi O’Brien via @IKnowHelena on Twitter – A great family event in Helena, Montana – Outdoor Fest. At the bottom of this page there are some good winter family activities in Helena.

***  From Terry Starbucker via @Starbucker on Twitter – Here’s one:  Glacier National Park, Going to the Sun Road. Simply awesome. 2nd place, a boat ride on Flathead Lake… 🙂

***  From Pam Mandel via @NerdsEyeView on Twitter – Do you have the totally fab Red Bus Tour in Glacier National Park?

***  From Framework Meetings via @frameworkmtgs on Twitter – Lots of Montana fun for families at https://bit.ly/cvGAsn and https://bit.ly/9NLt1 (it’s on its own island!)

***  From Stacy via @happilylost on Twitter – Glacier National Park. Super family friendly and gorgeous!

****  From Jessica Downing via @jessdowning on Twitter – Check @skiwhitefish for alpine slides, zip lines & affordable lodging close to Glacier in MT!

***  From Marci Diehl via @writerdiehl on Twitter – We loved Whitefish, MT & their open air crafts market. The Walk In the Cedars at Glacier Nat’l Park was easy for our 3 yr old.

Facebook Travel Tips for Montana

***  From Lanora Mueller on Facebook – Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in Anaconda, Montana, is a great place for families with kids. We stayed in a friend’s timeshare there when my daughter was about 11. The hot spring pools are open 24 hours for guests, and there’s a waterslide for a bit of extra excitement.

There are many nearby educational activities too. We did a tour of Butte, including the wonderful old homes of the copper barons, the Mineral Museum at Montana Tech, the World Museum of Mining, and the Berkeley Pit. On Main Street in Philipsburg, we panned for sapphires and watched taffy being made.

We also did a fair amount of hiking and fishing. It was a memorable family trip. I have a little article on Suite101 about the resort: https://montana-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/soak_your_cares_away_in_fairmont_hot_springs

*** From (Navy doctor and old friend of mine, now in Afghanistan) Tim Quast on Facebook – Sheila – never actually been here, but it’s on my list of places to visit. Renting a caboose on the periphery of Glacier National Park at the Izaak Walton Inn. https://www.izaakwaltoninn.com. One day, I’ll get there, either in summer or for cross country skiing in the winter.

Thanks so much for the contributions, everyone!

The BootsnAll Travel Network has some Montana travel articles as well.

The next state in the series is Missouri.

Send your Missouri highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (please tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own Montana suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

Categories
Product Reviews Tips USA

Tired of flying or driving with the kids? Consider MegaBus

(This is a guest post by Sherry Ott, from her recent trip via MegaBus. I’ve been curious about these newer budget bus services, so I asked for her reactions. Thanks, Sherry!)

All aboard the MegaBus for budget travel (courtesy MegaBus)Travel on the US East Coast has changed.  “Taking the bus” is no longer looked down upon; in fact, it is quickly becoming the transportation choice up and down the coast and in the Northeast (and expanding to the Midwest.)

I’ve ridden buses all over the world, but I recently took MegaBus from New York City to Boston to give this American version of budget bus travel a try.

Ticketing

Megabus is hip to technology, so the best and easiest way to purchase your tickets is online at www.megabus.com. It’s a pretty standard web ticketing process, however I did manage to screw my ticket up (all my own fault) and booked 1:30AM instead of 1:30PM and realized this the day before I was to leave.

My screw up in ticketing allowed me to test out the purchase ticket in person option too – so for review purposes it worked out!

You can purchase tickets at a little booth across from the loading area in New York City.  The people there weren’t the friendliest, but they were quick.  Unfortunately when I went to rectify my ticket situation in person (as the call center person suggested I do), I found out that there were no more tickets left to sell for my bus and I would have to wait Standby.  This wasn’t exactly in alignment with what the customer service agent said, so the whole situation had my travel stress level quite high.

Boarding

The boarding process reminded me of kindergarten.

Everyone had to stand in line, in the hot sun, while ONE guy tried to go around and check everyone’s tickets.  There were no signs for the lines, which resulted in a very inefficient process of people arriving and interrupting the ONE guy checking tickets to find out where to go. The seats were not assigned on the bus (note from Sheila: this could get interesting with kids) so once you got on, you chose your seat.  One guy also loaded luggage – so the whole process seemed a bit slow, and hence our bus took off about 20 minutes late.

Luggage

I found out once I arrived at the loading area that MegaBus has a strict ONE bag policy.  Unfortunately I had two – plus a carry-on with laptop.  They clearly have the luggage policy labeled on their website, but I apparently missed it.  They don’t technically check luggage or provide receipts, but instead you place your ONE piece of luggage in the storage area of the bus.  I got around the policy by asking a woman next to me in line who didn’t need to check a bag to claim mine – whew.  It appeared the luggage policy was very loosely applied without a lot of predictability.

Cost

Even though the prices are like travel in less developed countries, the style isn’t.  In Vietnam, a four hour backpack bus trip to Mui Ne cost me about $10USD – and so did this trip to Boston!

The prices are great – especially if you book in advance.  The ticketing online provides you a confirmation number which you simply show to the guy checking you in.  Many people simply held up their phones and showed him the number; no need to print out a receipt.

For families this is an excellent option as a family of four stood with me in the Standby line and bought all of their tickets for $100; much cheaper than four airline tickets!

The Ride

This is where MegaBus as compared to airline travel shines…each seat has a power outlet, and free wireless internet access is available to all.  The signal was great and I had no problem using that signal for four hours.

Each seat was reclinable, and fairly comfortable.  However, one downside about the seating was that unless you have a small notebook computer, the laptop space is really  cramped since there isn’t much room to put the laptop on your lap without hitting the back of the seat in front of you.  This setup made it really hard to type; practically impossible.  Plus – at times, the ride was rather bouncy, so if you are prone to motion sickness – working on your laptop might not be the best thing to do.  The setup was great for watching movies – but a bit of a pain to type of this review.

Tips To Make the Experience Better

My best advice is to bring a  jacket, even in the summer.  The bus became very cold after two hours.  The temperature didn’t seem to regulate.  Even the big guy next to me got cold!

Also – make sure you bring some snacks.  On my 4 ½ hour trip to Boston, we didn’t stop once – so be prepared.

Overall Impression

I’d use MegaBus again, but I would also recommend to book in advance; Standby was a bit of a pain.

It definitely was more simple and cheaper than my other options to get to Boston; air or train.  Plus, I found it to be just as comfortable AND I was able to have an internet connection!  Bravo MegaBus!

To learn more about MegaBus in the US, go to their website at https://us.megabus.com and see their routes all over the US which provide some great alternatives to short air travel!  You can also follow them on twitter at @megabus or on the MegaBus Facebook page.

Sherry Ott is a refugee from corporate IT who is now a long term traveler, blogger and photographer. She’s a co-founder of Briefcase to Backpack, a website offering career break travel inspiration and advice. She also runs an around the world travel blog, writing about her travel and expat adventures at Ottsworld.

Categories
50 State Series USA

Family travel in Nebraska

Nebraska's Lake McConaughy state recreation area (courtesy jakesmome on Flickr CC)Every week or so until we run out of states, I’ll be posting 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,  Ohio, North Dakota,  North Carolina, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada and now we’re moving on to….Nebraska!

They are doing a solid job with social media:  @NebraskaTourism represents that state on Twitter, they have a Facebook Fan Page, they share videos on their YouTube channel and they’re perfect for road trips with tons of scenic drive podcasts.

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

Twitter Travel Tips for Nebraska

***  From Theresa via @SixSuitcaseTrav on Twitter – Have always loved hiking in Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, NE. The Omaha Children’s Museum is great place for kids. Good times for all and membership worthy. Check out the Arbor Day farm in Nebraska City, NE home of the Arbor Day Foundation, tour includes a free tree seedling. A must visit is the Henry Doorly Zoo and a stop by Zestos for the best malts in the world!

***  From Anne Szustek via @the59thStBridge on Twitter – Omaha has some great vintage clothing shops [appeals to tweens, teens.]

***  From Kayt Sukel via @TravelSavvyKayt on Twitter – Lincoln NE has a really cute Children’s Museum: https://bit.ly/AIekL.  And I’ve heard good things about the zoo: https://bit.ly/tSl2K

***  From Sarah V. via @Wandering_Off on Twitter – Omaha:  Strategic Air & Space Museum is fun! Joslyn Art Museum also good.

Facebook Travel Tips for Nebraska

***  From Linda Wolfgram Kramer on Facebook – Something I came across that looks interesting: at Fort Robinson State Park, you can sleep in a “cabin” crafted from the fort’s old enlisted or officers’ quarters.

A friend who lives in Nebraska highly recommends Railroad Days, which take place in Omaha and across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She liked it enough to write five blog posts for me about it: https://minnemom.com/2008/08/03/railroad-days-5-great-stops-2-days-10/

***  From Bill Genereux on Facebook – Right now is the best time to see the sandhill cranes along the Platte. Amazing to see! https://www.nebraskatravels.com/sandhill-crane-migration.html

Homestead National Monument, near Beatrice. https://www.nps.gov/home/index.htm

Fort Robinson is where Crazy Horse was when he was killed. Must see Cabelas in Sidney or Kearney. Speaking of Kearney, the Platte River Monument is worth a visit.

Pioneer Village in Minden used to be a cool place but I dunno how well it’s been maintained. It’s been years. I want to take my kids sometime though.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo https://bit.ly/taYGU and the Strategic Air & Space Museum, Ashland https://bit.ly/cOA2GP

According to a friend, Omaha also has a children’s museum, railroad museum, Kansas City Royals minor league team, downtown slides, riverwalk, carriage rides. I’ve been wanting to take my family to Omaha for a while, but we haven’t gotten it done.

***  From Jeanne Cole on Facebook – Minden NE has a really awesome museum with so many things to see you can’t do it in a single day! I called Pioneer Village, here is the link https://www.pioneervillage.org/ and, yes I have personally been there for two days! Our classic car group took a road trip to Minden in late 2005. Probably time to go back!

***  From Kay Bell on Facebook – Minor league baseball! Rosenblatt Stadium is home of the College World Series (https://www.cwsomaha.com/);  I got to attend some of the CWS games the summer I spent in Omaha. The rest of the summer Rosenblatt Stadium is home to the Omaha Royals, the Triple-A affiliate (top level of minor league ball) of the Kansas City Royals since the Royals joined the American League in 1969. https://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t541

Thanks so much for the contributions, everyone!

The BootsnAll Travel Network has an Omaha, Nebraska Travel Guide as well.

The next state in the series is Montana.

Send your Montana highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (please tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)

My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.

Please add your own Nebraska suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!

Categories
Tips USA

8 tips on taking the kids to Las Vegas

Sin City Suckers at Mandalay Bay convenience store (photo by Sheila Scarborough)My first (short) visit to Las Vegas was to help run the Tourism track at BlogWorld and New Media Expo, but I tried to scope out a few family travel angles in Sin City while I was there.

Here are my thoughts about this surprising place:

1)  Even though the campaign to market Vegas as “family-friendly” was mostly a bust, it’s still not a horrible destination with kids, as long as you avoid the racier casino floor action.

I was constantly amazed by how many parents seemed to think it was OK to walk their children through smoky areas (with gyrating dancers around the blackjack tables) at 10:30 at night.

Where the hell do they think they ARE….Poughkeepsie?

2)  The climate is incredibly dry. Be obnoxious about making everyone drink extra water and pace themselves, or the whole clan will have raging dehydration headaches every day.  Bathe in lotion, while you’re at it.

3)  The city’s reputation as a cheap place to visit is only true up to a point. The struggling economy has resulted in some amazing hotel deals in Las Vegas, but they’ll get you elsewhere in the wallet.  Food at those famous gourmet Vegas restaurants will cost a pretty penny. ATM fees are some of the highest I’ve seen ($4.99 – are you kidding?) Cocktails are not cheap unless you game the system and work those Happy Hour deals. It cost me money to check in online and print my boarding pass for my outbound flight; whoa. There are free things for families to do, but as always, plan ahead.

4)  Public transportation is poor. Either prepare to walk a lot, or catch a lot of taxis. The monorail seems like it would be helpful, but it has a weird schedule of stops and doesn’t run the length of Strip. It’s OK sometimes, but not something I could depend on to run to the places I wanted to go (nor was it always easy to find the stops via the confusing signs in meandering casinos.)

Update 13 Dec 2010: a new Las Vegas express bus service just opened connecting the airport with more of the city. If you aren’t laden down with luggage, this could work.

5)  If you are a social media fan, this is your town. Most of the major hotel properties/resorts are very active on Facebook, Twitter and location-based services like Foursquare (often with check-in deals available to participants.)

6)  Across the board, at every resort and restaurant, the staff that I met were really nice and friendly. The tough economy has hurt them badly, plus the real estate crash in this part of Nevada is godawful. They want your business.  It’s not glitzy at all a few blocks away from the Strip; it’s tough. Tip generously when you can – I did to the casino bartender who generously pointed out which drinks would NOT cost me anything at a conference social event, before I dropped $14 on my favorite bourbon and Coke.

7)  I’d say, go hang out at the swimming pools – except in the midday sun, of course. There are a bunch of family-friendly pools in Las Vegas, and my travel blogging friend Mary Jo says her top pick is the pool complex at Mandalay Bay resort.

8 )  For a half-day trip, do try to make it out to the Hoover Dam. That is one impressive place.

Fellow traveler Gary Arndt had the best description of the town’s bizarre otherworldliness: he’d heard that “Vegas fakery is like a Beatles tribute band. You know they aren’t the Beatles, but you appreciate the attempt.”

This was a short trip and I was tied up with the BlogWorld conference, so didn’t get out much….what did I miss for kids?