AreWeThereYet?AreWeThereYet?

Five Ambitious New Year's Travel Resolutions

I'm not really big on resolutions, but I figure if you're going to make them, might as well go all out.  So, here are some resolutions that will hopefully make my family's 2008 travel experiences even better than 2007's:

• Petition ABC to add Elmo to the "Lost" cast.  This way, TJ and I can both enjoy his DVD player on flights. 
• Buy Bose noise-canceling headphones for all passengers within a three-row radius of us on flights. 
• Of course, that just adds to our carry-on baggage.  Instead, maybe help Bose invent a noise-canceling pacifier.
• Grow third arm to better manage airport security line while juggling TJ, car seat, and more bags than the Howells took to Gilligan's Island.  Think about getting shoehorn hand for third arm, to speed along the TSA sock hop. 
• Look for lightweight titanium travel stroller that folds up into your pocket.  Satellite radio factory standard.  GPS optional. 

Of course, should my resolutions somehow not come through, I'll just hope for more of the same adventure and excitement our family experienced in our 2007 travels. 

Happy New Year.

Mother's Day: Ship Your Baby Gear Ahead

Previously, I mentioned that when packing a carry-on, due to size and weight limitations, you should only pack a few diapers and wipes.  Of course, when you reach your destination, your first stop then has to be to a handy Walgreens, CVS, or similar store to stock up on diapers, etc.  There is a really cool alternative, though.  Several websites allow you to ship baby supplies ahead to your destination so they are waiting for you upon arrival.  Here are two good ones:

• Babiestravellite.com:  This website boasts worldwide delivery of all sorts of baby paraphernalia.  They will confirm the delivery instructions with your hotel, track your order, then call your destination to verify receipt and make sure the supplies are ready upon your arrival.  You can buy diapers, formula, food, bath accessories, sunscreen and many, many more products.  Try their baby bundles-- for example, a Pamper baby bundle contains a day's worth of diapers, changing pads, wipes, butt paste, and disposal bags, all in a resealable bag for $11.50.  (They also have mealtime, bath time, and fun in the sun bundles.)  Additionally, the site offers travel accessories such as travel beds, luggage, and a potty-on-the-go.
• Diapers.com: This website offers less products, but has the mainstays like diapers, formula, wipes, baby detergent, and shampoo.  Most orders reach their destination in 1-4 days and shipping is free on orders more than $50.

So, save the space in your luggage and skip the scavenger hunt for Pampers in a foreign city by ordering ahead.

On the Road Again, with Nickelodeon

Hertz recently announced that, in addition to renting your car from them, you can rent a media player pre-programmed with more than 40 hours of Nickelodeon shows like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer.  The "Nick on the Go" system will cost $17 a day and can also be played outside the car like a regular portable DVD player.  The product is available for rentals at about two dozen of the country's busiest airports, with another 25 locations to be added in 2008.  I tried to learn more information on Hertz.com, but I didn't see any announcements regarding the program.  Instead, it looks like Nick on the Go will be offered as an add-on option once you've input your pick-up airport on the webite. 

My first thought?  What a cool feature.

My second thought?  Seventeen bucks a day?  Even assuming you're not one of those people who usually lugs a portable DVD player to entertain the kids, wouldn't it be worth buying a cheap one for a five-day trip, rather than shelling out $85 in rental fees? 

My third thought?  I guess this offer could still be valuable for some situation where you couldn't or didn't want to bring your own DVD player, or where your worst travel nightmare came true and your own player broke on the trip.  It may be difficult to put a price on peace and quiet, but in these scenarios, seventeen dollars a day sounds about right. 

Hotel Chains: How Suite Are They?

Pre-TJ, a hotel suite was a fun but unnecessary luxury.  Travelin' Mom and I spent more time standing around going, "Isn't this cool? We have a suite!" than we did actually using the extra space.  Post-TJ, a hotel suite ranks up there on our trip checklist between a change of underwear and, oh, oxygen. 

You see, TJ's an incredibly light sleeper, which clashes with our preference for staying up past 8 pm on vacation.  Because neither we nor TJ like sleeping in the bathroom, the only workable solution is a two-room hotel suite.  Since this appears to be our travel M.O. for the foreseeable future, we decided to devote our loyalty to whatever hotel chain had the most suite options.  When doing some quick research on all-suite hotels (along with hotels with a large percentage of suites), here's what I discovered:

1. Hilton Honors.  According to stats on various websites (which we all know are 100% reliable), Hilton Honors has:  Hilton Suites (11 nationwide), Embassy Suites (160+), and Doubletree Suites (32).  Hilton also has the Hampton Inn and Suites line, boosting the hotel chain's suite hotel options over 200.
2. Marriott Rewards.  Marriott has Marriott Suites (14 nationwide) and Springhill Suites (130), for just under 150.  The chain also has some Marriott Courtyard and Suites and Fairfield Inn and Suites hotels. 
3. Hyatt Passport.  Hyatt has the Amerisuites chain, consisting of about 140 hotels nationwide. 
4. Starwood Preferred Guest.  Of course the loyalty program I have the majority of my points with would be the one with the least amount of suite options.  On my count, there are 21 Sheraton Suites hotels.  I'll be looking into each one of them before my points expire. 

So, by my analysis, Hilton seems to be the clear-cut winner, suites-wise.  And that's not even counting the Embassy Suites breakfasts and manager's receptions, or those Doubletree cookies (which I'm guessing will now have to go to TJ, damn it.)

Mother's Day: Giving The Gift of Flight

Scrambling for last minute holiday gift ideas?  How about giving the gift of flight?  We often give Grandma a Southwest gift card so that she can come visit TJ.  The gift card lets Grandma know she is wanted in our home, and she doesn't have to pay to visit her favorite (in our opinion) grandson.  Here are just a few examples of big carriers that have cool gift ideas you can purchase online:

• Southwest: purchase a Southwest gift card online.  They'll ship your card of up to $1,000 value via USPS or FedEx.
• American Airlines: purchase an American gift card online in any denomination between $50-$1500.
• United Airlines: purchase miles online through their give miles program.  One thousand miles costs $64.57.  Then, send an electronic gift card or print out a gift certificate to send to Grandma.  A great gift for the United frequent-flier would be Economy Plus Access.  Although the $349 price tag is a little steep, your gift would provide one year of 5-extra inches of legroom near the front of the economy cabin on all United, Ted, and explus flights worldwide.  Of course, if the gift recipient flies United often enough to make this worthwhile, there's a good chance they've already earned the 25,000 miles to get United Premier status, which comes with free Economy Plus seating.  So, check with your frequent flier first. 

If you are truly in the holiday spirit, it would be so nice to donate unused frequent flier miles to our troops.  Operation Hero Miles gives family members of wounded service people plane tickets to visit loved ones recovering at military hospitals.  Or, Soldiers' Angels helps soldiers return home for a death/illness in their family, and helps spouses or parents travel to the hospital of their wounded soldier.  It'll certainly stop you from complaining how you can never do anything good with all of those miles you've accumulated. 

Carny

I've joined the carnival and, surprisingly, it has nothing to do with my fantastic weight-guessing skills.  Instead, the latest Five Family Fun Features post (covering Milwaukee) appears in this week's Carnival of Cities blog carnival, hosted by Kango.  Click here to read it and several other interesting entries.  Sorry, no strongmen or bearded ladies to be found. 

Do You CARES?

I've been meaning for some time to write about the CARES harness.  If you're not familiar, it's an FAA-certified harness that children one and older (and between 22 and 44 pounds) can use on an airplane in place of a car seat.  The harness weighs only one pound and easily installs on your child's seat.  Despite constantly whining about my difficulties lugging TJ's car seat through the airport, I inexplicably haven't purchased one yet (I guess  I need the airport workout).  But, I've seen them in action and they look as effective as they are convenient. 

The great Family Travel blog revisits an earlier discussion we had about car seats and air travel safety and poses an interesting new question:  Would you pay a little more for your plane ticket to cover the airlines' expense in stocking their cabins with some CARES restraints for passenger use?    I'll give my two cents over there, but my main point is that the cost would be incredibly minimal.  If you have an opinion on the matter, please join in.   

Mother's Day: Health Cheat Sheet

We all know that you should watch what you eat and drink when you are traveling, and try to get a decent amount of rest to ward of any illnesses that you may be more susceptible to in a new environment.  However, you (or, more importantly, your kids), may still get sick while you are on the road.  I just got diagnosed with whooping cough (thankfully while I was at home), and it got me thinking - what would we do if TJ fell seriously ill or got hurt on a trip? 

I've always had our pediatrician's phone number in our cell phone, but to have all bases covered, you should really write down (this is especially important if you are in a foreign country) the following emergency information, and keep it with you in a convenient location for every trip you take:

• Your/your spouse's name and your children's names, address, and phone number
• Blood types
• Your doctor/pediatrician's name, address, office phone number and emergency number
• Name, address, and phone number of your health insurance carrier, and your policy number
• Chronic health problems.  For example, if your child has asthma or diabetes.
• Current medications your family members are taking.
• Allergies to medications and/or food.
• The name, address, and phone number of an emergency contact person.

While we all hope we'll never have to visit a hospital in any city other than our own backyard, the risk is certainly there when you travel.  Better be safe than sorry - tuck away this information in your suitcase, and then go have fun!

The Trip That Keeps on Giving

You may think that European vacation you took a few years ago was worth every penny, but there are some plaintiffs' lawyers who beg to differ.  If you used certain Visa, MasterCard or Diners Club cards for transactions in a foreign country between February 1, 1996 and November 8, 2006, there's a class action lawsuit that says you were overcharged from one to three percent in foreign transaction fees.  

If you fall into this class, you likely received a claim form in the mail recently.  If you qualify for the class but disregarded the letter or somehow fell through the cracks and didn't get notified, you can request a claim form from the class action website.  You have until May 30, 2008 to submit your claim. 

There are three reimbursement options:

1. A flat $25 reimbursement for which you don't have to supply records;
2. A maximum of one percent of transactions if you can estimate your foreign spending and the number of days you spent outside the U.S.; or
3. A one-to-three percent refund if you can quantify your foreign spending by card and by year.

So, if you've spent $10,000 in foreign countries over the class period, you could be eligible for as much as a $300 refund. Consider this one of those rare times you're happy you spent so much on your vacation. 

Five Family Fun Features For: Milwaukee

I'll admit, Milwaukee doesn't usually jump to mind as a family travel destination.  Actually, unless you're watching a Laverne and Shirley rerun, Milwaukee may not jump to mind at all.  But anyone who has been to Milwaukee can tell you what a great, underrated city it is.  And it's got some fun stuff to do with kids, too:

1. Swim in the Winter.  Your kids don't have to join the polar bear club to swim during a Midwest winter.  Milwaukee's Hilton hotel has Paradise Landing, a 20,000 square foot indoor water park.  Sure, there may be bigger indoor water parks elsewhere, but how many of them are smack in the middle of a sizable city?  You don't necessarily have to stay at the Hilton to use the water park, but the hotel is a little cryptic about non-guests using it.  Their policy states that, while you don't have to stay at the Hilton, guests are given preference if there's a capacity issue (hard to imagine).  You also have to check directly with the hotel to determine a rate-- they don't post one on the website, except for special room rates that include Paradise Landing admission.
2. Get Artsy.  Although kids and art museums often go together like peanut butter and, well, peanut allergies, consider the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) a more hypoallergenic museum for kids.  The main attraction is the building itself, featuring architect Santiago Calatrava's Burke Brise Soleil, a movable, wing-like sunscreen comprised of 72 steel fins, resting on top of the glass-enclosed reception hall.  I lifted most of that description from the MAM's website because, to me, it's almost indescribable.  Wings or a sail are the two simplest descriptions, but I'll cop out with the old adage you've got to see it to believe it.  Once you get inside the museum, the art collection is almost as impressive.  The museum itself is also quite kid friendly, offering up family-friendly viewing tips and even a children's audio tour.  Just don't get so caught up in the collection that you forget to watch Calatrava's shell open or close.
3. Witness the Running of the Encased Meats.  Any baseball fan worth his sodium knows about the Miller Park sausage race.  After the bottom of the sixth inning, five different seven-foot sausages line up for a race around the stadium:  bratwurst, hot dog, polish sausage, Italian sausage, and (since 2006) chorizo.   Needless to say it's just about every kid's (and many adults') favorite minute of the game.  Oh, and while you're there, you can watch the Brewers play baseball before and after the race. 
4. Have A Taste of Germany.  Milwaukee has a rich German heritage.  What better way to experience it than through your stomach?  Take the family to one of Milwaukee's old-school German restaurants, like Mader's or Karl Ratzsch's.  Both have a distinct German feel and menu (although other menu options exist, including children's menus) and both are family-friendly.  I've only eaten at Mader's, so that'll get my vote for now, although I'm hoping to educate myself on the other party's candidate sometime soon.
5. Ask Mom(s).  Frankly, I wasn't sure what to put as a fifth family-friendly option in Milwaukee, so I did some web searching to brainstorm.  Instead of a place or event, I'll give you a resource I stumbled upon:  MilwaukeeMoms.com.  This site acts like a lilaguide for Milwaukee, offering some useful topics for visitors, like listings of kid-friendly restaurants, places, and parks. 

Get a sitter and: Have a "big city" night out at smaller-town prices.  Although Milwaukee certainly doesn't have the quantity of great restaurants that places like New York or Chicago do, it has a few that can match in quality.  If you'd like to start at the top, visit Sanford.  Consider chef Sandy D'Amato the Jean-Georges or Charlie Trotter of Milwaukee.  Sure, Sanford is probably Milwaukee's most expensive restaurant, but a similar meal would cost you at least double in the other cities mentioned.  And, speaking of starting at the top, a great place for a pre- (or post-)dinner drink is Blu, the martini bar at the top of Milwaukee's grand old Pfister hotel.  Although the bar doesn't have any of the antique-y charm the rest of the hotel possesses, it makes up for it with great cocktails, great views, and, on Friday and Saturday nights, some pretty good live music. 

Mother's Day: Santa Claus Lives In Indiana

Last week I took TJ to our local mall to see Santa.  The entire ordeal was ordinary, and it got me thinking about whether there is a better location for kids to visit Santa.  There is - Santa Claus, Indiana.  Named Santa Claus over 150 years ago by German immigrants, this town in southern Indiana thrives at Christmas time and would be a great road trip for anyone in the general area.  On December 8-9 you can check out the Christmas in Santa Claus Festival which entails an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast with Mr. Claus, a parade at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, and a Christmas craft show that runs both days for the adults to pick up stocking stuffers.  Later in the evening, from 5-9 p.m., check out the 15-mile Festival of Lights in Christmas Lake Village.  Homeowners design huge holiday light displays and decorations that the kids will love - plus, admission is free!  For more information on the lights display, call (812) 544-2234. 

While in Santa Claus, you absolutely must stop by the Santa Claus Post Office (812-937-4469) on Highway 162.  This post office is the only place in the world with the famous Santa Claus postmark for your holiday cards.  Each holiday season, the office receives more than 500,000 pieces of mail, including hundreds of letters addressed to the big man himself.  Thankfully, Santa's elves make sure each child receives a reply.  We'll have to mail TJ's request to Santa Claus for a "soccer ball!!!" 

Santa Claus lives out in the boonies a bit (driving-wise, he is approximately six hours from Chicago, three hours from Cincinnati, three hours from Indianapolis, and one hour from Louisville, Kentucky ), so if you need a place to crash while visiting, try Santa's Lodge.  Look for special holiday packages in December that include bedtime stories with Santa and breakfast the next morning with the Jolly Ol' Elf. 

Membership Has Its Privileges

Staring another long, cold, Chicago winter in the wind-chapped face, Travelin' Mom and I bought a family membership to a surefire freezing rain-y day place: the great Notebaert Nature Museum. I've sung this museum's kid-friendly virtues before, so I won't repeat myself (although, I will say TJ had another great time there this weekend).

Instead, I want to mention the reciprocal admission program the museum offers as a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated  (boring name, great perk).  When you purchase a membership to any ASTC museum, you not only get free admission to that museum, but you also get free admission to approximately 250 other museums around the U.S.  And, while science and technology museum-hopping may not sound like a kid-friendly activity, just check out the list.  It's loaded with children's museums and other types of hands-on activity centers that you'll inevitably struggle to drag your kids out of. 

So, if you're on the fence about purchasing membership to one of your local museums (FYI, memberships are usually not very expensive-- ours will basically pay for itself after three visits), this may make your decision easier.  Or, if you're already a member of an ASTC museum, be sure to print out a list of participating ASTC members before your next trip.  And, to bookend the credit-card company quote in the title, don't leave home without it.