Travel Tip: Travel Cribs

In honor of Family Traveller magazine’s debut in the US (on-line for now with a print version in January), here is a travel tip from their first publication:

Making a trip, whether near or far, always calls for a little rest and recharge once you get there. It may be easy for you to hit the hay on any pillow you see, but baby is always better when they have their favorite things with them. These travel cribs will make for the comfiest sleeps whether at home or away. They all fold up, carry easily and weigh less than 20 pounds. Bringing one along isnow a no-brainer. Everyone’s sleep will be better!

Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard Jetsetter, $104

This travel crib makes it easy to be on the go. It folds up into its own backpack so you can carry it anywhere baby goes. With its easy setup, the Pack ‘n Play can be assembled almost anywhere in less than one minute. One minute? Yes, one minute is right! And that kind of time is precious when you have a baby on your hip. Once set up, this travel crib comes with a bassinet, perfect for little ones who need a nap. The bassinet has two vibration settings to soothe your baby when you are too busy to stand there and rock baby yourself. Other features include mesh paneling for air flow, a mesh dome with sunlight blocker, and a removable changing pad.

BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light, $240

The most annoying thing about buying products just for baby? Having to buy new items when baby gets bigger. That isn’t a problem with the BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light. Although one of the more expensive travel crib options out there, this product will last your baby well through their toddler years, making it worth the investment. It has a comfy mattress pad and high, mesh walls. You’ll be happy you’ll never have to buy another travel crib, since you won’t find one with the same features. The 13-pound crib can be carried in its over-the-shoulder bag until it is set up in one simple movement. After a few uses, the crib may get dirty, but have no fear. Both the mattress pad cover and fabric around the crib are removable and machine washable. This small crib can fit in the back of any car for your next trip. Your baby will be happy no matter when and where you decide to get away.

Lotus Everywhere Travel Crib, $190

Make your baby smile with this crib by Guava Family. The exclusive side zipper doors allow you to get down on your baby’s level and hang out in the crib with them. This feature provides a more hands-on approach to everyday events – you can even lay beside your baby until they fall asleep. The easy 15-second setup makes it a no-brainer for bringing on a vacation – it’s no mess and no fuss. When you’re ready to head on home, just fold the crib up and carry it using its built-in backpack feature.

If you want this crib to grow with your baby, you can purchase the bassinet package, featuring a rocking option for a deep sleep. The crib and bassinet combination retails for $300.

Trip Tip: California Dreamin’

The Cheris Family of 4 from North Potomac, MD (2 adults and two teen boys) spent their summer vacation in sunny Southern California.  The trip began in Los Angeles with a stay at the Andaz West Hollywood, close to all the Hollywood attractions.  They really enjoyed the hotel, especially the rooftop pool with expansive views of the Hollywood Hills that they could also see from their high floor room.  Mom found the rooms very clean and comfortable.  Their LA highlight was a Warner Brothers Studio tour and enjoying a beach day at popular Venice Beach.  They also ventured to the Griffith’s Observatory with a nice view of the city and the Hollywood sign, drove around Beverly Hills to check out the lovely homes and visited Rodeo Drive.  Dinner at Mel’s Diner was a fun outing.  On their way south to San Diego they just decided to stop in Newport Beach for lunch.  They ended up renting bikes and swam in the ocean and really enjoyed a lovely day there.  Their stay in La Jolla was also a hit with a stay at the Grande Colonial where the staff took good care of them.  Their upgraded suite was spacious and had a sweet charm to it despite a musty smell in the building.  The hotel pool and views were a plus. Other fun activities included a kayak and snorkel tour right out of La Jolla, the San Diego Zoo, time at the beach (the hotel loaned them beach equipment) and meandering the village streets.  Every day mom loved visiting her sea lion friends at the beach in the early morning with Starbucks in hand.  Dinner at El Pescador Fish Market was described as casual and amazing.  One evening mom and dad went out for a date night for Mexican food in the Gaslamp Quarter while the boys had room service at the hotel.  Overall the trip was a great success, with minimal whining and fighting! The family mentioned that their hotel choices were spot on…they were sad to leave behind the adorable sea lions…

Travel Tip: The Basics of Cell Phones for Travel

Here are some handy cell phone trips for travel from Wired Magazine:

Trip Review: A London/Amsterdam Celebration

Mindy and her family (parents and young adult children ages 20 and 18) ventured to London and Amsterdam in celebration of her son’s high school graduation in June.  The trip began in London with a five-night stay at a self-catering, two-bedroom apartment in the Knightsbridge neighborhood.  The apartment was on a quiet cul-de-sac off a major street, with easy access to pubs, grocery stores, retail shops and dining. Their time in London was chock full of experiences with a variety of prebooked tours, dining reservations and entertainment which helped maximize their time and avoid long ticket lines.  The family began their visit with a city orientation tour.  Their private guide/driver took them around the city and understood the best places for viewing events while avoiding the crowds such as the practice sessions for the Changing of the Guard.  After the tour, the young adults enjoyed an exciting speedboat tour along the Thames River while mom and dad relaxed with a picnic lunch in a nearby park.  Among other sites, they visited the Tower of London, Spitafields Market and the Churchill War Rooms.  A guided tour of London’s Graffiti and Street Art was more educational and fun than expected.  Evening entertainment was also a special part of their time in London.  They saw the limited engagement of the Billy Holiday show on the West End (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill), Tape Face as well as Van Morrison.  The later was a real highlight as the intimate concert took place at the historical Hampton Court Palace in one of the courtyards.

The family then flew onto Amsterdam for three nights.  Their first lesson was how to avoid the city’s bike riders.  With 880,000 bikes on the city’s roads; they quickly figured out who has the right of way – not the pedestrians! They stayed at an apartment-hotel well located just a 10-minute stroll from the Central Rail Station. The new Erik Vokel Apartments offers spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with lovely river views. Their visit to Amsterdam began with a private walking tour followed by visits to the Anne Frank House and a privately guided tour of the renovated Van Gogh Museum. While in the Museum Quarter, the family happily stumbled upon a special Banksy Laugh Now exhibition at the Modern Contemporary (Moco) Museum. It contains around 50 original works by London’s Street Art-legend whom the family learned about on their earlier street art tour.  For the first time in history there is a Banksy exhibition in a museum!  In addition, visits to the Amsterdam Cheese Museum and the Amsterdam Tulip Museum provided good entertainment along with yummy samples of Gouda cheese. The culinary highlight though was the local pancakes (pannenkoeken) served either savory or sweet and they indulged in these thin crepes multiple times. Another highlight was the city’s newest icon, the A’dam Lookout with 360 degrees views.  The young adults went Over the Edge on Europe’s highest rooftop swing atop the building. Dinner is served inside at M’adam where a spectacular sunset, nice ambiance and good food created a memorable occasion. On their last day, a small canal cruise allowed them to see Amsterdam from the water and to learn about the dam systems and bridges that are essential to the city. They also learned about of a rite of passage tradition that is unique to The Netherlands that was also significant to the Valencis.  Putting the country’s flag out and hanging your child’s school bag on the pole is a sign that they have passed their high school exams.  The family saw bag-on-a-flag all over Amsterdam in fitting celebration of their own special graduation celebration.

Travel Tip: Family Photo Advice

Have you ever returned from a vacation full of sun, fun, laughter and a feeling that you have created memories for a lifetime only to find that your photos are lackluster, at best?  The Nations Photo Lab offers the following tips and tricks that families can use to help capture the best moments of a vacation and keep the memories alive forever.

Advanced Notice

The first tip is to let your intentions be known: Tell family members that you will be taking a lot of pictures.

According to the Nations Photo Lab, you can help manage your little subjects’ (and your bigger ones’) expectations by letting them know that the camera will be out fairly often during the trip.

Balance 

If each shot looks the same, it won’t help you tell the story of your experience. The Nations Photo Lab advises photogs to “be sure to capture candid moments by telling the kids to pretend the camera isn’t there.”

Capture Wonder

Nothing beats capturing the look of awe on a child’s face when they see something amazing for the first time.

“Even if you sacrifice the scenery around them, a tight shot of your kids’ faces is a tangible memory of childhood that you’ll treasure forever,” the experts at the Nations Photo Lab recommend.

What’s more, let the kids help plan some of your activities. Happy kids equal better pictures so let your kids have a say in what you are doing on your vacation.

Lighting is Practically Everything

Plan for that perfect family photo—and make sure it’s during the golden time (1-2 hours before sunset). If you get it just right, it might just make the perfect holiday card.

High Shutter Speed

Kids are constantly on the move, and a high shutter speed will help you capture the moment before it moves on by.

Shutter speed can be adjusted in both a DSLR camera and on a smartphone. Photographing with a fast shutter is also a great way to capture summer sports games and dance recitals, say Nations Photo Lab experts.

Get in the Picture! 

Don’t forget to capture some moments with the whole family. Kids will want to look back on their vacation time and see pictures of you, too.

Use a self-timer app on your smartphone, or invest in a small tripod for your camera.

Trip Review: Our First Family Cruise

The Getsy Family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children ages 12 and 9) from Atlantic Beach, FL took their first family cruise for their summer getaway on the Celebrity Equinox.  They let us know that they had a fabulous time!!!  They stayed all together in a balcony cabin and thought it was  actually pretty awesome.  It was tight, of course, but had much more room than the family expected.  The room and bathroom had tons of storage; so they had plenty of places to put their things.  Even with the pullman beds dropped down at night for the children; they had room to move around and get to the veranda.  They loved having the balcony for star gazing, mother/daughter pedicures, reading and enjoying a cup of tea.

The family enjoyed the food on the ship, especially the specialty restaurants which included one night as an adult only meal.  They felt the supplement for these more intimate dining experiences was well worthwhile.  With no waits.  The gelato stand also received high marks from the children.  It too was a little extra cost, but not unreasonable.

The children tried the kids clubs, but decided not to spend a lot of time there.  But they still had fun.  The 8 year-old spent a lot of time on the lawn (yes, this ship has a lawn!) practicing his cart wheels and ninja moves and played ping pong outside the cafe anytime he could talk anyone into doing it with him.  Their daughter had fun looking around the shops and read some in the library.  Mom and daughter played Scrabble and the whole family had a game of Clue in the card table area.  They caught a couple of the family game shows at 8:00pm each night.  Everyone loved that.  Mom and dad went to an adult game show one evening and that was pretty funny too.  The son is just learning to play guitar; so they also appreciated the music acts.  Mom caught a movie one day and a yoga class one morning.

They also really enjoyed their excursions.  They explained that is is hard to say which excursion they liked the most because they were all so different.  The submarine in Cozumel was short, but super cool.  Just having that experience of being on a submarine and that close to the reefs was amazing.  The Mayan Experience Tour in Costa Maya was really neat, too.  The staff were very knowledgeable and fun.  Mom thought it was great for the children to see how people in other countries live and now her son wants a mango tree in their yard!  Mom and daughter loved having the stingrays swimming around them at Stingray City in Grand Cayman, but dad and son were a little disconcerted.  The family recommends to book this excursion early to avoid the crowds.  All of their hosts on the excursions were very courteous and fun.  Unfortunately their stop in Key West was canceled due to weather; so they got an extra day at sea.

 Overall the trip was a great success.  It was especially nice to disconnect.  In fact, the no dishes, no food prep, no laundry was mom’s favorite part.  Just not having anything to do, but relax was surreal, but amazing. They look forward to sailing again soon hopefully with other friends or family in tow.  We look forward to planning that trip for them!

Travel Tip: ReboundTAG

Speaking of the Family Travel Association, they have partnered with ReboundTAG, a UK company which produced the first microchip luggage tag that works in all airports worldwide. The ReboundTAG system is integrated with global baggage handling systems; so that it works in all airports worldwide.  The tag incorporates all relevant airport technologies in one tag!  Members are updated by SMS and email when their bag is found.  It even uses GPS within the finder’s phone to provide you with the exact location of your bag.

Trip Review: Montana Dude Ranch Experience

Lauren was in Montana at the end of May to experience Averill’s Flathead Lodge in Big Fork. The trip was part of a gathering of travel agents who are members of the Family Travel Association.  It was a wonderful opportunity to network with agents from around the country who are working in agencies large and small to discuss the future of family travel and how to best promote all the wonderful aspects that go along with it.

Flathead Lake Lodge is a third-generation family run and operated dude ranch.  During the summer, week-long stays attract families from around the country year after year. A variety of accommodation options are available for families including cabin style and connecting rooms.  We stayed in a spacious and new one bedroom loft with two full bathrooms.  A spacious bedroom overlooked a living and dining room with sofabed and showcased typical Western cowboy themed decor.  A wooden porch swing outside the front was the ideal spot for enjoying beautiful lake views.

The feeling of summer camp pervades this unique ranch as it was originally built in 1932 as a boy’s camp.  The daily activities, lake activities and group dining promote that camp-like feeling as well.   Recreation includes a complete horse program highlighted by individual lessons, rodeo events, breakfast and lunch rides, a private elk preserve and more than 2,000 pristine acres for daily trail rides.  The ranch has 120 horses!  In addition to the riding programs, the lodge offers unmatched water activities on Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake West of the Mississippi and one of the cleanest lakes in the world.  Kayaks, sail boats, stand-up paddle boards, water skiing, wake boarding, canoes and more are at your disposal.  We enjoyed a very relaxing kayak trip around the lake as well as an evening motorboat tour.  There is also a lakefront heated pool; massages; hiking; mountain cookouts; barn dances; camp fires; mountain bikes and more.

The resort also showcases a children’s program where family interaction is key and children have the freedom to safely roam the property and indulge in the various activities as they like. Children focused activities include children’s horseback rides, arts & crafts, water activities, tepee overnight, children’s rodeo, organized games and a junior wrangler program to name a few.

The food was also plentiful, fresh and met most special dietary needs.  The hot breakfast buffet changed daily.  A bountiful outdoor buffet lunch also rotated themes each day.  Three course evening plated meals (with child-friendly options) were served in the main dining room with open seating.  And throughout the day freshly baked goods and drinks were available.  After a first night cocktail hour, parents can get a ride into the town of Big Fork to stock up on any alcohol needs.  There is a good size refrigerator in your room.

Our other dude ranch highlights included riding the mountain bikes into town for the Bigfork Whitewater Festival, an evening steak-out in the Elk Reserve (we got there by firetruck), a visit to Glacier National Park just 35 miles north and the super friendly staff.

Trip Review: Peru Explored

The Seletsky family of Philadelphia (a mother/college daughter duo) ventured to Peru for spring break.  Mindy arranged a custom 8-night trip for them with stops in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco.  The trip began with an overnight in Lima.  Flying onto Cusco, they went straight to the Urubamba in the Sacred Valley.  On the way they stopped at the Ollantaytambo ruins with a visit with the indigenous community of Amaru .  They really enjoyed their Relais & Chateaux experience at Sol y Luna; a Sacred Valley boutique hotel set among beautiful flower gardens where they spent their next day unwinding.  The property showcases 43 rooms, suites and bungalows, a large spa, craft shop, pool, restaurant and their own horse stables. Excellent guides are on hand for cycling and riding excursions and trips up to the nearby ruins – the Moray Inca agricultural site and the Salineras salt-pans are half an hour’s drive away. The following day they took the Vistadome Train for amazing views as they rode from from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.  On arrival they had a guided tour of the 15h century Incan citadel and the Lost City of the Incans with time to explore the ruins on their own.  After an overnight stay in Aguas Calientes at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, they hiked to Huayna Picchu which is adjacent to Machu Picchu and provides amazing views of the surrounding valley.  Like Machu Picchu, the Incas built a trail up the side of the mountain and built temples and terraces on its top.  A train ride returned them to Cusco with a stay at the Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel in the center of town.  A Cusco City tour the following day included a variety of ruins and Incan history including Qorikancha, The Temple of the Sun, Sacsayhauman and Qengo, along with many other sites.   Issues with altitude kept them from a hike to Rainbow Mountain and their final day in Peru was already planned as a free day to relax.  Overall the family greatly appreciated the ability to keep to their vegan diet and appreciated that the tour company provided medical assistance with the altitude issues.   Overall the trip was a very special experience!

Travel Tip: Tips for Teens

Thanks for Agent Life magazine for the following tips:

Before packing, discuss local customs.  While shorts and tank tops may be fine for many places in the US, they are considered risque by many cultures.  Plan outfits that will be acceptable by local standards.

Consider how credit cards, cash, documents and other valuables are carried.  Many teens aren’t used to carrying a purse or wallet and will need guidance. Discussing strategies for avoiding pickpockets is also appropriate.

If teens are flying alone for the first time, plan an advance airport tour and specifically identify where to find information and assistance.

Have teens carry a business card from your hotel, in case you get separated.  They could show the card to a taxi driver if they are unsure how to explain where the hotel is or don’t remember its name.

Discuss photo etiquette.  Many teens are accustomed to “selfie” culture, but light-hearted behavior is inappropriate in many places, particularly in religious sites and other sensitive areas.  Locations of military significance may also be off-limits to photography.  Also discuss photographing local people and how to determine whether it is appropriate.

Be sure teens know to stay away from protests and demonstrations of any sort.  Freedom to assemble and speak freely is not a universal right and teens may be unaware.  They could find themselves in serious legal trouble for watching or participating in any kind of public unrest.