Myrtle Beach Sky Wheel

Myrtle Beach, SC gets lots of attention for being a sunny family destination brimming with beaches, water parks and Southern hospitality. The fun has increased considerably with the opening of the SkyWheel attraction on Myrtle Beach’s new boardwalk. Flying into the airport, you’ll spot the slowing turning wheel, especially at night, when there’s a light show.  But once you get up close, you realize that it’s much more than a fancy ferris wheel. Read More »

Although the marketing material compared the town to Las Vegas, Nevada and Branson, Missouri – two destinations known for their over the top entertainment – I was nonetheless surprised upon driving into Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The billboards blinked and the painted buildings fought for attention from the eye. It was a landscape that seemed like it should be set to a soundtrack of honking horns and carnival barkers, although neither could actually be heard anywhere I visited. This was, it was clear with in moments, a place to come for a good time – although not necessarily a relaxing one. But with so many families using their precious vacation days to escape over-scheduled lives, isn’t a little relaxation practically a requirement for any family vacation? I think so, and fortunately we were able to find a little bit of it amid the hustle and bustle of this tourism cornucopia.

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This is the first in a series of posts about my family trip to Walt Disney World that will be running periodically over the next few weeks. It’s full of tips, fun and lots of stress. Also, the proverbial Disney magic.

Our hosts.

Like many families that visit Walt Disney World (WDW), we planned it for years. Okay, months. We had books. Lots of books.  We visited websites. Daily. We had countdown apps on our phones and desktops.  We set aside a fund to pay for the trip. We thought we had it all figured out. Top of the world, Mickey!

Here’s what we learned — we didn’t allow for everything. Shortly after we made all of the major purchases required for a trip of this magnitude my wife and I lost our biggest account at work, roughly 80% of our household income (that’s what this is about). It was, obviously, unexpected. Did I mention that the major purchases we made were non-refundable?

We had airline tickets, park tickets and a hotel room bought and paid for, all without a paycheck in sight. The money that we had saved toward the trip now had to go toward bills. Suddenly, our air of anticipation was replaced with the foreboding of fear.  For the record, the anticipation was a lot more fun.

Luckily, we had already taken some steps to ensure that our trip was relatively sound, financially speaking. Relative being that we were planning a cross-country family vacation for four to Walt Disney World, quite possibly a once in a lifetime trip, and some corners couldn’t be cut.

How we did it: Read More »

It’s not just a cute place for a romantic encounter, a la “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.“  The canals of Venice Beach , California are eye candy for anyone, especially architecture or  style enthusiasts who just love to ogle a uniquely designed home.

View of Venice, CA canals

At one time the city of Venice, CA consisted of a network of canals created by the developer Abbott Kinney as a tribute to the Italian city.  Over the years many of them were filled in and paved, but a small enclave of the original grid was allowed to remain and eventually took its place among the priciest real estate in the area.  The canals are best viewed on foot.

The Truth About Canals and Babies

Located a few blocks inland from the beach between Washington Blvd. and Venice Blvd, the canals can be reached by parking on Ocean or Dell Street, but pay attention to the signs, because with Los Angeles’ budget deficit reaching up to $1 billion, every nickel and dime the parking attendants can squeeze out of your error counts.

Great place to take a baby

Walking through the canal neighborhood you might forget that you are in Los Angeles at all.  The noise and bustle of the crowds at the boardwalk seem worlds away from this tranquil and colorful area.

Foot bridge over Venice canal

It takes a special kind of person to live in a thin, tall house whose front yard is a sidewalk and a duck-filled waterway, and that kind of person also often has a quirky eye for design.  A stroll through the canals at sunset allows you to peer into the front windows and see what they live like inside.  During the holidays the residents dress up their little boats and canoes for a holiday boat parade.

Funky homes line the canals

When you are hungry head to a restaurant instead

If you work up an appetite some good local spots to visit are House of Teriyaki Too on Ocean if you are gritty and sweaty or if you clean up a bit they might let you into Hal’s Bar and Grill on Abbott Kinney.