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Pixar is at it again. The geniuses behind the hit movie Cars are revving up their engines, making sure their Mickey Mouse antenna toppers are secure, and setting off on the ultimate road trip. Cars 2 hits theaters on June 24, 2011 and the trip promises to be an exciting one.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait for the movie to start your own adventure. You can hit the road whenever you want (although you may want to check with your boss first).

The better news is that you can take the gang from Cars 2 with you! You read that right. The good people at Kimberly-Clark have joined with Disney-Pixar to offer their customers the opportunity to collect Cars 2 “credits” — good for free gifts and products (codes and legal info can be found on individually marked packages of Kimberly-Clark products like Cottonelle, Kleenex, Pull-Ups, Huggies, Scott and Viva — codes are redeemable online for a limited time).

Why am I telling you this on a site about family vacations? Because we’re having a Kimberly-Clark Cars 2 Road Trip Survival Kit Giveaway! It doesn’t get any more family vacation than that. Read More »

A view from the mountain tubing tour

I love mountains and I love being in the water so mountain tubing sounded like an ideal, if slightly scary experience to try.  I had witnessed Kauai’s looming mountains during trips around the island and I figured tubing would be a much easier way to see them up close than hiking them.  Kauai Backcountry features the only mountain tubing excursion on the gorgeous grounds of the former Lihue Plantation. I not only gained upfront views of Kaua’i's sweeping mountains, I witnessed the expertise of the complex  irrigation system of tunnels and flumes hand-dug over a century ago.  That’s what I call an adventure. Read More »

I have a bone to pick with Alaska Airlines, and lucky for me I have the platform to do it. This may or may not be lucky for you. Humor me.

To be fair, I’ve always been a fan of Alaska. Over the past 10 years I’ve spent a lot of time flying in and out of Seattle and often Alaska Airlines has provided the best deal available. I’m budget savvy, what can I say?

In addition to affordable (relative) airfare I’ve also enjoyed their customer service. Just last summer when my family and I were flying to Orlando there was a mix-up with our tickets (between Alaska and a partner airline) which, frankly, freaked us out. The Alaska Airlines rep stayed cool and calm and made everything right. It was the first real moment of relaxation on a great family vacation.

My point? Alaska Airlines has always done right by me. Until now. Read More »

Fare from Taste of Randolph Street

You may have heard of a little event called the Taste of Chicago, where thousands stuff themselves silly on Windy City favorites like deep dish pizza and grilled turkey legs, all in the sticky surroundings of Grant Park. Well, if you’re interested in trendy and cutting edge Chicago spots, skip the Taste of Chicago and catch the Taste of Randolph Street, June 17-19.  Situated in the haute cuisine corridor of  the West Loop, you’ll taste fare from Chicago’s top chefs.

Read More »