Tag Archive for: vacation with kids

Epic family travel passport fail

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Evidence. (From Tomonews.us.)

Evidence. (From Tomonews.us.)

If you really think about it, our passports are just begging to be scribbled on. The compact size! Those horrible photos! Heck, here in the United States, the watermark could even qualify as sparkly and colorful.

In this family, considering how frequently our kids see our passports, I’ve often marveled at the fact that the identification documents have escaped kid-graffiti for so long.

Unfortunately, a Chinese man recently vacationing with his family in South Korea wasn’t as lucky.

The news hit the wires this week—the guy’s toddler scribbled all over his passport and officials in South Korea wouldn’t let the dude back into his home country without some serious questioning. From what I can clean online, it sounds like the situation ultimately was resolved. For a while, however, it looked as if one kid’s Pablo Picasso moment was going to cost dad a return trip with the clan.

When I read the story, I had to laugh. No, neither L nor R has defaced a passport. But the girls have mistaken some of my steno pads for coloring books.

There was that time I was on assignment in Hawaii, opened up my pad to scribble some notes, and found a pad full of marker scribbles—so many of them that I couldn’t find a clean piece of paper on which to write.

Then there was that day back here in California, when I came out of a very brief trip to the bathroom to find the kids actively painting on the only copy of critical collateral for a major ad campaign.

Thankfully, in both cases, I was able to recover.

Those incidents, coupled with this week’s incident in South Korea, serve as good reminders that these little geniuses of ours have minds of their own. In their worlds, little square books with lots of empty pages are meant for artwork. And if Daddy needs a goatee and simply won’t grow one on his own, it’s just easier to draw one in.

Where is the wackiest place your kids have scribbled while on a family trip?

Channeling family travel excitement

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The book. By Mommy.

The book. By Mommy.

Ours is a house of artists. I use words to express myself; Powerwoman and our daughters use images. My wife and older daughter in particular turn to drawings and sketches when they wish to express deep and personal thoughts. This means pre-trip excitement often sparks a ton of art time.

Usually L is the queen of this handiwork, cranking out single sheets and books about the things she thinks we’ll experience on the road. (To R’s credit, she’s still working on the whole hold-a-marker-the-right-way trick.)

This week, however, my wife has run point.

The fruits of her labor: A book about our August trip to Walt Disney World. Because we’ve never been there as a family (we’ve only taken the girls to Disneyland), the girls have been pestering us about what it’s like and what they’ll see. Yes, we answer them when they ask. But to sweeten the storyline, Powerwoman started a book (quite literally) to illustrate our replies.

The first page of the book presents a map of Fantasyland, complete with images of the carousel and the iconic Cinderella Castle. A rough strategy for subsequent pages include a rendering of Arandelle (our girls, like all girls, are obsessed with Frozen), Epcot Theme Park, and more.

As of today, the expectations were for Powerwoman to create one new page a week. You better believe the girls intend to hold her to this schedule. The penalty: Incessant nagging.

In all seriousness, the book has been a huge hit. It’s also been a great inspiration—as if L and R weren’t excited already, the book (and discussion about it) has jump-started their interest in a big way. By the time August rolls around, the girls likely will be bursting at the seams for the conclusion of their pre-trip primer. I’m also looking forward to using it as a distraction tool on the six-hour plane ride to Orlando.

This whole process has taught us a valuable lesson: It’s never too early to get your children excited about upcoming family trips. Anything that sparks their imagination, anything that triggers and encourages excitement about travel, is worthwhile. Especially if it involves creativity, too.

How do you get your children excited for upcoming family trips?

Exploring the proverbial backyard

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L and R, looking for shells at Goat Rock Beach.

During an average year, we Villanos are away from home as a unit anywhere from 60-80 days overall. Last year we logged nearly 160 days away from home (including a 122-day stint in England). The year before, we spent 31 consecutive days in Hawaii.

Naturally, then, the four of us jump at the chance to explore uncharted territory closer to home.

Because we live in Northern California, this means pretty much everything from portions of the Peninsula to the Central Valley and places in between. It also means the North Coast.

One of our favorite recent finds: Goat Rock Beach, part of the Sonoma Coast State Park that extends 17 miles from Bodega Head to Vista Trail, north of Jenner. This area is literally less than one hour from our home. It also has everything my kids love: Crashing surf to watch, shells to collect, marine mammals to ogle (or ignore), and a river in which to splash.

I took the girls on a Friday earlier this spring. Our goal: To hike to the southern edge of the mouth of the Russian River and watch members of the resident harbor seal colony raising pups and otherwise doing their things (really, I should write, “thangs”) on the other side.

The plan began flawlessly. We left the house after breakfast and arrived at the beach parking lot by 10 a.m., well before the typical crowds. After snack in the trunk (I drive an XTerra, and L and R like hanging out back there with the gate open), we grabbed our shell collecting bags and bee-lined for the beach, about 500 feet away.

This is where things slowed down considerably.

First was L, who decided the best way to collect the shells was to find a spot of beach, sit down, and parse through EVERY SINGLE SHELL within reaching distance. Then was R, who wandered for a bit, then whined, staggered over to me, and threw her body between my legs until I simply had to pick her up.

Finally, after about 45 minutes of these shenanigans, I convinced the girls to race me to the end of the beach.

When we arrived, two researchers were watching the seals through binoculars. The humans were eager to share their opera glasses and excited to pass along knowledge of the seals to my kids. I was jonesing for the girls to learn about seals, too; I had studied this species during a college job at the Shedd Aquarium, in Chicago, and the kids had never seen these critters in the wild.

Unfortunately, the girls had other plans. To put it mildly, they are more interested in toe fungus than they were in those seals on that day.

So we improvised. We skipped stones into the oncoming surf. We imitated seagulls as they took flight. Then we wandered around the back side of the beach—the river side—and I let the kids splash around in the shallow and (relatively) slow-moving water.

They were so happy in that water, they didn’t realize how long it took us to walk back to the car, how many pictures I snapped, how much time passed, or how wet they got. In that moment, all my daughters cared about was splishing and splashing and imitating fish and quacking like ducks. The whole way home, the river experience was all they talked about—the shells were cool, but the river-splashing was AWESOME. L insisted on knowing: How come had not taken them there before?

The lesson in all of this is an epiphany I’ve had in these (virtual) pages previously: Sometimes the greatest family travel adventures aren’t as far afield as we think.

To find them, research your area, put in the effort and—on the ground—let your kids lead the way.  No, you might not get to teach them about seals (or whatever seals represent to you), but you might find yourself face-to-face with something even more earth-shattering for them. That’s all that really matters anyway.

What sorts of family travel adventures do you seek close to home?

Great family travel blog from Down Under

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The Delaneys, hanging out Down Under.

The Delaneys, hanging out Down Under.

I’m always eager to promote the work of other writers whom I admire. Especially when they’re not professional writers.

That’s precisely why I have been LOVING this blog, by my friend, Matt Delaney, and his wife, Allison. Earlier this month, the duo took their two kids on a three-week vacation to New Zealand and Australia. They rented an RV and are touring the region. And they’re chronicling their adventures for everyone to read.

The posts have been detailed, honest, humorous and informative. They also have been thoroughly engaging—especially with all of the family photos they’re posting from along the way.

What’s more, I applaud Matt and Allison for taking this trip in the first place—their kids are not much older than L and R (I met Matt, a financial planner, while serving on the Board for the kids’ preschool), and a three-week road trip in a foreign land with two kids under the age of 8 is hard-core.

(Actually, the trip fits perfectly into this “storybook” campaign I’m doing with Expedia.)

In any event, take a few minutes and read up on the Delaneys’ adventures Down Under. They’re over there until June 8 or so, and I suspect they’ll publish a number of other posts between now and then.

If you could go anywhere on an epic family trip, where would it be and why?

Family glamping, Ritz-Carlton style

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The goodies inside a Ritz-Carlton tent.

The goodies inside a Ritz-Carlton tent.

In most circles, the notion of “glamping” involves sleeping outside in a really fancy tent. At The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, however, it has a slightly different meaning—yes, it involves a really fancy tent, but the tent is just for kids, and the little canvas oasis gets pitched INSIDE your room.

The resort calls the package its “Just for Kids Indoor Campout.” For $100 per child per stay, the promotion includes a 4-foot-by-3-foot tent complete with Ritz-Carlton linens and featherbed, an activity book with crayons, a camp light (which kids can take home and keep), a teddy bear, and a s’mores kit that can be enjoyed by the whole family at the Fire Pit.

Sounds cool, right? We thought so. Which is why we booked it for visit to the property next month.

Our girls love indoor camping here at home; we usually spend at least part of most rainy (or exceedingly hot) days doing precisely that. Sometimes I break out my backpacking tent. Sometimes we use a special princess tent I bought the girls for Christmas in 2013.

Heck, sometimes, the kids collect all the blankets in the house and use them to build tent-like structures of their own.

At The Ritz, of course, the “camping” experience should be a bit more posh. (The featherbed alone sort of makes me wish they offered “Indoor Campout” packages for grownups too.) The best part: If either one of the girls decides she *doesn’t* like the tent, we can either unfurl the pull-out sofa or use the tent linens to set up a bed on the floor.

Don’t get me wrong; we don’t intend to spend the whole 4-day excursion partying in indoor tents. The girls never have been to Tahoe, and we’ve planned our adventure around hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, swimming in the lake, and hanging out with friends who rent a house nearby.

(I also will be reporting a story about kids clubs; the Ritz Kids Club, which incorporates educational activities designed by Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Future Society, is one of the best.)

I can’t think of a better way to kick-off summer.

When you stay in a hotel with kids, where do they sleep?

A rare look behind the curtain

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Moi, age 2. I got an early start.

Moi, age 2. I got an early start.

Every now and again I like to indulge myself with an “Inside Baseball” type of post about writing or freelancing or both. Consider that a disclaimer; this is one such post.

It’s actually part of a “Blog Hop,” something that buddy (and fellow writer/blogger), Amanda Castleman, asked me to do this week. As Amanda explained to me, the rules of this exercise are simple: I have to share my views of the writing life by answering four basic questions that all participants must answer. That’s it.

Next week, two other writers will share their insights (don’t hate me; I’m still figuring out whom to ask). And to read Amanda’s entry for the “Hop,” click here. For now, however, it’s my turn. If you’d like to hear more about my replies, give me a shout in the comment field following the piece.

What am I writing or working on?
The answer to this question differs every day. During most weeks, I’ve got an average of 5-8 assignments to tackle. Lately, my schedule has been hairy, and I’ve been averaging 8-12 stories per week. (Yes, if you do the math, this means I write anywhere from 32-40 stories per month.) Constants on the schedule include blog posts, editing and social media promotion for the Expedia Viewfinder (I’m senior editor there), and monthly gambling and family travel columns for the San Francisco Chronicle. Beyond that, my workload usually is a mix of family travel features, business writing, copywriting, guidebook-updating, and corporate work. (For more on my freelancing business, please visit Whalehead.com.)

How does my work differ from others of its genre? 
I’d like to think that was distinguishes my writing is my voice. I try to write in a clear and concise fashion—similar to the way I’d speak. I also try to present hard-to-explain things in easy-to-understand language. I’m not saying I embrace the Lowest Common Denominator philosophy, but I *am* saying that I actively attempt to avoid pretension in my work. Nothing irritates me more than a travel story that focuses on the author more than it focuses on the destination or the people who live there. Who cares what we writers think? We should be conduits. At least, that’s my perspective. This ties into a bigger picture for me; something else I’d like to think distinguishes my work. Many other writers approach their craft with this sense of artistry and elegance and entitlement. I don’t want any of that. I like lyrical prose as much as anyone, but I write because I love the process, not because I think I’m some sort of national treasure or the next Sebastian Junger. I’m not interested in reading my own work or grandstanding about it in front of editors. My plan is to work my ass off writing stuff I love. If people recognize that and take interest in what I do, great. If not, that’s fine, too, because I’m going to keep doing it regardless.

Why do I write what I do?
First let’s talk about why I write at all. I write because I love to communicate, I love to tell stories, to help people understand (or learn about) stuff they might not consider otherwise. I’ve always loved telling stories, from the time I was L’s age (I wrote my first “book” when I was 6.) With that said, I write about family travel (predominantly) because it’s my reality. Before I became a father, I explored the world religiously and wrote about my experiences as frequently as possible. Once I became a father, I vowed not to let my kids slow me down or change my approach. Adventure travel stories became family travel stories. Solo trips became trips for three (and, later, four). Yes, traveling with kids means I might not get to explore destinations the same ways I always have. It also means I might get to experience certain places and people in new and exciting ways. There’s always fodder in that.

How does my writing process work? 
I’d describe my writing process as efficient and utilitarian. I’m not one of those creative types who sits around and agonizes over every word and sentence. I’m a slogger. I don’t let myself get bogged down by writer’s block. Most of this is out of necessity—because I’m working on so many stories every month, there’s really not time to dillydally. Also, because I spend most of every weekday with L and R, I need to maximize the work time I do get (which usually is between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 or 3 a.m.). I will say this: I find inspiration for story ideas everywhere. At the coffee shop. On my nightly (yes, I run at night, after the girls go to bed) runs. When I drop L at pre-school. From a simple scan of Facebook or Twitter. My favorite demonstration of this resulted in this piece, for American Banker magazine. I learned about the subject while half-asleep on my couch, pretending to watch the Giants game (during which he was serving as a “ball dude”). Three days later, I had sold the story. Boom.

My new family travel obsession: SafetyTat

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SafetyTat. In action.

SafetyTat. In action.

I might as well just come out and say it: I’m a sucker for a good temporary tattoo.

This means I’ve become a huge fan of Tattly for everyday designs. It also means that one of my new family travel must-haves is the flagship (and eponymous) product from a company called SafetyTat.

The product is exactly what it sounds like it would be—a temporary tattoo that helps keep kids safe. The concept is perfect in its simplicity, blending the fun of a temporary tattoo with important identifying information that can help authorities reunite you with your child in the event that he or she gets lost.

SafetyTat tattoos either come customized with your mobile phone number or blank so you can write in your cell phone number on them. When applied to the arm of your child or loved one, the SafetyTat provides an immediate, highly visible form of child identification that stays in place—even after it gets wet.

The product was invented by Michele Welsh, a Baltimore mom of three kids who felt overwhelmed when she took her youngsters to a crowded amusement park.

As the story goes, Welsh wrote her mobile phone number on each of the kids’ arms with a ballpoint pen. Throughout the day, she had to rewrite the numbers several times. That’s when it occurred to her there had to be an easier way.

I’m not going to lie—the SafetyTat tattoos are spendy. Original SafetyTats (the ones that you can customize to come printed with your number) are $20.99 for a pack of 24. This price doesn’t include shipping, which starts at about $3.30 per order (and goes up to $22.50 for overnight delivery, if you’re really in a hurry.)

Still, especially for summer trips to theme parks, this tool can prove to be invaluable. Check it out.

All potty, all the time

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Potty. At Gott's in St. Helena.

Potty. At Gott’s in St. Helena.

We’re deep into potty-training here this month, as we’ve been trying to get R to ditch the diapers and embrace the toilet like the rest of us. She got the whole peeing thing down quickly. Poop, on the other hand, has proven to be a significant challenge. As in, we’ve lost an average of five pairs of undies a week.

This explains why Powerwoman and I have been toting a portable potty with us wherever we go. Into town. To the doctor. And, yes, even on road trips.

Case in point: today’s pre-Mother’s Day excursion to St. Helena, one of the fanciest towns in the entire Napa Valley. While tourists enjoyed hamburgers and milkshakes at Gott’s Roadside, I was looking for a place to stash R’s portable throne. While other visitors wandered up and down Main Street in Prada and Vera Wang, there was yours truly, pink potty under my arm.

A handful of passersby (mostly younger folks) were oblivious to my accessory. The rest, however, looked at it quizzically, then glanced at the girls, and smiled.

The smiles revealed a certain familiarity; it was as if many folks were saying, “Dude, I was there, too.”

On one hand, these knowing smirks reassured me that our recent lives of Potty 24/7 are not that unusual. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but wonder: Generally speaking, why don’t I see more parents schlepping around potties in today’s day and age?

I’m being serious here, people. Every kid learns how to use the potty; why isn’t potty training more of a common sight with regard to family travel? Is it just that families don’t travel when their kids learn? Do most parents prefer just to put their kids in pull-ups when they’re on the road? Are we the only ones ridiculous enough to lug around a full-on potty (instead of a potty seat R can just use in a rest room)?

Obviously, I’d love your input on this issue. In the meantime, I intend to stick to my guns. The girls and I have a picnic date on the Sonoma County Coast this Tuesday. I’ll be the guy with the pink potty.

Dream family travel destinations, by RV

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One potential set-up (thanks, GoRVing.com, for the photo).

One potential set-up (photo from Go RVing).

Summer is road-trip season in our family, which means we’re in the midst of planning where we’d like to drive this year.

Considering the breadth and depth of this planning process, when Go RVing (and my friends at Scholastic Parent & Child magazine) recently asked me to blog about RVing, I jumped at the chance. The only problem: I’ve never actually been anywhere in an RV. So instead of writing about adventures I’ve taken in a recreational vehicle, I decided to write about trips I’d love to take.

No. 1 on my list: The Alaska Highway, the 1,700-mile road that connects the contiguous United States to Alaska through Canada (by way of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, both in Canada). This road, also called the ALCAN, has intrigued me since I got my driver’s license back in 1992. Scenery is spectacular. Wildlife is abundant. And side trips—to places such as the otherwise-inaccessible Tok!—are second to none.

Obviously this would be the choice if time were no object. It also would be a heck of a lot easier if the girls were a bit older; the trip is beautiful but can get monotonous at times.

Another trip on the list: Interstate 10 along the southern part of the United States. This drive, which stretches (west to east) from Santa Monica to Jacksonville, Fla., is another one I’ve just always wanted to do—since it spans a number of states neither I nor my daughters ever have visited (namely, Mississippi, Alabama, and New Mexico).

It’d also be a great opportunity to introduce the girls to New Orleans, and beignets.

Finally, of course, is a drive MUCH closer to home; a drive I’ve actually done before: the California Coast. I’d start in the north, near my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, and work my way south, past Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Monterey.

From there, we’d hit the central coast, stopping to check out Hearst Castle, to see friends in San Luis Obispo, and to marvel at the big boulder in Morro Bay (which, by the way, has a great tidal flat).

We’d end our journey in the heart of SoCal, with family in the San Diego area. Before returning the RV, we’d spend a day at the world-famous San Diego Zoo, and at least a day at LEGOLAND California, which my LEGO-obsessed daughters would love.

Sure, these destinations would be *part* of the fun. But because we’d be in an RV, the real joys would be in the journey—in driving leisurely to enjoy the sights, in spending nights at parks and campgrounds, in having the opportunity to bond as a family in style. Yes, we can do these things on a road trip in Powerwoman’s Prius. I just think they’d be more fun in an RV.

Where would you go if you had an RV and one month worth of vacation time?

The ultimate family travel splurge

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The pic (from our nanny) that inspired it all.

The pic (from our nanny) that inspired it all.

It’s fun when you’re traveling as a family to indulge in something unusual. For some clans, the splurge might be a larger-than-normal hotel room. For others, it might be pay-per-view movies, a double-wide pushchair, or mani-pedis for everyone.

For us, the biggest indulgence usually is room service.

I’m not entirely sure why this has become our go-to splurge. Maybe it’s because neither my parents nor Powerwoman’s parents ever sprung for it when we were kids. Maybe it’s because it’s hard to justify $20 for a hamburger. Heck, maybe it’s because the whole notion of having a meal delivered to you IN YOUR HOTEL ROOM is so utterly decadent.

Whatever the reason, we *love* rocking the room service. And we do it at least once on every family trip. (Even if the room service isn’t that great.)

Thankfully, the girls don’t take it for granted; instead, they see it as a total treat. On some vacations, they plan their room-service meals days in advance. On others—especially this one, with L—they order stuff they never normally would order during particular meals (example: French fries with breakfast).

L and R also know that if they misbehave while we’re traveling, room service is the first to go.

Two separate incidents this week reminded me about our love of in-room dining. The first: A Twitter chat on behalf of Expedia (the weekly #Expediachat), during which a few listeners and I talked about the wonders of splurging on dinner under the duvet. The second: An Instagram photo from our nanny, who just this week took her 10-year-old daughter away for a) the girl’s first plane trip and b) her first taste of room service.

In short, for us, family travel wouldn’t be family travel without the once-a-trip splurge on room service. In our clan, the ritual is a celebration of the wonders of being away from home. It’s another way in which we attempt to get the kids excited about something new. Most of the time, it works like a charm.

On what do you splurge when you’re traveling with kids?