Elvis has World Cup fever.

Congratulations to the U.S. soccer team for winning their World Cup group and advancing to the round of 16!

If you ever wanted to visit South Africa, now is a great time to do it. Just ask Elvis.

This post is a Wordless Wednesday post with some words added at no extra charge.

Photo by Shine2010 (via Flickr)

Olympic Torch Relay

This is what the Olympics are all about: hope, anticipation and the bringing together people of the world in sportsmanship and good will.

Best of luck to Vancouver and all of the athletes!

For more family-friendly travel photos visit DeliciousBaby’s Photo Fridays.

Photo by Russ Beinder via Flickr CC:

Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Last November, I packed up my wife and kids and headed off for a whirlwind ten-day vacation in Southern California. Our base of operations was Disneyland, where we would be spending most of our time and money.

I found deals everywhere I could, from the airline tickets to the online park hopper passes to the wonderful hotel around the corner from Disneyland’s main gate. In fact, I can’t recommend the Candy Cane Inn more highly. Our nine nights at this highly-rated, but inexpensive, hotel were perfect, from the quiet rooms to the morning breakfast by the pool.

So, we saved a lot of money on these items.

One of the more important things you have to budget for is food. I mean, you gotta eat. Usually three times a day, plus a couple of snacks. Walking around Disneyland really speeds up the metabolism.

Here is my recommendation for those of you with hungry families traveling to Disneyland for an extended stay.

Screw the food budget.

Seriously, you’re on vacation! One of the biggest pleasures of getting away from home is being able to eat well. Why ruin your vacation with a mouthful of cardboard pizza and a regretful stomach ache?

There are plenty of places in and around Disneyland where you can enjoy some delicious meals for lunch and dinner, and most of them aren’t as expensive as you’d think. Here are my recommendations for must-eat restaurants with your family.

PB&J creation at the Carnation Cafe

Most people walk right by the Carnation Cafe. It’s tucked away in an alley halfway down Main Street, and it’s easy to think it’s nothing special.

But the Carnation Cafe is our favorite eatery in Disneyland, simply because the food is so good and the staff is the friendliest in the park. My kids have a real soft spot for the PB&J Artist’s Palette, which comes with a mix of ingredients for the making of an epic peanut butter sandwich. For the grown-ups, the Croissant Chicken Club and the Cafe Chef Salad are fresh and delicious, and each around $11. Read More »

Europe, being very touchy over leadership issues in the EU, has rotating presidencies for just about everything. Turns out they also have rotating ‘Capitals of Culture.’ And Istanbul is one of the 2010 European Capital of Culture (ECOC) cities. So what does that mean and why should you care?

Bosphorus Bridge linking Asia and Europe

A city that gets itself designated as the ECOC gets to showcase its cultural life and cultural development for the entire year with events, shows and programs, which transform the city into an exciting destination for visitors.

Istanbul already has a lot of culture, to say the least. It has been the capital of three empires, starting with the Romans in 330 AD. 

For added significance, Istanbul literally connects Asia and Europe, with bridges over the Bosphorus Strait linking the two continents.

With the pileup of thousands of years of heritage, a dash of European modernity mixed in with Asian muslim customs and Ottoman cuisine, what you have in Istanbul is what Europe will look like 50 to 100 years from now.

These two faces of Istanbul are plainly visible in the contrast between attractions like the traditional structure of the Blue Mosque and the Art Nouveau buildings in nearby Nisantasi.

As for the immediate future, the 2010 ECOC program has plenty of highlights and events lined up all through 2010 to make your visit memorable. More details here – www.en.istanbul2010.org/

Photo courtesy Istanbul 2010 ECOC.