Bass Lake

When I was little I used to watch Bugs Bunny and when Yosemite Sam came on, I always thought his name was pronounced “Yoaz-might.”  What?  I’m from Connecticut, and I never went anywhere.  Frankly, when I learned the proper pronunciation, my bubble burst a little.  “Yoaz-might” is a cool way to say it.

Now that I live in SoCal, Yosemite National Park and its environs cropped up as a great place to meet some friends from NorCal.  We packed up the family into our Ford Flex loaner and away we went to Sky Lake, a sleep-away camp for kids about an hour from the entrance to the park that opens up its facilities to families a few weekends a year.  People described it to me as being like the camp in “Dirty Dancing.”  That’s all you really have to tell me.  I’m all about hot young dance instructors and talent shows and carrying watermelons.  Also, this place charged a flat fee for our family of four, and promised three meals a day, that someone else would cook. Now THAT’S all you really have to tell me.  I’m in.
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The Center for Wooden Boats offers excellent opportunities to enjoy the Water in Seattle

Late spring ushers in a wonderful time in the Northwest. Grey skies gradually give way to magnificent sunny afternoons paired with low humidity and lush green landscapes. It is a breath of fresh air which convinces more than a few locals to take a step back from whichever bridge or cliff they may have been contemplating after dealing with endless dismal afternoons for the past several months.

And, for this long time resident, nothing refreshes the senses more than getting out on the crisp Seattle area waters. Too expensive you say? Well, it doesn’t need to be. There are plenty of inexpensive ways to get your outdoor boating fix in one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Here are five refreshing options which won’t bust your wallet.

1. Ferries: The Washington State Ferry System has routes running all across Puget Sound and to the San Juan Islands. Several routes leave from downtown Seattle to various ports of call. One of my favorite lazy weekend activities is to board the Seattle to Bainbridge Island Ferry leaving from Pier 50. You can walk on for under $7.00 per person round trip and walk to the lovely town of Winslow.  Alternatively, you can drive on for under $30.00 and then take a scenic drive around the Island. While traveling on the ferry, take advantage of stunning views of the water, mountains, city, wildlife, and other boaters as you travel across the sound.

Sea Kayaking in Seattle can be refreshing

2. Sea Kayaks: If you want to get more up close and personal with the water, and get a healthy workout while you are at it, you can rent sea kayaks from any of a number of local spots around Seattle and the Puget Sound. One trip I took with my wife we saw seals, bald eagles, water fowl and, at shallower depths, purple starfish and other Pacific marine species. For local sea kayaking options, a great place to start is with this link. see more »

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As a seasoned globetrotter, you’ve seen it all. You’ve seen Victoria Falls - a bunch of water. You’ve travelled by camel to the Great Pyramids - a big pile of rocks. The Great Wall of China? A very, very, very long fence. There just aren’t a whole lot of sights in this world that can truly leave you awestruck.

Until now.

We spend a considerable amount of time in central California, and on a recent trip to the Morro Bay area, we decided to spend an evening in San Luis Obispo. Best known as the home of Cal Poly, the college town is a great place to spend some time; there are some great shops and restaurants, and on Thursdays the town hosts an excellent Farmer’s Market. SLO also boasts one of the most unusual works of…art? I guess?…you’ll ever encounter. Nestled between the buildings on Higuera Street is Bubble Gum Alley. What is Bubble Gum Alley? Well, it’s…er…here, take a look.

Bubble Gum Alley, San Luis Obispo

That polychromatic appearance is caused by thousands upon thousands of pieces of gum, chewed and then stuck to the wall. Over the years, layer upon layer of masticated bits of Bazooka, Fruit Stripe, Bubblicious, and Big League Chew have built up along the alleyway, like stalactites (or stalagmites - I could never remember the difference). The origins of Bubble Gum Alley are shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that Hernando deSoto was the first to stick a piece of gum in the alleyway, upon discovering San Luis Obispo in 1623. That seems sketchy. Most people believe that the gum-sticking began back in the late 40’s/early 50’s, as a tradition of local graduating high school students. Whatever its origin, Bubble Gum Alley is definitely a sight you’ll not soon forget. And four out of five dentists recommend visiting it the next time you’re in San Luis Obispo.

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We were driving back from Yosemite to Los Angeles after three days of dusty cabin camping.  You know the experience:  a car full of dirty laundry, hastily packed supplies, garbage, empty soda cans, exhausted parents and restless children.  The trip was only 5 hours long, and we were test-roadtripping a luxuriously enormous Ford Flex, so this return journey wasn’t as awful as some of them have been in the past.  Still, the 4-year-old’s frequent need to use a restroom, and the 2-year-old’s incessant cry for “Mo’ feesh!” (translation, “More goldfish!”) made for a typically nerve wracking ride.

At one point the children’s cries reached a fever pitch and we knew we had to stop and let them run around, like puppies released from a pen.  Trouble was, we were driving through…Bakersfield, CA, which we had always considered a place to get through on your way to somewhere else.  I’m sure it’s a lovely town, but from I-99, Bakersfield is one giant dusty truckstop.  We looked for any flash of color to be found along the roadside, and pulled over where we saw a gas station and farm stand.  We thought, okay a farm stand might be a good place for the kids to run around.

The Flex

Roadside stand

Little did we know we had stumbled upon a lovely little experience.  Orozco’s Watermelons were out in full supply, and our children ran gleefully up and down the rows of watermelon bins.  Sold by the size, I nabbed a head-shaped melon for $2, and picked up two pints of strawberries as well.

Melons, melons, melons!

I saw Orozco himself reach over to pick up our 2-year-old from one of the rows, and I thought he was going to scold us for letting the kids run around.  Instead, he plopped the kid on top of the watermelons, gave him a huge slice, and beckoned for me to point and shoot:

Now what do I do?

Melons as big as your head

Sharing is caring

Sticky but happy

He ate the WHOLE THING

We spent at least 20 minutes frolicking at the watermelon stand.  Back in the car, the kids were sticky but satisfied, and happily submitted to a hypnotizing DVD for the rest of the ride.  Thank you, Bakersfield.

Orozco’s Watermelons: 1901 Frontage West Road, Mettler, CA 93313 (seasonal, ending June 30)

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Yellowstone Hot Springs - photo by Tim

(Continued from Part One.)

Once my husband and I finally decided on Yellowstone National Park as our destination, we began to try to figure out how long of a road trip - in distance and in days - we wanted to commit ourselves to. One week seemed too short, and two weeks was too long due to limited vacation time. Finally we decided on ten days total for our entire vacation, encompassing two full weekends so that we only had to use seven total days of available vacation time. That would be enough time to get there, see the area fully, and mosey on back home via a different route than we took to get there.

That last part - the whole different route thing - spurred ANOTHER round of debate. Do we go clockwise - Arizona/Utah/Wyoming/Colorado/New Mexico/Arizona? Or do we go counter-clockwise - Arizona/Utah/Wyoming/Idaho/Nevada/Arizona? Since we’re going to be so far north into Wyoming, do we want to check out any of Southern Montana? Since we’re going to be so far west into Wyoming, do we want to check out any of Eastern Idaho?

The whole vacation planning thing, fun as it all is to me, was by this point starting to drive me a little crazy.

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The Rand McNally Road Atlas

My husband and I started discussing in February what we wanted to do for our summer vacation this year. With limited vacation time, funds not to exceed $3500, and varying tastes in what each of us considered to be vacation-worthy destinations and activities, we HAD to start the negotiations early in order to settle on something in time to, you know, actually PLAN the vacation.

Both of us are big fans of road trips - short jaunts to Flagstaff and Sedona earlier this year just whet our appetites for some serious road time. That narrowed down our options and expectations - no airfare, and no destination that was TOO far away. Then, because we live in Arizona, we figured we’ve done the six-hour drive to the San Diego area, like, a hundred times - so we decided not to go in that direction again. Next, we determined that neither of us were interested in going to Mexico, swine flu notwithstanding. So, we didn’t need to get passports either (something that’s been on my to-do list for, oh, about ten years). That took care of South, and West. I started casting my attention toward North, and East.

It was during a Sunday afternoon watching The Discovery Channel that we got the notion to visit Yellowstone National Park. Really, it was a, “Well, duh!” realization of the destination we were looking for. My husband has visited the park once, way back in his youth. I’ve never been there, myself, and I’ve always wanted to go. In the end, it was an easy decision to make, with immediate agreement on both sides. Enthusiasm started to build now that we finally had a direction in mind.

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I firmly believe that kids should be exposed to travel as much as possible when they are young.  It’s important to show our children that there is a big world out there beyond their own backyard.  An appreciation for culture and diversity is best learned by seeing and experiencing firsthand the variety that this world has to offer.

I also will freely admit that traveling with kids can be a nightmare.  As someone who has cried at Disney World, I know the perils of a poorly planned family vacation intimately.

As with any travel experience, the difference between a great trip and a stressful disaster lies in proper planning and healthy dose of common sense.

14 Tips For Happy Traveling With Kids

photo by kretyen

1.  Don’t eat all your meals in restaurants.

Of course you will be buying most - if not all - of your meals if you’re not visiting family or friends.  But even the most kid friendly restaurant can be a stressful experience for the entire family.  Every meal you have in a restaurant requires at least an hour - depending on the speed of the service - of sitting still and keeping relatively quiet.  While it’s important for children to learn how to behave well in public, asking them to practice such restraint three or more times a day for several days in a row is just asking for a meltdown.

Take advantage of your hotel’s continental breakfast.  Order pizza to be delivered to your hotel room.  Grab lunch from a vendor stand and eat lunch on a park bench.  Pick up snacks or breakfast items at a local grocery store and keep them in the mini fridge.  You can’t - and shouldn’t - spend your entire vacation eating on the run, but mixing it up at mealtime can make the restaurant experiences much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

2.  Remember sunscreen and bug spray.

You remember to lather your kids up at home before they play outside.  It’s important to be just as diligent when you’re on vacation.  In fact, it’s especially important to take care to reapply sunscreen (and bug spray, if necessary) if you’re spending an inordinate amount of time outdoors enjoying vacation activities.

A sunburned kid is a miserable kid, and a miserable kid is no fun for anyone to travel with.  Neither, by the way, is a sunburned adult.  Make sure everyone in the family is well protected.

photo by B@ni

3.  Get plenty of sleep.

There’s nothing wrong with sleeping in or going to bed early on vacation.  If you have kids, I would encourage it.  Kids need plenty of rest whether they’re getting it in their own beds or in a sleeping bag.  Try to stick to their regular sleeping schedules as much as possible.  If a special event calls for a late night, allow time in the itinerary for everyone to catch up on sleep the next morning.  If you’re traveling with kids who still require nap times, make every effort to allow for midday rest.

4.  Don’t over schedule your vacation.

Children are walking X factors.  You never know what will come up when you have little kids around.  Having an itinerary with every minute planned leaves no room for adjusting to the unexpected things that will come up.  Give yourself plenty of wiggle room in your schedule to allow for the unplanned detours you can’t avoid.

photo by Adam

5.  Plan for free time.

While I don’t believe in scheduling every minute of your trips, I do think it’s important to make sure you give yourselves downtime.  Give the kids a break and time to run free.  Making sure you’ve left room for unstructured play will keep everyone’s stress levels at a minimum.

6.  Look for kid friendly lodging and restaurants.

When you’re planning your family vacation, look for hotels and restaurants in the area that cater to kids and family.  A relaxed environment will set the tone for your entire vacation.  The less often you have to force your kids to sit still and be quiet, the better time they - and you - will have.

7.  Give everyone enough room to sleep comfortably.

I have forgotten this tip more times than I care to admit.  In my efforts to save a buck, I have repeatedly booked rooms that were too small without enough space for everyone to sleep.  I’ve told myself “they’re kids!  They’ll be fine!  The little one can sleep with us!”  And every time I regret not booking a larger room with a pullout couch.

As I’ve already mentioned, it’s crucial that everyone gets enough rest.  That means making sure no one is sleeping with a foot in their ribs all night or complaining about being shoved out of bed by an older sibling.  Some kids are used to sharing a bed and do just fine, but be realistic about what you’re asking everyone to endure each night of your vacation.

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Fountain at the Arizona Grand Resort

The Arizona Grand Resort, located in Phoenix, Arizona, just completed a 52 million dollar renovation. This AAA Four Diamond Preferred all-suite hotel is offering the “Grand Opening Summer Splash”, from Thursday May 21st through Monday September 7th, with rates starting at $129 per night. Visitors who stay for two or more nights receive a $50 gift card that can be used toward any of the numerous resort services and amenities.

The Arizona Grand Resort has something for everyone in the family. The full service spa and salon can be enjoyed after a round on the resort’s 18-hole golf course. The Lobby features a bar and grill, and a marketplace with everything you might need, and a few things you might just want. Aunt Chiladas Mexican Restaurant is within walking distance, and the Phantom Horse Grill and Sports Bar is on the resort property. For the fitness minded, a 20,000 square foot athletic club is available, complete with 45 fitness classes offered per week. The 17,000 acre South Mountain preserve is right at the back door, with 60 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The Oasis Water Park, rated among the top 10 resort water parks in the nation by The Travel Channel, has water slides, a “river ride”, and an enormous wave pool. During the “Island Nights at the Oasis” visitors can enjoy a “dive-in” movie on the big screen behind the pool.

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