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Mother's Day: Cost-Cutting Strategies for Travel

In this crazy economic market, sometimes it's tough justifying a family vacation.  We've especially noticed the lack of airline deals lately, and the ever-increasing airplane ticket price.  A recent Chicago Tribune article reported about a nationwide survey, which found that two-thirds of the respondents had downsized their trips in the past six months due to personal financial concerns.  Another survey found that 47% of travelers polled plan to downscale their vacations to save money. 

The article recommends the following cost-cutting strategies:

• Visit destinations where the dollar is worth more, such as Eastern Europe, Asia, South American and South Africa.  Following our visit to Amsterdam, TD and I can attest that the dollar is NOT faring well in Europe right now.
• Check alternative or regional airports for better prices.  This is a great tip, and we are big fans of both Midway (Chicago) and Islip (Long Island, NY) as often cheaper and more convenient airports than their big-time counterparts.
• Drive rather than fly.  Check out my previous link for finding cheap gas during your trip.
• Look for family discounts.
• Book a package with most expenses locked in and pre-paid dollars.  Look for those that include as many meals as possible.  All-inclusives can definitely be a good deal.  Even if you are just staying a night or two in a regular hotel, look for one like the Hampton Inn that provides free continental breakfasts - everything adds up.
• Take cruises and other inclusive vacations that include meals and high-quality lodging.  Although TD and I have never been on a cruise, we know a number of people who have gone on them with children and had a fabulous time.
• Rent smaller cars with better mileage.  Stay away from the Hum-Vs, no matter how tempting.
• Abroad, change money at ATMs rather than in banks or hotels
• In cities, buy a tourist card that includes local transport and entry to many attractions.
• Use public transport rather than taxis whenever possible.  Aside from a cost-saving measure, your kids are bound to have fun in trains and metros and experience first-hand the culture of your destination.

Hopefully these tips can help you scale back, but not reduce, the amount of travel you and your families are planning for this summer.

Take Your Kids Soon: Angkor Wat

I've been meaning to write this one for some time, especially after reading about Pam from Nerd's Eye View's recent visit to Angkor Wat and discussing various Cambodian charities with her.  But, the final straw was reading a recent Intelligent Travel article about how the tourism boom to Angkor Wat may be causing the temples to sink into the ground.  Prior to reading this piece, my biggest fear was that the serene experience of visiting the Angkor Wat temples was being hurt by overcrowding and over-development (unfortunately, still a big problem).  But, now it looks like these 900 year-old temples are going to struggle to make it to their 1000th anniversary (which one is that?  paper?  silver? platinum-encrusted diamond?).  And, even if they do survive, the Guardian advises that you'll be visiting those temples in a very different environment that existed even nine years ago, never mind 900:

Meanwhile, the site's serenity is being overwhelmed by crass commercialisation, from the Las Vegas-style shopping malls in the mushrooming town, Siem Reap, to a gaudy Angkor theme park just outside the complex. In May a Nick Faldo-designed golf course opens, the second water-guzzling 18-holer to be built in two years within four miles of the park. And the area's water supplies are being polluted by hotels flushing untreated sewage into the flood-prone Siem Reap river.

I know nothing relaxes me more after a hard day of temple-viewing than a nice 18 holes, followed by a ride on the Angkor Coaster. 

Anyway, this long background is my way of saying you might want to hit Angkor Wat ASAP.  Now, as with the other Take Your Kids Now entry, I must admit that we took this trip pre-TJ.  That said, if your children are a little older (10?) and can handle the flight, there's no reason not to visit.  As you might guess from the influx of commercialization, Angkor Wat is no longer the dangerous place it was in the early 90s. 

  It's also a common mistake to think of Angkor Wat as just one specific temple.  While the main temple we all think of as Angkor Wat is indeed called Angkor Wat (handy), Angkor Wat is actually a 60-square mile complex of temples, several of which also qualify as "must-sees," from the four faces guarding the entrance to Angkor Thom to the amazing face carvings of Bayon Temple, to the jungle fantasy-land (and Tomb-Raider filming site) of Ta Prohm.

Since I'm already long-winded in describing Angkor Wat, I'll offer some quick tips about planning a visit there:

• Probably the easiest way to visit Cambodia and Angkor Wat is as part of a general Southeast Asia tour.  Southeast Asia isn't the easiest place to get around, and when traveling with kids, the luxury of a tour group goes a long way.  You can fly to Siem Reap (the town that serves as the gateway to Angkor) from several major cities, including Bangkok, Hanoi, and Ho-Chi Minh. 
• That said, since Travelin' Mom and I were a travel-experienced twosome, we did Southeast Asia on our own (not always to fabulous results).  Nonetheless, the one place we hired a guide was in Siem Reap (the town that serves as the gateway to Angkor).  We hired a guide and driver for two days at $40 a day total, and it was the best money we ever spent.  We got all the knowledge of an excellent guide (Ponheary Ly, who was recommended on several message boards-- the best way to hire a local guide) and were able to tailor our own itinerary, with huge input from our guide, of course. 
• If you are doing Angkor on your own, remember that you need to purchase an admission pass your first day.  A one day ticket should cost $20, 3 days $40, and one week costs $60.  You'll also need a passport-size photo to use as part of your "admission ticket." 
• If you're planning your own itinerary, you should also remember not to be over-ambitious.  Most temples are easily worth a half-day visit, if not more.   You'll also want to build-in time to enjoy those unexpected experiences that make travel so great.  For example, one of our favorite temple viewing memories is of the half-hour we sat down with an extended Cambodian family from a nearby village who were visiting the temples for the first time.  Thanks to our guide/translator, we fielded each other's questions and curiosities about our everyday lives.  The family's matriarch, who had 11 children, could not believe that Travelin' Mom (just past 30 at the time) did not have any children! 
• Two words to remember: "monsoon season."  Although that might sound scary, it's actually a pretty good time to visit.  Crowds (and prices) are down, giving you a little feel of the "Old Angkor."  Plus, the monsoon rains usually only last an hour or two each day, and then the sun comes back out.  So, as long as your guide plans around the rain, you can have a fantastic Angkor experience with a fraction of the crowds and a lower price tag.  As an added benefit, you get to use the joke "It's like a monsoon out there," every time it rains. 
• Speaking of prices, lodging in Angkor runs the gamut from extremely budget (but passable) to unbelievably high end (like the Raffles Hotel Angkor- wow).  If this kind of thing matters to you, one thing to keep in mind is that a night at one of these luxury hotels can exceed a local's annual income.  We chose a moderately-priced hotel (the wonderful Shinta Mani) and thought we got incredible value for the price. 

Lastly, whether on your own or part of a tour, don't forget to leave some time to do some non-temple touring of Siem Reap and its surroundings.  We were forutnate enough to have our guide take us to visit a Cambodian primary school outside of Siem Reap.  Our experience with those Cambodian school children was easily as memorable, if not more so, than any temple visit. 

Mother's Day: Toddlers Refusing To Nap On Airplanes

Remember when Travelin' Dad and I touted scheduling flights during your infant's nap time?  Sometimes TJ would fall asleep for a blissful 25 minutes on the plane, and we could both breathe a sigh of relief.  Well, I'm sorry to tell you that there comes a time when your toddler will likely refuse to nap on an airplane.  I've done an informal poll with my girlfriends, and somewhere around 18-24 months, the world of flying on a plane just becomes too interesting for kids to sleep through.

TD and I learned this lesson the hard way, having to make it through two flights during TJ's usual naptime, in which he refused to sleep.  Read:  he was cranky, whiny, and required constant stimulation/attention.  So, after your child reaches this magical age, I would actually recommend flying in the mornings.  Most toddlers take one nap a day, around noon or one.  If you fly in the morning, your child will generally be in a good mood and not tired.  Once you reach your destination, you can still try the afternoon nap.  Or, if your toddler is too excited about their new digs (as TJ often is) to sleep, at least you can go out and explore your new surroundings.  Better to deal with the effects of a missed nap while exploring a new city than it is while trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet.

Traveling with the Grandparents

Budget Travel's blog This Just In (a great site, by the way) reports this interesting news:  a Tripadvisor survey found that 44% of families traveled with the grandparents at least once in the past 12 months.  Unfortunately, our family is part of the other 56%.  I say unfortunately because I started dreaming about what it would be like to bring the grandparents along on your travels:

• No more listening to "CanIHaveThat?CanIHaveThat?CanIHaveThat?" because Grandma or Grandpa will have purchased whatever the must-have item is before the first "Can" leaves your child's mouth.
• Four more hands to help you navigate the airport security juggling act!
• At worst, somebody to make the occasional silly face or lend an extra hand to get through the flight easier.  At best, a full in-flight babysitter who entertains your child several rows away from you while you kick back in the exit row and reacquaint yourself with a drink requiring one of those tiny airplane liquor bottles.
• Speaking of babysitter, the possibility of getting to try the hot, new, and very kid-unfriendly restaurant in the city you're visiting.
• Two extra people to take shifts riding the always-enthralling hotel elevator. 
• Someone who will be happy to entertain your child when he wakes up two hours earlier than usual and is rarin' to go. 
• Last, but not least, you'll have an official photographer so your vacation photos will actually contain both parents at the same time!

Okay, unless your last name is Cleaver, you probably won't find grandparents willing to undertake all of those tasks on a trip.  But as 44% of people will tell you, having somebody help with any one of them makes for an awfully nice trip!

Mother's Day: Traveling With Your Little Kanye West Fan

Kids have very specific tastes in music.  For example, TJ loves Johnny Cash ("Ring of Fire" and "Walk The Line" are his favorites) and Elvis (especially "All Shook Up").  I don't know where he found his love for Johnny or Elvis, but it is there, and it is very real.  If your child/teenager happens to adore Kanye West, and the whole family enjoys traveling, then you'll love this new website.

Kanye West just launched his new travel website, www.KanyeTravel.com  which boasts cost effective travel packages to Kanye's followers.  What does Kanye West know about travel?  Well, according to his press release, Kanye and his management team have partnered with travel experts (Abrams Consulting Group) to negotiate high volume discounts on air, lodging and car rentals to give their customers the best value for their dollar.  Fans can customize trips on the site, including purchasing Kanye concert tickets worldwide, and at the same time book travel reservations.  So get your older kids involved in planning your next vacation, and point them to Kanye's travel website to customize a trip to one of his concerts.

Take Them Out to the Ballgame

Since yesterday was baseball's full opening day, it's time to start thinking about a family trip to the ballpark, whether in your home town or as part of a vacation.  Although baseball seems less fan-friendly than ever with the multimillion dollar salaries and performance enhancing drugs (and the earning of multi-million dollar salaries by taking performance-enhancing drugs), rest assured that there's plenty for your kids to get excited about on a visit to the ballpark.  For example:

• Aramark offers kid-friendly food options at each of the 12 major league stadiums for which it runs the concessions.  Some ballparks even have their own kids' concession stand, like Bucaroo's at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, which offers kid-sized versions of traditional ballpark favorites.   
• Several ballparks will allow kids to run the bases after select games.  For example, New York's Shea Stadium offers 5 games after which kids 12 and under can participate in the "Mr. Met Dash"  while San Francisco Giant fans 14 and under can run the bases at AT&T Park after every home game.  One of the best things about these base-runnning extravaganzas is that the kids usually require a chaperone to escort them onto the field.  Even though you don't get to run the bases, you do get the thrill of at least walking the field.  That never gets old for this big kid.
• Several stadiums offer great kids activities for all 81 home games, like the Kids Zone at Baltimore's Oriole Park (what happened to Camden Yards?), which offers a moon bounce, speed pitch, coloring station, and more.  Same for the White Sox' U.S. Cellular Field, which, among many kid-friendly offerings, has the 15,000 square-foot Fundamentals Area, where kids can get instruction from White Sox Training Academy coaches and enjoy a youth-sized wiffle ball diamond.   
• Also, be sure to check a team's schedule for some kid-friendly giveaways.  You should see the lines outside Wrigley on the American Girl doll giveaway day!  Espn.com also has a funny article about the best and worst ballpark giveaways this year.  Florida Marlins car freshener day, anyone?

No matter which stadium you plan to visit, you're sure to find something for the kids in addition to the action on the field.  Just make sure to do a little advance research by visiting mlb.com and then visiting the home team's website.  From there, you can click on a link for the stadium, which should provide you with all of the home team's kid-friendly offerings.

Vegas with Kids?

I recently returned from my annual trip to Las Vegas with some old school friends for the opening round of March Madness.  While I never considered bringing TJ on this trip (he just doesn't have the stamina yet to sit and watch 32 college basketball games in two days), seeing some kids there reminded me of the take him/ don't take him debate Travelin' Mom and I went through when we had to go to Vegas for a family function.  We searched tons of websites that offered activities for children in Vegas (although TJ was 10 months old at the time, so the only fun for him would be staring at a spinning slot machine) and also visited several message boards discussing whether to bring your kids to Vegas.  The majority of people's answer:  Don't bring them. 

I can't say I completely disagree.  We didn't bring TJ with us on that trip.  Las Vegas, especially the Strip, is a very adult-oriented.  And I'm not referring to the little cards with pictures of girls and their phone numbers being handed to you as you walk from casino to casino.  I'm saying that the majority of the entertainment is for adults and not much thought is put into entertaining the kids.  For example, most hotels are okay with kids walking through the casino(according to their policy, the Bellagio only allows kids under 18 to enter the casino if they're registered guests), so long as they're just cutting through to reach a destination.  But, I've watched security guards admonish kids, even kids with their parents, to keep moving if they've stopped for even a second.  In fact, my under-18 niece and nephew got the treatment several times on that same family trip.  So, I'm of the mindset that there are several better places to take kids than Las Vegas. 

On the other hand, if you really want to, or even have to, bring your children to Vegas, it's not like there's nothing for them to do.  I saw several happy kids parading back from my hotel pool, many of which are resort-quality in Vegas.  So, if your juice is coming from a box rather than a sportsbook, here are some places to find kid-friendly activities in Vegas:

http://www.lasvegaskids.net/

http://www.kidsinvegas.com/

http://www.vegas.com/attractions/kids.html

http://govegas.about.com/od/familyfun/a/kidsinlv.html

Mother's Day: Explore Chicago's Swedish American Museum Center

The Children's Museum of Immigration, located on the third floor of the Swedish American Museum Center (5211 N. Clark, Chicago, IL 60640, 773-728-8111; ) in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, is a true gem that your children will love exploring.  I know it doesn't sound like a place children will rush to, but the Swedish children's museum has done a phenomenal job ensuring that your kids will enjoy learning about the lives of Swedish immigrants. 

In this hands-on exhibit, kids can dress up as Swedish immigrants, get their passports, board an immigrant steamer, and travel to America to start a new life.  TJ liked swabbing the deck with a broom on the steamer.  Once in America, kids can check out life in a pioneer log cabin.  TJ loved picking realistic vegetables from the garden, then running into the little cabin to prepare dinner on the old fashioned stove for the baby in her cradle.  Kids can also fish off a bridge with a magnetic pole that catches stuffed fish, ride a horse, or check for freshly laid eggs under chickens.  Probably the highlight, though, is the Swedish farm house (or "stuga"), in which you can milk  a cow (ok, a wooden one, not a real one, but TJ didn't seem to care), churn butter, collect apples, and hang laundry out to dry.  All these activities may sound a bit pedestrian for kids of the electronic age, but maybe that's why they enjoy it so much; it's a complete departure from everything they know. 

The children's museum is by far the best part of the Swedish American Museum Center (in fact, kids will likely consider the other portion of the museum which highlights Swedes' contributions to Chicago downright dreary), so make sure to visit during the limited times the children's museum is open: Tuesday - Friday from 1:00 -4:00 p.m., and Saturday - Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.  Admission is $4 per adult, $3 per child (under 1 get in free), with a $10 family rate.  Or, even better, visit on the second Tuesday of every month when admission is free! 

Renting a House Instead of a Hotel Room

Hotels can be a crapshoot when traveling with kids.  Is the room big enough?  Is it too noisy?  Have the drinking glasses been "cleaned" with the same rag used to mop the dirty floor?  Okay, I can't help you with that last one, but the first two questions can be solved by renting a house instead of hotel room.  If you have a large family or want to share lodging costs with your extended family or friends, a house rental is a great option.  Of course, it's not like you can pop on Orbitz and rent a house-- they're a little harder to find.  Unless you know where to look.

Two great sites to start with are:

• www.vrbo.com:  This site claims an inventory of over 95,000 vacation rentals, both in the U.S. and worldwide.  It helps to know exactly where you want to go, as you have to navigate through different towns to get to the inventory.  The site does provide handy, clickable maps to further narrow your search area once you pick a particular state or region.  For example, if you wanted to hobnob in the Hamptons this summer, you can click on New York, then click on the map for Long Island, then pick a particular area from a list (this part may be difficult if you don't know the differences between the particular areas, as there are no maps at this level).  If you chose the Amagansett area, you'd have nine homes to pick from.  Then, click on a link for any particular home and you'll get a detailed rundown on the house, it's price and features, a calendar of available dates, and usually some photos.  You can then click on an e-mail link to inquire about renting.  It's great for browsing.  I guess the one feature I'd like to see is some type of renter feedback to make sure what you see is what you get.  That said, the site does offer the "HomeAway Rent with Confidence Guarantee," which guarantees up to $5,000 of a traveler's payment in the event "the listiing is determined not to be legitimate in accordance with our policy." 
• www.pickpackgo.com: This site is newer and has less inventory (66,000), but offers a more targeted search in that you can search by location, desired ameneties, and number of rooms to narrow down your choices, rather than just browse on a map.  While that's better for people who know their exact dates and location, it's not as good for those who only have a rough idea of where and when they want to go.  Pickpackgo also offers user reviews to help you choose properties. 

 

Mother's Day: Use Seatcheck.org to Find Car Seat Inspection Events

So you did your homework, checked NHTSA's Ease of Use Ratings before purchasing an infant or child car seat, purchased the seat, and referred to the manual during installation.  Think you're done?  Nope -- there's one last important step to ensuring your child's safety in the car.  Find a child passenger safety seat inspection location, and take your car (with car seat installed) and child (unless you mangled the installation so badly you can't safely put your child in it-- I'm looking at you, Travelin' Dad) to get it checked out.  For an easy way to find the location of a safety check near you, go to www.seatcheck.org.  Either enter your state abbreviation or zip code, and it will give you tons of locations near you for inspections, including police departments, hospitals, and fire departments. 

We've had TJ's seats (first the infant pumpkin seat, and then the convertible seat) checked for proper installation and fit for TJ at an Allstate Insurance location near us (for free!).  Their volunteers are to be commended, and so are the parents who take the time to do this crucial check to ensure their children's safety.

Delaycast Predicts Your Pain Probability

I, like pretty much everyone else, have always hated flight delays.  Since TJ came into the mix, however, I've progressed from hating flight delays to fearing even the thought of them.  Because, while travel delays are no fun regardless of who you're traveling with, you take suffering to a whole new level when you have to entertain a young child in the airport or, even worse, while stuck on the tarmac.  For these reasons, a while back I wrote about some strategies for avoiding airline delays.  I even managed to put some of those strategies to good use in my own travels. 

Now, I've recently discovered a new weapon to add to the on-time arsenal:  Delaycast.com.  Before  booking your tickets next time, log on to Delaycast and enter your departure and arrival airports, your departure date, and the hour of your departure time.  Delaycast will then predict the chance of flights meeting those criteria departing on time, as well as how many minutes on average you can expect to be delayed, and the odds of your flight being outright canceled. 

How do they do it?  According to their website, Delaycast's "estimates are based on predictive modeling technologies that model historical patterns in flight delays and project them into the future."  Delaycast concedes that "all predictions and profiles are produced by the models, and as such, are never 100% accurate.  Nevertheless, the insight provided beyond the airlines' schedules will help most travelers avoid troubles."  Music to my travel-planning ears.

Hey Kids: Tote Your Junk-y in a Trunki

TJ is fast approaching the age of those little kids we see dragging their cute little rolly bags around the airport.  I always wonder what exactly's in those things.  I'm guessing teddy bears, Elmos, and dolls that are too precious to risk in checked baggage, for fear of being sucked out of the plane.  But, can you actually get your little kid to pull his or her own weight?  In other words, to actually carry some of their clothes or other necessities, thus reducing the parents' ever-increasing load? 

Maybe you can, now that there's Trunki, a sort of animal-shaped (horse? bull?), wheeled, plastic, carry-on suitcase that children (the site says ages 3 to 6) can either pull themsleves or ride along on through the airport.  I haven't tried one, but (at $39.99) I'm pretty tempted, as I can see kids getting excited over something that looks more like a ride or pet than a boring old suitcase.  They've even got names-- Terrance is the blue one and Trixie is the pink one.

From the boring adult's perspective it also seems pretty practical.  The website's FAQ's say that Trunki measures 18" by 7.9" by 12", has a 5 gallon capacity, and weighs only 3.8 pounds.  It'd be interesting to see just how swiftly and smoothly you can pull your kids through the airport on a Trunki.  If the little video they play on the website is any indicator, it looks pretty easy.  I'll be keeping my eyes out in the airport to see if I can catch any Trunkis in action.

Thanks to Intelligent Travel for spreading the word on Trunki. 

Mother's Day: NHTSA Unveils Its Ease-of-Use Ratings For Child Car Seats

I was thinking about last week's post regarding how to use a car seat on an airplane.  Since statistically, children are much more likely to be injured in a car accident than in a plane, my next two posts are going to be devoted to car seat safety as it relates to . . . cars.  A novel concept, I know.

Before buying a new car seat for your infant, toddler, or child, check out the website for The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which just unveiled its 2008 Car Seat Ease-of-Use Ratings.  The five-star rating program evaluates how easy car features are to use.  All car seats rated by NHTSA meet Federal Safety Standards.  But as we all know, while those seats may be deemed safe in a crash-test scenario, they can differ in how easy they are to use - which of course can ultimately affect your child's safety.  A 2003 study conducted for NHTSA observed one or more forms of misuse in 72.6 percent of the seats inspected.    Some of the documented misuses included improper installation and secureness of the car seat in the vehicle, and secureness/fit of the harness straps or belts.  Faced with this staggering statistic, it's a good idea to buy a car seat that ranks high in NHTSA's ease-of-use ratings.  The five-star rating system helps consumers evaluate the following categories:  instructions, labels, vehicle installation features, and securing the child, and then provides an overall ease of use rating.  Just click on the type of car seat you are thinking of buying (for example, infant rear facing seat), and check out the listed car seats and the ratings they received in each category.  For further information on why a seat received a particular rating, just click on the car seat's name to see NHTSA's detailed analysis.

Traveling With or Without Them

Two entries from this site, one offering tips on traveling with your kids (babies to be precise) and one offering tips when traveling without your kids, are featured in blog carnivals this week.  Travelin' Mom's article Ship Your Baby Gear Ahead, which offers some good resources for lightening your load when traveling with a baby, is featured in this month's Carnival of Travelers, hosted at Fly Away Cafe.  In addition, my Don't Leave Home Without (Signing) It entry, which discusses the pros of signing a Nondurable Power of Attorney for Physical and Health Care of Minor Child, is posted on this week's Carnival of Tips (always an interesting read) over at Tip Diva.  Check them out and I'm sure you'll find some other entries that pique your interest at the same time.

Five Great Sources for Road Trip Games

Having already discussed the benefits of using an online road trip planner, it's time to upgrade your car trip from tolerable to fun (or at least more tolerable).  How?  With those three magic words:  Road Trip Games. 

I planned to present a list of some of the best road trip games but, when doing my research, I discovered there are several sites that cover road trip games much better than I ever could.  After weeding through the dozens of sites that offer the same old lineup of I Spy, The License Plate Game, and Punch Buggy, I created a list of five websites with some unique road trip game offerings:

1. Mom'sMinivan.com:  This is the mother of all road trip game sites.  Pages of different games, including several (like car bingo, scavenger hunt, etc.) for which you can print out pre-made game sheets.  It's also one of the few sites that does a good job covering appropriate entertainment for different age levels, including babies and toddlers.  My favorite game here?  "Counting Cows", in which you divide the two sides of the car into teams.  If you pass cows on your side of the car, you count as many as you can and your cumulative total is your "score."  But, if you pass a cemetery on your side at any point and the other team shouts out "Your cows are buried" you go back to zero.  Most cows when the trip is over wins. 
2. RoadTripPlanning.com:  Okay, most of the 18 games listed on this site aren't exactly new, but you could probably drive peacefully from New York to California if you played every one of them.  My favorite game here:  "Buzz", a counting game in which you try to reach 100 without making a mistake. Sounds simple, but for the fact that, every time you get to a number that's divisible by seven (7, 14, 21) or has a seven in it (17), you must say "buzz" instead of the number.  If you master sevens, you can always use a different number as the "buzz" number.  Should you remember this one from your college days, you'll note it's slightly easier when not played as a drinking game. 
3. Kidshealth.org's Road Trip Boredom Busters:  This site's boredom busters offer some ideas to really exercise your kids' creative muscles, like journal jotting and team storytelling.  My favorite game here: what they call "word play", where your kids write down words they spot on road signs, bumper stickers, storefronts, etc., and then create a song, story or poem from these words.  I can easily see this one passing the time until at least the next rest stop. 
4. About.com's Family Vacation Section:  Next to Mom's Minivan, About.com had the most comprehensive coverage of road trip games.  It too has a good list of games to print out (including some different ones from Mom's Minivan) and also does a good job providing age appropriate entertainment ideas from babies to grade schoolers.  My favorite game here:  an easier, faster version of the "license plate game" in which you simply need to find a license plate that starts with each letter of the alphabet.  In other words, a car with the plate QVT120 and a car with the plate SRD218 will knock Q and S off your list, even if they are both from Pennsylvania.  This is especially helpful to play when driving through a state like Texas, where you can go hundreds of miles seeing only Texas plates. 
5. Are We There Yet Auto Travel Game:   This last entry isn't for a road trip game site in general, but for one particular game.  Since several people have mistakenly stumbled upon this site looking for the road trip game "Are We There Yet," I figured the least I could do was post a link to the game.  I can't say I've played it, but if the name is any indicator, I'm sure it's fantastic.

Hope this list helps the miles pass by quickly and enjoyably.

Mother's Day: How To Use A Car Seat On An Airplane

Congratulations!  You made the decision touted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the safest way for kids under two to travel on an airplane-- you decided to purchase a seat for them and bring the car seat on the plane.  Now what do you do with the darn thing?  Travelin' Dad has fought this battle many times, and we have a few tips (from the FAA website and our experience combined) to help make traveling with your car seat go a little more smoothly:

1. Check the manual before you leave home and make sure your seat is FAA approved.  In fact, you may want to throw the manual into your carry-on.  Once we had a flight attendant question whether our car seat was FAA approved.  Your seat should have "this restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft" printed on it.  If it doesn't, you may be asked to check the car seat as baggage (which would defeat the whole purpose of purchasing an extra seat). 
2. Review how to install the seat into an airplane in the calm and quiet of your home.   As Travelin' Dad knows, it is tough to work under pressure when passengers are trying to board all around you and your wife and kid(s) are smushed into the tiny space of the row in which you are trying to install the seat.  He refers to this exercise as a travel version of "beat the clock."
3. Don't be afraid to ask for help from a flight attendant if you really get stuck.  They're usually more than happy to help.  In fact, they may not-so-subtly offer help if you're creating a gridlock of boarding passengers. 
4. Be prepared that many airlines insist the car seat be installed in the window seat (so it is not a barrier to people trying to exit).  Also, say goodbye to exit rows and the row in front and behind the exit row when traveling with a car seat.
5. Just like in the car, if your child is less than 20 pounds, place the seat facing the rear.  From 20-40 pounds, you can place the seat facing the front.  Let the games begin when you face the seat forward - TJ's feet almost touch the tray table of the seat in front of him, and of course he finds it an irresistible game to kick it constantly.  I take his shoes off during the flight to soften the blow of his kicks.

If all else fails, do your best to properly tighten the airplane seat belt into the frame of your car seat, and then put an extra hand on the seat to stabilize it during take-off and landing (no offense to Travelin' Dad's handiwork).  Remember, even if the process seems a little inconvenient, you can rest assured that you are doing to safest thing for your child by reserving an extra seat and strapping him into the car seat for the flight.

TSA To Give Families Life In The Slow Lane

The TSA began testing a "self-select" lane pilot this week in the Salt Lake City airport, with further testing soon at the Denver airport.  In short, passengers can "self-select" one of three security screening lanes through which to proceed.  The TSA describes these lanes as follows:

"[T]he green lane is for families traveling with children or people who need special assistance. These folks may not travel that often and need extra help with the procedures and assistance navigating security. The blue lane is for casual travelers who are somewhat familiar with the procedures and have multiple carry-ons. The expert, or black diamond lane is for those who know the procedures well and always arrive at the checkpoint with appropriate items removed and limited carry-on luggage." 

First of all, how many government press releases use the word "folks"?  Second, regardless of designations, I don't see this choose-your-own-line system being too successful. Would people voluntarily label themselves a "casual traveler" and choose a slower lane, instead of an "expert traveler" who can use a fast lane?  This is America.  Don't we all think we're above average at everything?  We may not travel that often, but we feel perfectly capable of handling the "expert" line, unlike those other "casual" travelers over there. . . .  Of course, I'd be willing to swallow my pride if the "casual traveler" line was shorter than the "expert" line.  Which leads to the next point-- if people are "self-selecting" which line to join, do you think the 20th business traveler isn't going to jump in the family line of six people?  In other words, it'll be the same game we've always played:  choose the shortest line possible. 

Admittedly, I've come down a little harsh on the TSA once or twice before.  This time, I think their heart's in the right place.  I'll also concede that Travelin' Mom and I take more time than, well, pretty much anyone when we have to get TJ, his accoutrements, and his Sesame Street posse through security.  And it would be nice to feel that we're not holding up others who could move more quickly.  For that reason, I can see where a designated security line for families and those needing special assistance would come in handy.  But, for now, these lane designations carry less authority than the "10 items or less" line at the grocery store. 

So, unless you really are a "beginner" traveler, you'll most likely do what you've always done when heading to security screening:  choose the shortest line. 

Giving Can Be A Trip

Okay, this post doesn't necessarily relate to family travel, but Pam from Nerd's Eye View has produced an excellent series of articles on her recent trip to Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, which makes this a good time to mention our personal interest in Cambodia.  Because Southeast Asia was the last major trip Travelin' Mom and I took before TJ came along, we got into a dialogue with Pam about the wonders of Cambodia and the amazing Cambodian people, especially the children.  We discussed several worthwhile charities that help the Cambodian kids, like the Cambodian Children's Fund, A New Day Cambodia, the Ponheary Ly Foundation, and the Shinta Mani community program.  Rather than rehash the discussion here, you can check our description of each of the charities as they appear in Nerd's Eye View. 

Although you may not have the time or ability to visit Cambodia in the near future, visiting one of these charities' sites can be an even more rewarding experience. 

Mother's Day: Hot Doug's, A Chicago Hot Dog Institution

The scene:  Friday at 11:10 am.  TJ and I barely fit through the first glass door at Hot Doug's, 3324 North California, Chicago.  Woo hoo! The line is short today, so we don't have to wait outside in the bitter cold.  The smell of Doug's special duck-fat fries (available only on Fridays and Saturdays, mind you) hits us as we walk into the "Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium."  TJ, eager for his favorite hot dog in the world, starts to chant, "hot dog, hot dog, hot dog, pickle!"  I try to explain to him that we have to wait in line, because Hot Doug's is so famous that people from all over Chicago come here.  The guy in front of us leans back to inform TJ that Mommy is wrong, people from all over the COUNTRY visit Hot Doug's.  He begins to brag that 5 hours ago he was in his kitchen in Michigan when a Hot Doug's craving struck.  Now, here he is standing with us in line.  Are the hot dogs really that good, you ask?  Oh yeah.

Whether you get your dog steamed or char-grilled, or get anything from a traditional Chicago-Style Hot Dog (TJ's favorite - with a pickle, of course) to "The Elvis" (polish sausage), to "The Keira Knightley" (fire dog, which is Travelin' Mom's and Dad's favorite), to "The Pete Shelley" (vegetarian dog), everything is addictively delicious.  I like my dogs char-grilled - Doug, the owner, a culinary school graduate, personally stands behind the counter and courteously chats briefly with every customer despite the line-around-the-block.  He also has the cooking time down pat - a nice snap on the outside, and juicy on the inside.  Plus, every day there are several very creative, exotic, special dogs.  This week, specials include the BLT (bacon sausage with avocado mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes), and Apple-Habanero Chicken Sausage (with lime-ancho mayonnaise and habanero-jack cheese).  And the duck fat fries?  They are simply the best french fry I've ever had.  Perfectly crunchy and salty, not greasy.  The prices are ridiculously reasonable ($3.50 for a huge portion of duck fat fries, $1.75 for a hot dog, $2.50 for a fire dog, and around $7 for the specials). 

Hot Doug's is a great place to visit with kids, despite the consistently long lines.  It is open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  My advice is to go early on Fridays (you've got to get the duck fat fries, and the waits on Saturdays are even longer), no later than 11:30 a.m.  The decor is kitschy with lots of Elvis tributes, cool music, and an always-festive mood.   If your visit is anywhere near any type of holiday, check the website before you trek out there - Doug is known to take frequent long weekends and vacations, and if there's no Doug, there's no Hot Doug's.  But hey, TJ and I can't complain - Doug is a true hot dog artist - he needs to recharge every once in a while.

Don't Leave Home Without (Signing) It

One last post related to traveling without your children.  Travelin' Mom and I are both pretty obsessive trip preparers; we usually do tons of advance research, make packing lists, and try to plan for any possible contingency.  That said, we both had a head-slap moment when, while discussing with Gram the plans for dropping off TJ for the weekend, she asked whether we had thought about signing a power of attorney form so she could make any emergency health care decisions for TJ in the event we couldn't be reached.  We both looked at each other like, "No, but that does sound like something a smart person would do, so maybe we should." 

The form may go by a different name depending on which state you live in, but it's usually called something like a Nondurable Power of Attorney for Physical and Health Care of Minor Child.  What that mouthful really means is that you're providing your minor child's temporary caregiver with the authority to make decisions related to your child's health care, should an emergency arise while you are unreachable.  The actual document will spell out the specific authority you are providing, as well as place a time limit on that authority (hence "nondurable", or sometimes called "limited").

Some pediatrician's offices carry the form.  You can also download one for about ten bucks from websites that provide legal forms, like this one.  Thankfully, the cell phone age makes it harder and harder to be unreachable.  But this power of attorney form definitely seems a perfect example of better safe than sorry. 

Top Ten Signs You're Traveling Without Your Kids

We're back from a whirlwind, 3-night trip to Amsterdam and Brussels, sans TJ.  Although we missed him a lot, it was also interesting to note the differences when traveling without a child.  Like:

1. You pack just a carry-on bag for a trip to Europe.  And not a very full one either. 
2. You burn less than 500 calories getting through airport security.
3. You spend the 20 minutes before your plane boards in the airport bar rather than the airport toy store.
4. You receive several less "please don't sit near me" looks upon boarding the plane. 
5. You reacquaint yourself with two of the best words in air travel:  "exit row." 
6. You don't mind that your hotel room is kind of small and a little noisy, as long as you have a great canal view.
7. When out sightseeing, you trade nap time for a large cappuccino. 
8. You linger in museums.
9. You eat long, luxurious meals.  Like a 15-course Indonesian Rijsttafel.
10. You are never happier to end a great trip and return home.

Mother's Day: When Mom and Dad Leave Toddler At Home

Travelin' Dad and I have always loved to travel with each other.  Pre-TJ days we booked winter weekend getaways to South Beach last minute, with just enough time to hastily throw a bathing suit in our carry-on.  We also visited exotic places like Southeast Asia and Africa.  But as every parent knows, things change as your family grows.  While we love to travel with TJ, and make a genuine effort to choose vacations that he will enjoy, sometimes we crave a destination that isn't super kid-friendly.  Plus, I dream about being on a plane without having to make little Cookie Monster and Elmo dance so TJ is entertained, or to linger at a cafe without asking the waiter for the check half way through the meal just in case we have to make a quick exit.  I believe it is healthy for a marriage to spend a little time doing what you enjoy the most, just the two of you. 

Of course, this is easier said than done.  Let's face it, our lives revolve around our kids, and it isn't so easy to leave them behind.  Travelin' Dad and I booked a short trip to Brussels and Amsterdam.  The thought of leaving TJ at Grandma and Grandpa's for 4 days gets my tear ducts going, and my heart beating in excitement at the same time.  But honestly, I think this process is harder on the parents than it is the 23-month old.  Before leaving, we had this conversation with TJ:

TM: Are you excited about staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house?

TJ: "Grandma and Grandpa's house - woo hoo!"

TM: You are going to have so much fun there, buddy.

TJ:  "Cookies!  Pickles!"

TM: Of course they'll have all your favorite foods.  Hey buddy, would you be ok if Mommy and Daddy left you with Grandma and Grandpa for just a few days while we went on a short trip?

TJ:  "OK.  Grandma and Grandpa's house - woo hoo!"

Call me crazy, but I think TJ will weather the trip just fine.  Now, whether Travelin' Mom and Travelin' Dad can fully enjoy the trip without blubbering about how much they miss TJ is up for debate.  We'll fill you in when we get back tomorrow . . .

Comparing Five Free Road Trip Planners

On a recent car trip from Chicago to St. Louis with TJ, I discovered that car travel with children is measured in dog years;  your trip feels seven times as long as it actually is.  Which is why our five-hour jaunt felt more like a day and a half.  Which is also why I'm game for any tool that will make future road trips go more smoothly.  With that in mind, I tested out five free road trip planners.  I used a hypothetical trip from Chicago, over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house in New York.  Here's my road trip planner review, with each service receiving a rating of one to five Elmo DVDs (), because that's what brings us peace in the car:

1. Freetrip.com:  Freetrip.com got off to a bad start, as it appears to provide only city-to-city directions, rather than address-to-address.  While I'm sure you know how to get to all major highways from your house, you might not know how to get to your destination's exact address.  Also, while Freetrip.com provided a few nice bells and whistles, like providing links to hotels in a pre-selected price range at each point in your trip, if you wanted more detailed information like restaurants, gas stations, or parks, you had to join the "inside track club" at $19.95 per year.  Although the paid product might be fantastic (admittedly, I didn't shell out the 20 bucks to find out), in my opinion road trip planners and velvet-roped VIP sections don't mix.  Especially a road trip planner called "free trip."  Rating:    **ADDENDUM** (3/12/08):  I revisited the Freetrip site on 3/12/08 and it appears there have been some significant (in a good way) changes from the time I originally test drove it.  Users of the free program now have the ability to search for not only hotels along their journey, but also gas stations and national parks.  You wouldn't think a national parks finder would be that handy, but 16 different national parks popped up on my Chicago-to-New York route, along with a nice link to the official website for each.  What's more, if you click on the red car icon next to any particular attraction, Freetrip will automatically recalculate your route to include your new fun-time detour.  As for the gas stations, Freetrip's website indicates that it's "planning to launch a discount fuel card for use at thousands of Truck Stops across the USA," which would be a great development in this age of $3 gas.  So, it looks like Freetrip.com merits a serious Elmo upgrade.  Revised rating:  
2. AAA Trip Tik Travel Planner:  Anyone remember the pre-internet dark ages, when the best road trip tool you could get was the hard-copy AAA Trip Tik, where you flipped  pages over like a spiral notepad until arriving at your destination?  Well, now there's a slightly less bulky Internet version.  AAA Trip Tik gives you free point-to-point driving directions.  Then you can zoom in on the map at any point of your trip to click on details for lodging, restaurants, gas stations, attractions, construction information, and more.  Once you locate a potential restaurant or hotel, you can then click to receive detailed info on the food it serves, or hotel amenities.  Granted, they're not critical reviews but rather ads by the establishments; but it beats the days of pulling off the road and saying, "I don't think anyone's ever died in that place, let's give it a shot."  For example, if we decided to stop in Clearfield, Pennsylvania to break up the trip, we learned we could stay at a Holiday Inn Express, dine at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub (which AAA tells you is home of the "gut-busting" 6-pound burger), and visit the Grace Clearfield Community Museum.  Now there's a rest stop.  The only con I found with Trip Tik: you can easily lose your place zooming in and out of the map to focus on select destinations, which is the only way to discover the various gas, food, lodging, and culture along the way.  A minor complaint, really.  Rating:
3. Mapquest:  Often a gold standard for point-to-point directions, Mapquest unfortunately offers little else for road trip planners.  You can plug in multiple stops, or do a separate search to chart out the lowest gas prices along your route, but Mapquest doesn't offer anything in its trip planner regarding lodging, food or attractions.  If you just need directions, Mapquest works fine.  If you're looking to stop and smell the local attractions along the way, look elsewhere.  Rating:
4. Rand McNally TripMaker:  Rand McNally offers great point-by-point directions and some nice added features, with two caveats.  One feature missing from TripMaker is the ability to search for restaurants along your route.  Anyone who's been on a road trip knows that food stops, especially those with local flavor, are a key road trip component.  So, TripMaker gets a one-Elmo demerit from my stomach.  Second, although TripMaker offers searches for categories like "fun and games", "arts and culture", and "local highlights" as well as hotels (through a kayak.com link), it offers this information only for your starting point, final destination, and any stops you pre-program along the way. Not a big deal, as most road trippers probably have an idea of where they plan to stop.  But, since it's not as flexible as AAA's TripTik, we'll charge them another Elmo.  Lastly, the first question TripMaker asks you is whether you're traveling with kids.  I think this is great, except I can't figure out what difference answering "yes" means for the results given.  Maybe they're just making conversation.  Rating: 
5. ETravelougue.com Road Trip Itinerary Planner:  ETravelouge's road trip planner seems great in theory, somewhat less great in practice.  For example, you can choose to receive information on more than 25 categories along your route, from roadside attractions to restaurants to hotels to sports acitivities.  There was even a "family/tourist fun" category.  You can also choose how far off your route you're willing to go for these attractions; another great idea.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like ETravelouge has collected much information yet, however.  My search for "family fun" stops within ten miles of our Chicago to New York route yielded one result:  The Historic Speedwell in Morristown New Jersey.  And the link for that was broken.  Likewise, my searches didn't turn up a single roadside attraction or restaurant within ten miles of my route, which leads me to think that the data just hasn't been input yet.  If that's not the case, I may open up a museum/diner about halfway between New York and Chicago and really clean up.  On the plus side, ETravelougue certainly has its hotel data in place.  More than 10 pages of hotel choices popped up along my route.  Unfortunately, the only information provided for each specific hotel is a name and address, but it's something.  So, ETravelogue looks like it's got the mechanics in place to be a very helpful, but now just needs to collect the information it's capable of providing.  Rating: 

So, to sum up my little road trip planner review exercise:

= AAA Trip Tik Travel Planner

= Freetrip.com; Rand McNally TripMaker; ETravelougue.com Road Trip Itinerary Planner

= Mapquest

Mother's Day: Finally, A Product So You Won't Have to Tell Your Children to "Turn Down The Volume!"

iPods, mp3 players, video games, and portable dvd players all make traveling with children easier.  Long car rides are bearable when your kid can listen to his own music on an iPod, and airplane flights are downright delightful when TJ is watching Elmo's World on our portable DVD player.  But with kids in charge of the volume dial, safety becomes an issue.

That is why Christine Ingemi, a mother of four herself, invented iHearSafe Child Earbuds and Child Headphones which are designed to keep the volume at a safe level to prevent hearing loss.  No matter how savvy your kids are, they cannot turn the volume up past 85 dB SPL (a level within the recommended safety limits of ASHA-OSHA and NIOSH).   Both the earbuds and child headphones cost $19.99.  Although the earbuds are available now, currently you can only order the headphone in a "pre-manufacturing sale", which places you on a list to receive them once they become available. 

My only question is, how did a mother of four young children have time to invent such a cool product?

Don't Drink The Water (At Least Not From A Hotel Room Glass)

I used to be the guy who had two or three different glasses of water or other drinks sitting around my hotel room at any given time.  That changed abruptly this morning, after I watched an undercover investigation on Good Morning America about how well (or more precisely, how poorly) your hotel room glasses are cleaned.  I'll spare you the disgusting details, which you can read about or, more painfully, see for yourself at the GMA website.  But, it's enough to know that 11 of 15 hotels tested failed to remove the used glasses from the room for cleaning, instead using bare hands, dirty hand towels, and possibly even Lysol mildew remover, to "clean" the glasses. 

TJ's got the right idea packing his own sippy cup on these trips (thankfully).  As for the adults, suddenly that $6 bottled water tempting you from atop the mini-bar doesn't look like such a bad deal. . .